Tell me about good quality tools

Hi all

Looking to build up a good quality toolset after having had budget stuff for a number of years. I like dong research about this sort of stuff but a lot of the info out there is from none bike mechanic forums. I guess what’s good for them is good for us bike folk generally?

So the only good stuff I own so far are Wera Allen keys, park scales a mituyoto digital caliper.

Thinking about the essentials anybody had good experiences with a particular brand? I’m thinking knipex for all things pliers but would be interested to hear about other brands and possibly more bike specific like pedros. I do have acces to cheaper park tools stuff as well.

Cheers

Matt (bored sent from hospital bed looking to blow some cash on tools to cheer me up!)

Halfords pro are good for spanners and sockets. A good cable cutter is worth getting, not sure what brand but a cheap proper one is still better than expensive pliers. Wera are good for screwdriver bits too. I don’t have many specialist bike tools but genarally go for shimano as it seems to work but I don’t give it a good work-out.

To be honest I’d say a good tool kit is more about having the right tool for the job and that generally means having a lot of tools. Oh… and a good tool-chest or two. If you are ‘tool guy’ and need cheering up then opening a drawer full of spanners, then one full of sockets and another full of screwdrivers will raise a smile 🙂

+1 for Halfords Pro. My father in law uses them and they seem excellent for the money. Not as cool as some of the Park or Pedros kits in a box mind you!

Yes heard good things about halfords pro, was a bit surprised as I had an impression of them bad due to crap bike stuff they sell

‘nother vote for Halfords Pro.. hard to beat for quality/value…
Teng/Britool and Wera all nice aswell..

Reading around not heard great things about park generally, pedros seem to be more highly regarded if looking for bike specific stuff

Park tools do seem to get mixed reviews. Hopefully the workstand Ive just bought is OK!

Park Tools melt in my hands. Haven’t tried Halfords but Pedros are the choice for me.. Lifetime warranty yet to be tested. Plus with all the Stanley stuff too my toolbox is bumblebee pimp.

Park Tools melt in my hands. Haven’t tried Halfords but Pedros are the choice for me.. Lifetime warranty yet to be tested. Plus with all the Stanley stuff too my toolbox is bumblebee pimp.

Some Park tools are pants, but then so are some Pedros bits too.. Park triple allen keys are handy, wheras I’ve snapped the Pedros ones.
Cyclo and Cyclus are also a good bet for bike specific stuff. Knippex make the best cable cutters by far though, so you’re on to a winner there!

You say you like dong research…What sort of tools are we talking about here?

Another vote for Halfords Pro range here, can’t beat a lifetime guarantee (keep the receipt).

stw is the best place to find quality tools 😛

I have a set of Britool spanners. They will easily outlast me.

I was given a set of Kamasa combination spanners when I was 17. They have had regular and frequent use since then. I genuinely cannot think of a single time when they have not done what they were supposed to do, sometimes ‘in extremis’. I’ll be 50 on Saturday. The spanners will be passed onto Boy No 1 when it is time for me to go.

Stanley seem to go on forever too, as does a King Dick adjustable- it is totally brilliant and utterly bombproof. As are a full set of Bahco adjustables, well almost a full set, the 6 incher has vanished recently- perhaps Boy No 1 wants his inheritance early I wonder.

Halfords Pro- blummin good kit, if the Kamasa stuff ever dies I’d replace it with Halford’s Pro. I have a few duplicates for stuff mislaid and then found later- the finish is really nice, the fit is great and it has a nice heft to it.

By their very nature bike tools do not get a lot of stress so will probably last an exceedingly long time. Buy cheap, buy twice as they say.

had a full set of Elora spanners, C.K. pliers and cutters and Stanley screwdrivers for my 18th Birthday, 28 years ago and still going strong…. choose wisely, you only buy good tools once!

Never upgrade! What i mean is buy what you really want to start with. I have knippex pliers and they are things of beauty.

any good bike specific tools that offer complete range other than Parks? I’ve got some parks stuff, it’s ok, but not sure if the quality matches the price!

I’m after upgrading all the usual tools from spanners through to air compressor but obviously I’ll need some bike specific tools as well like external bb tool so as creamegg says interested in general opinions on brands. Think britool t allen keys and a Wera Bit ratchet are now on the list. Looking to buy second hand in places as well to keep costs down so eBay is my friend!

Anybody had much experience with cocraft tools sold by clas ohlson? They seem excellent value considering they come with a 10 year guarantee in many cases. Was looking in particular at their spanners.

I like park tools for bike.
Always Snap-on tools for auto trade but need a good budget..
Bought some over 20 years ago and have used them every day of my working life. Still going strong. + Life time warrenty.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/catalog1.asp?tool=hand&Cat_ID=629029&Cat_NAME=Ratchet And Socket Accessories&store=snapon-store

Snap On (some of my stuff Ive hade for near on 30 years) Britool, Mac Tools, Facome and a German make called Stahwille which is really good.

Facom for allen keys. Bahco adjustable spanners. Halfords pro for sockets. Wera for their posh screwdrivers.

For most things I tend to buy snap on. But knipex for cutters and bondus for Allen keys
Don’t get snap on screwdrivers though

Cycle stuff wise. The proper park workshop tool work well the cheaper range less so
But I’m a big fan of cyclus for facing and cutting tool

Fsa make a very nice socket for external bb cups

Ambrose – Member
I was given a set of Kamasa combination spanners when I was 17. They have had regular and frequent use since then. I genuinely cannot think of a single time when they have not done what they were supposed to do, sometimes ‘in extremis’. I’ll be 50 on Saturday. The spanners will be passed onto Boy No 1 when it is time for me to go.

Got the spanners and socket set at 16 when I began my apprenticeship and like you still have and use them @ 57!
Got some Britool from the same era still going strong, not sure I would buy it nowadays, Halfords stuff is probably better.
Some of the Draper stuff is good.
We use Kennedy ay work. http://www.cromwell.co.uk/

Shimano cable cutters are excellent.

The young guys at my garage have halfords pro stuff, it doesn’t last they’ve gone through 3-4 bars and a couple of ratchets in 9 months. Good thing they come with a warranty.

Everything i have is Snap-on, even my tool box and bike specific bits. It’s the only thing worth buying imo.

For any tools, buy the best you can afford, when you need them – don’t just spunk out on a load of stuff you’ve never use.

+1 Halfords Pro, Pedros and Park plus my Britool socket set is over 30 yrs old.

“For any tools, buy the best you can afford, when you need them – don’t just spunk out on a load of stuff you’ve never use.”

this man has it …. no point in having a load of tools you dont use or in the case of some of my mates – dont even know what it does or how it works !!

+1 ^^^^^^^^

ds3000 – Member
You say you like dong research…What sort of tools are we talking about here?

That cracked me up too, ds

😀

Bondhus Allen keys are good.

Sealey will do you for 3/8ths sockets and ratchets. I’ve done every stupid thing you can do to my sealey sockets working on cars and never bust one yet. The halfords pro stuff is decent too, can vouch for their square drive Allen bits.

To be honest any halfway respectable car tools will be major overkill for a bike. When was the last time you used a blowtorch and a 4lb lump hammer to get a fixing to turn on your bike?

haha yes comedy typo in there, give me a break though I was high on morphine at the time…

Good to hear some of the same names coming up here as what I’ve read on places like garagejournal (take a look its a good source of info/opinion although they do bang on a bit much about how good american brand tools are).

My plan is to have my old/new cheaper tools in a portable box that I can just leave to take on trips then have nicer new stuff in the garage. Thats why I was looking at cocraft from clas ohlson as for the money and gaurantee I thought they would be good for the portable box stuff to replace that tat that I currently use without costing the earth?

Seems that people are rating park tools reasonably well, seems to be a fair mix of opinion out there on their stuff?

If you want tools that will last a life time go with the professionals choice, SNAP-ON. I bought my first Snap-On tools when I was 16 (34 years ago) when I was training as a motorcycle mechanic, I have 2 rolling cages and 2 top boxes now full of Snap-On tools, I have never had a tool wear out or break in all the years I have been using them. Simply put you get what you pay for, Snap-On IMHO is the best.

Park stuff i have and like-
The cheapo stand with wind up clamp (but funny legs if you move it a lot). Mine just sits in the open 24/7.
ye olde crank pullers, folding allen keys, Y wrench are all good.
The mini chain splitter is great. Always carry one/have another in the tool box.
Their basic cone spanners not so good, not long bought the blue ‘workshop’ ones.
Cassette/Square taper BB tools pretty bombproof.

General stuff i have like Bahco and Knipex i rate.
Shimano cable cutters for inners.

Made my own truing stand/nipple driver/chainwhip-all absolutely amazing of course!

Halford Pro stuff is on offer at the moment:

Good Value

If you want some seriously decent cable cutters, then Felco are the way to go (although they’ll be around £40).

double post

Yes thats a good deal on the halfords stuff thanks.

Re snap-on I just think that might be a bit to far in terms of the volume of use I will get through to justify even the second hand prices.

Think if you accept that there is a possibility that the halfords stuff might have to go back at some point for an exchange then its probably a good balance of price vs quality.

Never mind all this lightweight bike maintenance tools, as others have said anything from the following manufactures will do you well.

Britool
Kamasa
Facom
Bondhus

Bahco adjustable spanners, Knipex pliers & cutters, Bondhus allen keys, Gedore square drive hex bits and sockets, Snap-On or Proto ratchets, Wera screwdrivers & Elora or Stahlwille spanners.

Beta are nice too. Just a bit too orange.

The new Park tools are made out of soft cheese. The external BB tool rounded before the cup. The only cups it did manage to remove was a Truvativ. So, not much of a challenge!

I bought some cheap Fat Spanner bike tools. Tough as old boots with nails in. But then I don’t use it every day like my proper tools, so not really a comparison.