# park tools.. worth it??



## smokey0066 (Mar 6, 2006)

thinking about getting a few nice park tools to start working on my bike. are they worth it or would i be better of shopping for whatever is cheapest and save a buck or two. REI looks like they have generic bike tools.


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

I'd approach it on a case by case basis. But I generally buy the best tools I can with the idea that I'm buying it once and that's it. Cheap tools suck.


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## gradosu (May 17, 2007)

I have tools from park tools, spin doctor, and pedro. I only buy from these companies when I can't find the tools at a normal hard ware shop. You can go to an autozone or other car store and pick up a torque-wrench for about 10 bucks. Lots of cheap hex attachments for it. The spin doctor and pedro tools have held up fine. I always buy the least expensive tool that I can find. A chain whip is a chain whip and so on.


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## smokey0066 (Mar 6, 2006)

which is why i ask.. are park tools considered the best? I like to buy tools 1 time as well.. and I can appreciate using the proper tool for the job to get it done right.. 

up to now i've been getting by with what i have (a box of random tools).. it barely works... sometimes it'd be nice to have a seperate set of bike tools for the job..


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

Many Park tools are considered the best. Really depends on the tool in question. I think Felco makes the best cable cutters, Var makes the best dishing tools, Bondhus makes the best allen wrenches, and of course Campy makes some of the best tools out there. Snap On and Shimano make some great stuff, too. But Park tends to be very good quality and it's hard to go wrong with their stuff. You can go cheap in a few places, too. I use a homemake headset press which cost me $3 to make.


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## Retro Grouch (Apr 30, 2002)

I'd buy just Park tools if I worked on bikes for a living. 

Most of the bicycle tools I own are an assortment of Park, Sette and stuff from Harbor Freight.


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## slowdave (Nov 29, 2005)

I own a few park tools and they are all a joy to use. Others i own are not so much fun to use. Buy the best you can afford and you will not need to replace them in a few years time.


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## Qstick333 (Jul 21, 2004)

On a case by case basis, there are other brands that might be great at something e.g. I love my SHimano cable cutters, etc...

As a whole, Park makes a high quality, functional tool and as a company, they are responsive to inquiries etc... 

Buy once, cry once...............


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## Armchair Spaceman (Jun 21, 2003)

*Yep.*

Yep..


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*few needed...*

Park tools are fine, but their aren't that many needed these days. I have the BBT-19 tool to torque outboard bearing cups, a Campy casette lockring tool, a Park chain tool, cone wrenches and cable cutters. The cone wrenches don't get much use these days. I use a 35 year old Craftsman beam type torque wrench on lockrings and BB cups.

I have a Park headset press, but only used it twice, before integrated headsets became the norm. 

A Park rear derailleur alignment tool is a good investment. Even new frames should be checked. 

I've also got a Park self-centering wheel truing stand. It's OK, but not the ultimate. It will last a lifetime though.

With Campy 11 speed, I may have to break down and buy a Campy chain tool.


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

*Maybe not*

I have some Park tools that must be 25 years old. Two I can name off-hand are a three way hex wrench and a pedal wrench. I recently bought a new Park cable cutter, not too impressed. It works about as well as my old Pedros. I bought a new Park 3-way hex wrench around the 1st of the year and it's starting to round out already with the 5mm, my 25 year old one must have harder steel. I packed a Park folding hex wrench set (AWS 11), but it was too bulky and I recently purchased an Ascent bare bones multi tool. I like it. Just the right size and hard steel, worried about being too small for leverage but it works fine. I also have a PBK chain whip and a PBK Campy lockring removing tool. Works fine, but I don't use them that often. 

I guess it depends on how much you use your tools and what you do. My expertise is limited, The stuff I have works.


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## russotto (Oct 3, 2005)

Cheap tools are something of a crapshoot. A screwdriver that self-destructs on a mildly stuck screw (thank you Sears "Companion", no, not bike related), or a chain whip which bends under pressure is worse than useless. Cable cutters (or any cutting tool) which work once and are then dull are not such bargains either. 

So if you go for the cheap tool, you may end up paying twice. Or you may have actually found a bargain. Your call. (but don't buy "Companion" screwdrivers for anything which requires torque... they're probably OK for adjusting derailleur limit screws)


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## sbindra (Oct 18, 2004)

*Fine*

Parktools products are fine and I buy them for any bike specific tool. Anything that is not bike specific, I buy Sears Craftsman, which I still think are the best tools ever made for the money (although, and maybe it's all in my head, I think the quality has declined somewhat in the last 10 years).


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

sbindra said:


> Parktools products are fine and I buy them for any bike specific tool. Anything that is not bike specific, I buy Sears Craftsman, which I still think are the best tools ever made for the money.


I follow similar. 

The only Park tool I have some issue with is the new Park PW5. It does not work well with my Speedplays but works fine with my other pedals. Beyond that, I've not had any issues with my other Park tools and they are about 18 years old.


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## RayGun (Dec 8, 2006)

I own some Park tools that are bike specific, but the rest of my tools are Snap-On because of my family's background in automotive repair.

When I asked my father why he paid more instead of going to Sears for his tools, his reply was "because they're the best, and I'm worth it."

So if it's your life, then question answered.

And if you don't buy Park Tools, every time you pick up a wrench it won't bother you that it doesn't have that nice blue handle.

One of the benefits of being OCD is having a matching tool set.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

I'm going to agree with most others here. Park Tools are pretty good, but definitely not always the best (see other comments for examples). Some of their stuff is really good, some just OK. But in my experience, none of them are bad, so I don't mind spending a little more for a tool that I know will last and won't suck.


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

Shimano cable cutters, Park wrenches (cones mostly), and now...

BBQ tools! I got me a Park BBQ tool kit today. Woo Hoo! Yeah, I know its dorky, but I'm a mechanic!

M


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## smokey0066 (Mar 6, 2006)

thanks for all the replies guys. I'm thinking about picking up a few tools such as a pedal wrench, chain whip and cassette tool with wrench handle.

I'm cleaning out the basement and want to fix up a couple bikes that have been neglected and will start by replacing the rusted chain/cassettes. Might need a crank puller too.. dont know yet but this is where i'm starting with my tool kit.


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## barbedwire (Dec 3, 2005)

I've got a slew of cheap tools. Most of them work ok. Here's what I've learned not to do again.

1) Don't buy a cheap chain tool. I had two and they both broke over time. The nicer ones last.
2) Don't buy the headset cup remover tool from Nashbar. It sucks.
3) Do buy the headset cup installation tool from Nashbar. It's really good and cheap.

As for Park. Most of there tools are good, but I really don't like these...
1) The new bottom braket tool for removing external cup BBs. Either get a Pedros tool, or even a cheapie. The Park tool plast thingie, don't know what it's called, always comes loose.
2) Not at all impressed with the TS-2 wheel truing stand due to the hype, uh I mean hoax, about it's so-called "self-centering" feature. If you buy this stand, you will still need a dishing tool. Do a search on the other popular bike forum and see the complaints about this one. Even Calvin Jones, head mech at Park has said that the TS-2 self-centering feature is flawed
3) The hub cone wrenches from Park are decent, but nothing to write home about. Get the kinds that have a little curved part cut into the metal that interfaces with the hub, like Hozan.
4) Park headset wrench is VERY nice. I'm talking about the thick locking one. If you have an old threaded headset and don't want to scratch it up, get this one.
5) Park's cable cutters suck. Mine consistently squash the cable and doesn't provide that nice sharp cut I prefer. I like the Shimano cable cutter the best. Pedro's is good too.


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

barbedwire said:


> 2) Not at all impressed with the TS-2 wheel truing stand due to the hype, uh I mean hoax, about it's so-called "self-centering" feature. If you buy this stand, you will still need a dishing tool. Do a search on the other popular bike forum and see the complaints about this one. Even Calvin Jones, head mech at Park has said that the TS-2 self-centering feature is flawed
> 3) The hub cone wrenches from Park are decent, but nothing to write home about. Get the kinds that have a little curved part cut into the metal that interfaces with the hub, like Hozan.
> 4) Park headset wrench is VERY nice. I'm talking about the thick locking one. If you have an old threaded headset and don't want to scratch it up, get this one.
> 5) Park's cable cutters suck. Mine consistently squash the cable and doesn't provide that nice sharp cut I prefer. I like the Shimano cable cutter the best. Pedro's is good too.


I definitely agree with all of the above. I still think the TS-2 is good, just make sure to get a dishing tool, too.


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## Al1943 (Jun 23, 2003)

I buy just the tools I need when I need them, and only high quality. A bicycle tool set will have too many tools that are specific to applications that I may never have.
I agree that the TS-2 does not actually self-center or auto-center but I can keep mine set to center rear road wheels with 130 dropout spacing. A dishing gauge is not really needed, with a good truing stand you can accurately center a wheel by reversing it on the stand as many times as needed.

Al


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