Simple ,,, if your not doing it for a living , by the cheap set , and when you wear out or break the tools , replace them with the expensive kit , that way the stuff you use most ends up as the best quality , the stuff that will do in cheap tools , will do , and wont need replaced .
This was how I built up my tools. Started 30 years ago with cheap tools, but now have leveled off with quality tools where I need them. Some of the cheap tools are for parts that seldom need replacing or almost obsolete, like a crank puller and several box and cone wrenches.
as a mechanic that does this for a living i use a mix of park , pedros, wera, knipex, hozan, abbey, evt, bsc, dt swiss, milwaukee, felco, klein craftsman,kingsbridge and picks from various places i find them
Park Tools are good, but not that good. A lot of the tools needed for bikes aren't bike specific, such as the torx, hex, screwdrivers, ratchets, etc... Many tools like the cassette and BB wrench have a socket as alternative. Get those tools from some better brand and you'll pay about the same for better quality. The most important ones I have are: - Hex by PB Swiss - Torx by Wiha - Small precision hex/torx by Wiha Picofinish - Cable cutter by Knipex - Ratchet for the sockets by Hazet - Open-end/box-end wrenches by Gedore (blue) - Bitset by Bosch (blue) - Ratchet bitdriver by Milwaukee
I own tools in the full spectrum, from Snap-on/ Matco to Harbor Freight and literally everything in between. I’ve come to value the Icon/ Doyle hand tools from Harbor Freight, because they are so often compared to much higher priced tool truck tools, and in many cases, hold their own. That being said, I also understand a tools value is one that can exceed its design, when pressed to be used in extreme circumstances. While I know the precision and quality of many Taiwanese products I’m also aware that not all are created equal. In looking at many of the closeups of these Bikehand tools, I’m surprised at the poor finish, sloppy looking stamping, rough edges and thinner material composition, as compared to the Park Tools. I demand a lot from my tools and I’ve only had to replace 3 tools, over the 30 years of using them. It’s for that reason, I chose Park Tools because if your going to spend 1k to 12k on a bike, it’s absolutely imperative you get the correct tools for their maintenance. Even if you feel you would only use it once, slipping off a cassette, because your chain whip breaks, and smashing your wrench into a carbon frame, is why I don’t second guess what I buy. Buy once and buy right. Results always vary and sometimes you can only afford what you can. Besides many of the tools in that Bikehand kit wouldn’t even be useful/ or are redundant to tools I already own. It’s only a deal if you really need them all and can make them useful
I once bought a TORX t-handle set from Harbor Freight. Quality so bad I recycled them...too terrible to even give away since I didn't know any mechanics I hated enough to "deserve" them! Total junk.
"It’s only a deal if you really need them all and can make them useful" - I agree with this sentiment. However, the same can be said for expensive and often overpriced tools, too.
Most of the Bike Hand tools look decidedly inferior to the Park tools. They should be fine for consumer use, where the user might only use any tool a few times over its life. I can't imagine they would hold up under shop use. I have a wide variety of bike tools that I have accumulated over 50 years, including lots of Park and Campagnolo, and I have no problem using low-price tools of decent quality. However, there are some tools, like the cable cutters, where a good tool, like Hozan's, can bring a smile to your face, while a cheap, stamped version, like the Bike Hand, can be a lesson in frustration. BTW, the Park chain stretch gauge that was shown works differently than the one in the Bike Hand kit. I have seen Park versions of that one, as well, but the design of the Park style shown yields more accurate results, as it measures the chain in the way it is loaded in use.
Thanks for the insight. 50 years is a long time to build up knowledge! I agree that the quality of a tool must also be gauged within the expected amount of usage. I might use a tool once a year whereas a shop might use the same tool once an hour. Big difference.
A lot of the time you're simply not comparing like with like, e.g. the FRW-1 freewheel remover wrench from Park that you show is a massive heavy-duty pro workshop tool designed for holding and driving different tools with a 1" hex drive - it doesn't even come with a freewheel remover tool, it's simply a driver handle. The Park PW-4 pedal wrench you show is the most expensive pro workshop option - Park also make a PW-5 home mechanic pedal wrench which is much cheaper and a more reasonable comparison. I'm not a Park Tool completist by any means, but I do work part-time in a bike workshop, and I know that some tools are pro quality and made to last and some just aren't. Just look at the difference between the Bike Hand cable cutter and the Park ones, for example - the Bike Hand cutters are made in China from cheap stamped steel, probably not even hardened, and the Park Tool cutters are made in the USA, properly forged, hardened and ground, with a lifetime guarantee. If you cut some cables with each of them, you would immediately know the difference. Do the Park cable cutters lost a lot more? Yes, of course they do. Are they worth it? That depends how many cables you need to cut, but the Bike Hand ones wouldn't last very long in a bike workshop.
I appreciate the call out there on the different demands between a workshop and a home mechanic. While this video has some interesting comparisons, I do wish I had dug deeper into the different options park tool offers within their categories. Thanks for sharing the feedback!
I’ve bought all kinds of tools over the years. I have the bike hand disc brake tool in this video. It’s just as good as any others. If you’re going by more expensive bike specific tools I suggest ethier unior or abbey tools VS park. For more high end tools that aren’t bike specific like Allen keys wera or Klein I suggest. Bike hand tools are pretty solid and for most part I’d buy them over park if I had to chose between those 2 brands
I started with a cheap kit, but when the regularly used tools broke or wore out, I replaced with a higher brand. If you maintain more than one bike, go with the higher end brand. I don't believe just looking at a tool will tell you it's quality
I doubt if any of the Bikehand tools are hardened steel. But, still good value even if you have to replace the cassette lock ring tool, all the allen keys, and one or two of the cone wrenches later. I've gone down this road of buying cheap tools and having to replace many of them with either Park Tool or other quality hardware store tools. I've even replaced a Filzer pedal wrench as it bent on seized pedals. But honestly if a young person has to replace tools later on, the Bikehand toolkit gives them a good start on learning bike repairs now and the money saved on doing your own repairs justifies having the cheap toolkit than not. When they're older and can afford nicer bikes and things, you treat yourself to better tools.
I own a bike repair shop, started with low budget and cheap tools, it takes 6 months to replace my cheap Chinese tool straight to the top of the food chain tool such as pb swiss, knipex , Wera, Wiha, snap on, vampire tools. If I want to suggest, they’re some tools that needs high precision and high load that you really need to invest on a good ones, Hex/torx key (pb swiss) Chain cutter (topeak) Cable cutter (knipex) Screw drivers (pb swiss) Crank puller (park tool) Cone wrench (park tool) Rachet wrench ( Craftsman) Bb, cassette, freewheel sockets (park tool)
I believe every Park Tool tool is a workshop quality tool, meant to be used thousands of times along it`s life cycle. From personal experience with Bike Hand quality tools from this side of the pond, they are a good way for someone to start getting their hands dirty with bicycles. That being said, like any hobby , when you start to really get into to it, a whole new world is opened before you, and as you dive deep into it, be it the mechanic side or the bike ownership, you start to really tell the diference in quality of hardware, bike components and the tools that are required to work on those . I will share my experience with a chain tool or chain breaker. The first one I owned came in a similar kit ( 39.99 € at Decathlon ) , it lasted 3 years ( maybe used 10 times ), after that I upgraded to a PRO chain breaker, that's Shimano's tool brand. It took about 8 years until it gave up, I used it, my friends used , it had a pretty good life until it broke... Last year I finally bought a Park Tool one, the exact one that you show on the video. Now, did I throw money away with the first two ? I don't think so, those were the tools that made perfect sense financially back then as far as I was willing to spend, given my level of enthusiasm with cycling. I can't remember how many times I had Park Tool mechanic toolkit in the shopping cart, but I could never convince myself to spend that amount of money in a single buy. So I went the single tool at a time route, quality first, because a cheap tool on an expensive bike makes for and expensive repair... This would all be unnecessary if I had a bike shop close to me , which I don't so I have to fix my own bikes, a those of my friends.
Price varies by the repair. I offer a 15% off discount to Subscribers. Turn around time varies. I offer a 15% off time expedition to Subscribers. Thanks!
A router can be found in your basement or storage room and is often used to gain access to You Tube via the Interweb. A Rotor is the part of the disc brake system that spins with your wheel. The wheel is the steep park and the tire is the rubber part 😅. Great video and comparison other than that little faux pas.
If you feel it is necessary to critique Jalen's pronunciation of a part then you better be sure your spelling is precise. I am not sure what a "steep park" is.
If you are buying tools for work solely on your own bike, then it is your decision what tools you will use. If you are using the tools for a job repairing other people's bikes on a paid basis, if you damage customer's bikes because of poor tool purchases, eventually you will pay for this one way or another.
THERE S ALWAYS A CHEAPER OPTION some good some bad some ok for when you need it . l ve bought what l needed most on at a time park tools mostly but all my regular tools are mastercraft from CT which comes with a lifetime warranty too .l have used them as a mechanic for yrs with no issues :) I THINK THIS WILL DO FOR US REGULAR CYCLISTS just upgrade whatever breaks
I bought the bike hand tool box very similar to that 10 years ago for $100, the only tool I have to replace was the crank puller Today bikehand sells the same toolbox here in Oz for $190
@@jalenoutside I hear excellent things about hex wrenches from Wera. I’m sure there are cable cutters that are higher quality out there as well, though I’m sure Park’s are plenty good. I expect for common cone wrenches, chain whips, etc, it mostly doesn’t matter what you get. And I bet some of the higher quality brands are also made in Taiwan.
@@iliinsky In the In the EU we use a lot of Gedore wrenches. I would buy a set second hand and replace the ones you break. Well if you gone break one anytime soon. I personally buy tools of things one company is really good at. Gedore(wane look also into KTC) as mentioned. Wiha for bits/screwdrivers, Stahlwille for sockets and ratchets, etc.
I have many screwdrivers from high end to ultra cheap. One spectacular failure I had was a Park #1 phillips screwdriver. The tip instantly rounded off like it was never hardened. I have "free" screwdrivers that came with unassembled items years ago that are still going strong.
Well of course you can buy cheap tools and get angry every single time you use them because they either break, destroys the bike and the ergonomics isn’t always very nice. I’m using Park tool at work which is fine and they do the job. But at home I’m using a variety of tools such as Abbey bike tools, Silca, Wera, Knipex, Wolftooth components and a few from Park tool as well. For me wrenching on the bike is as much of my hobby as riding the bike so it should be a joy to do it which in my opinion requires nice tools.
Not always. Taiwan is the global center of bike tools and parts manufacturing. They know what they’re doing. Good Taiwanese tools can be extremely high quality, and Bike Hand is a well-established and trusted brand.
Depends. If your priority is to always buy “Made in USA” first, then obviously. If you’re making an apple to apple comparison between US made and Taiwan made, then it’s very, very competitive with the Taiwan product often outperforming the US one. I’ve had to replace tools that are no longer affordably made domestically with Taiwan-made tools and was surprised at the quality. With similarly priced tools like folding knives and ratchets, Taiwan-made is almost always superior. Their factories are state-of-the-art and QC is very high.
Agreed! I personally try to go Made in Canada or USA first if it is moderately affordable, but Taiwan has some high quality manufacturing in some cases.
WHO says Park Tool stuff is the highest quality on the market? Based on my decades turning a wrench I'd rate them similar to the old Sears "Craftsman" quality. ...or maybe Beta in Europe. Certainly good enough and better than most but nowhere near the quality of SnapOn, USAG, or even FACOM. Specialty tools - CYCLUS, BiciSupport, VAR, Abbey all make stuff I'd rate as superior to Park.
I am not a believer in tool kits, find they have tools I never use, some tools that are not worth it no mater how cheap. I made my own chain whip, works better than anything I could buy. Bike hand bottom bracket tool is great, but cannot tighten to a specific torque if that is important to you. Pedal wrench is crap. For hex and torx, and other drivers, I find a torque wrench kit, and a multidriver far more convenient. Hard to beat Park tools for wire cutters, spoke wrenches, alignment tools. For me I have built up a set of tools over 50 years, only have the Tools I require, and the I only buy the best quality available for each use, cheaper in the long run.
I have tools from Spin Doctor (Performance Bike) Harbor Freight tools, to Craftsman tools to be used on my bike when it is time to do repairs. However, I purchased these tools years ago and I know they were a lot less expensive compared to what they cost today. I learned to do my own repairs in order to save on costs; the expense in KEEPING a bike and in good working condition when others would (as I know they either had the thought of 1) Doing bike mechanics is not very woman like or 2) Showing Off (which I was not). There are a lot of JEALOUS INSECURE people who also stir up a lot of anger due to PROVOKING someone else with the INTENTION to ANGER THEM.
Simple ,,, if your not doing it for a living , by the cheap set , and when you wear out or break the tools , replace them with the expensive kit , that way the stuff you use most ends up as the best quality , the stuff that will do in cheap tools , will do , and wont need replaced .
Great point!
This was how I built up my tools. Started 30 years ago with cheap tools, but now have leveled off with quality tools where I need them. Some of the cheap tools are for parts that seldom need replacing or almost obsolete, like a crank puller and several box and cone wrenches.
Great review
as a mechanic that does this for a living i use a mix of park , pedros, wera, knipex, hozan, abbey, evt, bsc, dt swiss, milwaukee, felco, klein craftsman,kingsbridge and picks from various places i find them
It’s cool to get some info from a mechanic. I will have to checkout the brands I don’t recognize!
I use Unior, Pedro's, SuperB, Wera and IceToolz.
Park Tools are good, but not that good.
A lot of the tools needed for bikes aren't bike specific, such as the torx, hex, screwdrivers, ratchets, etc...
Many tools like the cassette and BB wrench have a socket as alternative.
Get those tools from some better brand and you'll pay about the same for better quality.
The most important ones I have are:
- Hex by PB Swiss
- Torx by Wiha
- Small precision hex/torx by Wiha Picofinish
- Cable cutter by Knipex
- Ratchet for the sockets by Hazet
- Open-end/box-end wrenches by Gedore (blue)
- Bitset by Bosch (blue)
- Ratchet bitdriver by Milwaukee
This is great info, I am going to do some research on the brands I don’t know. Thanks for sharing.
I own tools in the full spectrum, from Snap-on/ Matco to Harbor Freight and literally everything in between. I’ve come to value the Icon/ Doyle hand tools from Harbor Freight, because they are so often compared to much higher priced tool truck tools, and in many cases, hold their own. That being said, I also understand a tools value is one that can exceed its design, when pressed to be used in extreme circumstances. While I know the precision and quality of many Taiwanese products I’m also aware that not all are created equal. In looking at many of the closeups of these Bikehand tools, I’m surprised at the poor finish, sloppy looking stamping, rough edges and thinner material composition, as compared to the Park Tools. I demand a lot from my tools and I’ve only had to replace 3 tools, over the 30 years of using them. It’s for that reason, I chose Park Tools because if your going to spend 1k to 12k on a bike, it’s absolutely imperative you get the correct tools for their maintenance. Even if you feel you would only use it once, slipping off a cassette, because your chain whip breaks, and smashing your wrench into a carbon frame, is why I don’t second guess what I buy. Buy once and buy right. Results always vary and sometimes you can only afford what you can. Besides many of the tools in that Bikehand kit wouldn’t even be useful/ or are redundant to tools I already own. It’s only a deal if you really need them all and can make them useful
Thanks for the information, I will be checking out the brands you have mentioned!
I once bought a TORX t-handle set from Harbor Freight. Quality so bad I recycled them...too terrible to even give away since I didn't know any mechanics I hated enough to "deserve" them! Total junk.
"It’s only a deal if you really need them all and can make them useful" - I agree with this sentiment. However, the same can be said for expensive and often overpriced tools, too.
Think I got the same kit for under 100 on Jenson. Love to hate them but it works wonders.
Most of the Bike Hand tools look decidedly inferior to the Park tools. They should be fine for consumer use, where the user might only use any tool a few times over its life. I can't imagine they would hold up under shop use. I have a wide variety of bike tools that I have accumulated over 50 years, including lots of Park and Campagnolo, and I have no problem using low-price tools of decent quality. However, there are some tools, like the cable cutters, where a good tool, like Hozan's, can bring a smile to your face, while a cheap, stamped version, like the Bike Hand, can be a lesson in frustration. BTW, the Park chain stretch gauge that was shown works differently than the one in the Bike Hand kit. I have seen Park versions of that one, as well, but the design of the Park style shown yields more accurate results, as it measures the chain in the way it is loaded in use.
Thanks for the insight. 50 years is a long time to build up knowledge! I agree that the quality of a tool must also be gauged within the expected amount of usage. I might use a tool once a year whereas a shop might use the same tool once an hour. Big difference.
A lot of the time you're simply not comparing like with like, e.g. the FRW-1 freewheel remover wrench from Park that you show is a massive heavy-duty pro workshop tool designed for holding and driving different tools with a 1" hex drive - it doesn't even come with a freewheel remover tool, it's simply a driver handle. The Park PW-4 pedal wrench you show is the most expensive pro workshop option - Park also make a PW-5 home mechanic pedal wrench which is much cheaper and a more reasonable comparison. I'm not a Park Tool completist by any means, but I do work part-time in a bike workshop, and I know that some tools are pro quality and made to last and some just aren't. Just look at the difference between the Bike Hand cable cutter and the Park ones, for example - the Bike Hand cutters are made in China from cheap stamped steel, probably not even hardened, and the Park Tool cutters are made in the USA, properly forged, hardened and ground, with a lifetime guarantee. If you cut some cables with each of them, you would immediately know the difference. Do the Park cable cutters lost a lot more? Yes, of course they do. Are they worth it? That depends how many cables you need to cut, but the Bike Hand ones wouldn't last very long in a bike workshop.
I appreciate the call out there on the different demands between a workshop and a home mechanic. While this video has some interesting comparisons, I do wish I had dug deeper into the different options park tool offers within their categories. Thanks for sharing the feedback!
I’ve bought all kinds of tools over the years. I have the bike hand disc brake tool in this video. It’s just as good as any others. If you’re going by more expensive bike specific tools I suggest ethier unior or abbey tools VS park. For more high end tools that aren’t bike specific like Allen keys wera or Klein I suggest. Bike hand tools are pretty solid and for most part I’d buy them over park if I had to chose between those 2 brands
Thanks for the insight and detail.
Blah blah blah
I started with a cheap kit, but when the regularly used tools broke or wore out, I replaced with a higher brand. If you maintain more than one bike, go with the higher end brand. I don't believe just looking at a tool will tell you it's quality
I agree that frequency of use is a key factor for tool quality that was not well addressed in this comparison. Thanks!
Great review... thanks... I have a wide assortment of Park tools and Bike Hand tools... Bike Hand quality is usually pretty good and a lot cheaper...
Thank you for watching and the note!
Great video, bikehand all the way for the home mechanic.
Thank you!
I doubt if any of the Bikehand tools are hardened steel. But, still good value even if you have to replace the cassette lock ring tool, all the allen keys, and one or two of the cone wrenches later. I've gone down this road of buying cheap tools and having to replace many of them with either Park Tool or other quality hardware store tools. I've even replaced a Filzer pedal wrench as it bent on seized pedals. But honestly if a young person has to replace tools later on, the Bikehand toolkit gives them a good start on learning bike repairs now and the money saved on doing your own repairs justifies having the cheap toolkit than not. When they're older and can afford nicer bikes and things, you treat yourself to better tools.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I do plan to slowly upgrade tools as needed and when I can afford them.
You save in the short term not the long. Buy once cry once.
I own a bike repair shop, started with low budget and cheap tools, it takes 6 months to replace my cheap Chinese tool straight to the top of the food chain tool such as pb swiss, knipex , Wera, Wiha, snap on, vampire tools. If I want to suggest, they’re some tools that needs high precision and high load that you really need to invest on a good ones,
Hex/torx key (pb swiss)
Chain cutter (topeak)
Cable cutter (knipex)
Screw drivers (pb swiss)
Crank puller (park tool)
Cone wrench (park tool)
Rachet wrench ( Craftsman)
Bb, cassette, freewheel sockets (park tool)
Thanks for sharing! Where is your shop?
I believe every Park Tool tool is a workshop quality tool, meant to be used thousands of times along it`s life cycle. From personal experience with Bike Hand quality tools from this side of the pond, they are a good way for someone to start getting their hands dirty with bicycles. That being said, like any hobby , when you start to really get into to it, a whole new world is opened before you, and as you dive deep into it, be it the mechanic side or the bike ownership, you start to really tell the diference in quality of hardware, bike components and the tools that are required to work on those . I will share my experience with a chain tool or chain breaker. The first one I owned came in a similar kit ( 39.99 € at Decathlon ) , it lasted 3 years ( maybe used 10 times ), after that I upgraded to a PRO chain breaker, that's Shimano's tool brand. It took about 8 years until it gave up, I used it, my friends used , it had a pretty good life until it broke... Last year I finally bought a Park Tool one, the exact one that you show on the video. Now, did I throw money away with the first two ? I don't think so, those were the tools that made perfect sense financially back then as far as I was willing to spend, given my level of enthusiasm with cycling. I can't remember how many times I had Park Tool mechanic toolkit in the shopping cart, but I could never convince myself to spend that amount of money in a single buy. So I went the single tool at a time route, quality first, because a cheap tool on an expensive bike makes for and expensive repair... This would all be unnecessary if I had a bike shop close to me , which I don't so I have to fix my own bikes, a those of my friends.
I agree and I appreciate you sharing your experience!
Ya get what you pay for in regards to tools. More expensive typically includes more precision, better quality, and longer lasting.
Agreed! This Bikehand set seems pretty good for the price though.
How many are you charging for bike repairs? What’s the turn around time?
Price varies by the repair. I offer a 15% off discount to Subscribers. Turn around time varies. I offer a 15% off time expedition to Subscribers. Thanks!
A router can be found in your basement or storage room and is often used to gain access to You Tube via the Interweb. A Rotor is the part of the disc brake system that spins with your wheel. The wheel is the steep park and the tire is the rubber part 😅. Great video and comparison other than that little faux pas.
Haha you got me.. I need to proof read more! Thank you.
If you feel it is necessary to critique Jalen's pronunciation of a part then you better be sure your spelling is precise. I am not sure what a "steep park" is.
Bike hand YC-748 👍👍👍
If you are buying tools for work solely on your own bike, then it is your decision what tools you will use. If you are using the tools for a job repairing other people's bikes on a paid basis, if you damage customer's bikes because of poor tool purchases, eventually you will pay for this one way or another.
Agreed!
THERE S ALWAYS A CHEAPER OPTION some good some bad some ok for when you need it . l ve bought what l needed most on at a time park tools mostly but all my regular tools are mastercraft from CT which comes with a lifetime warranty too .l have used them as a mechanic for yrs with no issues :) I THINK THIS WILL DO FOR US REGULAR CYCLISTS just upgrade whatever breaks
Thanks for the mechanic insight!
Park tool for me all I can get from my bike shop
Would this not be a “Bikehand” vs “Park Tool” comparison? Other than ordering off Amazon it has nothing more to do with Amazon.
Park Tool is professional quality, where the Amazon kit is setup for personal use. Like all tools homeowner and commercial use. No comparison.
I bought the bike hand tool box very similar to that 10 years ago for $100, the only tool I have to replace was the crank puller
Today bikehand sells the same toolbox here in Oz for $190
Awesome! Yeah that it’s great to hear the tools are stilly in good shape. $100 is such a good deal but I guess inflation is a killer.
PARK TOOLS make good on their guarantee Does Bikehand offer any guarantee ?
From what I can find online, it doesn’t appear that Bikehand offers a warranty.
Park Tool is far from the best when it comes to tools, as well as very far from the worst.
Thanks for the feedback. Which tools work the best for you?
@@jalenoutside I hear excellent things about hex wrenches from Wera. I’m sure there are cable cutters that are higher quality out there as well, though I’m sure Park’s are plenty good. I expect for common cone wrenches, chain whips, etc, it mostly doesn’t matter what you get. And I bet some of the higher quality brands are also made in Taiwan.
I will check those out. Thanks for the info! Yeah I was overall very impressed with the bike hand tool, minus a few of them.
@@iliinsky In the In the EU we use a lot of Gedore wrenches. I would buy a set second hand and replace the ones you break. Well if you gone break one anytime soon. I personally buy tools of things one company is really good at. Gedore(wane look also into KTC) as mentioned. Wiha for bits/screwdrivers, Stahlwille for sockets and ratchets, etc.
I have many screwdrivers from high end to ultra cheap. One spectacular failure I had was a Park #1 phillips screwdriver. The tip instantly rounded off like it was never hardened. I have "free" screwdrivers that came with unassembled items years ago that are still going strong.
Well of course you can buy cheap tools and get angry every single time you use them because they either break, destroys the bike and the ergonomics isn’t always very nice. I’m using Park tool at work which is fine and they do the job. But at home I’m using a variety of tools such as Abbey bike tools, Silca, Wera, Knipex, Wolftooth components and a few from Park tool as well. For me wrenching on the bike is as much of my hobby as riding the bike so it should be a joy to do it which in my opinion requires nice tools.
Those are some great brands. I really admire Wolftooth Components products!
I"m less than three minutes into the video and your tone is already buy the Asian kit.
You have a video of whether to buy an Asian made kit or US made kit. The right answer is US kit.
Not always. Taiwan is the global center of bike tools and parts manufacturing. They know what they’re doing. Good Taiwanese tools can be extremely high quality, and Bike Hand is a well-established and trusted brand.
I agree that some first rate manufacturing can come out of Taiwan.
Depends. If your priority is to always buy “Made in USA” first, then obviously. If you’re making an apple to apple comparison between US made and Taiwan made, then it’s very, very competitive with the Taiwan product often outperforming the US one. I’ve had to replace tools that are no longer affordably made domestically with Taiwan-made tools and was surprised at the quality. With similarly priced tools like folding knives and ratchets, Taiwan-made is almost always superior. Their factories are state-of-the-art and QC is very high.
Agreed! I personally try to go Made in Canada or USA first if it is moderately affordable, but Taiwan has some high quality manufacturing in some cases.
No one questioned Taiwanese tool quality. This video could have and should have been made without any reference to Park Tools.
Some of your prices are CAD and not US dollars
I believe all of the prices are in CAD, since I am based in Canada. I am envious of that the US Dollar strength!
You forgot pro bike tool
WHO says Park Tool stuff is the highest quality on the market? Based on my decades turning a wrench I'd rate them similar to the old Sears "Craftsman" quality. ...or maybe Beta in Europe. Certainly good enough and better than most but nowhere near the quality of SnapOn, USAG, or even FACOM. Specialty tools - CYCLUS, BiciSupport, VAR, Abbey all make stuff I'd rate as superior to Park.
I will checkout those brands you mentioned!
Park tools. For sure.
I have two rules.
1. Never buy from Amazon.
2. Follow rule 1.
Buy American while there's still time.
I am not a believer in tool kits, find they have tools I never use, some tools that are not worth it no mater how cheap.
I made my own chain whip, works better than anything I could buy.
Bike hand bottom bracket tool is great, but cannot tighten to a specific torque if that is important to you. Pedal wrench is crap.
For hex and torx, and other drivers, I find a torque wrench kit, and a multidriver far more convenient.
Hard to beat Park tools for wire cutters, spoke wrenches, alignment tools.
For me I have built up a set of tools over 50 years, only have the Tools I require, and the I only buy the best quality available for each use, cheaper in the long run.
That is neat how much experience you have gathered over the years! That homemade chain whip sounds quite impressive.
park tools are not expensive, you just dont make enough money.
I have tools from Spin Doctor (Performance Bike) Harbor Freight tools, to Craftsman tools to be used on my bike when it is time to do repairs. However, I purchased these tools years ago and I know they were a lot less expensive compared to what they cost today. I learned to do my own repairs in order to save on costs; the expense in KEEPING a bike and in good working condition when others would (as I know they either had the thought of 1) Doing bike mechanics is not very woman like or 2) Showing Off (which I was not). There are a lot of JEALOUS INSECURE people who also stir up a lot of anger due to PROVOKING someone else with the INTENTION to ANGER THEM.
That’s great to hear that you have had success with home repairs. I am trying to keep getting better myself.
Keep it on the subject. Not your supposed gripes!
Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh Quit saying “Ahh”
I appreciate the feedback! Working on it.