Park or Pedro's?

[Attila175]

I've got a new bike on order and I may as well learn to take care of it. Are either of the tool companies known for better quality or does it matter?

[PBWrench]

Both companies make great tools. Park is the gold standard and has a huge array -- anything you could possibly want. It always pays to invest in good tools; with a bit of care they will last forever. On the other hand, if you're going to pop a socket onto a ratchet once a month, you probably don't need Snap-On!

[M_A_Martin]

Yes, but those Snap-on ratchets are Oh-so-nice!


I'm also very happy with my Park tools.

[OldDog]

Park. Down the road you won't be sorry.

[saab2000]

It depends on the tool.....

My experience with Park has been mixed, but for certain things they are indeed the gold standard. I have had great luck with their spoke wrenches and truing stand. But with their BB tools (the old kind, with the hook) I have not found them to be so great. Metal quality was not great.

Having said that, all those tools I mentioned are just about useless with today's components and pre-built wheels.

Get REALLY good allen wrenches. You don't want them rounding off and you don't want them damaging the bolts you will be turning. Parks are good, but for real torquing don't use the ball end of the wrench.

Get a really good cable cutter. I have heard that Shimano is the best there, but my Felco (from Switzerland :D ) has proven to be superb.

Whatever you get, don't get cheap just to save money. It will cost you more in the long run.

[coylifut]

How appropriate, PBwrench was the first responder. I remember back in the day, there were 2 tool sets available; Park and Campy. This weekend, I ran across one of those bent Campy seat pin wrenches that I thought I'd lost years ago. The prices on Campy were sky high and the Park stuff wasn't cheap either. Now, we have choices and the price has come down across the board. I love tools.

I have what my wife calls "The Bike Barn" in my Garage. It's a fully equiped shop. I make a habit of tuning up the neighbors bikes. Last summer, our new neighbor had his family's fleet of comfort bikes mounted on his hitch rack. I asked him if he was going riding and he said he was taking them to the shop to get em tuned up for their annual vacation. He said it would be $50 bucks a bike. After a little persuading (he didn't want to impose), I had him unload em and we went through em in my garage one by one. After a few derailleur adjustments, a couple of cables, some chain lube and patched tire he was good to go.

Anytime there's a flat tire, the kids knock on my door. I'm glad they feel comfortable to do so.

[weisan]

coylifut, you are my type of hero! :banana:

I LOVE to wrench too but my wife including my friends would say I break things more than I fix them.... :D But I enjoyed it...ok...breaking things.
Out of failure comes success. That's my motto.

weisan

[OldDog]

This thread is has much to do with the other one about bad shops/mechanics.
Working on your bike is not difficult and is in the capabilities of most. Take your time and think through what you are about to tackle. Follow torque spec's, alloy bolts are easy to strip/snap. A torque wrench can be had at Sears for under 20.00.

Good shops often offer repair clinics for a modest fee or free. Take a few classes beyond tire repair. Good books abound on bike repair and lots on on line info. And don't burn your bridges with your shop, buy some stuff, cables, lube, tools, etc. Some day you will need those guys to fix what you may not be able to or don't have that expensive tool that's needed.

I find just as much satisfaction working on my bikes as I do riding them, though its tough reaching max hr retaping my bars... :p

[Attila175]

This thread is has much to do with the other one about bad shops/mechanics.

The thread you refer to is what got me to thinking about learning to wrench for myself. As a side not, that thread started with an example of poor procedure of clamping a seat tube instead of post. If you look at both Park's and Pedro's catalogs regarding their workstands, you will see that they make a point of how big of a tube their's can clamp. Since seat posts dont come in 3" diamaters, part of the blame must be place on with the tool companies for implying that clamping the tubes is OK.

[Russ]

My (huge) tool box consists of tools from Park, Pedro's, Campagnolo, Shimano, Ultimate and Snap-On.

I believe that each company makes good tools, however, some do not compare in quality to others. Also, that one tool that company "A" makes, just would not exist on company "B" or company "C" catalogs.... and vice versa.

For example:
1) Park stands are one of the best in the industry (I know, a stand is not a tool, per se, but it should be part of a good home shop). I also use Park's chain whip, and ISIS type crankarm puller.
2) Pedro's makes a great 8mm and 6mm pedal and crankbolt allen wrenches with a rubber handle. They are vey comfortable!
3) Campy tools have been some of the best for years! If you are using Campy cranksets, nothing beats their crank puller tool!
4) Shimano cable cutters and the lock-ring removal tool is great!
5) The Ultimate handlebar holder and the rear wheel bike stand are just great!
6) Snap-On.... Well, needless to say. These tools are the cream-de-la-creme! Most of my "serious" tools, such as ratchets, torque and socket drivers are Snap-On. But Snap-On is not a bike tool company! You will find that their catalog falls short of Pedro's or Park, when you need ceratin bike specific tools.

As you probably know, some brands are more expensive than others. But I have always tried to get deals with the Snap-On truck driver, the mail-order shop, or the local Sears (Craftman tools) or Home Depot (Husky).

Although I have expensive tools, I don't necesarily think that one must have Snap-On tools to work efficiently and securely on a high-end road bike. But as with most things I own, I hate having to buy something several times to find out it is not good!

[Bill Bove]

I do use my tools daily to pay the bills, right now my tool board is predomitley yellow. Park, Pedro's, Var and Tackx all make good bike tools, my cutting tools and headset press are age old Campy's. The rest are Snap-On. I am a tool snob. About 15 years ago a racer went ballistic on me when I started to raise his seatpost to clamp it in the ubiquitious Park stand. He was very particular about his seat hight and would never let me touch his bike again after that. So now I have a Tackx work stand that holds the bike by the fork, like the ones you see the Europeen mechanics use, they're not the best stand for everything but they work fine for most jobs and I had one before they became populer enough for Park to introduce one this year. For regular shop use, building bikes, tune upe and such I use Big Blue's shop stand, they also make the best truing stand, no Jerk, the Atomic sucks, Park's is better. tools wear out, so sometimes I have a Pedro's 14mm cone wrench and a Park 15mm, I'm still using my origenal Var 13mm. Felco makes the best cable cutters but you you have to use a seperate pair of snips to clamp the cable cap.

[OldDog]

As a side note about work stands, Park came out with a tool (at about the time of/in response to ultra thin tubing) that inserts into the seat tube and hangs out, allowing the mechannic to grasp the tool rather than the tube itself. As far as being responsable, or implying, that you can grabe a odd shaped 3" tube? I disagree, a mechanic or enthusist should have the sense not to pinch a tube, or, as noted prior in this thread, not to use the stand as a lever, torquing the clamp area. As I suggested above, one must think about what they are about to tackle, before attempting surgery on their baby. I think Park's new euro style stand is in response to the frame industry's approach of offering funky frames. You sure do not see any frame producer offering a stand to work on their brand of bike nor will you see any of them stand behind a warranty claim due to someone trashing his bike with a vise-clamp.

I stand corrected as to various tool quality, I was way to quick to quipe out Parks name. My apologies. Thinking about my own toolbox, cobbled together over the last 30+ years, I have old tools from VAR, VELO, Sun Tour, Schwinn approved, along with Campy and Park. If I went to my shop and dug around I am sure I'd find other names. But starting out fresh, Park has most all you would need, in bike specific tools. I was soured on Pedro's when their first tool (in my weak memory) was their recycled milk carton tire levers, broke within the first few times I used them.

Sorry for being so long winded...I'm going to go calibrate my metric calipers.

[Johny]

2) Pedro's makes a great 8mm and 6mm pedal and crankbolt allen wrenches with a rubber handle. They are vey comfortable!


Russ,

Did you first know this from a wise man? :D

P.S. IMHO, Pedro's makes the very best allen wrenches. They are made of really hard metals.

[froze]

I've got a new bike on order and I may as well learn to take care of it. Are either of the tool companies known for better quality or does it matter?

I have a few Park tools and their not built all that great, BUT, your never going to exert enough force to break the stuff anyway. I suggest, and is what I've done over the years only because I bought auto mechanics tools the same way, is that you buy tools ONLY as you need it, that way your not spending a bunch of money on tools you'll never use...unless you need to decorate your garage! And a lot of tools used on bicycles can be just everyday tools found anywhere. I like Snap-On but they are the most expensive, and unless your a professional mechanic you don't need that level of performance. Craftsman tools will do the job for you for less money and still give you a hassle free lifetime warranty. I FOUND a broken Craftsman screwdriver and they replaced it for free never asking for a receipt or if I even bought it! Most of my auto mechanic tools were bought when I needed them, so I have a mixture of Challenger, Proto and Craftsman; all three have a lifetime warranty, but the Challenger's and the Proto's are a bit harder to deal with...but then again none of them have ever broken whereas the Craftsman have!! But by buying tools as I needed them, I don't have tools I never used thus wasted money by buying a "kit" or a packaged deal, and I spreaded out the expense over a long period of time.

[shortstuff]

Somewhat related tidbit...

I am about half way through a class through my LBS called "Park Tool School." Seems to be great for learning about basic bike repair/maintenance and you can purchase a Park Tool School Student Manual as a reference guide for repairs. I've found it helpful since my knowledge base was almost "zero" prior to the class. Even those in the class who have been doing repairs for years seem to be picking up some "gems" of knowledge here and there.

You learn how to use the tools correctly and how to do the repairs and adjustments correctly.

Good luck!