toolkit or seperate tools

[Sabre484]

I have bought the tools seperate..Only downside is that you pay more for them seperate than when you buy the set. Not sure if the set's qaulity is allround that good..

[AndreZA]

I have bought the tools seperate..Only downside is that you pay more for them seperate than when you buy the set. Not sure if the set's qaulity is allround that good..

 

True but youonly buy what you need aswell. You'll never use a BB tool for a 1990 BB. You only need 3 conspanners for your bike and not everything from 13-19.

 

 

[Guest Big H]

Buy your tools as the need arises. You can even make your own. I made my own chainwhip, bikes stand as well as a trueing stand. When visiting your LBS watch out for cheapies. I bought a heavy duty chain tool. cable cutter and disk straightening tool at Solomons when I was in RSA the last time. They went for something ridiculous, cannot remeber how much and are made by ACOR. Most of my tools are either BBB or Pro but I do have the odd sprinkling of Park tools as well. Buy yourself a plastic toolbox and stash everything in it. When you live in the bush like I do you have to be well prepared.

 

Also get a good book on cycling repair, not that it is rocket science to repair or service a bike. The only really difficult part is wheelbuilding but if the yellow saddle can do it anybody can. Not a dark art or very difficult.

[AndreZA]

Big H, at the local Look and Listen they have a Mountainbike maintenance DVD. It's basically a Shimano orientated product. Everything is done while on tour with the Shimano crew during the World Cup events. I have not seen it but the one pic on the cover shows a XTR derailleur apart. It's something like R160.

 

 

[Jules]

BBB is great value and quality' date=' toolcase is very useful, rather than keeping bits and pieces in a plastic bag.

 

Park tools aremore expensive.

 

Tools are included in a Yellow Saddle bike mech course, well worth it too.

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Last time I checked with JB, he was undecided about the content of the tool kit. Did you do the course recently, Rude, and if so, care to tell us what tools you got? Pics would be helpful .

[PhilipV]

I have one of those Wave kits, nice too start with, but I have replaced a bunch of those tools already with better tools, the tolerances on the cone wrenches are horrendous,I replaced them with Park and BBB, and love these. Oh, and acouple of the tools in that kit is way oultdated, you probably won't be using it.

[Guest Big H]

BBB is great value and quality' date=' toolcase is very useful, rather than keeping bits and pieces in a plastic bag.

Park tools aremore expensive.

Tools are included in a Yellow Saddle bike mech course, well worth it too.

[/quote']

Last time I checked with JB, he was undecided about the content of the tool kit. Did you do the course recently, Rude, and if so, care to tell us what tools you got? Pics would be helpful .

 

Julle oukies sal my nog klaarmaak. Het julle op kursusse gegaan om jou weedeater te werk, jou remote hek oop te maak en muurproppe om te ruil ook. O ja moenie van die monster wat al menige unsuspecting dommie opgevreet het vergeet nie...... die dreaded KREEPY CRAWLY!!!!!.............. magtig man om 'n fiets te service is commin sense. Vergeet van die stoepit kursusse!!!!!! Koop eerde vir jou die Park Big Blue Book of Bicycle Maintenance!!!!!!!!! Kursusse om fietse te service ...... sheesh!!!! wat sal die mensdom NOG uitdink!!!!!!!!

[Johan Bornman]

I would suggest you start with a toolkit and then buy additional tools as you go along. I'm faced with this problem almost every day, as I have to supply tools with my courses. Supply in SA is erratic and sometimes I have to scrape the barrel to get a decent kit together.

 

Of late, I supply PRO tools. I used to supply BBB but the particular kit that was reasonably complete has been discontinued. Any of these brands are good: Park Tool, BBB, PRO, Wrench Force. Avoid the BBB ripoff, it has a name similar to BBB but it escapes me now.

 

The problem with a toolkit is that it is never complete or perfect and...they're supplied in silly presentation cases that takes nothing other than those few tools in the box. The minute you get another tool, you have an orphan in the house. Then you should get a nice tool roll designed for bicycle tools.

 

There is no one brand that stands out for me but I can say that just about every brand makes one or two tools really well. The steel is all the same in the top ones, so don't fret over that.

 

For instance, BBB makes a brilliant splined BB remover. Nothing better on the market. Park's top of the range cable cutter impresses me no more than Raleigh's rock-bottom model. They both work fine.

 

Park's cassette remover chock is a crude tool prone to slipping and scraping your nuckles. Raleigh's is far better and just about half the price.

 

The ideal situation would be to cherry-pick the best from each brand but it is expensive and a pain in the neck.

 

Some hub manufacturers are perverse and design their hub so that you need two of the same size cone spanners to open it. Bang goes your nice set in its nice case.

 

Most toolkit manufacturers provide you with crappy spoke spanners and crappy allen key sets - usually a multi-tool of sorts. A multi tool has no place in any respectable workshop but is admittedly very useful in the field.

 

Most toolkits come with a stupid chain checker that doesn't work. Wasted money. Some also come with a stupid chain cleaner that only works once or twice and eats more solvent than a loaded Prado on an uphill.

 

None of the toolkits are supplied with bearing pullers, tweezers, awls, screwdrivers, pliers, and inch rulers.

 

A final problem with toolkits I can think of is that they're supplied with Shimano cassette removers whereas some of us also have a need for a Campag remover. If only the Italians and Japanese would make peace.