A friend turned me on to Dave Rome’s articles, which was the gateway drug to Tool Box Wars. Good thing, because I was running out of parts I “needed” to buy for my bikes. Upgrading my home shop tools has become my newest splurge.
Delivered this week was a BSC Tools chain breaker and Shimano crank preload tool. BSC makes damn fine stuff. This chain breaker is heavy, big, and turns oh so smooooth…
Another recent addition was a new setup for cassettes, including a JA Stein Hyperhandle paired with a Park FR-5.2H. These two play real nice together. I definitely prefer them over the Pedro’s Vice Whip and Feedback locking tool I used previously.
The BSC stuff seems nice. I like their BB press, although I’m not keen on their headset press - I don’t know if it’s because it is very light compared to most headset presses, but it seems determined to press all my cups in wonky. The threads are lovely and smooth though
Outlier to this thread, but I think it applies:
Every now and then, I still use the fixed-cup removal tool that I made with $5 of hardware-store stuff, per Sheldon Brown’s instructions. It’s never failed to remove a stuck fixed cup on old frames, often in conjunction with liquid wrench or the like.
Various ones from me that I enjoy using, never feel buyers remorse and would buy again if they were lost.
Hex bits - PB Swiss and MIP
Pliers and cutters - Knipex
Big torque wrench - The Wera C2 (right and left torque 20-100nm).
BB press - the Pro one from BSC tools. Lovely weight to the handles and presses everything nice and straight.
And an old one, a very old hand vice from my late Grandfather. This gets used on ever bike with gear cables to hold the cable and pull it tight to fully seat the ferrules.
I’ve made several for our community bike shop that gave removed hundreds of old bottom brackets to the extent you wear out the thread eventually
Much quicker than the so called tools where you finish up slipping and skinning your knuckles
Thanks
Not pictured in the knipex collection are the hose cutters, that live in the brake bleed kit.
Also just ordered some of their bowden cutters, which I’ll dedicate to inner cable cutting and use the existing cable cutters for outers as their cutting edge has dulled a little.
Another couple of things I love using…PB Swiss L keys, the knurled ones, the BSC bearing puller and finally the Noble (now Abbey) wheel/freehub bearing pullers. All excellent tools
PB Swiss and Feedback Sports bits
Park ATD-1.2 Adjustable Torque Driver
Wera 416-R T-Handle
Wera 816-R Screwdriver
Wera Mini Ratchet
Feeback Sports Range Click Torque Wrench
If you get some of those Dualco grease guns, which are excellent, I recommend getting some 3d printed bases for them. They add a nice amount of stability to them when placing back down on a bench after using.
Thanks @Stephen_Biram . It is so useful for holding gear inner cables. I get a really good grip on the cable and the wooden handle is slim but easy to grip hold of. I’d replace this immediately if I ever lost it (can’t see it ever breaking)
One of my all time favourite tools.
My trusty Hozan spoke key. I’ve had this for over 20 years and I’ve used it for just about every single wheel I’ve built in that time, which would be well over 500 by now.
