Wiggles_dad

I enjoy going to the local bicycle co-op to work on my bike - it is a great experience. More frequently, I have been wishing that I had my own repair stand and a full set of tools. For all of you home mechanics out there, did you slowly accumulate your tools, or did you save up and buy a tool kit? When you keep buying individual tools, at what point do you say WTF and buy a whole set?

3alarmer 

.....slow and steady wins the race. I've never seen a "bicycle tool kit" (except maybe
the old Campy tool chest) that I actually thought was anywhere near as useful as the
stuff I've put together as I worked on bikes.

Also, unless Var or Hozan makes one, I don't think the quality is as good.

Mostly, unless you work on your own stuff for a while, you don't know what you
actually require on a regular basis, as opposed to what they toss into the kit.

TommyBing

For me it was like one or two different tools as I got capable with working on my bike. Pretty easy to do some serious and awesome damage on eBay once you know what you need.

Chris King hub tool just sold for $90 on Oct 24.

Further, never buy a "bicycle tool kit" as stated in above post.

Schlug

It's not a difficult venture to purchase the tools you need as you need them. The basics are simple and not expensive-- good quality allen keys and you might as well get ball drivers or t-handles or whatever suits you. Open end/box end if you want. Needle nose pliers, cone wrenches, etc.

So one day you want put new bars or a longer stem on. Might as well put new cables on her. So cable cutters/housing cutters will be needed. Now you want to do a new headset. Are you going to punch the old cups out yourself, then get a rocket tool. Not terribly expensive. What about pressing the cups into the headtube? Now we're talking some money if you want a good piece. Or you can have a shop put the cups in and drive the lower race on the fork crown for not much money.

Now you need a new chain. Get yourself a quality chain cutter for 10 or 11 speed (make sure the tool will handle your chain) and get on it.

New bottom bracket? what sort of bottom bracket to you have? Are you going to be pressing in cups? That tool is more expensive than some. Just threading cups in, cheap. And easy.

Truing wheels? in a stand or on the bike?

You'll find what you need and you can buy it when you need it and you'll be set. My box of bicycle specific tools is remarkably small. Keeping to Dura Ace or Campy on multiple bikes makes that number of tools even smaller.

You'll find the special tools for the specific components you ride are not included in the general 'bicycle tool kit'

GeneO 

Accumulation. There are just too many specific tools you don't need (at the moment) in a tool kit, and tools that you need but are not part of the kit.

009jim

Much better to buy as you need them. If you get a kit, it will have multiple items you may never use. Kits are especially intended for the redneck who might think more-is-good, and often have junk quality.

Retro Grouch 

I don't think you really have a choice. Bike components, like bottom brackets and headsets, keep evolving and the tools that are necessary for working with them evolve too.

1. Any tool kit that you can buy is likely to contain things, like headset wrenches, that you don't need anymore. It might not contain the right BB tool to fit your bike's crank. I use my dropout alignment gauge more often than I use my spoke wrenches. I don't think I've ever seen a set that had one of those.
2. Nobody makes the best of everything. I like most of my Park tools but I don't like Park cable cutters.
3. Accumulating tools isn't a big deal. You'll be surprised how much bicycle maintenance you can do with just a set of metric allen wrenches.

rydabent

In my case slowly as the need presented itself. Since components change, you need to keep updating your tool chest. When I get a new bike or trike, I check it out to see if I need some sort of a new tool to work on it. If I do I go ahead and buy it to have it when it is needed. Always be prepared.

long john

I agree with all above. I started getting tools as I needed them. I put my first bike together 30 years or so ago. The bottom bracket needed tapping and the head tube reaming. I had my local bike shop do all that, I was lucky to have lived in Rochester at the time we have some nice shops there.
My first tool was a park spoke wrench to make the wheels for that bike. I tuned the wheels on the bike with the brakes. Over the years I looked at the park tool kits and they had to many things that I don't need. I accumulated many tools over the years. My tool box fell of the truck last year wow starting over now. I am slowly getting it back. The new park every thing but campy chain breaker was purchased friday slow and steady wins again.

Andrew R Stewart 

A tool kit (or collection) is complete only if you stop dealing with each year's new stuff. Component companies will make new parts with new features and new tooling needs. Thus any "kit" is only "complete" at a moment in time. But as we all know time marches on. Andy.

reptilezs

buy them as you need them unless you see yourself using them in the near future. the kits that you see for 50 bucks are not good quality

Altbark

All my tools were accumulated over the years. My basic mechanics tools were bought as kits - socket sets, srewdriver sets and so on. My bike specific tools were bought by the piece as required. It worked for me. Buy the specific tool for the specific job and before you know it you have a comprehensive bike tool kit.

If I owned a lot of bikes or was in the vintage bike game, I would consider buying a quality and comprehensive tool kit if I didn't already own a lot of the basic bike tools. It's nice to have the right tool handy if you are working on a lot of different stuff, particularly older bikes. Might save a bit of money as well.

I consider tools to be something of an investment. I tend to buy what I need even if I'll probably only use the darned thing once or twice. Al

dbg

I'm going to disagree on the toolkit comments. Cone and headset wrenches, chain whip, chain break, allen wrenches, cable and housing cutters, ..stuff like that can be in a simple and cheap toolkit and give you a good start. As for the tools being obsolete, nonsense. Just because new stuff comes along all the time doesn't mean the older stuff disappears. You can then buy missing pieces as you need them and replace cheaper stuff as they wear out (or you want a really good one). I personally think a cheap kit is a great way for new start into bike mechanics.

ultraman6970

This...

jyl

I've worked on cars for a long time and have a five foot tall chest full of auto tools (and electrical, hobby, woodworking, and home tools). By auto tools I mean wrenches, sockets, pliers , screwdrivers, micrometer, etc ).

So I just needed the bike-specific tools. I bought those as I needed them. A few of the bike-specific tools are universal: everyone needs a cable cutter, whether their bike is from 1960 or 2013. But many are geared for a particular era of bike: a freewheel remover is useless if you have a modern bike, the external bottom bracket tools are useless for a traditional BB.

Therefore, I would: (1) buy the general tools in sets at Sears (Craftsman is quality stuff) or Home Depot (some of the Husky store brand tools are good) or wherever ( in general, the forces needed for bikes are so low that even fairly cheap auto tools will do fine.) (2) buy the bike-specific tools as you need them for a particular project. (3) Pick up used tools whenever you see them even if you don't need them right away (used tools are cheap).

You don't need that many tools to work on bikes. Modern bikes need even fewer than older bikes. More involved stuff like chasing bottom bracket threads, aligning dropouts, facing frames - use the co-op tools.

Park tools are good enough but compared to high quality auto tools, they are mediocre. Not a knock on Park - for bikes , tools simply don't need to be as strong as when you're torquing a car axle nut to 150 ft-lb. Therefore, the Park tools are a somewhat expensive way to go except for bike specific tools.

dsbrantjr

I agree with the above suggestions to buy tools as needed. However, do not buy cheap crap; they will soon need to be replaced and you will keep paying for them in damaged components and barked knuckles until then.

There is also no need to spend money on the finest tools, unless, like me, owning and using fine tools is an end to itself. My FELCO Swiss cable cutters, for example, still work as perfectly as when I bought them 40 years ago.

mrrabbit 

I buy small and medium kits periodically...and single tools more frequently.

The problem with the large comprehensive kits is that many of the small hand tools are in the wrong quantity.

In other words, if you are a wheel guy like me - you want 4 x 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm and 17mm cone wrenches. Not 2 of each...

And in my case, I actually want 6 x 15mm cone wrenches...

And then you have the drive train mechanics who want an ample supply of pins for the chain tool, and extra freewheel, lock ring, and bb cup removers.

=8-)

goldfinch

I took a basic maintenance class and bought a Park Tool kit and stand. I agree with those that say it really is probably a more costly way to go than buying what you need when you need it. There were things I need that weren't in the kit. They give you screw drivers but no decent sized crescent wrench or ratchet set, which would be even more handy. There are things in the kit that I don't need. I think the Park Tool chain cleaner is a awkward and terrible tool. And how many tire levers do I need anyway? However, it did have every item I have needed to date to remove freewheels and cassettes and bottom brackets. I've used the cone wrenches on a few wheels. The heavy duty pedal wrench is nice because I am a wimp. The chain tool is good quality. The cable cutter is just ok. One other upside is that because it is a Park Tool kit everything is blue and black. It helps me keep all the tools in one place and not allow my husband to snatch away my hex wrenches or even the screw drivers. These are my tools, the only tools I have ever bought for myself.

The stand may have been the best buy. It is heavy duty yet it folds and can be stuffed in a motorhome bin. Sweet!

There is a Park Tool kit that does have a derailleur alignment tool and a bunch of other items but it is really pricey and I would rather buy another bike than spend close to nine hundred dollars for a tool kit. https://www.parktool.com/product/prof...tool-kit-pk-65

For a while I thought I spent more than if I just hired people to do bike work. But I find it fun so it was worth it. Plus, now with updating a number of old bikes for relatives and friends I clearly have rescued bikes that were not worth paying someone to fix up. For example, my cousin truly loves her old 1980s Bianchi hybrid. But the crank was bent. The shifters didn't shift right. A brake and the rear derailleur were broken. I managed to rebuild that bike for less than $200. She loves the bike so it was worth it. I do hope I am more than a dilettante.

spdntrxi

I got a kit with tool case from performance bike... it was on sale for like 50 bucks or something.. of course it was mostly allen wrenches which I have many off, but it had a few useful things that I didn't have to remove cassettes and BB and such. Probably a little waste of money but not much.

Sixty Fiver

If you own a modern bicycle with a threadless headset and cartridge bearings the tools you need will be different that what you need if you are working on a wide range of bicycles and there will be part specific tools and perhaps a need for a torque wrench if you are working with carbon fibre components.

The non bike specific tools are often more economical if you buy them from the hardware / automotive shop... I am always of the mind to buy the best you can afford as cheap tools can just frustrate you.

Since I do this for a living I have enough tools to equip a few shops and have a mobile kit that can handle pretty much anything.

steve0257

Both. I started with a basic tool kit, hex wrenches, screwdrivers, pedal wrench, and chain tool. This worked well for basic adjustments to the brakes and dérailleurs. I have gradually been adding other tools as needed to do other jobs as needed..

Al1943

What I need when I need it.

RubeRad

Generic tools (allen wrenches, screwdrivers, etc) I had, then I bought the Nashbar "Essential" Toolkit to start off, and have been adding since then. I think that kit is a good start, it is small enough to pretty much have only essentials, I've used almost everything in it.

daihard 

I started with only one tool, a Park Tool 3-way hex wrench, to install a water bottle holder. Then I realized I needed a smaller allen wrench to move my grips, so I bought a Schwinn multi-tool from Target. I also bought tyre levers, spare tubes and a patch kit.

The only other tool I've added to those so far is a Feedback repair stand.

[EDIT] Forgot to mention a mini pump...

catonec 

alot of people have commented already, honestly I didnt read them all.

If you are going to do any solo riding you had better have some basic tools right away!

Im just talking about the stuff needed to repair or change a flat, which is probably the most common type of roadside breakdown.

extra tube, patch kit (for a 2nd flat), tire levers, pump. maybe a set of allen keys.

as far as cone wrenches, BB tools, chain tool, cassette whips. yada yada, those get very little use when maintaining only 1 or 2 bikes, no need to purchase until you need them or just use the ones at you co-op should the need arise.

final thought, if you need a workstand, do you also need an indoor trainer for those crappy winter months?? dual purpose for %90 of repairs.