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Old 04-28-16 | 03:06 PM
  #13  
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RubeRad
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Joined: Aug 2011
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From: San Diego

Bikes: Surly CrossCheck, Krampus

It is clear that those three links you provided are EXACTLY the same kit, manufactured in the same factory, but rebranded for different resellers. So among those three, you should definitely prefer the cheapest.

There are varying philosophies on tools, many are of the opinion "spend what it takes to buy a high quality tool every time", and they are well represented here.

I am much more of a cheapskate. I say buy a cheap kit, some of the tools may not last long, but most of them will be fine, so consider the cost of the kit to cover those tools forever, and a few other tools for a few years, or a fixed number of jobs, or whatever, and replace individual pieces with higher quality as necessary.

I have the nashbar essential kit (same as Performance/SpinDoctor), $49 incl shipping right now. I have replaced the pedal wrench (but still use the 14/15mm sockets on the back end of the kit's pedal wrench tho), and that's it. I will probably eventually buy better cone wrenches. I bought better spoke wrenches, not because the 3-in-1 failed, it's just single-size loop-style are easier to use.

The ball-end allen wrench set are my go-to allens (except I got a 5mm Park P-handle and a Park 4/5/6 Y-wrench too). The cheap reversible flat/phillips screwdriver is actually my go-to for screws on bikes. I have used the crank puller, BB cone tool && BB wrench, cassette tool+chain whip, and chain tool many times, they are holding up just fine. A few of the tools I haven't even used yet, and may never. But I consider the kit a great value.

One bike tool that is definitely worth buying name-brand is a cable&housing cutter. Cheap cutters make a recabling a very difficult job. I swap pedals a lot, so I get lots of use out of my pedal wrench and am glad I have a good one.
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