Satisfying Tools
 

Have you bought or used any tools that are especially satisfying in some way?

It might be the way they cut cables.

It might be the way they feel in your hand.

It might be the design, the materials, the look, the fit and finish, the precision, the smoothness, or anything else that makes them stand out in a satisfying way.

I find most stuff by Snap-on to perform well and have a good feel.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7396/1...d87fc73d0a.jpgMy Snapon Screwdrivers by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Cant go wrong with Snap-on, but the price... you get what you pay for and the thing to understand with tools is the quality ones keep there "edge" far longer than cheaper ones especially when abused or pushed to their limits which is often easy to do and they can help make up for a lack of experience by helping get it done instead of slipping or not providing a solid fit. So at the end of the day if its a tough job or you are going to do it often, step up.

My Felco cable cutters. They were very expensive but even decades later they still cut as cleanly and easily as when they were new. They make damned fine pruning shears as well. You will never regret the money you sped on them.

Most of the Campy frame prep tools I've had for 35 years. So well made, the pilots slide in their guides like butter.


At the other end is my Atlas 6" lathe. Totally sloppy and frustrating to use. But I still won't sell it. Andy

Bondhus Allen keys, Cobra facers/reamers, and my homemade headset press.

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Lezyne - Engineered Design - Products - Shop Tools - Classic Pedal Rod

I don't know about particularly satisfied, but I'm pleasantly not-disappointed by the Venzo tool kit I bought several weeks ago. I was prepared to return it immediately, but so far everything works properly and it has less filler than some all-in-one basic or essential tool kits. The only supplemental tools I needed, I already had -- adjustable wrench, better assortment of screwdrivers, etc. But the Venzo kit has all the basic bike tools I'd need for maintenance (short of a full set for installing a new headset, fork, etc.). And they work. Nothing gets bent, rounded or stripped.

Well, the thin plastic snap closures on the plastic carrying case seem flimsy. Okay, there's one criticism. I'll probably have to fix that with a bungee cord or duct tape.

I have had the Park mini chain tool for almost 15 years now and I've always struggled with the force required to push out a pin. I recently bought the CT3 chain tool and it is so much easier. So much more leverage and easier to push the pins out.

Wera Kraftform screwdrivers. Yes, a simple tool indeed, but the feel and control with these drivers is second to none.

I love my new Nashbar Cassette Lock Ring Tool for exactly the reasons you mentioned above. It just feels great in my hand and, having fought to the death with cassette lock rings in the past (using a loose bit and a vice grip) makes me feel like I've got the power of The Hulk.

I feel especially great that it only cost $9.99.

PB Swiss Allen/Hex Keys - I have been a real Bondhus Allen key fan for years; however, I bought a set of the colored PB Swiss Allen keys a couple of months ago and, well, these are noticeably better than Bondhus, if that's possible. They have a tad longer handle which really helps to "dial-in" the tightness of bolts better. They have a silky, quality feel to. Each one fits tight like a Bondhus but the sheer beauty and hand-feel of these tools is what has sold me on them. Made in Switzerland and you to will find they will become one of your favorite tools to.

I like them so much that I ordered two individual 5mm short-shank keys directly from them (http://www.pbtools.us/) to keep in my saddle bags. I love good tools.

As a previous poster said, I, to, have a pair of Felco cable cutters and they are another of my favorite tools.

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I just used a bottom bracket tap last night, the Park BTS-1. It's a heavy tool made to do a precision job. The odd thing about it is the design of the tap. It was very satisfying saving a frame from the scrap heap.

Just having the right tool for the job.

Wera's Zyklop mini ratchet. Strong enough to remove pedals (rated at 60 Nm), small enough to fit inside the tiniest saddle bag.

doing New Frame Prep with the Campagnolo tools, taps and reamer - Facers made for the purpose..

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I really like my 730 series Stahlwille split-beam torque wrenches. Reaching the selected torque produces significant displacement in the handle with correspondingly noticeable click, they're +/-4% of indicated reading over their entire scale, can torque counter-clockwise, have interchangeable heads including fixed and ratcheting 1/4" hex bit holders that fit into tight spaces, allow setting torque instantly using your thumbs with no opposing spring in the torque mechanism, and don't need to be reset to zero for storage.

They feel great.

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I have the 730a/2-1 17.5-87.5 inch-lbs, 730/2 4-20 nm, 730/5 6-50 nm / 5-36 ft-lbs, and 730/2 20-100 nm / 15-72.5 ft-lbs.

All use the same 12x9mm inserts which are sized so the torque scales are direct reading with no arithmetic involved.

With a lever less than 90mm? Neat trick!

Wait till you get your hands on a Campy Bb tap set. Then your impression of the Park one will shift a bit. Andy (who got spoiled nearly 40 years ago)

:thumb:

What that bad boy crimps, stays crimped!

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/crimper.jpg

Left to right:

5mm, 4mm, 3mm hex screwdrivers. These are faster and easier for cap screws than my Y wrench. These Unior screwdrivers are nice, I got them on a closeout sale.

An older Sears jewelers screwdriver. This one is forged, with a precise, smooth blade. I actually use it for applying small dabs of grease and other similar tasks, kind of like a micro putty knife.
The new ones at Sears or Lowes are junk -- cheap stamped blades, and no swivel end.

A cheap Lowes 8mm ratchet wrench, for the 4mm cap screw's nuts for my rear rack. The ratchet works great.

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Next photo:

I got my Abbey Tools cassette tool at the Handmade Bike Show a few years ago, partly as a souvenir of the show. And I liked it's design. An expensive extravagance.

I swap cassettes on my touring/gravel bike quite often. It's fast, I don't even remove the quick release, it fits right over the quick release nut. It's a solid fit into the cassette lockring, no slipping. A moderate pull on the handle is close enough to the torque specs that I don't need to check it. Nice.

I now have a Shimano and a Campagnolo bike, so I use both sides.

Years ago, I got the small Park Tool cassette tool. What a pain to use, I partially stripped it the first time I used it when it slipped off. After that, I would lock it in place by disassembling and inserting the quick release, very annoying. And it needed a 1 inch socket.

I needed a digital caliper, so I got one at Harbor Freight. I use it a lot more often than I expected. Precision!


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I liked that CT-5 mini chain tool. Sturdy and well made. Tiny and lightweight.

But I recently changed my 11-speed Ultegra chain. The pins are really hard to push out. I had to use an adjustable wrench on the loop handle to get enough leverage. Maybe a CT-3 will be my next purchase!


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The VAR third hand tool was like none other.

Who made that gigantic crank arm bender for steel cranks. I used that a few times.

Also, I remember the Bicycle Research rim blip remover. It was basically a pair of pliers.

Oh, I loved the VAR lockring pliers. I loved just about anything VAR made.

I'm talking early 1980s.

Gian Robert chain pliers. One squeeze to open the chain, one squeeze to close it. Need to be careful with the new-fangled narrow chains, though.

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/gianrobert.jpg