blondetigers

These tool sets are in my budget:

https://cgi.ebay.com/Home-Mechanic-Bi...DLVI%26ps%3D54

OR

https://cgi.ebay.com/BIKE-BICYCLE-HOM...d=p3286.c0.m14

I'm not sure which one is better. One does have more tools but maybe you guys can point me the right direction.

Just need tools to take the crank/bottom bracket remover to clean BB, remove cassettes (if needed), adjusting spokes, adjusting brakes, cut cables, etc. Though, I'm mostly looking for the "special tools" that bike shops charge so much on labor.

Thanks in advance!

DMF 

Kinda depends on what type of bike you have and what components are on it, don't you think?

blondetigers

I forgot to mention that I know little-to-nothing about bikes. Also, the bikes I would work on are Road bikes.

Wordbiker

Road bikes from what era? Shimano, Campy or SRAM? Two or three-piece cranks?

If you're just maintaining one bike, buy the tools specific to your bike. You'll probably spend less than that kit, and get better quality tools.

If you're looking to work on any road bike...you'll soon discover that bike shops charge for more than labor: they charge for the specific knowledge of what tools fit which bike, the skills to use them and the alarming cost of owning tools to fit each and every type of bike that may come in.

Panthers007

Most bike-mechanics, myself included, will tell you not to buy a tool-kit. In this case the main reason is those are of low quality. They would likely break. Or mar your bicycle. Then you'd end up buying the tools twice. Or pay for repairs. They also tend to have tools that you'd never need. All in all - a waste of money.

What we do is buy the very best tools available - top quality - as they are needed. These tools will last a lifetime and won't damage your bike. Names like Park Tool, Hozan, and Cyclus stand out for bicycle-specific tools. So start looking at your bike and figure out what you really need to do. Make a list. For things like screwdrivers and wrenches, Sears Craftsman, or similar, are perfectly adequate for bicycle work.

To get yourself familiarized with the tools you'll need, here are two links to help you:

https://www.parktool.com/repair/

https://bicycletutor.com/

DMF 

Btw, I recognize the cheap kit. It's not a bad one and $25 is a reasonable price. But the presence of some tools and the lack of others make it mostly for 10-speed road bikes. There is no cable cutter in it, either.

New Posters - please READ THIS

DIYGUY

I am going to go in the opposite direction of buying the best you can. You are just starting out. You don't know much yet, but you want to try - good for you. Both kits are about as inexpensive as you are going to find anda reasonably good assortment to get you going. So go for either and don't worry about it. When you become much more experienced and know good from bad then you can worry about buying and paying for quality tools. Chances are you will still fall back on something from your first set anyway, and likely as not always with a bit of nostalgia. Good luck!

Panthers007

Worst advice possible. If the OP takes that advice and hates wrenching and/or rounds-off bolts or causes other damage by using crappy tools, remember you were advised to get real bike-tools. The ones we use in shops. You'll never see a shop using tools from Harbor Freight like those, no doubt, came from.

Mondoman

Although I generally agree with P7, I'll note that there is a spectrum of tool quality, not just "junk" and "real". I'd try to first get some experience with bike repairs and decent bike tools by taking a class at your Local Bike Shop or local bike co-op or even a community college or similar (something along the lines of "bearing maintenance" to cover BBs, headsets, hubs). That should get you enough knowledge to be able to make the tool quality/price tradeoff on your own, and help you figure out exactly which tools you will need and which you won't.

Panthers007

Good idea. Maybe there is a Park Tool School near where you live. I hear these are very good.

DMF 

Oh, cut it out, will you?

Look, I have one of those "cheapie" tool kits and have used others. No sign of breakage or wearing out. The tools in mine are all Lifu, as are the ones in the HF kits I've checked out. Lifu is quite good - more than good enough for a newbie. Some I still use regularly - the lockring tool and chain whip, for two. Are they great? No. Are they good enough? Hell yes!

IMO, your advice sucks. You aren't talking to professionals, you're talking to newbies and you're advising them to spend beaucoup bucks on tools that might use twice in their lives. (Assuming they even know what to buy!) Let them get a realistic assortment of tools and they might actually do the work instead of being scared off, or trying to make do with the wrong tools.

blondetigers

Thank you everyone for the advice/comments, I really appreciate it!

I will be working with older model bikes, I think pre-90's. I'm still a newbie with bikes but not new to wrenching on things. I work on cars so bikes aren't frustrating. What's frustrating is the specific tools it has but that's how it goes. I understand buying quality tools but I don't have much money to unload over $200 (or however much) in bike tools.

I just need a kit that has the basic tools to get regular jobs done. When I finally gain experience (and buy a REAL bike, haha), then I will know which tools to get. Wire/cable cutters aren't a problem, have them already.

I was just wondering if one of these tools kits have the tools to do:
-Install/remove cranks
-Install/remove bottom brackets
-Install/remove cassettes/cogs/etc

Those are my main concerns with older model bikes. Thank you again for all the comments!

Not the Slowest

Many tools that you need are really NOT in either kit and then those that are may not fit your bike which needs repair.

Here's a suggestion:
a) Sign up for a bike repair class. This will help you learn what few tools are really needed and how to use them on a day to day repair or tune up.
A good class instructor will be honest and point you to Home Depot, Harbor freight or your tool box for common quality tools. Many of the hand tools will be metric so you may or may not have them.

b) Purchase as you need them.
Cassette removal tools (there are different ones),
Chain whip (same for all1990 & newer bikes) bikes)
Chain breakers (same for all 1990 & newer bikes).
Bottom Bracket removal tool (specific to type and make of BB)
Crank removal tools ( specific for type & make of crank Square vs Octalink vs Campy)
Cone Wrenches (you only need 2 or 3) Same for all makes.
Grease gun.
Several Allen wrenches (you don't need all sizes, but sets can be cheaper). Allens long or short. Pedal removal wrench.
Phillips and straight screwdrivers
Adjustable wrenches, 1 large, 1 smaller
Bike specific cable cutters.

Okay, I may have left off some things.
Buy as you go. Of course its more money.

The key is to make sure you get what you need for YOUR bike when you need them. You will learn to change your cassette before fixing the rear derailur which needs a phillips and or an allen wrench.

gOOD LUCK

PS, the Park Tools website will tell you what tools you may need for each job

Panthers007

I can see that you have very limited experience with tools. If you want advice for newbies - by a newbie - you are welcome to fill that role. For your limited information, I am a professional bike-mechanic. As well as a former teacher. You must have been a joy to have in one's classroom. Did you carry rocks in your lunchbox to throw at your teacher?

The 'school-bully' aside, you'll be amazed at how quickly you build a top-notch tool-collection by buying top-quality, learn how to use them, and do it for less money than by purchasing a cheap tool-set(s) from Harbor Fright or similar. Also do check out Park Tool Schools in your area to get some hands-on experience. This can be an invaluable asset. And a lot of fun!

Al1943

My recommendation is that you buy just the tools that you need, as you need them. With a kit you'll wind up with tools you'll probably never use and still have to buy the ones you do need.

stevage

My recommendation is run far, far away from this thread.

iareConfusE

Bought the first one you linked off of eBay as well. So far nothing from it has broken, but then again the only parts I've used from it were the allen wrenches, chain whip, screwdriver, and the cassette lockring tool. I'm sure just for basic wrenching they will serve you pretty well, but if you want to make this something you do on a weekly or daily basis even, say... flipping bikes, then you may want to invest in a better kit.

DMF 

As a teacher, do you pre-judge your students? Do you tell them lies instead of the whole truth? Poor students.

I am not a professional mechanic, but I am a tool junkie. I know the difference between good and bad tools, and after getting into a specialized area like bikes, I have done exactly what you recommend - buy top quality tools.

You don't seem to understand the difference between yourself and a Sunday mechanic for whom $50 is a lot of money. You try to scare people into spending a lot by claiming that the cheap kits "are crap and will break". For non-professional use they're not and they won't.

Instead of the scare tactics, you could qualify your advice and say, "If you're unsure what to buy and/or strapped for cash, the low-cost kits are reasonable buys. If you have the money, then assemble your own kit." What's so hard about that?

DMF 

Or better, buy individual tools. When you start getting into the costlier ($100+) kits, IMO the advantage disappears (unless you can get a deal like the Park Tools schools offer). Hopefully by the time you want to move up you will understand better what you need and have developed preferences that can't be satisfied by a single manufacturer. For instance, one shop owner/mechanic I know bought the full top-of-the-line PT setup. But he still prefers to use certain tools from other vendors (he's the one that turned me on to the Shimano cable cutter, for example).

DMF 

Unfortunately low-cost kits aren't assembled with the older bike in mind. There are a more than a few specialized tools that you will need that you can't get in a kit (freewheel tools, pin spanners, certain BB tools, third hand). And several tools that are included in the kits have no purpose on older bikes. So a kit won't make as much sense for you as for others. That said, $20-25 for a kit is still cheaper than buying the individual tools that you can use (chain whip, cone wrenches, headset wrench, spoke adjuster, chain tool). And you would have the more modern stuff in case you needed it.

Even with a kit you'll still have to buy individual tools. A good starting move here is to find a good mechanic that has all the odd-ball tools and go to him rather than purchase that one-time only $30 (or unavailable) tool. And spend your shekels on the more general purpose stuff.

Btw, everyone has ****s in their box what are good enough for cutting most cable. Do not assume that they will work on bike cables. I'm sure you'll find this out as you go.

Good luck!

pkpsu

If your looking to do those 3 individual things, then it would be in your best interest to buy tools separately. The tools I use most often and would guess that you probably have already if your work on cars is a nice set of ball end metric allen wrenches. None of that fold together garbage, a nice set will probably run you 8-12 bucks at lowes.

As for cranks, I have had great experience with the pedros universal crank remover, one tool for almost any crank. For bottom brackets you'll most likely have to buy individually as most tools won't be found in a kit if your working on older road bikes. For this genre of bikes most of the weird bb tools you'll need seem to come from park. https://www.parktool.com/products/det...=25&item=HCW-4
https://www.parktool.com/products/det...25&item=HCW-11
https://www.parktool.com/products/det...=25&item=HCW-5 <--would rather have the hozan lockring tool but since your on a budget like myself, this will do

Panthers007

pkpsu: I hate to tell you - and all - that the once mighty Hozan C.205 double-ended hook-spanner is no longer the tool it once was. Harris Cyclery has stopped carrying them due to ongoing, and getting worse, shoddy workmanship. Pity - I bought mine in 1984, and it's as was. Perfect! So hunker down and buy the Park. Hate to say it, but the Park one is better than the current Hozan.

DMF 

Drat! That was on my drool list. Thanks for the info.

Fwiw, I have similar experience with the Park Tool derailleur hanger gage (forget the model number - DAG-2?). I've seen older ones where the rotating joint is tight, but the newer ones are sloppy as heck and the guys at PT don't seem to think it's a problem. I'd ask for alternatives, but I can't justify replacing it right now.

Panthers007

My DAG-2 has no issues. Perhaps you should chase the threads on the hanger, and the tool?

Regards the Hozan - my info came by way of Harris Cyclery and a few other mentions.

Scroll down on this page:

https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tools/fixedgear.html

DMF 

The play is where the bit that screws into the hanger pivots in the main beam. There's too much clearance, allowing the far end of the beam to move about an inch (an older one I've tried has maybe 1/16" play). Not fatal, but it requires a careful touch to be accurate. I suppose I ought to check for concentricity, too - with that much play a variation wouldn't even be noticeable...