Pompiere

I had to buy 18mm sockets and wrenches years ago because it seemed that was Ford's favorite size for all the larger nuts and bolts.

OTS 

bump a good thread

Prowler 

I finally found a 17/32" socket in a box at the surplus hardware place. Really odd size but it is the socket I needed for some of the odd English seat clamp nuts. I'll bet they are actually 'whitworth' sizes but I've no idea where to find those tools. I really hated working those nuts with the adjustable wrench but neither the common fractional sizes nor any metric sockets worked right.

shoota 

And when you do get a pair you'll kick yourself for having waited so long.

Velocivixen

I bought a pair the other day. Seem to be well made.

Paramount1973 

I wasn't thinking back when I bought a metric socket set to use on bikes in my basement workshop and got a 1/4" set whereas my vintage socket wrenches are 3/8". I have slowly been replacing the 1/4" drive 8-15mm sockets with 3/8" drive sockets from the local flea market where the sockets are piled high in mounds. I found the last ones on Friday.

Prowler 

Curious. I rarely use my 3/8 stuff on my bikes (crank arm nuts/bolts). Those larger wrenches are too big for most of the fasteners on my bikes. I prefer the 1/4 drive (ratchet and fixed) so I'm not tempted to tighten things too much. I even have ground off the end of the 8, 9 and 10mm sockets so the ends are flat - no taper or round over. As many of the hex nuts and heads are so thin I want full engagement of the socket. I don't want to loose that first 1/16 inch that the socket manufacturer tapered into the end of the socket to ease my poor life when I'm fitting it to a bolt head. No thanks. I ground the tapers off a couple of box end wrenches too - 8 and 9mm IIRC.

juvela

IDEOR spanner seen on ebay -

jimmuller 

I picked up another cone wrench a week or so ago. Well, actually I paid for it at the LBS after I picked it up off the tool rack.

But I've been too busy lately to find time for wrenching to that level of getting my fingers dirty.

3alarmer 

...found this link to a French BB thread tap, so I ordered one. It has not yet arrived.

Spoonrobot 

Grabbed a park PCS-9 missing one of the pivot bolts for the clamp from Craigslist for $50. Came with a box of parts too. I did have to ride 14 miles home with it strapped to my back but it was totally worth it.

Drillium Dude 

If a workstand can be considered a tool, well, I scored a workstand last month

Photographic proof:



DD

RobbieTunes

As important as any tool, to me:

1nterceptor

Saw this long Snapon screwdriver in a flea market. Asked the seller; how much.
Guy said fifty cents. I gave him a a dollar; he asked if I had change. I said no. So
I grabbed a Craftsman screwdriver and asked the seller if we're good. He said okay.
When I got home, I remembered. Although I like the tips on Snapon drivers; I don't
like the original(first generation) square handle. Put the screwdriver up on Ebay.

Sold for US$20:
Fleamarket by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

jeirvine 

I was ecstatic to finally win one of these Bicycle Research freewheel vise tools on eBay for $40, after a long search. A little while later, I discovered they are still available new for $24. If you do any freewheel work, I highly recommend them. The version I got has holes for mounting, and I have it bolted to the wall in the shop. This way, you can get a lot of leverage with a chain whip and cheater bar to get stubborn cogs off.

Ex Pres 

JAStein Stronglight 23.35mm crank remover, straight from the man himself. Removed a 49D with it already. Also retapped the pedal eyes to 9/16"x20 with my recently acquired pedal taps.

Rocket-Sauce 

Got this for $0.50 at my kid's school tag sale fundraiser.




FIFTY FREAKING CENTS!!!

It is in well worn condition, but 100% functional. I've always wanted one since I first saw it in a cycling magazine discussing how awesome/absurd they were.

bobbyl1966

Lately i got park tool work stand PCS-4 truing stand park tool TS-2.2 park tool chain breaker park tool cassette remover frewheel remover screwdrivers not park tool and set wrenches metric and standard not park tool what more i try think. park tool wrench for the freewheel remove and the cassette remover. Now i need more tools like dish tool cable cutter general i try to buy all the basics tools need for work on bicycles.

Sidney Porter

I was given a jenny/emglo air compressor. I will use it to paint a varsity frame once it warms up

Miele Man

Original Dura Ace AX headset wrenches in alloy.

Cheers

dddd

I used to have to put an adjustable wrench on the "knife-edge" handle of my Shimano bb tool to achieve realistic torque.

I lent this one out, and it came back a few days later with a creditable conduit (and cork!) handle that still lets it fit in my compact tool tote.

stardognine

I picked up a Park FR-6 (aka the funny 4-pronged freewheel tool) to get the silly singlespeed dealio off of my old concave rim rear wheel, plus a shiny new 6-speed Shimano freewheel, to replace it. I couldn't believe my eyes, the freewheel was made in China. Also grabbed a FR-5 freewheel tool, in case I want to upgrade later. There was another thread before, about tire levers, but I didn't post, because I forgot who made mine, & they aren't marked. They're nice strong aluminum ones, made by SunRace, saw them again today.

nesteel 

Park tension meter, and a WAG-5. Nice complement to the Park truing stand already bolted to the rollling work stand.

m3rle

CyclePro chain whip for $3 at the assistance league. Time for a dork disc removal party on all the arayas I have laying around.

Paramount1973 

I saw these Lifeline dropout alignment tools on Wiggle and bought them recently, rhey came last week. They're nice, beefy and well made. I'm updating my wife's old Schwinn Suburban and used them already.
wiggle.com | LifeLine Frame and Fork Alignment Gauge | Workshop Tools