danlikesbikes

I was thikning about picking up a big fat tool kit. I was wondering if anyone had a favorite tool company that I for some reason should favor. Right now i am leaning towards park tool's PK-57 kit cuz i found a pretty good price. any reason i should be more in love with pedro's or some other brand?

hyperRevue

Park tools are nice.
Be wary of kits.

lyledriver

JEEEEOOOOOORRRRRBBB!!!

I wouldn't bother with a whole kit.
Just go with the basics:

Chain whip
Lock ring tool
Metric wrenches
Metric ball head allen keys
Headset wrench
cone wrenches if you need em.
tire levers
spoke tool
good chain breaker

1fluffhead

I put my tool kit together via ebay by mixing and matching what I needed.

colinm

I bought the Park roll-up. Perfect to start out with, but I found myself adding immediately. Oh well.

brunop

my favorite carryin' around tool? surly jethro tool 15 mm wrench. i got one for 14 bucks at harris in newton. you can open your beers wif it too.

but yeah, i say park too. and don't get a kit, just buy what you need.

mattface 

Wow! the PK-57 is an expensive kit. What do you consider a "pretty good price"

moeuf

Pedros tools are nice.

danlikesbikes

well it lists most places for 800
i saw it for 640
i am not sure i am getting it just dreaming about it right now

hyperRevue

I guess I just wasn't cut out to say the word jorb.

Aeroplane

Kits are stupid. You end up paying through the butt for some useful tools and a bunch of screwdrivers and allen wrenches that you could have payed 1/3rd as much for.

I've been able to do all my own wrenching on two fixes and a SS MTB with the following:

screwdrivers
allen wrenches
15mm wrench
adjustable wrench
needlenose pliers
blunt-nosed pliers
crank puller
BB tool
hammer
cone wrenches

danlikesbikes

ok so if i star making a list of tools to make my own kit we have the essentials as:

Chain whip
Lock ring tool
Metric wrenches
Metric ball head allen keys
Headset wrench
cone wrenches if you need em.
tire levers
spoke tool
good chain breaker
screwdrivers
adjustable wrench
needlenose pliers
blunt-nosed pliers
crank puller
BB tool
hammer
and maybe a nice bike stand?

Poguemahone

recommendations:
Allens- buy the Bondhaus ones.
Headset wrench- if you've got a standard 32mm, you'll likely need two for adjustment. Either the heavy duty Var or the heavy duty Park are best. Get one thinner one as a second wrench, the park 32/36 combo is fine. You'll need it unless you're running an old Stronglight style HS or a threadless.
Lockring tool- either the Hozan C205 or the Var pliers. Do not buy the park.
Chain breaker- heavy duty park
Chain whip- Get one the same width as your chain. Old school, both Var and Cholain made this great sprocket tool for track cogs. Hard to find, tho.
Tire levers-- avoid the crappy plastic ones. A tire jack is nice, too for gettin' 'em on... Var makes a portable one, there's a better one, but I forgets the name...
Cone wrenches-- best are the old school Var ones, no longer made, alas. Everything else is adequate.
Pedal wrench-- I like the Hozan model. Sometimes you can get by with a good 15mm wrench.
Metric wrenches-- buy a good set. Craftsman, Snapon.

A lot depends on your bike, if it's old school cup and cone bearing technology, or the newer sealed bearing stuff. Threadless or threaded headset?

roadfix

Buy the best tools that you can afford, piece by piece, as you need them.

Landgolier

That kit is a little bit overkill, unless you work on a lot of different bikes you really don't need headset tools, and they're a big chunk of the sticker price on that. Take out the headset installation/removal stuff and you could afford a really nice stand. It's also kind of assuming you have a truing stand, or at least access to one, with the dish stick. I like your list, but for simplicity I've sorted the stuff from that kit below. You could also take out some of the headset wrenches if you know which ones you need, same for the crank pullers. The HCW-5 kind of sucks for fixed gear lock rings and isn't made very well. My list ends up coming close to the AK-32 set, though that gives you the crappy pedal wrench, no fourth hand tool, still has the chain cleaner thing, etc... I would add a set of metric wrenches 12mm-17mm to both of these.



Stuff you need for the jorb:
# AV-1 Axle Vise
# BBT-2 Cartridge Bottom Bracket Tool (for 20 tooth internal splines, such as ShimanoŽ, FSAŽ, etc.)
# BBT-8 Chainring Lockring/ Bottom Bracket Tool
# BT-2 Fourth Hand Brake Tool
# CBW-1 8 and 10mm Open End Wrench
# CBW-4 9 and 11mm Open End Wrench
# CC-2 Chain Checker Chain Wear Indicator
# CCP-2 Crank Puller (square spindle type)
# CCP-4 Crank Puller (ISIS DriveŽ and ShimanoŽ Octalink type
# CCW-5 Crank Wrench
# CN-10 Cable Cutter
# CNW-1 Chainring Nut Wrench
# CT-3 Professional Screw Type Chain Tool
# DAG-1 Derailleur Alignment Gauge
# GP-2 Pre-Glued Patch Kit
# GSC-1 GearClean Brush
# HCW-4 36mm Box-End and Bottom Bracket Pin Spanner
# HCW-5 Double-Sided Bottom Bracket Lockring Tool
# HCW-15 32 and 36mm Laser Cut Headset Wrench
# HW-2 32mm and 36mm Professional Headset Locknut Wrench
# PH-1 P-Handled Hex Wrench Set w/ Holder (7 Piece Set)
# PPL-2 PolyLube 1000 Grease (tub)
# PW-4 Professional Pedal Wrench
# SA-3 Heavy Duty Shop Apron
# SBC-1 Spoke, Bearing, and Cotter Gauge
# SCW-SET13mm through 19mm Professional Shop Cone Wrench Set
# SR-2 Professional Sprocket Remover
# SW-0 Professional Spoke Wrench
# SW-1 Professional Spoke Wrench
# SW-2 Professional Spoke Wrench
# TB-2 Tire Boot
# TL-1 Tire Levers
# TL-10 Shop Tire Lever

Optional:
# BBT-5 Bottom Bracket/ Cassette Lockring Tool for Campagnolo (only if you have campy)
# CM-5 Cyclone Chain Cleaner (I don't like these things, I'd rather have a master link and a soda bottle)
# FR-5 Cassette Lockring Tool for ShimanoŽ and similar brands (only if you have geared/cassette stuff)
# WAG-3 Wheel Alignment Gauge (Dishing Tool) (you don't need this if you never build multi-speed rear wheels)

Headset install/removal stuff you don't need:
# CRS-1Crown Race Setting System
# HHP-2 Bearing Cup Press
# RT-1 Headset Cup Remover
# SG-6 Threadless Saw Guide
# TNS-1 Threadless Nut Setter

Random taps you mostly don't need:
# TAP-7 3mm x 0.5 Tap For Rear Wheel Dropout Alignment Screws
# TAP-8 5mm x .8 Tap For Water Bottle, Toe Clip, Fender, and Rack Bosses
# TAP-9 6mm x 1.0mm Tap For Cantilever Brake Bosses
# TAP-10 10mm x 1.0mm Tap for Derailleur Hanger