# Park Tool rant



## ultraspontane (May 26, 2011)

Anyone else dissatisfied with the general quality of expensive Park Tool products?

I purchased a mechanics set, that came with almost everything I needed. I ended up breaking not one, but two chain whips. Each one sending shrapnel flying at my face as it broke. The pin on the chain rivet tool snapped off, rendering it useless. The cable housing cutters dulled and started making messy cuts after a few uses. One of the "tools" that came in the mechanics sets was this plastic chain cleaner contraption with moving parts and brushes that you need to buy expensive solution for. Is that supposed to be a joke? Ever heard of a ****ing rag?

This pissed me off. I went with Park Tool because of their reputation as the "solid" company with quality products. They certainly aren't the "cheap" brand, as the markup on their stuff is insane. 

I use other tools besides bike tools. I have a good tool collection for wrenching on cars and other general tasks. The quality of many of the Park Tools are below what you'd see on cheap department store brand hand tools. What gives?

Just compare a park tool product to a Klein tool diagonal cutter, which is reasonably priced, made in USA and will last many years. Are Park Tools even made in the USA anymore?

So what happened? Did the owner die, and his mook of a son sell the company off to some conglomerate that gutted the quality for profit?


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I own several Park tools. Cable cutters, the cheap chain whip with pedal wrench on the end, cassette ring tool, bottom bracket tool, and the small chain tool...oh...and two of the I-beam multi-tools. Everything has been flawless for me except I broke the pin on the chain tool that was on one of the multi-tools. Park replaced the pin with a whole new I-beam multi-tool rather than just a new pin...that's why I now have two of them. Granted my stuff doesn't see daily use...maybe 4-6 times a year each tool...but I don't have any complaints thus far.


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## danielsilva (Aug 13, 2011)

Not just with Park Tool but if it isnt some tool that is bike specific ( like a BB tool ) i tend to avoid any brand that is catered to biking, they are just low quality stuff and way overpriced. For a chain whip i actually just use a slightly modified oil filter wrench ( chain type ), cheaper and usually much more durable.


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## spyghost (Oct 30, 2012)

i just use an old chain tied somewhere secure (wall) and lay the wheel against the wall where it's held.


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## fervor (Aug 4, 2005)

Getting off topic - but... Chainwhips suck. I'm using a pedro's vice whip - it is so much easier to use. I've been tempted by the park chain whip pliers - they look even easier to use.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

Make your own chainwhip, or spend for one that is built properly (with bolts to hold the chain, not rivets). It's a 20 minute project for anyone who has basic hand tools (hand drill, hammer, punches, file if you want to radius the holding chain area). A piece of angle iron works fine, with a small quantity of decent quality of extra chain; we used Dura-Ace/XTR in the shop, but that's because that's what we had...many tools come with KMC z-51 or the like, and it works fine.

I don't know what your experience is, but many of the shops that I've been to/worked at used very few 'bicycle company' tools other than necessary ones (splined removers, truing stands, work stands, etc). Good wire rope cutters are really only necessary for cutting compression-less housing anymore, as sharp diagonals can cleanly cut bowden (twisted) cables/helical brake housing. Braided cables are a different story, but they are very uncommon now. Specifically re: cable cutters, while sharp diagonals work fine, between the two, wire rope cutters work better when dull. I find that the Park cable cutter works better without the spring in it, after careful adjustment...otherwise, crap. I use a pair of Knipex cutters, some prefer Felco. Both very good quality.

Shimano chain tools are fantastic to use, but they can't peen a chain (Campy, not surprising), and Park makes the most reasonably priced one otherwise. I've had the pleasure of using a Rohloff Revolver. Over built/engineered with the best of them, and a price to match. I'd never leave one for communal use in a shop after some of the people I've worked with.

Alignment tools are very specialized, and you are beholden to buying from 1/2/3 companies...but they are still of good general quality, so no worries. Ditto for bicycle-specific taps/reamers (Bottom bracket, headset, fork, left pedals). No thread cutting/reaming tools suffer even slight abuse without dulling and becoming next to useless in short order. I use Triumph taps for non bicycle-specific stuff.

Screwdrivers, ratchets, [combination] wrenches, pliers, etc (general hand tools) are always a smattering of car stuff (Snap-on, Proto, Mac, et. al) or tradesman (Klein/Channellock/Stanley/Milwaukee, etc) for the high-use tools, supplementing uncommonly used items (precision screwdrivers, mostly) with cheaper fare. Other than the ubiquitous 3-way wrench, very few of the hand tools in the shops I've been in have been 'made' by Park (point, Bondhus makes their hex stock, so buy happily). Cheap hand tools don't last long. I wouldn't call Park's hand tools cheap (in the same vein as big-box store "tool sets"), but I also see no reason to save $1-2 on a hand tool that will last half as long as another; I am personally using Klein 7" side cutters that have been in constant use for 15 years, with a few sharpenings in between, and no play in the pivot. Park's could not meet those expectations.

This is a long winded way of saying that nobody makes all good tools, I guess. Research before buying, and ask a few people who use the type of tool you're looking for--you'll find a good value very quickly, and mechanics/tradesmen love to talk about tools, in my experience.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I have never been a big fan of Park Tools, but what Park Tools I do have are generally acceptable. I am a fan of the high-end specialty tools out there, but they are not cheap. I usually have to justify such purchases, but sometimes, I just want the tactile good-feel of a high quality tool. I have wrenched most of my life and have collected mostly Snap-on level tools, but I sure do enjoy and appreciate the high-end specialty bike tools. 

With this all being said, with careful selection, you can get away with finding some good quality tools that will satisfy most of your needs. When you do need specialty bike tools, there are options out there besides Park Tools.


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

^^both are spot on! I will only buy bike brands for bike specific tools. otherwise I buy high quality tool brands, while I can't justify spending on snapon I have a lot of knipex, wera, wiha tools that can be found for a readonable price and much higher quality than park.

like said park hex p handle are made by bondhus and I have and like mine!

don't buy drivers, pliers, wrenches, hammer from park tool, you can find better and cheaper than those


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## Finch Platte (Nov 14, 2003)

I got a Park TP holder many years ago, and due to the steam in the bathroom, it started rusting! After complaining, Park sent me a new one, but this one is all rusted to hell, too. Who makes a TP holder that won't rust?!?

Lame.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ Ha! Does Park even still make those? They were chrome plated weren't they? Is that even considered a tool?


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## Jak0zilla (May 16, 2010)

Finch Platte said:


> I got a Park TP holder many years ago, and due to the steam in the bathroom, it started rusting!


Maybe they'd let you swap out for one of those cutesy pizza cutters that they make instead of the useful "retired" tools that you need to find on ebay. (How is it that they don't make the BT-3 any more, yet they make TP holders, bottle openers, and pizza cutters?)


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## customfab (Jun 8, 2008)

wschruba said:


> Make your own chainwhip, or spend for one that is built properly (with bolts to hold the chain, not rivets). It's a 20 minute project for anyone who has basic hand tools (hand drill, hammer, punches, file if you want to radius the holding chain area). A piece of angle iron works fine, with a small quantity of decent quality of extra chain; we used Dura-Ace/XTR in the shop, but that's because that's what we had...many tools come with KMC z-51 or the like, and it works fine.


We tested bolts and rivets when we overhauled the design on our chain whip. Rivets won out. Granted we use an aircraft quality stainless rivet but with proper hole sizing and good crush the rivets proved more durable and faster to assemble. In the 2 or so years we've been making them this way I've yet to have a reported failure.


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

I have alot of park tools and they are all quality pieces, except the chain whip

get pedro's vice grip instead.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

*Speak of Chain Whips & Preferences...*

There are several quality, aesthetic whips out there. Little pleasures.


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## matuchi (Jun 9, 2008)

Cleared2land said:


> ^^^ Ha! Does Park even still make those? They were chrome plated weren't they? Is that even considered a tool?


If it's for a stool - it's a tool......... :skep:


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

matuchi said:


> If it's for a stool - it's a tool......... :skep:


:lol:


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## Williagra (Oct 9, 2020)

*Park Tools Suck*

I have many and most of them have ended up breaking if they have more than one component. Even my crank tool failed as the metal is too soft and no longer has any purchase. Who makes quality stuff? I would gladly pay more for tools that last.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

All of my older Park stuff like splined tools for cassettes and bottom brackets have been great. Same for my cone wrenches and tapered crank arm tools. 
I had a Park hanger alignment gauge. It was a chore to use and any tool that uses rubber o rings as a stopper is a toy. I got an Abbey HAG and have never been happier. I gave the Park one away. My buddy was thrilled. I said yeah, you'll be thrilled until you see what I replaced it with. 
I also got the Abbey pedal wrench. That wrench is the ****. I wish they made more stuff. 
I have two Park truing stands. My TS-2.2 is about ten years old. It has been flawless. 
Last year I treated myself to a TS-4 since I build mostly fat wheels. Out of the box, the calipers would hang up and if you weren't mindful of it you could easily build an off kilter wheel. I ended up disassembling it and filing, removing flashing and lubing it. Now it works great. I would definitely say the 2.2 was better out of the box than the 4. Maybe they paid more attention to detail earlier on? I don't know. 
I like the pizza cutter. 
All of my other tools are Snap On since I was a diesel mechanic in my past life. 
Pointless to buy Park stuff for regular hand tools.

Just a note about chain whips... I've got a Park one for more than twenty years. You know you don't have to gorilla cassettes onto wheels. Also, use the chain on the largest or second largest cog for most mechanical advantage. 
I've been a mechanic for (I hate to admit this) over 35 years and can count on one hand the amount of times I've broken a tool. Unless a tool is a real piece of crap, it takes a lot to break em.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

The Abby Tools HAG is unquestionably the best hanger alignment tool that I have ever use. I like their BB tools too. Actually, I like all of their tools.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Park may not be the highest quality or prettiest tools, but I know a number of big bike shops that use Park stuff day in and day out for years without issues. To say they get 100x the use they might see by a home mech is probably an understatement. Hanger alignment, easily 5-6 times/day. Crank arm puller, BB change-out, cassette removal/installation, maybe 2-4 each every day.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

Lone Rager said:


> Park may not be the highest quality or prettiest tools, but I know a number of big bike shops that use Park stuff day in and day out for years without issues. To say they get 100x the use they might see by a home mech is probably an understatement. Hanger alignment, easily 5-6 times/day. Crank arm puller, BB change-out, cassette removal/installation, maybe 2-4 each every day.


Well, shop quality is something to consider. Stuff meant for heavy use is rarely pretty/ergonomic-as-a-high-level-consideration (or, if it is, is expensive)--I mean things here like ACTUAL good-quality chrome on sockets/tools (hard chrome that doesn't flake), rounded edges on stamped/laser cut tools, radiused corners on sockets/wrenches, etc. If you want MAC, Hazet, Gedore, Snap-on quality, you've got to pay that level of price. As is, few things that Park sells hit that price point: work stands/clamps; [large] taps/dies; facing equipment; specialty sockets (marginal--Shimano makes higher quality versions for products they make).

Other people offer super-high quality things, but very few can come close to offering the breadth of products that Park does. Think of it like Milwuakee--they make tools for almost everything, but only a handful are _the_ definitive tool in the category.


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## guerillamahn (Nov 29, 2020)

Cleared2land said:


> There are several quality, aesthetic whips out there. Little pleasures.


Sexy


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## mlx john (Mar 22, 2010)

This is what I have, gets heavy use as a bike mechanic. Will never use a standard chain whip again.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Yeah. Pliers type like that are a little more convenient. I have the Feedback Sports version. I'd be happy using a chain whip too. It's NBD.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

Funny that this has come back up because I have been evaluating (again) to grab a pair of these. But, I have been using a chain whip for so many years, it's intuitively simple and like Lone Rager, it's no big deal. I do enjoy good tools and new angles on getting tasks done.


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## wschruba (Apr 13, 2012)

I appreciate the Feedback pliers a bit more than the Park, since they lock onto the sprocket, and have a wider range without needing a death grip to keep from slipping on stubborn stuff.

That said, if I can only pack one tool, it's a chain whip--neither a Hyper Handle (#2 favorite) nor a chain plier is particularly up to the task of removing a way-too-tight lockring using a bench vise. The chain whip has an added bonus of being able to take advantage of the leverage-increasing larger sprockets, too. Unfortunately, since the advent of widely-available 10 tooth sprockets, the Hyper Handle has now fallen out of favor, since you need TWO of them to keep the productivity higher when working on bikes (because 12t small sprockets are still common on road bikes). That doesn't even get into the problem with single speed sprockets (almost always 16t or larger) or fixed-gears.

For a consumer, I can't see how any of the above would be important, other than to own the same tools professionals use.


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

Pedro's vice whip!


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## SqueakyWheel73 (Sep 21, 2018)

dundundata said:


> Pedro's vice whip!


Absolutely - the vice whips are way better than the Feedback Cassette Pliers!


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## VTSession (Aug 18, 2005)

The only disappointing Park Tool I own is their BBQ tool set (tongs and a spatula). They’re genuinely terrible and you can’t even grab a chicken wing with the tongs. 

But I still use them bc they are Park and I look super hardcore using them in front of my 5 year old. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## acer66 (Oct 13, 2010)

VTSession said:


> The only disappointing Park Tool I own is their BBQ tool set (tongs and a spatula). They're genuinely terrible and you can't even grab a chicken wing with the tongs.
> 
> But I still use them bc they are Park and I look super hardcore using them in front of my 5 year old.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Maybe you got the vegan bbq version.

Pizza cutter is hard to clean so I never used it
and the cable cutter was disappointing.


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## 274898 (Nov 29, 2005)

Park Tools does have some innovative products, but I'm not a big fan. They are priced for premium tools, but quality is just average. Lots of people really like their stuff though, so good on them.


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