Best Tools I Ever Bought

[27motorhead]

makes them a source of anxiety and Friction, when a colleague leaves them on the vice or next to the bin on a crowded workbench.

100% this. We have Chinese ones in the studio and they all work fine most of the time. My posh ones are kept safe at home!

 

[JoeH]

one of these headset presses , from BSC tools. Wasn't overly expensive and it just makes headset installation a breeze. And I smile every time I look at it.

https://www.bicycleservicecentre.co.uk/product/headset-press/113


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https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/cytech-2-spokespeople-a-photographic-record.482565/page-3

 

[Canuk]

This is probably my favourite campagnolo tool of all time, tool#723; the wheel dishing tool. Simple, elegant and just about guaranteed to last forever.

 

[zerogravitas]

A few of my favourites...



Wera hex keys are fantastic. I do have a standard colour coded handle set but for all weather bikes the stainless keys are great for keeping bolt heads free of little steel traces that then rust.



A toolmaker's vice is something I've used professionally for years now, and I absolutely love them for fiddly little bike jobs like holding parts for assembly. It works well as a light duty press for some components too.



The trusty Dremel - useful for so many jobs, cleaning, polishing, grinding... you name it. Get a 3 jaw chuck for yours if you don't have one!



I really like this Weller soldering mat, another thing I used at work and then found it so handy I bought one for home. It's great for organising small parts as you strip a bike down, work on brifters, derauillers etc.



The only vernier caliper you'll ever need (unless you drop it)!

 

[The Bat]

Nice selection @zerogravitas, I like the toolmaker's vice, it looks very well made. The soldering mat is a good idea for parts storage, it means everything is in one place and most bits will contrast against the red and will be easy to see. Things like this can make jobs so much easier; everyone likes getting all the shiny flash main tools but the 'workshop essentials' are just as important but often overlooked.

Apologies for sounding like an old duffer but it's a digital caliper, it does not have a vernier scale....

 

[jim haseltine]

I've got both - I used to use the vernier to piss off my other half's son and now it's there for when the battery is flat in the electronic one.

 

[Canuk]

Cholain brass spoke key, well over 100 years old and still doing the business.

 

[Tobias Rodriguez]

Not bought but currently on loan are my dad’s home made freewheel and seat post removers.

 

[27motorhead]

Cholain brass spoke key, well over 100 years old and still doing the business.

At first I thought you had raided something from your local church!!!

 

[zerogravitas]

Nice selection @zerogravitas, I like the toolmaker's vice, it looks very well made. The soldering mat is a good idea for parts storage, it means everything is in one place and most bits will contrast against the red and will be easy to see. Things like this can make jobs so much easier; everyone likes getting all the shiny flash main tools but the 'workshop essentials' are just as important but often overlooked.

Apologies for sounding like an old duffer but it's a digital caliper, it does not have a vernier scale....

Bah, well caught, I should know better as I use my old vernier a lot for other jobs!