Tool Shopping - good times for buyers

[KC-Steve]

Hey all,

This thread is about shopping around for the best tool prices.

Up to now I have been a "buy now" kind of guy on eBay. Today I scored a used S-K 3/8"-drive ratchet #45170 bidding on eBay for the first time. The tool cost to me is $8.50 plus $4 shipping charges and this top-of-the-line professional quality ratchet normally costs around $45+ new, or $28+ used.

Well, I'm feeling good about the purchase so I checked out a set of Park's cone wrenches on eBay, 13mm to 19mm, and found all sets were selling for more than $40 plus shipping, even used! That's amazing to me considering the winter is coming soon.

So then I went to Amazon and found a NEW set of Park's cone wrenches, 13mm to 19mm, selling for less than $39 plus shipping for a total of $44.75. The Park set is the only one I really want. I know there are cheaper competitor/versions but thought I would pass the info around to shop and check prices before you buy in these difficult times. Buyers have a BIG advantage these days. Don't feel guilty because the sellers obviously need to make the sale and most are happy to make the sale.

I encourage everyone to post their own shopping experience so the rest of us can learn where good deals can be made!

Later,
Steve

[Bill]

Awesome thank you for the advice. Your home made one is ten times better though :p

[KC-Steve]

Thanks Bill. I have been making my own tools also, but ya gotta admit, those Park cone wrenches are sure pretty on a peg board.

Did that 29mm wrench fit okay? Just curious since I didn't have a nut to test it with.

Steve

[RobAR]

(09-24-2010, 03:06 PM)KC-Steve Wrote:  ... but ya gotta admit, those Park cone wrenches are sure pretty on a peg board.

Doncha know it! Tangled up in Blue! I've had good service from Pedros tools and others but, Park is just the best IMHO. Steve - that's a good deal on the 13-19 set.
If I might offer a suggestion - the 13 and 15 will be your most often used and sometimes you'll find yourself needing two of the same. If not for that, it's good to have a back-up! And they are pretty!

Where are the emoticons? :-)

[KC-Steve]

(09-24-2010, 07:54 PM)RobAR Wrote:  . . .If I might offer a suggestion - the 13 and 15 will be your most often used and sometimes you'll find yourself needing two of the same. If not for that, it's good to have a back-up! And they are pretty!

Where are the emoticons? :-)

Yeah, that's what Bill was saying, I have been making my own as a backup set for those times when I need two of the same size.

For emoticons, we've been using the '' and the '', just typing them in. Oops, looks like the forum won't let me show just the typed version. Let's see if this works, a : and a ) = or a : and a ( = etc...


Steve

---

Here is my thread showing how I make my own cone wrenches.

http://forums.bikeride.com/thread-979.html

Steve

[KC-Steve]

EBAY BARGAIN ALERT!

eBay has a NEW Park starter tool kit SK-1 up for sale at a reasonable price. I don't need it since I already have the tools. It has a starting price of $60 and at this writing no one has bid on it yet. The sale ends Sunday morning Oct 3rd.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Park-Tools-sk-1-/270640762204?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f03724d5c

Good luck,
Steve

[GeorgeET]

Thats not a big deal, you can buy it for .59 more at amazon, free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-SK-1-Mechanic-Starter/dp/B001588JRM

I liked your basic KISS wrench design. Hope its good hardened steel. The steel that Park uses on their USA made tools is of good quality and the fit is good. I bought a big 12 " Park adjustable wrench prolly made in China?? Not so good but OK for $14 I got it on sale. But only for occasional use.

Since I have a big rolling toolbox full of motorcycle and automotive tools I prefer to get special tools as I need them. The thin cone wrenches were the first tools I got (double ended ones) than crank puller, crank wrench, cassette puller and head wrench. All Park. That pretty much covers all the special bike tools I needed.
The kits often give you tools you do not need. Although the SK-1 set looks good, if you have no tools.

I got lots of bike shops in my area that have the basic tools for a bit more than online.

On your wrench drilling a hole in handle so they can hang on hooks would be nice.

AS per SK wrenches I still have a complete 3/8 set I got for $18 in 1968 when I got my first Ducati.:-)))

BTW I prefer the flick lever on my ratchet wrenches so I can change rotation with one hand and hold the item in my other hand.

[KC-Steve]

(10-02-2010, 12:52 AM)GeorgeET Wrote:  Thats not a big deal, you can buy it for .59 more at amazon, free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-SK-1-Mechanic-Starter/dp/B001588JRM

I liked your basic KISS wrench design. Hope its good hardened steel. The steel that Park uses on their USA made tools is of good quality and the fit is good. I bought a big 12 " Park adjustable wrench prolly made in China?? Not so good but OK for $14 I got it on sale. But only for occasional use. . . .
The kits often give you tools you do not need. Although the SK-1 set looks good, if you have no tools. . .
On your wrench drilling a hole in handle so they can hang on hooks would be nice. . . .

AS per SK wrenches I still have a complete 3/8 set I got for $18 in 1968 when I got my first Ducati.:-)))

BTW I prefer the flick lever on my ratchet wrenches so I can change rotation with one hand and hold the item in my other hand.

Long time, no see. Good shopping eye there George! That's why I started this thread.

Most of my tools are Craftsman and have the ratchet levers (called "pear heads"), but also want to have a professional quality set of American tools as well, (S-K, made in Illinois). The S-K ratchets are called "round-heads" and they patented them. I feel comfortable with either type. C-man will eventually be made in Taiwan though -- Questionable life-time guarantee if you try to swap an American-made for a Taiwan-made tool. Some C-man are made in Taiwan as we speak.

Thanks for the compliment on the homemade wrench. It has a hole drilled in the handle. Shown below is the 29mm I made for Bill, and the other is a 17mm I made for myself (hole not visible in that pic). I can't resist using my drill press whenever I can. I used "cold-rolled steel" and if you have ever put that in a vice and tried to bend it you would know that it is extremely hard stuff -tool quality. In fact, Park uses "stamped steel" for cone wrenches which is really the same thing as cold-rolled. I'm no metallurgist but I think cold-rolled steel has to do with not heating the molecules up and changing their characteristics while maintaining strength in low-carbon state. In layman's terms, it's hard stuff. Much harder than "hot-rolled steel."

Later,
Steve

[GeorgeET]

Ye 10-4 to Craftsman, most of my tools are Craftsman and Made in USA. Will not buy made in Taiwan.

Precision is imperative. The end cut looks very labor intensive, how do you finish it. Did not see photo after holes drilled.

BTW here is a photo of a shock spring compressor I made to overhaull my motorcycle shocks. This was a prototype next time I'll us aluminum.

[KC-Steve]

Nice shock spring compressor! Yup, the wrench end cut is labor intensive. I started with a drill press. Then used an abrasive metal saw. My thread on how I made it is here, . . .

http://forums.bikeride.com/thread-979.html

Not sure what you meant about not seeing hole drilled. It's shown there in the 1st photo above, and also on the other page too I think.

Steve

[Bill]

Yes I wanted to answer ya Steve, it works great and is right on the fit!!!