Decent tools....ideally UK-made

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mikeIow

Guru
Location
Leicester
Hi there,
Getting exasperated with how much tat we are getting these days.

I was wondering if there are any British (or European) manufacturers of cycle tools. Things like chain splitters/whip, etc.
The sort of thing you can see dodgy brands selling on well-known shopping sites for around a tenner - happy to pay a bit more for some decent quality stuff that hasn't taken huge air/ship miles to get here 👍
 
Tools are readily available. And they are quality stuff. Its replacement parts such as group sets that there is in severe shortage. Google Decathlon, Merlin Cycles etc. Its in stock. Again quality stuff.
 

JoeyB

Go on, tilt your head!
Park Tool are the obvious choice as a reliable go to, not UK / European though...US based I believe.

Hmmm have you identified a gap in the market!?
 
OP
OP
mikeIow

mikeIow

Guru
Location
Leicester
Tools are readily available. And they are quality stuff. Its replacement parts such as group sets that there is in severe shortage. Google Decathlon, Merlin Cycles etc. Its in stock. Again quality stuff.
Oh, I know there are loads available....was really trying to support more local businesses that might actually make them I was interested in!

Park Tool are the obvious choice as a reliable go to, not UK / European though...US based I believe.
Hmmm have you identified a gap in the market!?

Even they don't outline where their stuff is made - https://www.probikekit.co.uk/site-info/about-us.list didn't really help
Maybe I have :laugh:

thanks
 

Chislenko

Veteran
To be honest most of my cycling related tools came from Halfords and they do the job.

Most of my general tools are hand me downs so circa 50 years old and still do the job.

NB. I did sell all the Whitworth and AF spanners at a car boot!
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
Sadly, some of the traditional British tool manufacturers are a shadow of their former selves. Britool, formerly my favourite spanner brand are now owned by Facom (French, albeit Facom themselves do excellent tools) and, horror of horrors, Britool is now their cheap and nasty brand. Not sure Record / Marples are anything like they were either.

OK we still have some fine Shefield makers like Clico (who do modernised, very high quality, versions of Record woodwork tools), Sorby, Henry Taylor on the woodwork front, and the likes of Sykes Pickavant on the spannering front, Moore & Wright for measurement.

Maybe not so shabby after all I guess.

Re: bike tools, I'd only buy Park (or similar) for bike-specific specialist tools. For normal tools like allen keys, spanners, or pliers/cutters etc I'd go for the mainstream top quality makers: Sykes, Facom, snap-on for spanners; Lindstrom or Elliot Lucas for pliers/cutters; . Bahco, Eklind, King Dick etc also solid brands in general
 
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Profpointy

Legendary Member
To be honest most of my cycling related tools came from Halfords and they do the job.

Most of my general tools are hand me downs so circa 50 years old and still do the job.

NB. I did sell all the Whitworth and AF spanners at a car boot!

Sold your whitworth set ? What happens when you buy that pre-war Bentley ?
 

Gillstay

Über Member
Yep Facom and Bahco are exceedingly good, and Swiss Felco wire cutters are useful for more jobs than you imagine
FELCO | CP Pratical Wire Cutter | Official UK Stockist | World of Felco
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Try some Draper Expert cable cutters for your gear and brake cables. I think that they are pretty good and not too expensive.

Ebay advert here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284341334719?hash=item42341072bf:g:-jQAAOSwZyRg0Itq

606024
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
For hex keys Wera are excellent, i have a set similar to the link that have had daily use for 10+ years & still going strong.

https://www.toolstation.com/wera-ba...VAZ7tCh24NAA7EAQYAyABEgJqwPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I use them and they are good quality but...with daily use, the coloured sleeves sometimes come off and the ball ends, particually on the smaller keys can and do break off.
That is with heavy use tbf, I get through 3 or 4 sets a year but generally they're good quality.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
If you are not working on bikes for employment, eight hours a day, you really don't need very good tools. How many times in your life are you going to change a cassette or a bottom bracket? Top dollar tools are nice to look at, but if they don't get used you are really like a banker gazing at a £200 million painting in a bank vault.

Get good cable cutters though!
 
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