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Normally I fully subscribe to "buy cheap, buy twice", but I noticed Park Tools mini pick set is ~£35 vs £10 for something like Draper.
The reviews online suggest most people perfectly happy with the cheaper ones.
Is there any scenario where the tip snapping off a cheap pick is likely to be a disaster on a bike?
I bought a Silverline pick set to replace some o rings. Absolutely fine and come in Park Tools blue.
I think you’d be fine with the cheaper set. They’re hardly a high wear item.
I’m just using some dentist picks and a few old spokes that I bet at various lengths and ground down to points.
I also believe that quality is worth paying for but in my experience a pick is a pick and they don't see a lot of use.
I've got a cheapy no name set from ebay and they do the job perfectly on the rare occasions that I need them.
Screwfix have a set of Hilka picks for £6.99 .
If this clarifies your decision, i've had snap on, mac, halfords own, britool and kenneddy picks in the past. They're all much of the same. The only difference i found was cushioned handles on the snap on and mac ones. They still snap all the same, if you use them beyond their limits
£35 FOR A SET OF PICKS!!!!!!!
I’ve got a set that cost £2 from eBay. They’re shit. I need to buy some better ones and can’t justify spending more than £10. And I use them everyday at work.
Screwfix it is!
Never needed on on 22 years of car mechanics, but need one for an awkward fork o-ring.
Park bike specific tools are usually great. If it’s a general tool they’re just blue and overpriced.
I have a Birzman set that I really like, they were very cheap
Teng do a nice set and you can take out that plastic inner and store other small tools in it along with the picks.
I have a very very cheap set that I've had forever, they work exactly as well as anything more expensive. Better in fact as there's lots of 'em and they're in lots of different shapes, and I can lose them or bend them for specific jobs and not mind.
Some park stuff is great, other stuff is 10p worth of tool dipped in £30 worth of blue.
Totally happy with my £5 Toolstation jobbies. For something that you only use a couple of times a year, why spend more?
Loads of current Park Tool stuff is now rebranded Chinese crap anyhow so its a false economy.
That teng set looks nice. I could even add some blue handles!
I bought a dentist type set from eBay for about a fiver. So far they’ve done the job really well. The main thing was for prising those crush washers out of Rockshox fork lower bolts which they’ve done nicely.
I've got a cheap eBay set that work fine, I think fancier ones can be magnetic which I can imagine could be useful
I bought cheap crap Rolson picks from the local tat emporium, they work just as well as unobtanium plated big name picks for a tenth of the price.
Some things are worth spending money on (a Bahco 9031P f'rinstance), others are not. Picks definitely aren't.
Some things are worth spending money on (a Bahco 9031P f’rinstance), others are not. Picks definitely aren’t.
Knipex Plier Wrench !
There is nothing that Park sell which isn't available both cheaper and better from other sources.
Knipex Plier Wrench !
Oh they're on the list, saw them on the Phil Vandelay desk build and they look handy!
I used to use dentist picks until an aircraft engineer told me the are hardened and will scratch our forks. He recommended the cheapest ones I can get as they will be soft as cheese and fine for seals etc and less likely to damage anything.
You can get plastic picks where there is risk of damage.