[Closed] The "I've bought another tool I'll hardly use but will still be handy" thread.

Think all my bikes have head doctors.

Head doctor here too.

Yesterday I used my Octalink Crank arm extractor.

I think this is the second time I have used it in 6 years, the last time being when I installed the BB that was replaced yesterday.

However in that time it’s been on loan several times so worth having these tools.

I’ve got a whole box full of tools I barely use.

Its a great tool.

Straight perfect depth with one blow of a hammer.

I've been married quite some time.... I have a tool that will get used very rarely!!

I got the Park Tool star nut setter a few years back. I have used it a grand total of once so far.

Circlip pliers, with a range of interchangeable ends, sprung out, sprung in, curverd, etc.

Only needed once in a blue moon, but invaluable when you do.

Hayes Brake Pad and Rotor Alignment tool. Only needed twice in 5 years but a pleasure to use.

Bought a SFN tool a decade ago and it's had much use, £10 very well spent.

Best recent purchase was an impact driver, prompted by a jammed bolt on a shock. I didn't think it was gonna do it... but then it did.

Expect to have to use it once a year or less, and still see it as very good value.

Hope hub bearing tools for me recently. I know it can be done with sockets but no point changing bearings then screwing up the seals with a bodged tool. Justified it as I’ve three sets of wheels.

I have one of them. Had it for years been used loads of times.

Latest additions are digital calipers, big adjustable spanner with a hammer head on it and a Park wall mounted stand that has been attached to a folding tv wall stand so it folds out of the way.

I bought a star nut setter years ago and forgot I had it... had cut down some forks and fitted the nut with a bolt and hammer... then saw it in a drawer later. Duh.

Recently bought a BBB pressfit Bottom bracket kit after bodging my last one. As I’ve only 1 bike with pressfit, better stick to Race Face bbs or I’ll never get to use it!

I got a lovely set of headset spanners and a garage full of bikes with press fit headsets.

I might have a shock bushing tool somewhere as well - I've not had a full suss for about 4 years.

About 6 months ago, a treated myself to a set of about 12 frame bearing tools. Cost about £200 and never been used.

Same here with the shock bushing tool. Used once and has Sat in the toolbox for the last few years. Should probably get another full-sus bike soon just to make use of that tool...

Bore cap removal tool for Hope brakes bought recently as on offer.....mine have been v reliable and I used the hope service for a rebuild once in 12 year.

But it was cheap and I need to replace my son's rubbish avids and second-hand prices for working hope sets are high.

Some years ago I bought an original Klein MC headset tool kit just in case. After 23 years I don't see the original headset in my Klein Attitude ever needing to be replaced!

I’ve used my star nut setter loads. Having been brought up in a house with a dearth of proper tools I take pleasure in getting the right tool for the job at every opportunity. Worst vfm is a 32mm fork seal setter which I got from Real World Cycling in the states along with various other blinged up anodised stuff. Works superbly but used once in 15 years.

<div>molgrips
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Think all my bikes have head doctors.

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Admittedly it was years back now but never got on with mine. Couldn't get it to bind on the inner part of the steerer most of the time and ended up just using the top cap for bling value.

Bought a new tool cabinet to help sort out my bike tools - I have at least nine bottom bracket tool of varying types, a couple that have been used just once to remove an old unit and replaced with something else. 10 if you include the 18" Stilsons!

M5 tap. Used it once per bike, so a total of three times on bikes

It was very useful to sort a toilet seat hinge that kept coming loose though

Got this coming, second hand. Again, won't use often but will be good to see if there is a "rogue" spoke on the wheel sets. 😃

How about French bottom bracket chasing and facing tools..! Not cheap either.

Headset press.  So nice not to have to use a hammer and blocks of wood anymore.

Thanks to bigyan I've just ordered these circlip pliers for impending fork servicing duties.

Screwfix down from £15 to £4 (collection in store).

Tv wall mount with park tool head got any pics Tracey?

Of all the bike branded tools I own, this one gets by FAR the most use:

Bought the longest I could get off Ebay that said it could hold a TV far in excess of the bikes weight. Works a treat, folds flat against the wall when not in use so that I can get the car in

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Thanks Tracey, ah off to eBay we go!

folds flat against the wall when not in use so that I can get the car in

You were doing so well then you went and ruined it.

Garages are not for cars, except when getting insurance quotes of course.

I bought one with the largest wall mount I could find to spread the load, its held in with 8 big bolts and also bonded. Paid £19.99 for the bracket but cant find the same one when I click on it

Loads of room for the car and everything else in the garage. Its one of the many obstacles you would need to maneuver to get to the bikes.

Love the TV stand hack - want one 🙂

Here's four inexpensive things that I wouldn't be without:

Left to right:

1. Box of universal stainless allen bolts. I've got another couple of boxes of different lengths, and heads and it's astonishing how useful they are

2. Brake piston lever, although it's often just used as a generic lever whenever something needs some delicate adjustment and I can't reach my hammer

3. Fox lower leg removal tool - really useful thing, although I managed without it for years, so it's hardly essential

4. Homemade, unchamfered socket for removing the top of Fox forks. Worth its weight in gold when servicing forks.

3. Fox lower leg removal tool – really useful thing, although I managed without it for years, so it’s hardly essential

You didn't?! You didn't actually [i]buy[/i] one of those for £30?! Thread winner if you did 😀

You didn’t?! You didn’t actually <em class="bbcode-em">buy one of those for £30?! Thread winner if you did

I'm afraid I did. I have a garage full of Fox forks and after using various ghetto solutions for years, I decided that the time had come to do it right and stop bashing various combinations of random garage metalwork.

I picked it up in the Mojo fire sale though, so paid a little less. This didn't make it hurt any less though

I've also got a Hope freehub seal tool, which is another thing that I think might be nearly unique 🙂

MG Midget 1500 clutch alignment tool.  Ods of ever being used again, incredibly slim, I suspect the world will run out of petrol before I wear the clutch out!

Bought a cheap XT bottom bracket recently (before that thread) then found I had lost my Park BB tool that the adapter would have fitted into, so I bought the BBT-69.2 which should have fitted the adapter and so been useful for two sizes, but it wouldn't fit, so I bought the BBT-59.2 to fit exactly, and the 49.2 as it made the complete set 🙂

So cheap BB results in expensive tools...

I just bought the Hope 30mm BB spanner. I intend to only use it once, when the BB arrives.

I've just been trying out a few joints with my new "handy" Festool Domino. With all the trimmings.

It's a thing of beauty, and part of my recent drive to elevate the quality (even further!) of my furniture making.

Fortunately, I got a £75 voucher from Festool while i was trying to "justify" it.  So I only had to contribute the remaining £770.

I just bought the Hope 30mm BB spanner. I intend to only use it once, when the BB arrives.

I don't like to be the bearer of bad news, but I have this (or, at least, a variant of it) and it sucks. It chews up outer BB shells and leaves them in a right mess. After the last one I did, I swore I'd never use it again and replaced it with a socket-based tool which is better in nearly every way.

Perhaps you'll have better luck than me, but IMHO this tool isn't the finest thing Hope have ever made.

I bought a second-hand Race Face BB92 puller tool. Admittedly I still had to partially destroy the GXP Pressfit BB in a second-hand frame to get the chip in and lined up, but it worked lovely once I had.

I only have one other frame with a press-fit, and they're both getting Token screw-together ones, so I may never have to use this ever again...

These two - makes shortening a brake hose a treat.

I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but I have this (or, at least, a variant of it) and it sucks. It chews up outer BB shells and leaves them in a right mess. After the last one I did, I swore I’d never use it again and replaced it with a socket-based tool which is better in nearly every way.

Perhaps you’ll have better luck than me, but IMHO this tool isn’t the finest thing Hope have ever made.

What socket tool did you find for a Hope 30mm BB? I could only find the Hope sheet metal one.

Bike-wise I have a Hope IS mount facing tool that gets used very very rarely. I think it's been out of it's box once this decade.

Other-tool-wise I needed a biscuiter to join some planks together last year and it was cheaper to buy one for this single job that it was to hire one.

I'm sure I may find another use for it one day.

EDIT
Oh yeah, those Hayes brake aligner tools are a work of absolute genius. Mine's been used any times in the workshop and the time it saves is worth every penny. One of my riding buddies even carries one in his pack and it's been used on the trails more than once.

/EDIT

What socket tool did you find for a Hope 30mm BB? I could only find the Hope sheet metal one.

As yes, you are quite right. I don't think there are any socket-fitting tools for Hope BBs (why did they feel the need to make theirs different?) so you're probably stuck with that 🙁

wwaswas, that's posh mate! 😃

Laser Tools 5227 Oil Sump Repair Kit containing a hard to find M15 x 1.5

It was the only thing on earth (okay, perhaps not) that was going to clean the thread on my lower linkage mount after I had my frame powder coated. I will NEVER use the hateful thing again. I was bricking it using it as my trusted mechanic in my LBS said 'It's PROBABLY that size and then fell off the earth in the 2 weeks it took to arrive leaving me to do it myself. I'd have rather chosen the red or blue wire on a bomb than do that.

Pjay..... You've doomed yourself now to use it again one day... By which time you will have thrown the kit or sold it.Lol

Sods law. 😃

As yes, you are quite right. I don’t think there are any socket-fitting tools for Hope BBs (why did they feel the need to make theirs different?) so you’re probably stuck with that 🙁

Balls, I hoped you had found one.

Seems like a really rubbish was to install a decent component. I cut a square hole in mine so you can use a torque wrench at 90*, wrapped the BB in insulating tape, no marks installing and torquing to spec, removal will gouge it I suspect.

I love the brake hose insert tool on the first page, makes it so easy!

I have the genuine Race Face Signature ISIS BB tools for replacing the bearing. They've been used a lot, but are now dusty.

Just purchased a mech hanger alignment tool as I seem to have bent mine after trashing the rear mech the other day.

I bought a mech hanger tool a while ago, use it loads.