Just realized something about Park Tool cone wrenches

For years I used cheap generic cone wrenches from Amazon and figured they were good enough. I mean, how much can a thin piece of metal vary, right? Then I had a customer bring in a vintage Italian road bike with really tight locknuts that I just couldn't get a grip on without rounding. Finally broke down and bought a Park Tool set for about $45 two months ago. The difference in fit and steel hardness was night and day, no slipping even on stubborn old cones. Still not convinced I need all their fancy tools, but for hub work I'm a believer now. Anyone else have a tool they resisted buying that turned out to be worth the extra cash?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese8613d ago

...and that's exactly why I finally caved on the Park Tool cone wrenches too, man. The cheap ones just flexed too much, especially on those old Italian locknuts that are basically welded on by time and rust. But here's what I'm wondering now - did you notice a difference in how the Park wrenches handle the flats on the cone itself? Because for me, the big win was how the steel didn't deform after a few hard turns, which is what kept happening with the Amazon junk. Or was it more about the grip on the locknut side that sold you? I'm asking cause I still have one cheapo in my set for awkward angles and I'm trying to decide if replacing that one is worth it for the few times a year I need it.

henry_palmer2413d agoMost Upvoted

The Park wrenches are definitely beefier, no question, but I actually had the opposite experience on the cone flats with the cheap ones. I got a set of those silver generic cone wrenches off Amazon for like 15 bucks and they actually held up fine on the cone side for me, but the big headache was the locknut side. On my old Campagnolo hubs, the locknut was so tight that the cheap wrench literally started to twist and spread open like a pair of pliers, and that's where Park's thicker steel really saved me. So I think for that one awkward angle wrench you mentioned, if it's just for adjusting the cone, you could probably keep the cheapo since the forces are less aggressive there. But if you ever need it on a locknut that's seized, I'd swap it out for a Park just to avoid rounding off that nut and making a bad day worse lol. @reese86, I'm with you on the Italian stuff though - those old locknuts are a nightmare even with good tools.