I have been in the market for some good tools to work on my bike with, but haven't found any worthy of the task. Tools I have tried in the past usually end up stripping themselves out or stripping the screws on my bike.
My main question is about allen key tools. What brand/type of allen key do you guys/gals use? (ratchet, T-handle etc)
What other brand/type tools do you guys/gals use to work on your motor bikes?
Any input would be much appreciated as I am trying to write up a list of what I will need. ;D
Thanks you
~JD
If you have all the money in the world, Snap-On. Otherwise, Craftsman, S&K, Proto, pretty much any decent brand tool. Look for tools that are made from chrome vanadium that are broached. As far as allen keys go, I use both sockets and T handle. When you use a torque wrench you will need sockets.
+1 Unless you're constantly using the tools, as in that's you're trade Craftsman or the like work well. The bulk of my tools are Craftsman, and none have let me down yet.
Snap-On rules the crib when it comes to hand tools. Nothing more to say about that.
In terms of other hand tools, I'm not too sure, I bet a lot of them work well.
I have Mac allen sockets, torx and triplesqaure drives. I really like my set of Gearwrench allens that pivot.
CDI torque wrenches
Craftsmen Sockets
Quote from: JDucati on October 22, 2009, 09:19:36 AM
I have been in the market for some good tools to work on my bike with, but haven't found any worthy of the task. Tools I have tried in the past usually end up stripping themselves out or stripping the screws on my bike.
My main question is about allen key tools. What brand/type of allen key do you guys/gals use? (ratchet, T-handle etc)
What other brand/type tools do you guys/gals use to work on your motor bikes?
Any input would be much appreciated as I am trying to write up a list of what I will need. ;D
Thanks you
~JD
For allens key tools, I use Craftsman T-handles for most stuff and then ratchets for torquing stuff down or for really stuck pieces. I've also got a set of allen keys, but they're more for portable work than anything else. If you have to choose one type, get the ratcheting Allen sockets and a long extension and a cheap shorty ratchet. Works the same as a T-handle and as a key.
I use Craftsman for metal to metal mating -- sockets, allens, etc, and for torque wrenches. I think I've got some Craftsman box wrenches and some Pittsburgh ones. Some screwdrivers are craftsman while others are cheapo. Other tools are often cheap stuff. I don't do enough work on the bikes--including when I was racing--to justify higher end stuff.
I'd rather have more tools and cheaper ones than all high end but fewer. I can't tell you how many times those cheap, but extensive Harbor Freight plier/wrench sets have saved my ass or the number of times I've used the $1.99 set of Harbor Freight dental picks when I thought I was otherwise screwed.
Re a tool list, there's a good FAQ or Tutorial floating around. I'd start with a Craftsman metric mechanics set. Better to plonk down a coupla hundred bucks at once than try to assemble it piece by piece.
Here, I found the tutorial for How-To Stock A Basic Tool Box: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12262.0 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=12262.0)
If you are going for Hex Keys on the cheap, i recommend husky/craftsmen or just about any off shelf brand will work pretty well...
if you want to spend a bit more on something that will be more comfortable, i HIGHLY recommend a set of Hex ball-end sockets. The ball end makes it easier to use and a socket will allow you get some solid leverage unlike L keys. I posted up asking about a specific brand, Wiha seems to make some really quality tools. I find myself using 4,5,6,8mm the most so thats what ill be buying.
As a general rule, when I need a tool I buy Snap On if I can afford it, otherwise I go Craftsman.
Ball end hex sockets should not be used to break fasteners loose, they can break where they neck down, a little like a notched clutch/brake lever. Buy conventional a conventional set first. The ball ends make a nice addition later.
+1 on the ball end, they are nice to have but not the first choice for breaking things loose.
I broke several decent brand 6mm hex sockets trying to get something loose, and my last chance was a Snappy key. I wound up twisting the shank about a quarter turn, and finally the bolt came loose. Worth the money.
thats a good point howie.
For an added note you can buy Hex L shaped keys that have a full hex on the short end and a ball end on the long arm for that specific reason.
First buy a set of these . . .
(http://s.kmart.com/is/image/Sears/00934448000-1?hei=600&wid=600&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0)
Then, as an addition to your toolkit, buy a set of these . . .
(http://www.motionpro.com/images/enlarged/08-0185.jpg)
or a set of these . . .
(http://s.kmart.com/is/image/Sears/00946384000?hei=600&wid=600&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0)
I have all three types, and I use all of them. A lot. The T-handles were the last types I bought, but the type I use the most.
Buying hand tools for home mechanics used to be a no-brainer. Craftsman tools were very good and reasonably priced and a no-argument unconditional lifetime replacement warranty. However, they aren't made as well as they used to be and I've had trouble with Craftsman ratchet wrenches. They make more than one version and the more expensive ones may be OK. If you get a tool set from Sears make sure the ratchet wrench(es) are not their low-end version. Craftsman items like basic Allen wrenches and the 3/8 drive Allen head sockets in Spidey's picture are fine.
Snap-On invented socket wrenches and they are of course very very good but too expensive for most non-professionals. I have a very old Snap-On torque wrench that still works great.
A while back I bought a set of Allen sockets from Lowe's, Kobalt brand and they were made in the USA. They seem fine and Lowe's Kobalt tools may be acceptable, though my experience with them is limited. I don't buy Husky tools because I don't like Home Depot. Husky tools used to be a good USA made brand until they got the sales contract with Home Depot and moved the manufacturing to I think Taiwan in order to lower the sales price to Home Depot.
I don't think HD passed on any of the savings to us. I get irritated when they charge a Made in USA price for imported tools.
This is pretty bad when a post about Allen wrenches turns into a rant - sorry. ;D
RE ball end hex (Allen) wrenches. Yes, they are weak at the neck by the ball end and can break. But the other problem is that on tight fastenmers and/or more than occasional use - since they do not get full contact - the ball end can carve a channel inside the bolt. Then the raised edge inside the bolt makes using the standard hex key wrenches problamatic on that fastener. This is exacerbated by the use of air or electic tools with the ball end type.
I recommend using the standard ones where possible and only the ball ends where needed for access.
Quote from: Spidey on October 22, 2009, 03:40:57 PM
(http://s.kmart.com/is/image/Sears/00946384000?hei=600&wid=600&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0)
Those ARE sweet.
Quote from: JDucati on October 22, 2009, 09:19:36 AM
What other brand/type tools do you guys/gals use to work on your motor bikes?
My preferences are Craftsman because buying them is convenient and Proto because I get discounts through work at Grainger. The rest of my toolbox is full of Crescent/Xcelite (Cooper Industries) tools because I worked there from '94-'96 and some Stanley/Klein tools that I've gotten as gifts.
If money were no object, I'd have my tool box slammed full of Snap-on, Mac, and Proto tools.....well, older ones when they were really quality made (my father has a set of Snap-On tools from the early 60's). I know for a fact that some newer Snap-On tools are not as good a quality as you may think.......some of their products were made on the same manufacturing lines in our facility right next to Crescent, Napa, Grey, Armstrong, and a whole slew of other brands that we had contracts for. ;)
BTW, IIRC, Craftman's tool are (used to be) made by Western Forge and last I heard from an ex-boss, Cooper Industries is importing a lot of their products from overseas and the manufacturing plant I used to work at is pretty much just a shipping warehouse.
Quote...Cooper Industries is importing a lot of their products from overseas and the manufacturing plant I used to work at is pretty much just a shipping warehouse.
Yeah, when you mentioned working there at the beginning of your post I was thinking that your old job is gone now.
I have a set of Crescent socket wrenches that are made in Taiwan. The quality is good, sad to say, probably better than typical US made. And, now Vice-Grips are now made somewhere else. I think we've not only lost the battle but the war, without even putting up a fight.
I notice that no one mentions impact drivers. In 35 years as a mechanic I've found that the most reliable way to loosen allen head, phillips, or slotted head screws is with on of these.http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2247&page=1鹈 (http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2247&page=1鹈)
Quote from: iamhybris on October 23, 2009, 04:29:39 AM
Those ARE sweet.
Indeed. They're soooooo worth the $. Not a *necessary* part of a toolkit, but they're great to have. I use them constantly.
Quote from: 64duc on October 23, 2009, 08:30:41 AM
I notice that no one mentions impact drivers. In 35 years as a mechanic I've found that the most reliable way to loosen allen head, phillips, or slotted head screws is with on of these.http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2247&page=1鹈 (http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2247&page=1鹈)
+1. IMO the biggest hassle with wrenching is stripped bolts/screws. That's especially when you're starting out with a new bike because they loctite so many of hte bolts from the factory, so breakin' 'em loose the first time can be a pregnant dog. And an impact driver isn't that expensive.
The only bad thing about snap-on/mac/cornwell, is that if the average home wrencher doesn't have access to a dealer, they are SOL on the warranty. If you do have a local dealer, you can usually find a lot of hand tools (new and used) on ebay fairly cheap.
On a side note: I once bought a set of metric combination wrenches from Sears (Craftsman) and the whole set of wrenches was defective. The open end was a different size than the closed end, and neither end fit the fasteners right. So, I'd use some caution when buying cheaper tools.
If you really want a good compromise between Snap-On Quality and Craftsman price look for Cornwell tools. By far the best bang for your buck. Most of my tools are Cornwell (including air tools) and I've never had a problem with any of them.
Quote from: 64duc on October 23, 2009, 08:30:41 AM
I notice that no one mentions impact drivers. In 35 years as a mechanic I've found that the most reliable way to loosen allen head, phillips, or slotted head screws is with on of these.http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2247&page=1鹈 (http://www.matcotools.com/Catalog/toolcatalog.jsp?cattype=T&cat=2247&page=1鹈)
Agreed, particularly for motorcycles.
Thanks for all the feedback guys... looks like ill be going with craftsman or cornwell.
Project I am starting is pulling off the clutch cover on a 03 m800 so I can get it powder coated.
~JD
After a lifetime of Craftsman tools, I've switched to Kobalt, a brand sold by Lowes. Their sockets and wrenches use the "flank drive" concept that Snap-On does (Powerdrive to WURTH) that applies force to the sides of a nut/bolt rather than the corners.
(http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/OBJECTS/19800/19772.JPG)
The tools i use the most on my Duc are a set of ratcheting combo wrenches from WURTH and a set of T Handle allens from Bondus.
^
+1 on Lowe's tools. And, as you can see in your picture, at least some of them are still Made in the USA.
are kobalt tools expensive?
QuoteTheir sockets and wrenches use the "flank drive" concept that Snap-On does (Powerdrive to WURTH) that applies force to the sides of a nut/bolt rather than the corners.
IIRC Kobalt is owned by Snap-On tools.
Quote from: He Man on October 27, 2009, 02:14:29 PM
are kobalt tools expensive?
About the same as Craftsman or Husky. Not near as cheap as HF but better quality.
price-wise, they are not bad. I use a mix of Klein, Craftsman, WIHA, Kobalt, Proto & a few others. Klein is a little pricey, but they used to be worth it. Not so much. Same with Craftsman. I've got a 20yr old ratchet set from Craftsman & wouldn't replace with any of their new stuff. Didn't know Kobalt was owned by Snap-On. I will probably use more of their stuff, as they usually aren't that bad, both price & quality.
If anyone is considering an Impact gun, give a good look at the Ingersol Rand 231G. You can find them for around $100. Got mine at Lowe's with an air ratchet for about $130. They put out about 450ft/lbs forward, 500 ft/lbs reverse. Unlike the cheaper CH units or some others, they'll actually work on lug nuts, frame bolts, etc.
Here are some links to some manufacturers/distribuitors:
http://www.gbmotorcycleproducts.com/ducati-tools-15-c.asp (http://www.gbmotorcycleproducts.com/ducati-tools-15-c.asp)
http://www.rztools.com.tw/?menu=product&kind_id=9&sub_id=5 (http://www.rztools.com.tw/?menu=product&kind_id=9&sub_id=5)
http://www.lasertools.co.uk/tools.aspx?cat=1026 (http://www.lasertools.co.uk/tools.aspx?cat=1026)
http://emsduc.com/ (http://emsduc.com/)
https://www.designcorse.com/ducati-parts/monster-parts/service-tools (https://www.designcorse.com/ducati-parts/monster-parts/service-tools)
http://www.motoreva.com/ (http://www.motoreva.com/)
Quote from: WetDuc on October 23, 2009, 04:29:39 AM
Those ARE sweet.
The Kobalt set I have looks just like that.
Almost my whole set of tools is Kobalt. Sockets, ratchets, t-handle hex and socket hex. Never got the wrenches though. Good quality and I beat the hell out of the ratchets and never had trouble. Plus my 2nd wife worked there for a while and got a discount. I'd say get em if they're close and have comparable prices and warranty as craftsman still.