Park Tools Professional Tool kit

Advantages: Cheap, Sturdy, Easy to Use
Disadvantages: None

...The Company Park Tools are an American company manufacturing bike tools for the home and professional mechanic. They claim to be the largest bike tool manufacturer in the world. From personal experience I have found that while Park Tools are more expensive, they tend to be of higher quality than their competitors. Despite being an American company, most of their tools are actually manufactured in the far east. Why would you want a Chain Checker? Chains are said to stretch with use. The chain doesn't actually stretch. What happens is that the pins and bushings are worn away by use, creating play. A worn chain under tension will elongate further than a new one. Once the chain has elongated by 1% or more it is considered worn. This level of wear is not visually obvious. Chain checkers provide an accurate... Read review

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Advantages: Talks back, light.
Disadvantages: Difficult to control, noisy.

...This is in response to Gavino’s thoroughly unfair review of the snowboard Kevgin Fingleton, so please read his opinion before this one. Last time I went snowboarding I found Kevin to be a more than adequate piece of equipment. He skidded merrily across the snow, and was remarkably light compared to most pieces of equipment. He was difficult to control at first due to his wild thrashing, but soon became docile after a few near collisions with trees. He would also provide fascinating conversation for those long expanses of snow, something which no other tool can boast. However, that is not to say that I was without problems. The irritating piglety squeaks which emerged from him whenever I hit a rock or landed heavily after a jump quickly got old, and he seemed to get damaged very quickly, to the point of oozing blood all over... Read review

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Advantages: Strong, reliable, spring-loaded pliers, rust proof
Disadvantages: Scissors have small cut size

...Being a military man, I have had both a LEATHERMAN© and a GERBER© in the last 10 years, so am in a position to speak with authority on both. The Leatherman is a good tool. However, the Gerber 800 puts it in the shade. Gerber make several models of multitool, but I chose the 800 because it is the most robust and useful in terms of tools provided. It's official colour is 'champagne', I prefer to think of it more as 'light bronze'!!!! The 800 has 18 features, each of which has been thought out to be of ACTUAL use rather than fantasy use. What I mean is, how many of us have found ourselves needing to get a stone out of a horses hoof, whilst needing to get a splinter out of our hand with tiny tweezers whilst trying to measure a 4-inch fish? I've put the specifications at the end so that you can see everything it's got, but I... Read review

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