Serious question, has anyone else tried both the Park Tool BBT-22 and the cheaper knockoff for Shimano bottom brackets?

I had a job last week on a Trek FX 3 that needed a new BB-RS500. The shop was out of the Park Tool, so I grabbed a generic one from the parts bin. The fit seemed okay at first, but when I put real force on it to break the old bracket loose, the tool started to slip and chewed up the splines on the new bracket. I had to stop, order the real BBT-22, and wait two days. The Park Tool fit was perfect, no slip, and the job was done in ten minutes. That extra $15 for the right tool saved me a huge headache and a $40 part. It made me think about where it's okay to save money and where it really isn't. For you all, what's one tool where you'll never cheap out again?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_stone24d ago

Oof, that sounds so frustrating about the tool slipping and ruining the new part. Been there with a cheap chain whip too, just like dakota_murphy90 said. It really does make you pick your spots on where to save.

dakota_murphy9024d ago

Honestly, I've had the opposite happen... I bought a no-name tool for my own bike years ago and it's still going strong. For me, the real issue was a cheap chain whip. That thing bent like a noodle the first time I tried to take a cassette off.