Aldi tool box, is it worth getting?

lizzylad84

My local aldi have a few tool sets leftover from their last cycling range sale. Just wondering if its worth picking up one, I'll mainly use the chain whip and cassette tool if that makes any difference. How bad can it be for 23€?!?

Cee-Jay-Cee

lizzylad84 wrote: »

My local aldi have a few tool sets leftover from their last cycling range sale. Just wondering if its worth picking up one, I'll mainly use the chain whip and cassette tool if that makes any difference. How bad can it be for 23€?!?

I bought one. Waste of money. The chain whip is ****e, it's curved which reduces the leverage potential. The cassette locking nut remover is made from low grade steel and damages easily. I was trying to remove a cassette from a 3 yr old wheel and bent the chain whip. I straightened it in a vice and tried again and the chain broke off its mounting point. I borrowed a chain whip (straight handle) and removed it first go. The locking nut socket is ragged from the effort.

Buy a quality chain whip and cassette removal nut on their own.

Darkglasses

Agree with the above. How bad can it be for €xx is a common question when buying some non-clothing Aldi/Lidl cycle gear. Some of it is decent, but sometimes you're just buying scrap. The toolkit is definitely scrap.

Wishbone Ash

CJC999 wrote: »

I bought one. Waste of money. The chain whip is ****e, it's curved which reduces the leverage potential. The cassette locking nut remover is made from low grade steel and damages easily. I was trying to remove a cassette from a 3 yr old wheel and bent the chain whip. I straightened it in a vice and tried again and the chain broke off its mounting point. I borrowed a chain whip (straight handle) and removed it first go. The locking nut socket is ragged from the effort.

Buy a quality chain whip and cassette removal nut on their own.

Bring it back for a refund. They have a very good no quibble policy.

kingoffifa

i bought one. i only bought park since.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Bring it back for a refund. They have a very good no quibble policy.

Receipt is long gone unfortunately

laraghrider

It's woeful. If you open it you'll see how low quality the steel is. Truth is you have most of the tools you already need so spend well on a cassette remover and chain whip.

ford2600

laraghrider wrote: »

It's woeful. If you open it you'll see how low quality the steel is. Truth is you have most of the tools you already need so spend well on a cassette remover and chain whip.

There's muck and there is high end. For guys doing their own bike care there is usually a place in between where value and quality meet.
With all the cheap stuff out there if possible buy the better one once. Often cheaper in long run.
Just serviced my father's 1948 snap on rachet. Immaculate after years of use.
Your more like to care for expensive kit

rollingscone

I bought a lidl one a few years ago and it's still soldiering on through the gradual process of replacing it with better quality tools.

The Aldi one looked a bit more gimmicky. The tools in the Lidl set look vintage but are mostly ok construction, the chaintool was a notable exception and disintegrated on the first use. The chain whip is perfect, I have bought a new BBB lockring tool and BB tools (already needed a separate Holotech tool for the Roadbike).

The crank puller actually works better than my BBB one which is now going in the bin after the push cap came off and got wedged resulting in rounding of the turning surfaces.

If nothing else the Lidl kit taught me what everything is and gave some order to my tool purchases.

smacl

I tend to buy tools as I need them, mix of ParkTools, BBB and tacx so far. Crappy tools can be a real source of frustration, and if like myself, you're an amateur self learner, frustration is the one thing that won't be in short supply already. In addition to the cassette tool, BB tool and chain whip, things like a good cable cutter and chain pliers, while not strictly essential, make working on the bike altogether more pleasant.

rollingscone

smacl wrote: »

I tend to buy tools as I need them, mix of ParkTools, BBB and tacx so far. Crappy tools can be a real source of frustration, and if like myself, you're an amateur self learner, frustration is the one thing that won't be in short supply already. In addition to the cassette tool, BB tool and chain whip, things like a good cable cutter and chain pliers, while not strictly essential, make working on the bike altogether more pleasant.

Plus 100000 on the cable cutter.