Vent: Bought a cheap headset press from an online auction and it bent on the first job

Just wanted to warn people about trying to save cash on specialty tools. I saw a no-name headset press on one of those auction sites for about $35, which seemed like a steal compared to the $150+ for a known brand. Figured I'd give it a shot for a simple repair on my buddy's mountain bike. The first time I cranked down on it to press in a lower cup, the main threaded rod just bowed in the middle. It wasn't even a tight fit, just a standard 1 1/8 threadless. Now I'm out the $35, had to stop the job, and had to order the proper tool anyway. The wasted time was worse than the money, honestly. Ended up taking the frame to a friend's shop to finish it. Anyone have a go-to brand for a press that can actually handle the pressure without flexing?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliotjenkins21d ago

That bent rod tells you everything about the metal quality. They use cheap, soft steel that can't handle the side load. I've seen the same thing with cheap bearing pullers. The real cost isn't the tool price, it's the downtime when it fails halfway through a job. Now you're stuck with a partly assembled bike and have to find a fix. It turns a simple 20 minute job into a whole afternoon problem. That's why I just save up for the Park Tool or equivalent, it's a one time buy.

hugobarnes21d ago

Yeah but @elliotjenkins, calling it a "whole afternoon problem" feels like a stretch. Most of us can just run to the hardware store for a bolt if something bends. It's annoying, not a crisis.