Recommendation on Cutting Tools

[Dyon Taylor]

I need to purchase a headtube reamer/facer, crown race cutter, and bottom bracket tapping and facing tool. I was leaning towards buying Park tools simply because I already own a number of Park tools, and they have always worked fine. I was wondering if anyone has any input on the Park cutting tools, or if you have had particularly good results with other brands.

Thanks in advance for the input.

[Kumo Cycles]

Park tools are OK, I have a Headtube reamer and its not amazing but it works.

I really like my Silva brand tools, feel much nicer to use.

And then I also use my Campagnolo cutting tools (the pretty ones in the wooden box) and they are a joy to use, but expect to pay for that joy with your hip pocket

[suzyj]

I use a Cobra HT reamer/facer and BB taps. They're really well made and not too revoltingly expensive.

I plan on getting matching Cobra BB facer and Crown race cutter tools.

[Eric Estlund]

BB taps- The Park do the job, but I'd rather the VAR.

That said, the Cyclus Art.-Nr.: 720149 (with built in facer) is the nicest I have used. Oddly the cutters are almost as expensive to replace at the whole tool, but it's reasonably priced from the start. I'd avoid chasers and go for a tool that can actually cut new threads.

[conorb]

You could also call Andy at Strawberry Bicycles in Portland Oregon.

He's been producing his own line of LAN71 tools for various cutting, reaming and facing operations that work quite well.

Conor

[steve garro]

I hate my park BB taps & I have two sets. Every cutting tool I have gotten from Joe B. has been absolutely killer! BRINGHELI
- Garro.

[Eric Estlund]

Yup- I use one of Joe's crown mills. Burly.

[sam]

The campy tools are very nice, but limiting in their use. If all you do is itialian threaded BB, and 1" headtubes then the campy is the shit. But if you do road, mtb, etc. and want to add different cutters in the future for different BB standards, or cut new threads in BB, etc. then it is a little limiting.
The park tools are very nice for their price, if you use their BB set you will want the seperate dedicated facer pa-bfs1. Parks cutters are more affordable to replace then most.
VAR, Hozan, and Cyclus. All make nice stuff, but pick and choose. Cherry pick from each line what you think is best.
Keep in mind what type of stuff, and what materials you will be using. I use park for BB and head, not because they are really the best, but because I know that any standard that pops up park will either make the cutter or someone else will that works with the park handles.

[Dornbox]

I use park for BB and head, not because they are really the best, but because I know that any standard that pops up park will either make the cutter or someone else will that works with the park handles.

+1 And after only 2 years of building, I allready have a collection of cutters for my Park handles. I almost bought the super nice stuff but each time I add PF30, OS head set, Inset, integrated thingies, yada yada, etc, and I have to buy a new cutter, I'm stoked that they fit on my Park handles. Don't love'em but I certainly don't hate them either. -Chris