In Praise of Park Tools

[Marty Gierke, Stewartstown PA]

I have one of those workstand seat tube holder things, but the top knob broke a while back. It's not something Park has sold for many years, and I probably could have come up with a fix, but I took a chance and called to see if they had a knob for it. Talked to a real person who pointed me to the secret place on the site to find obsolete repair parts, and I was able to order a NOS Park-branded knob and the plastic sleeve thing for a few bucks. The guy kind of laughed and admitted they had not sold this thing for at least fifteen years, but was happy to put this one back in service. It showed up in the mail two days later. Shipping cost was less than 4 bucks.

Love it when a company is willing to take care of you and be pleasant about it. The guy on the phone called me by name at least three times. Kudos to Park Tools. May they live long and prosper.

Marty

[Christopher Cote]

I had a brand new external BB socket crumble like an old cookie the first time I used it. Obviously a bad casting. I emailed Park's customer support, they asked for a pic, and sent me a new one really quickly. A+ customer service in my book.

Chris

[Peter Adler]

That's interesting, and raises the question of whether their customer support might be relied on for other things.

I own many Park tools (spanners, hex drivers, spoke wrenches etc), but only a few with moving parts: The PAW-12 crescent wrench, the CCP-2 dual 22mm (Campy/Shimano)/23mm (TA) square-taper crank extractor, and my bête noire, the CN-10 cable/housing cutter.

I bought this cutter brand-spanking new, and it's been terrible from day one. When the pivot bolt is tightened, it's too tight to close for the cut; when you loosen it enough for smooth travel, it leaves a ragged edge on the housing and pulls threads out of cables. There's no middle ground; there should obviously be some sort of thin Teflon washer (or even brass) between the two arms of the cutter, so that you get smooth travel but the arms are close enough for a clean cut. To me, this seems like a fatal design flaw. For decades, Felco and VAR have made cable cutters that work, and I've heard good things about Shimano's cutters; why would a brand that makes premium products design cutters with so much friction in the system that it doesn't perform the function for which it's designed?

I've never just thrown it out. I just stick it/throw it back into my toolbox, take it out forgetfully every six months to cut a housing, make a ghastly mess of the job, and get mad all over again. It's never occurred to me to phone Park and complain about the fact that their expensive cutter doesn't work at all.

Peter "ten times bit, not shy enough" Adler

Berkeley, CA/USA

[Jeffrey Arita]

Peter,

I own a lot of Park Tools, including a CN-10.  I use them quite often.  Perhaps your CN-10 is a lemon?  Give Park a call and explain your experience with that particular tool.  They just might send you a replacement.  

Best regards,

Jeff

Claremont, CA

[Christopher Cote]

I also have one of those Park cable cutters, and it works great. One of those things that after finally I purchased it, I couldn't believe that I made do with diagonal cutting pliers for years. I don't have my CN-10 in front of my now, but I've never seen any pliers, cutters, scissors, or any of the like with a washer in between the two halves. Maybe try adding a drop of oil to the pivot, and snug it down? Otherwise, I'd echo Jeff and say to contact Park.

Chris

[richd...@gmail.com]

I've used Park tools for close to 40 years. ( I know, getting older!)  I've contacted Park about three things over the years and each time they went above and beyond to help resolve the issue. Two were warranty items and the other was a missing part to a new truing stand. In each case, I felt like had a new friend. I know that sounds corny, but they know how to train staff for customer service. They are apologetic, efficient, and the communication was fantastic. They are also helpful with advice on some tool adjustments and Calvin's Corner has a bunch of useful videos on all things tool/repair. 

In our rip-off-world where you can buy a similar tool online from China for a fraction of the cost, I'll continue to support Park and other businesses that really support customers. 

Name 10 companies that have survived in the bike industry like Park for over 50 years? Think about that! Crazy. 

-Rich