Switched from Park Tool cone wrenches to Pedro's after a hub overhaul gone wrong

The Park wrenches kept rounding on a sticky Shimano cone, and I was about to toss the wheel. Grabbed a Pedro's set from a buddy's van, and the fit was way tighter on the flats. Anyone else notice a difference in metal quality between these two brands?

2 comments

2 Comments

bell.jessica4d ago

Are you sure it wasn't just the specific cone that was the problem, not the wrench itself? Shimano uses that weird hard chromed steel sometimes, and if the flats were already a little worn or dirty, any wrench is gonna slip. I have had my share of Pedro's tools chip on really tight bolts, while my old Park wrenches just bent a tiny bit and kept going. Harder steel can also mean more brittle, which is not great when you are in the middle of a job. I guess it depends on whether you want a tool that gives a little or one that might snap clean off.

colegarcia4d ago

Dude wait, you were using Park wrenches that were actually rounding on a Shimano cone? That's wild, I've always thought their metal was top tier. Heard a few mechanics swear Pedro's steel is actually a bit harder, especially on older sticky hardware like that. Makes me wonder if Park changed their alloy at some point without telling anyone.