DAE think cone wrenches are overrated after what I saw at a shop in Abilene? | Bicycle Mechanics - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
DAE think cone wrenches are overrated after what I saw at a shop in Abilene?
Everyone online says you need a proper cone wrench for hub overhauls. I used to believe it too. Then last spring I watched an old mechanic at a shop in Abilene pull a hub apart with a ground down 17mm and a pair of pliers, and he had it back together in 20 minutes with no damage. He said the thin wrenches slip and round off more than they help when the cones are really stuck. I've been using his method on my own wheels since, and so far no stripped cones. What am I missing here, or is this just one of those tools people buy because a video told them to?
Notice the same thing with kitchen gadgets all the time. People buy a $40 avocado slicer and a unitasker for every vegetable, then a line cook somewhere is doing the whole prep with one beat up knife they've had for years. The tool matters way less than the hands using it, and the basic stuff usually works fine once you know what you're doing. Maybe the real gap is that videos sell tools but can't sell feel, and feel is what that Abilene guy actually had.