On my YouTube channel, a viewer asked about the cheap tools from AliExpress, Amazon and similar. Translated from Serbocroatian:
Hello,
Kudos on your video materials; they are truly high-quality. I just wanted to add a note for those of us who prefer to repair our bicycles ourselves and don’t want to spend too much money on repair tools if we don’t have to. I’ve watched some videos on YouTube about tools from Amazon and AliExpress that have received good reviews and performed well in actual use. Would you recommend purchasing tools that have proven to be effective but aren’t too expensive? Here in Croatia, bicycle servicing costs have skyrocketed, so it’s not really worth taking the bike to a service shop. Instead, it’s better to buy a good tool, whether it’s more or less expensive, and repair the bike yourself, learning through YouTube and hands-on practice.
Below is my answer, translated to English.
– In a separate article, I wrote about other online stores for bicycle parts and tools.
1. In General (elephant in the room)
A tool with many positive customer reviews is likely to be okay, regardless of where it’s purchased from. I love recommendations from people whose opinion, knowledge, and experience I trust (although I still take it with a pinch of salt – since people have different criteria, tastes, and priorities).
However, note that if a brand gains reputation for being of a high quality, they are crazy to not raise the prices. It’s capitalism 101. Building a brand takes time, money, and a lot of effort. Once a brand is established and you know to expect high quality, you will see its prices start going up. The only way to get high quality for cheap is to risk with a product/brand that is still not renowned for its quality. And that is always risky (and might end up being more expensive if you aren’t happy with the quality of the tools you bought – I’ve been there, more than a few times).
2. AliExpress Tools
I don’t have much personal experience with AliExpress, but for the few things I’ve ordered to Serbia (Novi Sad), delivery takes a long time, and packages can get stuck at customs (they refund the money without any issues, but you don’t get the tool).
The quality is roughly 2:1 in relation to price. What do I mean by that? If a wrench costs $50 in Germany, a similar quality one on AliExpress would be around $25 (and around $70 in Serbia).
For me, the main issues with buying from AliExpress compared to German Amazon are:
- Uncertainty about the quality of brands and tools (I don’t know what quality to expect).
- Related to that – less reliable customer reviews (compared to detailed reviews from Germans).
- A limited selection of tools that aren’t too cheap (it’s no use getting twice the quality for the money compared to Germany if that quality is still low).
- Long wait times for tools and unreliable delivery (fortunately, they do at least refund the money).
3. Amazon.de Tools
I buy a lot of tools (and other items) from the German amazon.de (affiliate link to my “store”).
- Delivery to Germany is fast and cheap (many items aren’t delivered to Serbia).
- There’s a wide selection.
- Customer reviews are surprisingly good compared to many other sites, including the US amazon.com! (affiliate link to my “store” there)
For example, I like to read the comments from people who give 4 or 3 stars (ratings range from 1 to 5). If they mention flaws that don’t matter to me, that’s great. There are comments with quite detailed experiences. I should note that I mainly buy things I understand, so I can easily tell when a customer doesn’t know what they’re talking about or if the comment is paid/biased.
The downside is that there are quite a few fakes (either reselling from AliExpress or copies of well-known brands). So, for someone who doesn’t know better, it might be wiser to just buy the Chinese version directly from AliExpress (which is much cheaper, and it’s actually the “XLKFJ” brand as labelled, not a relatively expensive Shimano copy by the “XLKFJ”).
4. Cheap but Good Tools?
When I come across a good tool, I try to write a review (or make a video) as soon as possible – with the details I wish everyone would mention in their reviews (I rarely find such detailed reviews).
Digression:
Here are my tool reviews in English:
Back to the main topic:
Generally, you get what you pay for. With lesser-known brands, the price is lower (with Chinese tools from AliExpress the price is about half), but the price usually still reflects the quality. Everyone knows what they’re selling, and they won’t make the mistake of underpricing something good.
However, there’s a catch: the more expensive a tool is, the higher the probability that it’s good, but that’s not always guaranteed! There are expensive tools that aren’t great (again, to reiterate—cheap, excellent tools are as rare as unicorns). This brings us to the next chapter:
5. Volkswagen Golf 2 🙂
What most people are looking for and are satisfied with is the kind of tool comparable to a Fiat Punto/Volkswagen Golf 2, if I may use a car analogy. Tools that aren’t top-notch but are reliable enough to get the job done.
Unfortunately, manufacturers aim to maximise profits, so practically every brand I know of has some poor/low-quality models, even if most of their tools are good (the difference is just in the percentage of bad versus good).
With the above caveat in mind, I would highlight the following brands as decent and not too expensive:
- KS Tools (Chinese company)
Their socket wrenches are very good – the set I’ve been using for years (Amazon.de affiliate link). - Unior (“our”/Yugoslav company)
As far as I know, spare parts are available for most tools in all our countries (former Yugoslavia), and the prices are often quite reasonable for the quality. - BIKE HAND (Taiwanese company)
Solid quality for the price.
I’ll add more if I remember any. 🙂
6. But I only need it for a hobby?!
I often hear this when talking about tools – and it makes sense. Alas, “hobby use” is a subset of “occasional use” for tools.
An experienced craftsman might rarely use a tool (for example, a tool kept in a bag for emergencies while on the road), but they have the knowledge and experience to compensate for the shortcomings of a lower-quality tool.
A hobbyist who rarely uses a tool often can’t tell when the tool is causing problems or when it’s a lack of skill. A poor tool can make learning slower and make it harder to get the job done properly.
That’s why I think a cheap tool might be fine for occasional use (I own and use such tools), but I wouldn’t recommend it for hobby use.
Of course, that’s just my general opinion. Anyone who is keen and determined will surely manage, even with a lesser tool, learning as they go.
7. A Second Opinion
I’m aware that I’m not the ideal person to answer this question. I’ll take the liberty of pestering Miloš from Bike Team to read this and give his opinion – if and when he can. Miloš is an excellent cyclist and mechanic, and he’s a bit more flexible and inclined towards improvisation (which I consider a virtue, not a criticism) – so he might be able to come up with a few good AliExpress purchases off the top of his head.
The feedback from Miloš was that it looks good, once he’s confirmed I’ve mentioned the BIKE HAND tools.
8. Bicycle Servicing Costs
I must comment on this. I’ve looked up bicycle service prices in Croatia online, so I’m basing my comments on that (dsg.hr, hohnjecsport.hr, and topsport.hr).
Those prices don’t leave much “room” for making a profit if the work is done properly.
DIY bike repair is fantastic because you gain more knowledge and experience, making it easier to solve problems on the road, becoming smarter and more experienced, and you can fix your bike when it suits you (without having to take it to a service and then wait). Saving money is the least advantage and the most questionable one (since tools cost money, and time and space are also consumed). In short: if someone doesn’t enjoy it, it’s not worth it, not for saving money.
Another important factor is the quality of the work done. At least in Serbia, this is a problem with a large percentage of services. It’s no good if it’s cheap but not done well, or if you have to go back for “touch-ups” (as they say: “it’s better if they talk that I’m expensive, than that I’m bad”).
This is just based on my personal experience: saving money, especially if you don’t have a lot of time (which also has a cost in some way), is minimal. But DIY repair has many other advantages (and not everything can be measured in money).
I hope this helps, even if just a little.
Appendix
I almost forgot. Here, at 38:40, I discuss YouTube reviews with Danielle (and we discuss affiliate links from 42:16). The video should start automatically at 38:40:
Cheap Chinese Tools video
With my friend Miloš, I’ve made a video about the cheap Chinese tools, discussing the pros and cons, along with what to look (out) for when considering to buy cheap tools:
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