Power tools and bikes?

[yoothgeye]

When maintaining, repairing, or assembling bicycles (not building/customizing) do you use power tools?

I was in Walmart the other week and they had their bike assembly goons in there putting together Christmas bikes (wonder if they get paid by number, by job, or by the hour?) and they had a couple cordless drills with allen keys in them, every time I heard that drill clutch clacking as they tightened up a stem I cringed.

Just wondering if anyone uses power tools on bikes, I'm sure they can be used correctly with good results, but with me there is just something about the simplicity of bikes going hand in hand with the simplicity of turning a wrench by hand... dare I say "organic."

 

[Fahrrad]

A guy I new in San Antonio did it partime at night and was paid by the bike, that may be the reason. I agree, I only user hand tools.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Yes, I use an air compressor, does that count?

The guy that I bought the Park stand from (yooth, you'll remember that one) told me that he got paid $4 per bike which worked out for him to be about $16 per hour. At 15 minutes per bike, it's no wonder they get assembled so poorly.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

For assembling bikes, hand tools only for me.

Luke.

 

[Rockit!]

We have a student here who found an old cruiser to use in his project. The kid (18 years old) has never been exposed to any sort of hand tools in his entire life. He worked on removing the rear wheel from the frame for THREE HOURS before he gave up.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

He worked on removing the rear wheel from the frame for THREE HOURS before he gave up.

At $4 per bike, he would have been earning $1.33 per hour!

 

[yoothgeye]

Hand tools for 99%. I use power tools for stubborn stuff or for making parts, welding for minor repairs. I have made brackets and repo chain adjuster bolts using power tools. I have tacked mounts to a frame. I have used hydraulic bottle jacks and homemade jigs to straighten frames. I have drilled out 2 stuck seat posts and then honed them out with homemade drum hones. I don't build custom frames as that is beyond me, I just do maintenance and repair. Most of this could be done with hand tools but power tools just make it faster, and you have to go slow. They don't call them power tools for nothing. It is amazing how fast you can ruin something with a power tool, including human flesh.

I wouldn't call what you are doing just basic repair and assembly.

I "build" bikes, so I regularly cut (angle grinder with cut-off wheel) and weld, but when repairing a bike or putting one together, the drill stays on the bench.

 

[jerrykr]

I wonder what they pay per bike in China. My Beast must have been put together with air tools set wide open!

The only "power" tool I use is my dad's old Brass Hammer for stubborn fasteners. Have never broken a wrench with it yet!

 

[Bendix]

Back in the mid 80's we kept a 10mm in a drill for removing/installing canti brake boss bolts on new KHS bikes. All the bosses were always rusty and in need of sanding.

Nowadays we keep a drill and torx bit handy for removing/installing disc brake rotor bolts when replacing spokes. We do break them loose and snug them up by hand though.

Other than repetetive tasks like those I can't think of a good reason to use anything for general assembly/maintenance, especially at home.

 

[patman73]

i have heard of some guys using a torque wrench or impac gun on their bike axel nuts , i never use power tool to put a bike together

 

[yoothgeye]

i have heard of some guys using a torque wrench or impac gun on their bike axel nuts , i never use power tool to put a bike together

Wow, I'd imagine that could get messy fast! How many times have you turned an axle nut only to turn the entire axle? Imagine doing that with an impact wrench and quickly unscrewing the hub, dumping the bearings, and spreading the dropouts.

 

[patman73]

Wow, I'd imagine that could get messy fast! How many times have you turned an axle nut only to turn the entire axle? Imagine doing that with an impact wrench and quickly unscrewing the hub, dumping the bearings, and spreading the dropouts.

some kid i knew had a tire shop tighten his peggs on his axel , i think it would just break

 

[gcrank1]

Tim 'The Tool Man' Taylor syndrome (sin-drome?) = power (no... POWER) tools for assembly/maintenence work.
Rebuilds teardown & refurb....thats another issue.

 

[Bicycle808]

Some fenders need drillin' for the daruma bolt. Other than that, handtools only for repair/assembly. Wire wheel to strip paint/rust, but I'm thinking that goes beyond Yooth's original question. If I need to do anything crazy done as far as fabrication goes, I usually commission my buddy Harry. I could maybe do it myself, but he does it much better than I do...

 

[Bicycle808]

PS- this thread needs to be linked to the "big Box Bikes" thread, where ppl claim that WallyWorld bikes are fine once properly lubed.... stripped fasteners ain't fine, in my book.

 

[Walker]

Yes, I use an air compressor, does that count?

The guy that I bought the Park stand from (yooth, you'll remember that one) told me that he got paid $4 per bike which worked out for him to be about $16 per hour. At 15 minutes per bike, it's no wonder they get assembled so poorly.

consider this, if someone were to really really rush, how much of that 15 minutes is just getting the bike unpacked...Scary....

 

[rydr1]

We have a student here who found an old cruiser to use in his project. The kid (18 years old) has never been exposed to any sort of hand tools in his entire life. He worked on removing the rear wheel from the frame for THREE HOURS before he gave up.

Maybe the wheel was seized and the axle nuts were stripped and he didn't have much room to work with...kind of like the new engines in cars...

On a real note, its a bummer to see someone not be able to work with basic tools. I would have become frustrated watching him and showed him after the first five minutes of his struggle.

 

[Rockit!]

I wasn't there at the time, and what's even worse is that he never even thought to ask for help. My coworker whipped out a ratchet and a socket and had it off in about a minute. The student said "OH MY GOD HOW DID YOU DO THAT IT WAS LIKE MAGIC?!"

 

[patman73]

most boxed bikes were preasembled then boxed up ready for final asemably if know what you are doing then working on a bike will not be require power tools unles a torch is needed lol

 

[mikeeebikey]

Wow, this keeps coming up!
Last I knew Huffy paid by the hour, hence why we parted companies. When I started working with them it was $15.00 a bike to assemble/tune them.

My method; line up a bunch of bikes, unbox and clean of packaging.
Using a butterfly impact install front wheels, stems and adjust the bars. Go back over everything with a hand wrench.....
There was a time I employed a clean up kid for each tech.
If tech and helper couldn't produce a rideable bike every 15 minutes I lost money.....