Home and Part Time Wheel Building.

[aloisiojones]

While it goes without much question the Park Tool machine is the standard ... looking recently at Bike Hand's similar machine that frankly speaking is less the half the cost new. Does anyone have experience with this Bike Hand machine?

 

[Legislator]

If you're looking at this one, I'd say it looks like a decent ripoff of the park tools TS-2, which should be more than adequate for most home wheelbuilds. I've used most stands out there from good to bad, and really I think the biggest difference between them boils down to stiffness of the stand, hardware quality, and how quick you can get a wheel in and out. If you are building a lot of QR/solid axle wheels, that one should suffice, if you see yourself building wheels with through axles frequently the little rounded dome thingees will save you time when pulling your wheel in and out f the stand for stress relieving and dish checks. Of the old school stands I've had the pleasure of using, old Eldi's and the Park TS-3 were my favorites, those Eldis are so heavy and solid feeling.

I've built around 5-600 wheels on my home TS-2 in the last decade, and it's still kicking, but I honestly have had my eye on this bad boy for a while now.....maybe I should pull the trigger soon. It reminds me of the best bits of a TS-3 but slapped together by a machinist, with nice feeler gauges and all.

If you're a tool geek, other things to look into are the Problem Solvers Holy Driver, EVT Mulfinger, and Wheel Fanatyk Nipple Shuffler box. Oh and a set of Pedros 4 sided pro nipple wrenches, and an 1894 Dudly adjustable for extra credit.

 

[Sven]

I have no problem with my Bikehand stand.
If I did this for a living ,I'd go with the Park Tool.

I might suggest getting the centering gauge as well. A lot cheaper than the Park tool.

 

[Autocycleplane]

I have the TS 4.2 - way overkill. The one thing I like the most about the better quality (substantially built) stands is their ability to stay centered longer without measurement/readjustment via a centering gauge. This lets me trust the stand to get the wheel very close to perfectly dished without having to remove and recheck with the dishing gauge as I tension. Saves time on a job I am not that great at to begin with, so worth it to me for a lifetime purchase. I will get the dial indicator setups for truing up disc rotors and my modern plastic bike wheels at some point.