Customer Reviews:
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 a basic job done well plus a convenient lock, January 6, 2010
By W. Boykin (Denver, CO USA)
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This is a common tool offered by several companies all of which do the same basic thing. This tool does a great job with that basic thing. What's different between this & some of the others is a locking ratchet. I've read previously that the lock is something between unnecessary & inconvenient. It may be unnecessary, but it is a convenience that makes it possible to pull to the right tension & then let go, relax & either free up your other hand &/or not worry about over tensioning the cable while your focusing on securing it. I use the tool on my brakes as well as derailleurs, it is on the latter where having your other hand is helpful & it is also important not to accidentally over tighten the cable. Rarely has the lock engaged when I didn't want it to, it hasn't been a big deal. If, however, you are the kind of person who yells at your garden hose when it gets stuck on a corner, the lock could be similarly irritating.
14 of 15 people found the above review helpful.
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Ratchet Helpful, but not Essential, October 24, 2008
By New England Yankee (Northern New England)
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With or without the ratcheting mechanism, the tool gets 5 stars. A 4th Hand is one of those tools for which there is no substitute. The ratchet will save some of the 4th-hand dance whereby you try to hold the adjustment while you snug the fitting, but truthfully, that's really not all that difficult. On the flip side, the ratchet can actually interfere in situations where you really have to finesse the cable as you snug down the fitting. Given my preference, I'd use the version without a ratchet/lock, but if handed one with, no problem.
8 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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 Overpriced, low quality tool, March 5, 2011
By AdamDZ (New York City)
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The tool feels flimsy, rattles, since the entire thing is wobbly, the part that pulls the cable moves sideways and often slips off of the cable. The handles slide off, what the heck? It's unusable: as you squeeze it the handles slide off and you loose grip. What a junk! I'm very disappointed. It's going back.
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Overpriced and not as good as a Quick Grip Irwin Clamp, January 2, 2010
By Clyde Croskeys
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I bought one of these, tried it and was disappointed. My Irwin Quick Grip hand clamp worked in accomplishing the same task more easily. Save your money and buy a quick grip or just use a "c" clamp. Park usually has well designed tools worth the extra money. Not this.
4 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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 OK, but not great. Get the Hozan tool instead, December 16, 2009
By Jee Chung (USA)
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For the longest time, I have been working on bicycles at my basement shop without a 4th-hand tool. Working on brakes and derailleurs without a 4th-hand tool is doable, just not convenient. I finally decided to get one so I turned to Park who makes many of my trusty tools. Unfortunately, this 4th-hand tool is a bit of disappointment. It generally works, but when working with thin cables (e.g. der. cables), the tool has a tendency to get the cable stuck in the gripper. You can avoid this by feeding the cable into the tool carefully, but it's a hassle that I never had to worry about when I used to use the Hozan 4th-hand tool.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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It is a Park Tool, it works, June 13, 2011
By S. McPeek (Austin, TX)
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I needed to swap out my cables and decided to finally get the BT-2 4th Hand. What can you say, built well, just works.
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Awesome little tool., March 17, 2011
By Myles A. Voigt (Minneapolis, MN)
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This is a great tool for any level bike mechanic. It really gets your cables nice and tight, which really improves my shifting on my bike. Appropriately named too (4th hand).
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 Helpful, but not miracle tool, December 17, 2010
By Andrew Wade (Portland, OR)
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This tool is very nice for adjusting or setting up your breaks, but make no mistake, even with this tool the process is still a chore. They help but are somewhat difficult to use in their own right.
Bottom line: I'd recommend them but make it a low priority.
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parktool BT-2, August 23, 2010
By welderich
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works as advertised. was able to set gears effortlessly instead of wrestling with the cable.
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I love Park tools..., May 30, 2010
By John C. Bendheim (Verbank, NY)
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I love this tool. I have one of Park Tool's bike stands. Life is so cool sometimes...
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Cable pulling made easy, April 14, 2010
By 4boys (SoCal)
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This does exactly what it is supposed to to do. It is an overpriced tool, but it works.
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Park Tool BT-2, November 3, 2009
By Lamplighter
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Easy tool to use when working on your bike alone. Great Quality. Great Tool to have in your tool box.
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usefull helping hand, September 16, 2009
By David V. Kocsis (wichita, ks USA)
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If you maintain your own bicycle this tool will really help on cable adjustment. It is nice to know that there is such a tool! Should last a lifetime!
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Does the job, August 24, 2011
By TriMatty
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It works although the handles slide off easily and the ratchet "catch" is a little loose and not always in the proper position to lock the tool in place. Fix those two problems and you have a 4-5 star tool.
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How did I survive before?, September 17, 2011
By Dave (Salt Lake CIty, UT)
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This is a fantastic tool and critical for anybody who maintains their own bicycle. Setting cable tension on the brakes was so easy, than you can get the brakes set perfectly on the first try. Setting cable tension on the derailleurs takes a little bit more finesse because the tool works so well, its really easy to set the tension far too stiff. Once you figure out how much tension is needed, the tool allows you to set the derailleurs in a matter of minutes with a lot less fuss and frustration. This is a must for anybody who wants to work on their own bicycle.
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OK Tool, November 23, 2011
By Isaac Images (NY & NJ)
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This tool is ok, a bit overpriced for what it does and how it's made. It includes no useful instructions, and none exist on the Park Tool site either, so you are left to your own devices.
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Great Tool, November 7, 2011
By Blk02
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I recently received this tool. It works well and you can disable the ratchet feature if you want (hold it back by hand or use a rubber band). The one thing I disliked was the fact that the blue handle covers slide on and off the tool very easily.
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Park Tool BT-2 4th Hand Cable Stretcher -, January 8, 2012
By gedahnke
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Park Tool 4th Hand Cable Stretcher - BT-2Amazon was prompt as usual. It was easy to order and ship this product, and it came as promised with no delays. The price was right!
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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