Park Tool Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit - AK-37

The AK-37 Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit from the Park Tool Company is a collection of thirty-seven bicycle repair tools, ready for use in any workshop or garage. But how will you use such a kit?

Become aware of the minor problems with your bike that can, at first, only be troublesome, but then can become a serious safety hazard. Then, make use of the AK-37 Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit before you leave on any lengthy trip, or even a short one, to tighten any loose parts:
- Brakes
- Seat
- Handlebars
- Pedal(s)
- Crank
- Headlamp
Also, check both the brakes and gearshift to see if the cables are unsecured or broken; if so, secure or replace the cables.

Now, on to the contents of the AK-37 Advanced Mechanic Tool Kit. All the tools are made from hardened steel, and have a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty. Included in the kit are:
- 3 sizes of Phillips-head screwdrivers
- 1 size flathead screwdriver
- 3 sizes of spoke wrenches
- 1 chain tool
- 1 set of tire levers
- 1 box-end wrench (8 mm on one end, 9 mm on the other)
- 1 set of progressively-larger hex Wrenches (2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6mm, 8mm)
- 1 open-end wrench (8 mm on end, 9 mm on the other)
- 1 open-end wrench (10 mm on one end, 11mm on the other)
- 1 crank puller for both a splined octalink and an ISIS Drive
- 1 crank wrench with both a 14mm socket and a 8mm hex
- 1 bottom-bracket / freehub lockring
- 1 bottom bracket for the sixteen-notch external crank-set system-cups
- 1 cartridge bottom-bracket tool
- 1 chain-wear indicator
- 1 cable-cutter
- 1 chain-ring nut-wrench
- 1 cassette lock-ring tool
- 1 pedal wrench
- 1 cone wrench (usable in single millimeters from 13mm to 19mm)
- 1 chain-whip free-wheel lock-ring wrench
- 1 tube-repair kit of pre-glued patches
- 1 gear cleaning rush
- 1 tube of PolyLube-1000 Grease
- 1 tube of synthetic-blend chain lube
- 1 tube of Cyclone-brand chain cleaner,

This kit contains just about any tool you’d found in a professional bike repair shop. In fact, there are so many tools, parts, and sets, you’ll definitely need the solid tool box to keep everything in one place. You can tell that this kit is specifically designed for the home bicycle mechanic who wants the good stuff for his (or her) bicycle, including not only the tools most frequently used, but also a few no mechanic should leave out. You get everything that’s needed to perform just about any maintenance or repair task, from chain cleaning to brake adjustment, for just about every current model of bicycle.

Is this bicycle repair kit worth it? My evaluation is this kit has almost everything you’d need, but you will still need a book on bicycle repair if you’ve never used any of these tools before. All the tools are up to the fine quality standards of the Park Tool company. A torque wrench would be a nice addition, though, as well as a can of Lock-Tite. A can of Park Tool’s own brand of Citrus Cleaner, for use with the chain cleaner, would also be welcome, although you can get by with plain warm soapy water. The chain cleaner is a bit bulky, and a tight fit for the box — you should plan on storing or carrying it separately.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $300. On a scale of 1-5, I’d rank this kit a 5.