After a great experience with Wolftooth re-mote dropper lever, I was excited to get my hands on these Wolftooth pack-pliers. It’s the kinda thing that the bike nerds in us love, precisely engineered, unique and functional with an aura of cool.
This small-sized lightweight tool packs some punches. This is designed to be carried in your kit and the feature set is deep for a small tool, these pack-pliers offer following
- Master link removal
- Master link installation
- Capacity for two spare master links
- Valve core wrench
- Tyre lever
- Valve nut tool
Our Evaluation
The handle is beautifully machined from 7075 Aluminium and is sturdy and of high quality. You can choose what colour pivot you would like and that adds a nice design contrast /personalization. The logos and details are nicely lazer engraved through the anodized black finish.
The handle contains two magnets that serve a couple of purposes it snaps the handle closed providing a nice feel and also keeps the spare links contained for no rattles, when not in use. Clever and a nice touch.
Removal and installation of a master links with this tool is a piece of cake, nicely designed jaw area and long enough handles to get the required force without being excessively bulky. The handles feel nice and ergonomics are fine.
Valve nut removal – here the tool also worked really well and would be useful in-field should you need to change to a quick tube conversion on a catastrophic fail of tubeless. The pack-pilers gripped securely and allowed ample leverage to remove a stuck nut.
Valve core wrench – at first we wondered why the three-sided hole pattern in the handle, but this is a clever design feature that allows for different access angles to avoid spokes and lacing patterns where they could get in the way of removal.
The tyre lever is the main feature of which we are not convinced on, for one it’s metal, so those of you with carbon wheels, this is not going to work as there is a risk of damaging your rims. Personal preference, nowadays I would only use a plastic lever, or coated lever on metal rims.
Details
- Pack-Pilers 7075 Machined Aluminium
- Size: 116 mm x 20 mm x 9 mm, weight: 38g
- Colors – Black or Red. Choice of bolt color on black version.
- Designed and manufactured in Minneapolis, MN – USA
- $29
- Available directly from Wolftooth or from distributors / local shops.
- https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/tools/products/pack-pliers
Verdict
At $29 for another piece of tool related gear, the price is a little on the higher side, but as soon as you get your hands on it. the $29 is very reasonable.
How many of us carry masterlinks? well, I did after getting stranded in the middle of now where a few years back. Lesson learned. So a large part of the upside of the pack-pliers is that it’s a product that forces you to be more prepared, carry links and have a way to install them.
By now we all have a lot of gear, the pack-pliers don’t force you to give that up, simply they are a compact and lightweight device that compliments a traditional multi-tool.
The downside, the pack-pliers are not going to replace carrying a tyre lever or a chain tool. Outright snap a chain then yes but develop a sticky link or twist a link, you need a chain breaker tool to remove the damaged part of the chain and then install a master link. But there again, you are carrying a multi-tool with a chain breaker right?
If you want to be more prepared, this is a tool for you.
What would be nice? – a way to carry a spare valve core in the handle. Rubber coat or co-mold the tyre lever tip. Maybe a gen2 could be a variant that includes some forged hex, t25 wrenches designed in such a way that it makes us want to recycle our current bag of multi-tools.