The old Park Tool wheel truing stand vs the cheap new ones

I've been fixing bikes for about 12 years now, started in a co-op in Portland. Back then we had this beat up Park TS-2 that had to be from the 80s, but man that thing was rock solid. Last month I helped a buddy set up his home shop and he got one of those $50 Amazon truing stands. The difference is wild - the old Park wouldn't flex even if you leaned on it, but this new one wiggles if you look at it wrong. I keep telling him to just save up for a used TS-2 on Craigslist instead. Has anyone else noticed how much worse the budget stands have gotten in the last 5 years?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_webb1mo ago

Respectfully, those old Parks are heavy and solid but they're not magic. The budget stands work fine if you don't manhandle them and you're not trying to true up a bent rim from a curb jump. A little flex isn't gonna ruin your day.

patel.daniel1mo ago

i mean, does it seem like everything's gotten flimsier lately? i feel like it's not just bike tools, it's kinda everything. you go to buy a toaster or a drill or something and the new stuff just feels hollow compared to what your dad had in the garage. maybe it's just me being old and grumpy, but that old park stand was built to last forever and these new ones are basically disposable. it's wild how that pattern holds up in so many different things you buy now.

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