That $35 Park Tool headset press saved me hours of frustration

I used to try pressing headsets with threaded rod and washers from the hardware store. The rods kept bending and the cups never went in straight. Finally broke down and bought the proper Park Tool press for about $35. First use I had a headset seated perfectly in under 5 minutes on a 1990s Schwinn frame. The tool is built solid and the cups don't mar the paint at all. Anyone else fought with homemade presses before giving in and buying the real thing?

4 comments

4 Comments

spencer_gonzalez112d ago

Wait, you used threaded rod and it actually bent on you? I tried that once and gave up after the first attempt when the rod started twisting and the cups went in all crooked. Honestly, the Park Tool press is totally worth it for the peace of mind alone. I remember wrestling with a seized cup on an old Trek frame using a homemade setup and ended up scratching the head tube so bad it made me cringe. Now I just grab the press and its done in minutes with zero drama. Plus you can usually sell it used if you only need it for one bike.

kimw5712d ago

You bent a threaded rod on a headset press?

wade_kelly778h ago

And yeah, the binding part is exactly what made me ditch that method completely.

abby_cooper11d ago

The scratched head tube on that old Trek is exactly what scares me about homemade setups. I used a stack of washers and a long bolt once and the whole thing started binding halfway through. Ended up having to cut the bolt off with a saw. Park Tool press is just so much cleaner for the job.