Customers' Reviews:
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 A good budget FOURTH hand tool, April 22, 2011
By Have Raleigh, will travel (Chicago)
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This is not really a Third-Hand tool. A third hand tool holds the brakes themselves closed. Calling this a 3rd hand tool is incorrect bicycle tool terminology. This is rightly called a FOURTH-HAND tool by those in the know.
But that said, this item is a good budget tool for pulling/holding the brake cable on your bicycle brakes while you use your other 3 hands to simultaneously tighten the cinch nut and hold the bolt from turning -while at the same time holding the brake caliper closed.
The same tool is made by Park and Pedro's but they pretty much are all the same tool more or less except for they call it by its correct name: FOURTH-HAND-TOOL. The Avenir version does a knock-up job when you really need it (usually not that often.)
Many bike brake wrenching tasks don't even need this tool and you can get by without it most of the time even when it would have come in handy. But there are those times when this type of tool is worth its weight in gold when you don't have a helper and the particular brake you are working on is a PITA. The low cost of the Avenir version compared to the others makes it a wise buy to the non-pro wrench. It isn't often needed and spending top dollar for a name-brand tool on something that isn't a must-have most of the time is money that could be better spent on more important tools/components.
Pros:
*Works. When it is needed it is a godsend.
*Very LOW cost compared to the Park and Pedro's versions. Pretty much the same thing.
Cons:
*Wrong name -this is a 4th-hand tool not a 3rd-hand tool.
*The plastic handle grip is a bit cheesy & thin -the Park and Pedro's tools have nicer rubberized handles.
*It is a bit complex to figure out how to work/operate. It has lots of flippy and pivoty bits to maneuver around while setting it on the cable correctly, and often there is very little room to work -especially on center-pull brakes with the tire really in the way. This is more or less the same issue with more expensive tools too. Even though it is hard to set up it still is easier than trying to hold the cable with your teeth ;)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
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 Useless for Zip Ties, November 9, 2010
By GuyFromSFL (Washington, DC)
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I purchased this product primarily to tighten zip ties and only secondarily to work on brakes cables on my bike and the like. It was completely unable to grip a standard-width zip tie and so it was primarily useless to me. The thin grips make it uncomfortable to hold and the thin gripping mechanism makes it slippery to cables. I recommend that you keep on shopping and do not purchase this product if you are looking for a cable puller to pull zip ties.
1 of 28 people found this review helpful
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 Excellent, economical tool, February 7, 2010
By Brian Gruosso (Long Island, NY)
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This cable puller works exactly how I expected. Good quality, and cheap price. What more could you want?
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Thank you Avenir ~, September 20, 2011
By dwyte
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Thank you Avenir (division of: Raleigh Bicycle Company-1887) for providing this tool at the right price!
This is an excellent cable puller tool; grip, fit, and finish - grade A. Well done.
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Very Handy, February 16, 2012
By Matt K.
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I heard a 4th hand tool is very useful in the bike shop, so I purchased this one just because the price was so low. Not sure how more expensive tools perform, but this has done everything asked of it and makes adjusting brake cables much easier.
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handy little tool, December 24, 2011
By Da Da Gary (Hewitt, TX United States)
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This is a handy little tool that I've used on bicycle parts as well as zip ties. There is a bit of a learning curve with this tool - you'll have to practice with it before you can use it - and it is definitely not an "effortless" tool even after some practice. On mine the "lock" frequently engages when I don't want it to, and then I have to stop what I am doing, disengage the lock, and hold it unlocked. Also getting it to grab the cable or zip tie can be difficult. But when it does grab and the lock doesn't engage until I need it to, this is a great tool (it's actually powerful enough that I have snapped several zip ties with it). I would give it 5 stars but for the above mentioned issues.
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Works fine but cheap feeling, October 29, 2011
By Seth Horning
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They work like any fourth hand tool should. They are a little cheap feeling, and it is rather easy to pinch your hand during use, but they were cheap so what can you say. The gripping surface could have been made a little wider too. It tends to fray the cable you are working with but I think this is a common problem. Overall it's functional, but not the best tool around.
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good cable puller, March 7, 2011
By Victor Garcia
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this cable puller is good for the money. it felt a LITTLE cheap, but has done the job for me very well.
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Works as Intended, January 5, 2011
By Allan (Bay Area, CA)
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It works fine as intended. Helps properly tension cables and gives you a free hand to do other things. The only small complaint I have is that the handles are rather thin, and even with the rubberized grip, it is not very comfortable in the hand, especially when squeezing. But using this item once every few months, it's not a big deal.
BTW, they should rename this "4th Hand" brake tool, because that's what it is. If people are searching Amazon for a 4th Hand, they may not get this result...
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Great value., December 12, 2011
By A. M. Garcia (Austin, TX)
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These are a great value. Quality of construction isn't terribly high. The grips are a bit uncomfortable. For the price I paid, I wouldn't think of getting anything else. Despite anything, they'll do what I need for a long time.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
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