Park Tool PW-3 Pedal Wrench (15mm and 9/16 - Inch) Review

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List Price: $27.95
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I've only used the PW-3 on one bike so far -an old Trek 820 I bought used for $50 that had a broken pedal -and I chose the PW-3 over competing products in case I needed to slip a pipe over it for added leverage. Sure enough, I did need the pipe, but the PW-3 and pipe together broke the pedals loose, so I was able to finish unscrewing them by hand. I would not have been able to do this with a double-ended or wide-handled wrench.

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I bought this to help a friend switch some pedals on a trainer that had the pedals 'Loctited'. This was the only tool that could put enough force on those pedals to loosen and remove them. (Pedal threads would normally be greased.)

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When it comes to stubborn bicycle pedals that don't want to come off, it's hard to beat the Park Tool Pedal Wrench, also known as a "PW-3." This handy bike tool is made from Cro-Moly steel and which fits both 15mm and 9/16 inch pedals. This isn't the normal wrench that one would find in a regular home toolbox, but when I found it at a yard sale this summer, where it was marked as a "left-handed monkey wrench" by the seller, I grabbed it. The owner must have not known what it was or what it was worth, as he sort of snickered when he took my money. Was going to buy one eventually, ever since I had seen it described in the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair 2nd Edition, but I couldn't pass on it when it was sitting there for a price that's too embarrassingly low to mention.

So why would someone need a Cro-Moly steel PW-3 from Park Tool to just change bike pedals? Bike pedal threads are different from left side and right side. The right side pedal has a right-hand thread (removes counterclockwise, installs clockwise). The left side pedal has a left-hand thread (removes clockwise, installs counterclockwise). Many pedals are stamped "L" and "R" for left and right. Additionally, the thread will appear to slope up toward its tightening direction. Left hand threads slope up to the left, while right hand threads slope up to the right. Got that?

In any case, old bicycle pedals are often rusted on, requiring a few zaps of WD-40 to loosen them up, then a bit of good old-fashioned elbow grease applied with that Cro-Moly steel PW-3 wrench. As others have noted, one can slip a length pipe over the end of the wrench for additional leverage if needed. Once that's done, the new pedals can be installed, reversing the removal procedure noted above.

And if I can't remember which direction to turn the wrench (do I turn it clockwise or counter-clockwise...) to properly install the amazing new Avenir ATB Pedals, I can always refer to the new Park Tool Big Blue Book of Repair, 2nd Edition for good instructions from author Calvin Jones.

Some bike tools are really worth it, and this is one of them.

Honest reviews on Park Tool PW-3 Pedal Wrench (15mm and 9/16 - Inch)

Why a pedal wrench? Typically, an open end box wrench is too thick to fit between the pedal and the crank. Thinner wrenches can flex and break if you put too much torque on them. The Park Tool is thin enough to fit and thick enough to not bend or break. Two sizes allow fitment with most pedals out there.

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I've always used a crescent wrench when removing pedals that can't be removed with a hex wrench. This tool works great and is inexpensive enough that it's good to have on hand. It's solid and provides good torque to remove even the most stubborn pedals.