Wolf Tooth’s pliers don’t fit the conventional mountain bike multi tool mould, so can sink their teeth into a wide range of repairs as a result. There’s some howlers when it comes to a comprehensive set-up though, which means a lot of hits for this unique tool, but also some significant misses.

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Wolf Tooth’s 8-Bit Pack Pliers actually have 16 different tool functions and one of its best assets is the added leverage from the long handle – removing pedals or tightening pivot bolts is a cinch. The narrow handle also helps when access is awkward, and you can spin a bolt out quickly without having to keep repositioning. Not quite on par with the best mountain bike tool kits then, but more flexible than your basic multi-tool. It’s a chain splitter and tyre plug prong short of being a totally comprehensive tool though, and it’s not cheap.

Open up Wolf Tooth’s pliers to reveal the tool bits, held in place by magnets.

Design and specifications

Wolf Tooth always makes clever, good-looking gear and the Pack Pliers is no exception. The black anodised body even comes with four different colour options on the anodised bolt that the chain pliers rotate around.

Opening the pliers reveals a magnetised tray holding the four double-ended and two single-ended steel micro bits that you can lever out and insert into the socket holder at the far end. This is also an 8mm hex head and can swivel through 180 degrees – great for removing pedals.

There’s also space for a spare chain split link near the pivot, also held by a magnet.

There are magnets to hold a two piece split link next to the bit tray. A knurled cleaner rod (for plugging tyres), valve core spanner, and spoke key inserts are tucked into the back of the pliers too.

The pliers are made in the US and packaging is all eco-friendly cardboard.

Performance

While it’s called a Pack Plier, the long, narrow shape of Wolf Tooth’s tool actually makes it really suitable for internal frame storage and tool wraps too. The flat format will sit in most pockets happily, and while there’s some rattle in the hand, you won’t hear it over background bike noise.

The covered magnet-bottomed tray keeps the bits secure until you need them, even with the pliers open, so they won’t fall out into the mud/grass. You can see which one you need clearly too.

However, while the outer bits are relatively easy to press down and lever out, I found getting the central bits out was impossible without removing the others, even with warm, dry fingers. That’s particularly annoying as these are the 4mm and 5mm hex heads I’m always using the most, and I couldn’t switch their position in the tray.

The Wolf Tooth 8-Bit Pliers are very well made, which is reflected in the price.

Back to the positives! The magnetic connection into the driver socket is very secure too. Having the driver at a moveable angle on a long thin tool is also a big win over fatter ‘penknife’ style multi tools. It let me reach into awkward spaces, or use it perpendicular for maximum leverage when I was working on a pedal or a crank.

Once I worked out what it was (I checked the packaging in the end) the knurled valve cleaner rod is useful for cleaning gunky bores or roughening punctures in tubeless tyres before plugging. The magnetic Magic Link storage is also a useful addition to the plier action for squeezing or extending links into place.

Is Crankbrothers’ Multi M20 a better solution? Probably.

At this point the actual mix of tools gets a bit frustrating though. I could clean a puncture hole before plugging it, but there’s no plugging tool. There’s no chain splitting tool either, which will almost always be needed if you snap a chain on the trail – Crankbrothers’ Multi M20 tool is cheaper and does have one.

To get those extra bits you have to pay another £78, for the 8-Bit chain breaker and utility knife tool. Or get both as a bundle for £150 with the £38 8-Bit tyre lever kit one thrown in for free. And if I’m being picky, a bit of knurling inside the jaw would give better grip on the valve stem lock nuts it’s meant to grab too.

On the backside is a recess to hold a chain split link and there’s a valve core removal tool.