All self sufficient bicycle mechanics need to be able to cut spokes to length—there are far too many types to keep a ready back stock. The solution is a small, hand crank spoke threader and Hozan is certainly the best of these.
Features
While such tools have been made by Hozan and Cyclo (UK) for generations, this latest model—C702—offers several important new features:
The spoke is clamped by a three jaw chuck, like a drill. It is quick to load and easy to keep tight. The previous method was like a cable pinch mechanism, not suited to smooth wire trying to rotate.
The spindle on which the threading head is fixed now has graduated marks so thread length can be consistent.
The tool body is reinforced, stiffer and more rugged than before.
All of this means you will get many years of fast spoke making, empowering your repair services and liberating riders from the curse of spoke breakage.
Background
The tool comes with a 14G head. Replacements and a head for 13G are available separately.
This tool uses rotating cylindrical dies for threading. Our Morizumi machine uses flat dies that slide past one another. These are the two most common ways to create threads in manufacturing. Flat dies are more often in industrial settings.
While this style of threader is slower than a bench top machine like Morizumi or Phil Wood it's 1/15th the price and 1/30th the weight! For single spokes, allow up to one minute each. For a larger number like a wheel's worth, time for each is halved, so allow about 15 minutes for 32.
If you already have a serious workshop threading machine this is just the ticket for your portable tool box. What a great resource when supporting club rides or events. Here is a quick demonstration. Here is the manual.
