If the 17 years of living under the same roof as my uber-mechanic father taught me anything, it's that you should always use a tool for its intended purpose. Screwdrivers are not hammers. Sockets are not punches. Tire irons shouldn't be used to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (though they will add a bit of extra flavor when you do use them as such). So what to do when you need to scrape the mud off your bike? If your answer is to use a 19mm box-end wrench, shame on you.
751 Products' Mud Tool is specifically designed for this task, and it performs beautifully. Built in one simple piece with no moving parts or useless doodads (save the ever-useful lanyard), the mud tool is as functional as they come. You can bash the gunk out of footpegs, smack the knobs of your tires and scrape away at the sludge under your fenders to your little heart's content; the Mud Tool won't skip a beat. My biggest complaint is that it's a bit large and impractical to fit in a fanny pack, but even still, its lightweight construction doesn't make the tool too awkward to pack on the trail.
While it may seem silly to have a specialty tool for removing mud, there's something to be said for not wrecking your other tools by using them for the wrong purpose. If you fancy yourself as any sort of off-road motorcycle enthusiast, pony up the $12.99 and go buy a 751 Mud Tool. You'll surprise yourself with how much you really use it. -Chris Denison
| Tools | 95.0 |
| Function | 49/50 |
| Portability | 8/10 |
| Durability | 19/20 |
| Design | 9/10 |
| Price | 10/10 |