Best chain rivet tool?

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fausto99
Posts: 952
Joined: 19 Sep 2011, 10:06am
Location: NW Kent

Re: Best chain rivet tool?

Post by fausto99 »

Recent narrower chains have the rivets peened over all round (unlike early 5 speed chains where the rivet end was just swaged out lightly) so they require a lot more force to "break". My newer Park CT3 seems to cope OK. I bought it when my older tools, which had lasted decades, gave up on the newer chains.
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Best chain rivet tool?

Post by Brucey »

kernow-tourer wrote:Hope this isn't too off topic, but I tried to get a Shimano rivet for my HG chain from a shop and was told that they are really hard to come buy so the guy kindly gave me a section of link and said I could use that. I was under the impresion that you had to use the special black Shimano pin because you couldn't put the old pin back through the link? Is this correct? It seems other wise if I want to get my chain off to give it a good clean I wont be able to join it back up.
Thanks.


crazy guy in the bike shop; 'difficult to come by' = "can't be bothered to order them". You don't say what kind of chain it is but just pushing the original rivets back in a modern chain will create a weak spot for sure. He may be happy to have the occasional customer come back with a broken chain but there is no reason to put yourself in a position where your chain is more likely to break than it should be. BTW the 'special joining pins' are much better but still not perfect.

Spend a few quid on a quicklink if you want to remove your chain for cleaning. Lots here (and joining pins) for example;

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chains-spares/

standouts are SRAM powerlinks for 8s or 9s which are £3.99 for three, (i.e. £1.33 each). 10s ones are more expensive than this.

Both SRAM and KMC QLs fit other brands of chain too.

BTW 'resuable' quicklinks are re-usable in the context of one chain. With each new chain use a new QL.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Gattonero
Posts: 3730
Joined: 31 Jan 2016, 1:35pm
Location: London

Re: Best chain rivet tool?

Post by Gattonero »

fausto99 wrote:Recent narrower chains have the rivets peened over all round (unlike early 5 speed chains where the rivet end was just swaged out lightly) so they require a lot more force to "break". My newer Park CT3 seems to cope OK. I bought it when my older tools, which had lasted decades, gave up on the newer chains.


I have a Park CT3 that must have worked on 10000 chains, no joke. Every now and then I clean and lubricate the thread, and I replace the pin when it wears out, as it needs some filing down the "mushrooming" on the tip every few dozen chains. But replacement pins are fairly cheap, so IO'm quite happy with it, I use it on 1/8" to all 11sp speed (except Campag 11) chains, no problem.
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dragonrider
Posts: 95
Joined: 21 Jun 2011, 10:17pm
Location: Harrogate

Re: Best chain rivet tool?

Post by dragonrider »

Have to agree with Brucey on this. I use SRAM Powerlinks for the odd occasion when I want to take a chain off and re-use it. The only time I use an extractor is to tidy up a broken chain and make a get you home repair. Fortunately this is now very infrequent on my bikes, perhaps the power output has dropped a bit. But I seem to be called on to help fellow riders so I still carry an extractor in my kit.

If a chain has broken my advice is chuck it away. The painful results of breaking a chain pushing up a big hill are not worth it, and chains are relatively cheap. I usually buy a new chain, and sometimes cassette when I buy a new back tyre. I think they have a compatible life.
tmac100
Posts: 58
Joined: 13 May 2016, 1:47pm

Re: Best chain rivet tool?

Post by tmac100 »

Just received a box of Brompton parts and Park tools here in Qatar. Shipped from SJSCycles after a long discussion of issues with Brompton Cust. Svce.
Thr Brommie chain was worn and my "cheap" chain pin press bent it's handle. The Park CT-3 did the job quickly. A robust piece of kit. I will use it in Australia in July when on my bike tour. Friends' chains need checking and possible replacing ...

Should have purchased the CT-3 years ago. At 70 years of age, it will be the last chain tool I expect to buy :roll:
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