Chain tool to avoid

[Guest]

Goes without saying that you wont get the same quality of chain tool for $20 as you will for $100 but this one in particular is a hunk of junk.

Ambienceo

Ambienceo Motorcycle Bike ATV Cam Drive Chain Breaker Rivet Riveter Riveting Cutter Tool with Case

Now another forum member had great success with his Chinese chain tool so maybe other brands are better but this one in particular is absolutely worthless. I could have and should have just paid for a better tool or did the whole thing with a C clamp. You can see my trials here

https://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?156280-what-did-you-wrench-on-today/page634

[jsandidge]

Wish I had seen this earlier. I just ordered one last night, and it shipped today.

[Nessism]

https://www.amazon.com/Ambienceo-Motorcycle-Breaker-Riveter-Riveting/dp/B075NB8GKJ

https://www.cyclegear.com/accessories/stockton-chain-breaker-and-rivet-tool-kit

I bought one of these same units, only denoted "Stockton" and sold by Cycle Gear, and it broke after only one use. I posted about it here. The C shaped piece is made from cheese and bent. I took it back and they gave me a new one but I haven't used it yet. Only half way reasonable way to use one of these things is to first grind off the pinhead before trying to push it through. And I'd only try to flare out a connector pin if it's the hollow point type. You can't peen over a solid pin unless you have a special big buck tool anyway.

[Boriqua]

https://www.amazon.com/Ambienceo-Mot.../dp/B075NB8GKJ

https://www.cyclegear.com/accessories/stockton-chain-breaker-and-rivet-tool-kit

I bought one of these same units, only denoted "Stockton" and sold by Cycle Gear, and it broke after only one use. I posted about it here. The C shaped piece is made from cheese and bent. I took it back and they gave me a new one but I haven't used it yet. Only half way reasonable way to use one of these things is to first grind off the pinhead before trying to push it through. And I'd only try to flare out a connector pin if it's the hollow point type. You can't peen over a solid pin unless you have a special big buck tool anyway.

Yea I ground my pins flat before pushing and it still bent the tool and my pins on the master were the ones with a hollow at the top and it couldn't flair it. I put in a return request with Amazon and they provided a shipping label but I wont know for certain whether they will credit my account for some 10 days. The motion pro tool its based on is $78. If I have to do it again I will do a bit more research and spend the $80 - 100 bucks for a real tool. It just wasn't worth the aggravation.

For one thing the wee bitty handle for turning the tool heads is to small and weak and bent. Look for something that you just throw a wrench on. That is how i finally had to use it.

[gsrick]

I have the Stockton chain tool and have been using it for the last 3 years and probably 50 chains. Most of them were 520, 525 and 530 chains, but I've also changed a few 630 chains. I did bend a pin once, but now I always back it off after I start to see if I'm lined up. I've never had a problem putting the master like on. I'd take it back and see if the holes match up on another kit. It may be a manufacture defect.

[Downs]

This is one of those areas where you really do get what you pay for. I've got an RK chain breaker/riveter kit that's probably 8 years old now. It's broken and riveted 2 dozen or more chains now and is still good as new. I think I paid 110 dollars for it and it's been worth every penny.

[bwringer]

I have a nice Motion Pro setup, but to be honest I usually grab my $12 Harbor Freight chain tool when the occasion arises. Works fine, and is easier to find and cheaper than a pin for the MP tool.

Even with a high dollar chain tool, you have to grind the head off the rivet or you run a very high risk of breaking the pin. Chains are a lot tougher than they used to be.

[Admiral Beez]

This, this is why I ride a shaftie.

[Boriqua]

This, this is why I ride a shaftie.

LOL .. its a fine point. I had a VTX 1800 with a shaft and if memory serves you were to drain and put new gear oil in the neighborhood of 10's of thousands of miles between service.

Always weirded me out and since it used so little I changed it with my oil which I am sure was a waste of time and money but .. yea .. the shaft was certainly maintenance light!!

[RichDesmond]

...Even with a high dollar chain tool, you have to grind the head off the rivet or you run a very high risk of breaking the pin. Chains are a lot tougher than they used to be.

^This. Always grind the pin flat.

[Boriqua]

Here is probably my future tool

https://www.motionpro.com/product/08-0135

and I will do it again myself because it was a 1hr job and only took all day because of that &^#)*(#&^@*(# tool!!

Also .. I brought my bike in for a front tire last year. Mech says .. "you know your chain is a little loose" I said thank you and that I would check it out when I got home. In a moment of abject laziness he said I can do it now for $15 and I said fine go ahead.

I find I am hearing a bit of a whining sound out of the bike. Figured it was due front wheel bearings. Then I noticed that as I backed out of the driveway I was getting a clicking from the chain. Took me about 2 weeks of riding to say .. hmm let me check the chain.

Yup .. way to tight! Brought it to spec .. Whining and clicking gone.

[Grimly]

I bought one of the cheapy chain-break / riveter kits for my GS850 camchain, when I couldn't find the one I used to use - which itself was just a modified bicycle chain breaker.
On inspection, it was easy to see why others complained about the flimsiness of the thinnest punch; it would be easy to just whap it on and use it when the punch rod is too far unsupported in the body of the tool. With that in mind, I ground the heads of the rivets off the old chain and set to extracting the pins. It was a doddle, exactly as it should be on something that size.
I didn't bother testing the ability of the riveting side of the device, as I just used my tried and trusted method of two hammers.
The only chain-drive bike I have is the XS650 and the chain on that is a long way from replacement, so it might be some time before I get the chance to assess the tool on something heavier.
I suspect, with the cheapy tools, you enter an unknowing lottery. Some are great, some are garbage and most are so-so.

[earlfor]

I have a old Motion Pro chain breaker set that has always worked fine. However, the past few years, if I am replacing a chain, I find it quicker and easier to use my air die grinder with a 1/8" thick cut off disk and cut through both side plates and not bother with pushing pins out. Going to toss the old chain anyhow, so i don't care if I just cut it in half. Takes less than two minutes. LOL

[earlfor]

Yea I ground my pins flat before pushing and it still bent the tool and my pins on the master were the ones with a hollow at the top and it couldn't flair it. I put in a return request with Amazon and they provided a shipping label but I wont know for certain whether they will credit my account for some 10 days. The motion pro tool its based on is $78. If I have to do it again I will do a bit more research and spend the $80 - 100 bucks for a real tool. It just wasn't worth the aggravation.

For one thing the wee bitty handle for turning the tool heads is to small and weak and bent. Look for something that you just throw a wrench on. That is how i finally had to use it.

About those pins with the hollow at the top and flaring them: The correct amount of "flair" is to mount the flaring tool on the link and tighten the tool down onto the pin with a wrench until it is just snug enough that no slack remains. Then, with the wrench, tighten ONE 360 degree turn to seat the flair. That is all that is needed. More than that will compress the "o" rings excessively and cause premature wear and failure of the pin. The correct amount needed in the flair is not visible as only a 1/1000th flair is required.

[gsrick]

I have a old Motion Pro chain breaker set that has always worked fine. However, the past few years, if I am replacing a chain, I find it quicker and easier to use my air die grinder with a 1/8" thick cut off disk and cut through both side plates and not bother with pushing pins out. Going to toss the old chain anyhow, so i don't care if I just cut it in half. Takes less than two minutes. LOL

I do that if it's a bike that's easy to get the chain over the front sprocket. Some sport bikes you have to remove some of the side fairing, the shift rod and engine cover to get to the front sprocket, but when all you need to do is replace the chain, it make it easier if you can attach the new chain to the old one with the master link and pull it through.