mmarino

New to the Forum. Hope I'm doing this correctly. Can anyone recommend a good all around chain tool, or one for my garage shop and one for when I'm touring? Thanks for your input.

Andrew R Stewart 

As a lifer in the LBS scene I prefer tools that are specific and not designed around stylish or packaging pressures. The Park CT-5 has been my tour/tandem chain tool for years. It's good enough for more then occasional home use, some shops I've been in have it as their bench chain tool. Andy

mmarino

I was leaning toward the Park chain tools, but not so sure of the model. Your recommendation is welcome news. Thank you kindly

Tandem Tom

I will second Andy's suggestion. We do multi month tours and that is the tool in my kit. It is the only one I have so it gets used at home also.

rhenning

I have had a Park CT5 for 20+ years and it does everything I need it to do. Roger

hhk25

I own the Park CT5 and the X-Tools Pro Chain Riveter. I prefer the X-Tools one for a couple of useful features. It has an adjustable and locking barrel so you can set a stop for the pin. Keeps it from pushing right through if you don't want to completely remove the pin.

It also has a locking barrel on the screw itself so you can set it to stop a new pin at a specific depth.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...r/rp-prod10186

HillRider

This was a useful feature in the past era of 5 and 6-speed chains where reusing an existing pin was normal and common. These days with 8-speed and up, particularly up, narrow chains with flush pins, reusing a pin is not recommended and leaves a weak spot in the chain. With new chains you remove the pin completely and replace it with a specific joining pin (Shimano) or a master link (everyone else). So the depth stop on a chain tool is no longer useful.

cyccommute 

For the shop, I much prefer the Park CT-3.2 chain tool over the CT-5. Someone at my co-op thought the CT-5 is better so we have been stuck with those things for 5 or 6 years. I hate using them. They physically hurt my hands when I use them.

For on the bike, the number of choices are almost limitless but many of them are of limited use. On the plus side, few of them will ever be needed so the limited use isn't all that limiting. I've carried a chain tool on every bike ride for most of 40 years and I've used it exactly once. I'm not a fan of the chunky on bike tools like the Topeak Alien and prefer tools that are more traditional in fit and use. My current favorite set is the Fix-it-Sticks Mountain. I haven't had to use the chain tool on the road but I have used it at home and it works well enough.

Wilfred Laurier

I have the Part CT5 and keep it in my tool bag on my bike. I also use it as my main shop chain breaker. Cheap chain tools, and the chain tools that are included on some multi tools, are generally not up to regular shop use, and may leave you stranded if they fail when you ened them on the side of the road.

There are few breakdowns apart from a broken chain that can't be solved (at least temporarily) by borrowing a pair of pliers from someone whose house you broke down in front of. I don't like walking home, and calling for a ride is a failed outing in my opinion. The Park CT5 is like $15 iirc.

terrymorse 

Park CT-4.3 for my workshop:



Park CT-6.3 folding tool for the saddle bag. It's compact and won't poke holes in my spare tube:

cpach

If you want a dedicated tool for touring, CT-5 is good. I always had reasonable luck using the chain breaker on my Crankbrothers M18 until I started working as a mechanic, and think most people are fine with a multitool chain breaker assuming its compatible with the chain they use (a lot of them aren't really designed for 11 and 12 speed, though this is changing, my Park IB-3 will do 12 speed except AXS). Pro shop tools are about durability over hundreds to thousands of uses and small optimizations of speed. I need to break a chain on my personal bikes--what, maybe annually?

HillRider

I have a Park CT-3 for home use. It's a shop quality tool I bought for it's durability and ease of use. I'll never come close to wearing it out but it's far to big and heavy for take-along.

For take-along on my bikes I have a couple of no longer available Ritchey "CPR 5" tools. These are very small, very light (25 grams) tools whose screw press is operated with the 4 mm hex wrench on my multi-tool. They would never hold up to routine use but for (hopefully) very occasional on-road use they are adequate. Over the years I've used them twice on other people's chains so they do work.

MrK.

I carry a Crankbrothers M-19 multi tool on longer outings. I have never had to use it on the road but I did verify that the chain tool works in my home shop before carrying it. The tool has just about anything you would need on the road in a slick easy to carry pkg.

mmarino

I'm honored to be a part of Bike Forums. I'm also thankful that people take the time to give thoughtful responses with pictures and links attached. Glad I found the site. Another BIG thanks. Marty

noglider 

Does anyone remember the Cyclo Rivoli chain tool? It was around in the 70s and 80s. I miss that one. I broke a few, but I also mastered its use.

djb

another suggestion recommendation of a good multi tool

mine is a lexyne rap 20, the chain tool looks similar to the one that this guy shows
I was amazed how competently the chain tool works. I busted my shop one years ago, and so use the multi tool one whenever I put on a new chain. Keep meaning to buy a shop one, but if you also need a multi tool--great for touring in any case, look into these well made multi tools that have quality, well working chain tools.

my rap 20 was probably 40 bucks here in canada when I got it. Not a cheapie, but well worth it.

MrK.

You win this round, mine has no dedicated bottle opener. I was able to coax the cap off a cold one just now with the 10 mm wrench.

djb

its not a competition, but funnily enough, if you had asked me if there was a bottle opener on it, I would have said no.
Tend to carry an old swiss army knive , so would have used the bottle opener on that, and not thought of the multi tool...

again, Im a touring guy, so if this person is interested in touring, I'd spend the money on a good quality multi tool , more use for the buck traveling etc.

HillRider

Both remember it and owned one as it was the first chain tool I ever bought. And, yes, mine broke too and that's when I bought the Park CT3.

mmarino

Got a lot of use out of it, but broke both actually. Didn't even think about it until reading one of the posts. Looked it up on the web. They range in price from $7 to $12. And at Walmart.com to boot. Go figure. Thanks guys.

markdeman

After breaking a cheap chain tool that came in a big bicycle repairing kit, I bought a BBB Profi Connect Chain Tool. It has a very comfortable handle comparable with the X-Tools Pro Chain Riveter and so far has survived all the rusty chains that I removed from old bikes. I expect this tool will be here for the rest of my life. One thing I noticed with the really cheap tools is that the pin was bent and not replaceable, otherwise I could still have used the tool with another pin. I think all decent tools have replaceable pins, but maybe its something to check for when buying the tool.