Wasted $60 on a cheap chain whip that snapped on the second use

Bought a no-name chain whip off Amazon for my first cog swap and it bent like butter, had to wait a week for a proper Park Tool one - anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_flores176d agoOG Member

Park Tool tools are pricey but there's a reason mechanics swear by them. That cheap metal is usually cast pot metal that'll snap under any real torque. Next time you could try making your own out of an old chain and a piece of angle iron from the hardware store, that way you know exactly what you're working with.

barbarahill1d ago

I hear what you're saying about the quality, but I actually had the opposite experience. I picked up one of those cheap chain whips from a discount bin years ago and it's still holding up fine through dozens of tire changes. The secret is to not go crazy with the torque, just snug it down and give it a good sharp tug. As for making your own, I tried that once with an old chain and a scrap piece of steel, and honestly the homemade version broke before the cheap one did. I'm not saying Park Tool isn't great, just that there's room for both in a home shop.