Had to choose between a cheap chain tool and a Park Tool CT-5 last month

I was fixing my old road bike and the chain was stuck. I almost bought a $12 tool from the local hardware store, but a friend told me to get the Park Tool one. I spent the extra $30 and it worked perfectly, no broken pins or stripped threads. Has anyone else had a bad time with those bargain bin chain breakers?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_julia11d agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, this is the "buy once, cry once" rule in action. I see it with kitchen stuff too, like a can opener. The cheap one breaks and mangles the can, but the decent one just works for years. That extra $30 is really just paying to not have the thing fail halfway through the job.

matthew70311d ago

Totally feel that, it's like paying for peace of mind. I went through three cheap electric kettles in two years before I finally bought a solid one. The frustration of having your morning routine ruined because a gadget dies is just not worth the savings. Why do we always try the cheap version first when we know how it ends?