Chain Cleaner Type Machine

[spacecadet9]

Are these chain cleaning thingies any good ?

Or just a gimmick / waste of money ?

This one is on sale at the moment:
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/barbieri-chain-cleaner.html

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

...Or just a gimmick / waste of money ?...

This.

Mickle can tell you why.

 

[geo]

I have the park tools one, it works very well but probably no better than a small brush would, its just easier.

 

[PpPete]

This.

Mickle can tell you why.

Here.

 

[Alembicbassman]

Buy a chain tool and remove the chain to clean (unless you have a quick link. I bought a chain cleaner 15 years ago, it's burried in the shed somehwere, used twice I think.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I have the park tools one, it works very well but probably no better than a small brush would, its just easier.

actually it doesn't work very well at all. it works very badly on a road bike. slightly more defensible on a cx-er or mtb. honestly. mickle is the way to go

 

[ianrauk]

I'm one of those that bought one, used it once, then never again. Waste of money.

 

[MrJamie]

Isn't there a circumstance where they're good, like if you do a lot of offroading and want to clean coarse sand/grit out of the insides or something like that?

I've used one a couple of times as even a short ride through the Brickhills on sandy trails make my drivetrain sound like crap and it *seemed* to do a decent enough job, but for most stuff I just repeatedly wipe down and lube. I have no idea where to buy the degreasing solution though after the sample one ran out.

 

[Steve H]

I quite like mine. There are other ways to clean a chain, but I like using my chain cleaning tool. I use a wet lube on the chain and they can pick up a lot of grit and grime. I know the brushes in the tool will get in every link of the chain. I probably don't use often enough, but it works pretty well.

I don't buy replacement cleaning fluid though, just warm water and a squirt of washing up liquid.

 

[iwchris]

Well yes I have one and it does work quite well, it always gets quite a lot of grit out of the chain, I ride a lot on the seafront, so do pick up sand that's blown up onto the road, but as already said, if you have a Quicklink in your chain it would be as quick to remove and clean with a brush and fluid.

 

[Raymonda]

I have one which I purchased cheap from Lidl and while it does get grit and muck from the chain it is not that great at removing lube which has blackened with ingrain dirt. plus there is the problem that after a few uses the brushes are very dirty no matter how hard to try to clean them so you just spread the grease around rather than remove it.

I use this stuff and the dirt drips off - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/morgan-blue-chain-cleaner-1000ml-bottle-with-spray-head/

 

[geo]

actually it doesn't work very well at all. it works very badly on a road bike. slightly more defensible on a cx-er or mtb. honestly. mickle is the way to go

All down to opinion mate, mine seems to do the job just fine but like I said no better than a brush. Would I buy another one ? No but thats because they are not necessary, not because it doesnt work.

 

[R600]

i like mine, can.'t get 10 speed chain off as it hasn't got a quick link.