The most ridiculous tool ever ?

wishitwasallflat

Being sick of arsing around with slippy little KMC MissingLinks to get my chain off I thought I would treat myself to a pair of KMC MissingLink pliers ... so ... ordered via Amazon from a place that had stock. They arrived today - name on the packet KMC MissingLink Connector Pliers - what I ordered - I thought this was pliers for MissingLink Connectors --- Oh no no no these stupid F777ing F8899ing things are pliers for putting the links on !!! Afuckingmazing who for FFS would want pliers to do that? Why would KMS make such a ridiculous tool - surely putting the links on is the easiest job in the world?

Anyway the real questions is - Am I the biggest F888wit on the planet for buying them and what are my chances the shop will take mercy on me for being an idiot and refund or replace (I have opened the plastic bag and clipped the zip ties that fix them to the card!).

Boy of boy do I feel a right tube and please feel free to laugh at me :!:

Cleat Eastwood

I thought this was a post about P_Tucker or Rick Chasey.

wishitwasallflat

Na fraid I take that title for the moment!

alihisgreat

At least you'll have the set when you fork out for the other one.

wishitwasallflat

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

At least you'll have the set when you fork out for the other one.

Unless of course I buy a pair

sungod

reusable kmc links do not need a tool to remove them (nor one to fit them)

easiest way is to put chain on smallest front/rear so that tension is lowest

position link on the lower run of chain

hold chain in palms each side of link (wearing nitrile gloves keeps you clean), while squeezing side plates and moving the ends in, once plates are at limit of travel move them out to release the link

takes much less time to do than to describe

veryslowtwitch

Hi sun god

Yes, most kmc quick links can be undone very easily but occasionally they are very stiff and can only be undone with the tool or fine-nosed pliers.

They are usually great but eventually you will get one which will not move by hand

I got a nice little set of round nosed pliers (like the poor OP thought he/she ordered!) and they work great, and no gloves needed.

Regards

Alan

wishitwasallflat

Yea I've done them by hand loads of times but it's a pain and sometimes mine seem to get very stuck so this was supposed to be a wee cheap tool just as a treat!

topdude

Didn't know you could get or would need pliers to connect a missing link ?
Looking at a picture of them i would grind a curve on the inner edge of each jaw and it would then fit and remove the links, simples 8)

wishitwasallflat

topdude wrote:

Didn't know you could get or would need pliers to connect a missing link ?
Looking at a picture of them i would grind a curve on the inner edge of each jaw and it would then fit and remove the links, simples 8)

Not as simple as that - these are truly a bonkers device - when you squeeze the handles closed the plier's jaws move further apart not together! They pull the link's rollers apart to lock it (exactly the way the f88888 chain does as soon as there is any tension in it) - truly a bonkers tool. Must presumably be made as a gift for the mechanic who has everything already - still royally pisss88d of wiht myself that I did this but hats of to Discount Bycycles Ltd who I ordered from. I spoke to them on the phone and its no problem to send them back for replacement! They didn't even laugh at me :shock:

pdsalmon

Didn't know these tools existed....had a good half hour trying to fit a new KMC link to my new chain the other day - it just wouldn't engage properly - had it connected and the chain turned slowly but the link wouldn't lock out. Ended up fitting the old one because that went on easy.

I'll be ordering soon...no matter how ridiculous!

alihisgreat

pdsalmon wrote:

Didn't know these tools existed....had a good half hour trying to fit a new KMC link to my new chain the other day - it just wouldn't engage properly - had it connected and the chain turned slowly but the link wouldn't lock out. Ended up fitting the old one because that went on easy.

I'll be ordering soon...no matter how ridiculous!

apparently you can do something along the lines of applying the back brake and pushing the pedals to get it going.

I didn't have a problem fitting mine the other week though so didn't have to try it.

wishitwasallflat

pdsalmon wrote:

Didn't know these tools existed....had a good half hour trying to fit a new KMC link to my new chain the other day - it just wouldn't engage properly - had it connected and the chain turned slowly but the link wouldn't lock out. Ended up fitting the old one because that went on easy.

I'll be ordering soon...no matter how ridiculous!

Ooops no insult intended if you want/get one and use it good stuff !

godders1

Not sure of its the campag ones in general or if I was just unlucky but my KMC missing link needed pliers to get on and I'll be buying the tool for when I need to get it off. Absolutely no way of getting that bad boy on/off without tools!

phy2sll2

sungod wrote:

reusable kmc links do not need a tool to remove them (nor one to fit them)

easiest way is to put chain on smallest front/rear so that tension is lowest

position link on the lower run of chain

hold chain in palms each side of link (wearing nitrile gloves keeps you clean), while squeezing side plates and moving the ends in, once plates are at limit of travel move them out to release the link

takes much less time to do than to describe

Or alternatively:
- Shift into big ring, small sprocket
- Position quick link part way around the chainring.
- Lift and move the chain behind the quick link up one tooth so the quick link sticks out in a 'triangle' from the chainring
- Push down on the top of the 'triangle' and bingo, the whole thing should come apart

Clear as mud, probably, but very quick.

g00se

They make some version to connect them, and one version to remove them. I can normally do KMC connectors by hand, but occasionally, you do get one that is nigh on impossible to close the first time it's used - and similarly a b**ger to remove the first time too.

I tried the chainring trick but that didn't help (the CTC recommendation to hit it with a hammer I didn't trust). So managed to Heath-Robinson it with some regular pliers.

wishitwasallflat

Well I stand corrected there is a use for this tool - still don't want one myself though so posted back to be replaced with the one to help connect them!

bushu

I ordered a set from superstar last week for £13 thinking it was a good idea as i need the removal tool
When it arrived i was perplexed why anyone would need the connecter plier set :?

keef66

I love my KMC link removal pliers. I did notice the 2 types so was careful when ordering not to get the install ones. They seem a bit pointless; it's easy to get the link to engage by stomping on the pedal while holding the side plates together. Frequently eats a bit of my latex glove as it slots together.

schweiz

I've been using KMC quick links for years, both 9 speed and 10 speed with KMC chains and Shimano chains. All my bikes have them and I never had a problem fitting them by hand and only sworn a few times when trying to remove them (why are they always a pain to remove when you're in a rush?). However, the last card of 10 speed links that I bought are a PITA to fit and remove and I ended up buying both tools for the sake of my sanity and my fingernails. I don't know whether KMC have changed the design but it was annoying to say the least.

jibberjim

wishitwasallflat wrote:

I did this but hats of to Discount Bycycles Ltd who I ordered from. I spoke to them on the phone and its no problem to send them back for replacement! They didn't even laugh at me :shock:

Well it's good that they didn't try and mislead you as some hucksters might - but under the distance selling regulations they have to do that by law, so don't be too impressed.

andy_wrx

I had one I couldn't get apart by hand when trying to put my bike in its bag at an airport in France (wanted chain and rear mech off in the bag so less for baggage manglers to damage).
Time to check in was running out and the b*gger would not come apart so just broke another link and fitted a second joining link when I got home.
The separating pliers would have been ideal then, but I wouldn't have flown with them anyway...

Never had any trouble fitting a link, except with the only SRAM 10sp link I've ever fitted - all KMCs fine, SRAM 8sp & 9 sp fine, just that single-use SRAM 10sp link was difficult

cycleclinic

I do use the KMC pliers even though I probably don't need to, I suppose I did not pay full price for them and it's a bit easier than doing it by hand may not quicker. There are more pointless tools however like the Sapim nipple holder for building wheels. A spare spoke will do the same job.

A useful tool is a the Park pizza cutter.

Bordersroadie

I agree that the chainring/triangle/push method doesn't always work. Get a very cheap pair of narrow long nose pliers and bend the ends so that they don't slip off the rollers of the chainlinks and you have a tool that's effectively the same as the KMC takieapartie tool.

lotus49

pdsalmon wrote:

Didn't know these tools existed....had a good half hour trying to fit a new KMC link to my new chain the other day - it just wouldn't engage properly - had it connected and the chain turned slowly but the link wouldn't lock out. Ended up fitting the old one because that went on easy.

I'll be ordering soon...no matter how ridiculous!

Can't you buy wishitwasallflat's? He doesn't seem to want it .