Bjforrestal

Ok, so I drank the chain cleaner kool aid and I broke down and bought a finish line chain cleaner. The past 8 years I have taken my chain off, put it in a mason jar with degreaser, shake, shake, rinse, dry, lube, install. I have 12 bikes in the garage now(kids, wife, and my 3) and wanted a quicker way of doing the drive train maintenance. I must be doing it wrong because it was so messy I now have a nasty grease stain in my driveway, and the chain wasn't Half as clean going through 2 cleanings with the finish line cleaner as I can do with 1 shot with the jar method. So, are chain cleaners that worthless or am I missing something? It wasn't even faster than removing the chain since I had to clean it twice.

Greenfieldja

Donate it to the local coop or an up and coming youth. I have the Park version of the tool you have and agree that it is messy and not as effective as removing the chain and sticking in a mason jar.

-j

shelbyfv

I think they work ok for folks who don't use removable links, but they are messy.

oddjob2

WOW, 9 bikes not yours to maintain, you either have a lot of kids or wives!

Get one of these, you can clean 3 chains at a time. I just use Dawn and water. You can use degreaser in it too, I just haven't tried it, but pastorbobnInh does.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ght=ultrasonic

Bjforrestal

I'm getting one. Thanks for the recommendation. Oh, 1 wife, 4 kids, and I have quite a few of my own

kingsqueak

Was it filled above the fluid line marker? I just got a Finish line and used it the other day for the first time...indoors and it worked really well and no real mess.

Maybe because it is new? Dunno, worked great, but the fluid level is very small and is marked on it on the side.

I just put hot tap water and dish liquid in it, ran it around a few times, then ran a plain water rinse, dried off and then lubed the chain.

vins0010

I also have the Park version of this. I used it once and it was messy. I just think that is the way those things are. Now, I just use the bottle/degrease method or an ultrasonic cleaner...way easier for me.

Bjforrestal

If you did yours inside I will try again. Nothing to loose, already bought it

onespeedbiker

Are you sure you ran the chain in the correct direction; if mounted correctly you back pedal the cranks and run the chain through the machine backwards. The park tool chain machine has a sponge at one side to pickup the extra solvent; you will get spillage but I would not call it a mess. It also helps to use some of the chain cleaner on a rag and remove the first layer of grunge before using the machine..

Bjforrestal

I'll give the rag a try...yes I was running it backwards. Degreaser would drip off chain when outside of the cleaner chamber. The wiper things apparently don't dry the rollers just the sides.

oldbobcat

I think my Finish Line chain cleaner is just dandy.

If the cassette and derailleurs are really grotty, they you should clean them first. Otherwise, all that crud will stick to your newly cleaned chain. And if the chain is really grotty, running it through more than once is not against the rules.

TrojanHorse

I just ordered one too, been meaning to for a while.

Does the grease and gunk from the bike dirty up the interior of the cleaner? (I mean... can you use it for more delicate items after you've run bike parts through there?)

oddjob2

The plastic basket can get nasty, but run it through your dishwasher. The pan is stainless, so just wipe it clean.