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Squeeze Link Chain Master Link Tool

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Squeeze Link Chain Master Link Tool

Old 02-05-15, 12:48 PM
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Squeeze Link Chain Master Link Tool

Everyone should have one of these, and at $4 it's an amazing bargain!

Squeeze Link
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Old 02-05-15, 12:56 PM
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Clever design and certainly cheap enough. I made my own out of a pair of super cheap needle nose pliers I had laying around by grinding the sides of the tips thin enough to fit inside the chain links and then filing a round groove sideways across the tips to grab the link pins.
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Old 02-05-15, 01:12 PM
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Very clever design, talk about doing more with less. Inexpensive, and small enough to add to the tools in your seat bag
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Old 02-05-15, 01:44 PM
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No picture. What does it look like? When mine won't open with mu fingers I use a pair of pliers diagonally to open them.
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Old 02-05-15, 02:52 PM
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Will this tool work with only Sram Powerlinks? What about KMC links? I agree that it looks like a very nifty tool. I especially like its small footprint.
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Old 02-05-15, 03:47 PM
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That's clever and compact! Looks like it wouldn't be hard to make your own, but I don't mind rewarding this guy for coming up with them.
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Old 02-05-15, 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by davidad
No picture. What does it look like? When mine won't open with mu fingers I use a pair of pliers diagonally to open them.
The OP included a link to a demo video, much better than a picture
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Old 02-05-15, 04:19 PM
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I've gotten by for years with an ordinary pair of pliers, and sometimes some rubber gloves. I've got enough Stuff that if I don't need a one-job wonder tool, I'll do without.
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Old 02-05-15, 04:25 PM
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My only reservation about that tool is that it is so small you could easily lose it. Perhaps you could drill a small hole in it so that you could carry it on your keychain
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Old 02-05-15, 04:57 PM
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So that's how you get them SRAM to link off...


Grate... And the price is just right too..
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Old 02-05-15, 05:18 PM
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Maybe they will be some multitool maker that will add that to their assortment in their Bundle of tools

.. like my picture of the Ultimate Wenger swiss army Knife , I found online..
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Old 02-05-15, 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Jed19
Will this tool work with only Sram Powerlinks? What about KMC links? I agree that it looks like a very nifty tool. I especially like its small footprint.
TO THE OP--Yes, is it for all quick-links, or just SRAM?

Last edited by ClarkinHawaii; 02-05-15 at 06:41 PM.
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Old 02-05-15, 06:27 PM
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I just use my needlenose. Works fine.
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Old 02-05-15, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by ClarkinHawaii
Yes, is it for all quick-links, or just SRAM?

As bicycle chains are all 1/2" per link, what do you think?
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Old 02-05-15, 06:36 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
As bicycle chains are all 1/2" per link, what do you think?
Assume nothing--when in doubt, ask.
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Old 02-05-15, 06:40 PM
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To the OP--

What is the weight? I'm thinking it would be of interest to weight-weenies; and I just know they're gonna ask me . . .
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Old 02-06-15, 09:06 AM
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I bought two of those, one for the seat bag on both road bikes. I also made one for the shop out of an old electrical tool. The tips were already thin enough to go inside the chain so all I had to do was file a small circle on the insides for the chain links. Really works good, but I wouldn't want to carry it with me on the bike. The squeeze link tool is perfect to put in the same little bag I carry my CO2 tool and cartridges.
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Old 02-06-15, 09:08 AM
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I like my chain link pliers, but this is clever as a portable tool. I find it quite hard to do this job with regular pliers.
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Old 02-06-15, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by kwcahart
I bought two of those, one for the seat bag on both road bikes. I also made one for the shop out of an old electrical tool. The tips were already thin enough to go inside the chain so all I had to do was file a small circle on the insides for the chain links. Really works good, but I wouldn't want to carry it with me on the bike. The squeeze link tool is perfect to put in the same little bag I carry my CO2 tool and cartridges.
I've been thinking this over, and for the life of me I can't think of a situation where I would actually need a quick-link remover on the road with me. What ever goes wrong with chains? except that maybe very occasionally they break, in which case this tool would not be needed since the chain is already separated.
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Old 02-06-15, 09:27 AM
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I want one for the seat bag. Very nice.
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Old 02-06-15, 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by HillRider
Clever design and certainly cheap enough. I made my own out of a pair of super cheap needle nose pliers I had laying around by grinding the sides of the tips thin enough to fit inside the chain links and then filing a round groove sideways across the tips to grab the link pins.
Could you possibly post a pic of how these pliers look now?
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Old 02-06-15, 01:54 PM
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About 1" x 1", and very light for you weight weenies!


Kelley e-mailed me the following:

"Please note that the tool is designed for use on a 9 speed chain. It will not collapse the link (squeeze it) unless you also squeeze the sides while inserting the tool. Because the master links have a machined grove to hold the sides in place, which means to open the link you have to press the sides together with your thumb and forefinger while pressing the tool into the link."


I've heard from others who bought a Squeeze Link, and it will work on 10 speed chains but it's a tight squeeze. As for SRAM only or all master links, I don't know. You'll have to try it. The $4.00 price includes shipping, so I'm sure he's not getting rich from selling these.
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Old 02-06-15, 01:59 PM
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I bought one and it worked very well on my 9-speed touring bike with a KMC link.

I'm hoping that they come out with a 10/11 speed version for my road bike. I tried it on a 10-speed chain and it was too wide/thick as I expected.
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Old 02-06-15, 02:48 PM
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Originally Posted by kwcahart
I bought two of those, one for the seat bag on both road bikes. I also made one for the shop out of an old electrical tool. The tips were already thin enough to go inside the chain so all I had to do was file a small circle on the insides for the chain links. Really works good, but I wouldn't want to carry it with me on the bike. The squeeze link tool is perfect to put in the same little bag I carry my CO2 tool and cartridges.
I did that too.

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Old 02-06-15, 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by Recumbomatic
"Please note that the tool is designed for use on a 9 speed chain. ..."
FWIW: SRAM 9 sp quick links don't snap closed and lock. I can easily undo them by hand. SRAM 10sp and 11sp quick links are locking and much more difficult to remove.
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