That $40 chain checker I bought that just sits in my drawer

I picked up one of those digital chain wear indicators from Amazon, thought it would be way more accurate than my old Park Tool one. Cost me about $40 and honestly it's way too finicky for everyday shop use. Keeps giving different readings depending on how you hold it against the chain. Has anyone else tried those electronic ones and just gone back to the simple go/no-go tool?

2 comments

2 Comments

briannguyen1mo agoMost Upvoted

Man I dunno, it's a chain checker not a NASA instrument. Just bend down and look at it, does it look stretched or not?

stellag211mo ago

The digital ones are great if you actually know how to use them. The key is holding it at the exact same spot on the chain every time and making sure the chain is clean. Most people just slap it on there and blame the tool when it's their technique that's off. The go/no-go tools are fine for quick checks but they don't tell you anything about uneven wear or when your chain is 75% done. Forty bucks is not that much for accurate data if you actually want to save your cassette and chainrings. I'll take a precise measurement over a "looks stretched" guess any day, especially on a customer's bike.