I used a Park CT-4.2 and liked it for 11 years until replacing it with a discounted Shimano tool that’s probably not any better. Based on that, I’d opt for a Park CT-3.3 that’s not much more dollars than the smaller CT-5.
Used this at the shop recently and also liked it.
lol, a bit more than $3, though.
Yup, me too!
Make that 3 lol
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…and for good reason (it’s always the tape): the tape goes on to the highest part of the inner rim (ie the ‘shoulders’ of the box section) as we wrap around. It’s inelastic (by design) and won’t stretch to allow the adhesive to contact the lower parts of the rim bed, so we’re left to ask the contact areas in the shoulders to hold it to the rim.
Then we start faffing around with tire levers, poking this very shoulder area. Making thing worse is the tire bead which is also trying to exert friction on this shoulder area during tire install/removals.
So we’re asking this small shoulder contact area (~ 1/3 of the tape width when both shoulders are combined) to do all the adhesion work, and we’re asking it to be the same part that gets all the wear and tear of normal use. It’s a perfect approach if one is trying to sell more tape, and keep the rim extrusions unchanged… and lightweight…so here we are.
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Fourth vote for the CT-5.
5
For shop use the CT3.3 is the staff favorite because nothing is quicker for breaking a chain, it adjusts for width and eliminates the “reattach” tines because who isn’t using a quick link these days?
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We are manifold
Seconding the CT-3.3
It breaks 10s, 11s, 12s and 1/8" chains all with ease and has good grips
6th vote? 7th? i’ve lost track.
kind of an indictment of a lot of chain tools that a little mini/portable one is one of the best choices.
i have a 3.3. the only reason I don’t have a 5 is because I broke it. great lil tool
I have the ct6, which is also a folding/ portable tool.
Only if you buy it knowing that it’ll work for every chain you own currently or will.own in the future. Isn’t the best choice if you’ll need to go from an eighth inch to a sram flat top to a campy 13s in the course of an hour.
It’s also the only chain breaker I own. But I haven’t used it since the only chains in the house were 9 and 10s.
[ edit ] just read about it and realized it’s actually way more capable than I thought. Damn. It is pretty great.
Lol since my $3 eBay chain tool broke the park ct5 is technically my only one too but it lives in my on-bike kit. Was looking for a shop style one so may just roll with the CT 3.3. Unior also has a nice looking master tool for a reasonable price from Europe (buying a son dynamo anyways).
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CT5 for me. Plus at least 5 others that are part of various multi tools.
usually my go-to as well.
I traded my ct-5 for the ct-3.3. I have a weird tiny one on a multi tool for energencies. At home i want it to be easy and it’s way easier to use the ct-3.3. Just has so much more leverage.
Some chains are really hard to break on the tiny one and my hands aren’t that strong.
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ct3.2 is on sale for $20
I always find it helpful to get a spanner out on my See Tee Five
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