Customer Reviews

Finish Line Shop Quality Bicycle Chain Cleaner Kit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought both the Finish Line and Park chain cleaners at the same time and tried them both. I found both to be effective, but give the edge to the Finish Line for the following reasons:
- better clip
- larger magnet
- easier to hold
That's not to say the Park tool is bad. If I had ordered that one first, I would be happy with it. But when I tried them both, there were small things about the Finish Line that made me like it more.

I had the earlier version of the Finish Line chain cleaner a number of years ago, and this model is much improved. As the instructions indicate, there will be some resistance to turning the cranks with the unit attached, so be sure to test it out with the chain positioned on the second or third smallest rear cog (second worked best for me). The bike should also be in a sturdy workstand or otherwise be held securely.

The cleaning solution works well. Finish Line says use full strength or dilute, I diluted it one part cleaner to three parts water to make a pint of solution, and it worked well. Spin the cranks backwards slowly, holding the cleaner unit firmly with the other hand. I found the detachable handle provided by Finish Line to be very cumbersome, it's better to just hold the cleaning unit with your hand. You can expect some dripping of cleaning solution, so don't try this on your white shag carpeting! After turning the cranks about 20 times snap the unit off and clean and dry the chain with a clean rag. Also clean the cleaning unit by running it under hot water in your sink.

The chain lube is also good, but I've got plenty of Prolink Gold lube, which I think works better. If you haven't used a chain lube before, remember to put it on a CLEAN and DRY chain, and use just ONE DROP on the inner roller of each link. Shake the bottle well first, because the lube is in suspension. After I lube the chain I let it dry again and then run it through a rag again to remove any excess.

Another tip would be to clean the cogs, jockey wheels, and chainrings BEFORE you clean the chain, so you don't pick up the gunk from the cogs and rings the first time you shift through the gears.

My spouse and I decided to get back into biking this year, which involved both shopping for new rides, and giving our early Schwinn (Giant) mountain bikes a makeover. We bought some tools to accomplish the rehab as well as keep the new ones sparkling and functional. This chain cleaner seemed like a great idea, and it remains so. It does clean the chains. However, it has some serious design flaws. In order to understand the disadvantages, it's helpful to know how this thing works, which I didn't until I opened the package. The cleaner comes in two sections, a lower section that holds cleaning fluid and two brushes, and an upper section that clamps over the lower, also with a brush. When mated with the lower section, the upper section's brush presses the chain into a sine wave shape that forces it to pass over the brushes and through the fluid. Then, the crank is rotated backwards so that the whole length of the chain runs through the cleaner and is brushed at the same time. So far, so good.

However, the trouble comes in using the thing. First, the plastic is cheap and brittle. Remember that the intent is to pass the chain through the cleaner by slowly rotating the crank backwards. That means that you are passing a metal object--the chain--with a mechanical advantage--the crank--through an unnatural path in a tiny plastic washtub. One of the plastic edges that is closest to where the chain runs snapped off on the first pass. I was being careful, and running the chain slowly, but still, the difference in material strength is significant. Secondly, the clamp that holds the top section is holding one spot, but the derailleur is trying to keep the chain straight, thereby fighting against the temporary little curve inside the washer. Therefore the top plastic section is fighting another metal object. It is clamped together on the left side, toward the center. The part that is clamped is fine, but the right side flexed away from the bottom section. I expected the top to break in half, because the right side top flexed about 1/2 inch from the bottom section. I cleaned two chains successfully, and the top did not break, but the potential is there.

Our conclusion--a useful thing, clever, but flawed.

Finish Line Shop Quality Bicycle Chain Cleaner Kit A bit touchy to use but still easier than splitting the chain and soaking it.

So yeah, it's definitely not perfect. It leaks a bit. It's particular to how it needs to be held so as to not derail the chain off the chainrings. And it has some cheap little bristles-on-wheels that will probably have to be replaced ($5-6) after 30-40 uses. But let's face it, it's a ton better than having to remove the chain, put it in a can with kerosene or whatever else you might use, shake it around, let it sit for 20 minutes, dry it off overnight, and then putting the chain back on. The little wheel brushes get in between the rollers and get almost if not all the grit and grime out.

Run your chain through once with degreaser of your choice (finish line's stuff works, but save the money and just use a bottle of simple green and some water to save from the corrosion), follow with water, degreaser, and water once more, (removing the magnet after each change to wash out the reservoir and ensure no residual grit stays behind) and you'll have the cleanest chain you could possibly need.

Granted it might be one iota less clean than the chain-removal-pain-in-the-derriere method but I would imagine that little bit of grit it doesn't get out will probably ruin your chain a single day or two sooner than the removal method does, so really... get over it. Plus it saves you from the mess, the time, and the soul-crushing frustration that comes with pretty much any other method that I've ever heard of. So buy it and stop worrying about it.

I ride bikes every weekend here in AZ so you can imagine my chain gets extremely dirty! This makes cleaning the chain very easy and fast. Gets messy if you over pour the degreaser, otherwise... Good Buy!

overall this works very good at cleaning the chain. one thing i felt was essential to this was a solid mechanic stand, the one i use is the park tool home mechanic pcs-9. the reasons being is that in the beginning it takes a decent amount of force to get the chain moving through the cleaner and I don't really see a kickstand or trying to hold the bike with one hand or whatever as being adequate. It was definitely helpful to be able to solely focus on operating the chain cleaner without having to worry about the bike standing up. The directions suggest a dry run before cleaner is added, if your chain is very dirty, like mine was, I would recommend to skip the dry run and perhaps even apply the degreaser directly on the chain as well as in the cleaner to help it get started. When i tried the dry run the resistance was so strong it popped off the to cover/brush and i thought i might have broken the handle. The clip and everything withstood this initial misuse which looks to me like it will be pretty durable and I was able to reattach/reassemble without any difficulties. As a solution i just added the degreaser and held on to the main body of the cleaner with no problems. I didn't really count the revolutions, just kept going till it looked clean, possibly the downside to this is premature wear on the brushes but time will tell. On the upside, the packaging points out that the brushes, magnet, and plastic cushion are all replaceable (of course you will probably have to buy these from finish line or come up with your own DIY). The difference after was significant and I felt like I could stay in a higher gear against inclines and hills much longer than before, also now the drivetrain is whisper quiet with the addition of the dry teflon lube. Both the degreaser and the lube worked great, without these it is an ok value, with it is a great value and for $25 with free shipping and no tax (through bicycle source, not amazon) you'd be hard pressed to find a better deal. If you find anything cheaper it will only by 2-3 dollars you'll probably pay for it in reduced functionality/durability. Get this and stop grinding your chain into dust!

have only used this chain cleaner once, but very easy to use. Cleans chain very good.

A great purchase, I have also found that you can use kerosene as the cleaning fluid. I have been told that you can use petrol as well, but it will reduce the life of the plastic. So all in all a great product

I have used a number of different methods to try and clean my chain, but this is by far the best and easiest and this product is much more durable than some of the other ones.