Park Tool Chain Cleaner Scrubber Review + Drivetrain and Bike Clean

A review of the Park Tool Chain Scrubber CM-5.2. A step by step guide of the best process I've found of cleaning and lubricating the drive train and chain on your mountain bike. Plus a quick look at the Muc Off premium brush kit.

[@nevillellewellyn8101]

Good review - at least you've used the unit rather than just looking at it and speculating about how it may work/last. I note you did this review in 2017 - is the chain scrubber still working or is it in the bin. I'm only thinking f buying another as the last one died - be good to do a follow up if your unit s still chugging away. BTW - I think the wheel stand may put a bit of stress on your rear wheel rim - they are strong but not designed for lateral stress etc - just a thought. Cheers!

[@groovy_bear]

Great review ! I like how you showed the whole process of cleaning and lubing, with cleaning fluid refilling etc. Just a quick thought about dry lube. Idk where you dispose the filthy cleaning fluid (whether it is degreaser, soapy water or just water), but I assume you have some waste disposal facility nearby that takes it, anyway that's not the point, my point is : dry lube typically contain PTFE. When you ride, some of it gets washed with rain and mud, meaning some PTFE ends up in the soil, waterways, etc. not so great! Also, when you clean your bike in the garden like you did in this video, some dirty cleaning fluid drips onto the ground. That might be OK for occasional washing but say you have a few bikes for the family, do this every couple of weeks for each bike, for a few years. Now I don't know how much PTFE they put in these lube - and I'd guess small quantities - but still that pollutant stays in the ground and is not degraded by natural processes. So I'm starting to think that at some point your garden - or any other place - is contaminated. And groundwater too. Say you or a neighbor has a vegetable garden...No too good. Probably better doing this over some waterproof cover and collect the filth afterwards, or just use lube without PTFE. Muc-Off makes a big deal about being biodegradable, but they put PTFE within they lube which is definitely not biodegradable and hardly degradable at all. It may be efficient for our drivetrain but can't we use something less controversial for health and the environment even if that means cleaning our drivetrain more often ? Sorry this started as a quick thought but ended up as a long story... Cheers !

[@dansotelo228]

Sure the chain looks great, but unknowingly those ParkTool chain cleaners do a lot of hub, BB & pulley bearing damage as you should never apply any type of degreaser on your bike. Why Not?? Solvents and degreasers have a very high capillary action and It just takes a few drops to land on or by your sealed bearings and it will easily bypass the seal and onto your bearings. The solvent runs from the chain onto your cassette, pulleys, also down your C-ring spider and into your BB sealed bearings. The next thing that happens is that tiny amount of degreaser does not wash away a large amount of grease between the bearings, but it washes away that critical thin film of grease between the ball bearings and the races they ride on. BINGO, you just ruined your bearings as they start riding metal to metal. I know because I'm a professional mechanic and I get to see and do bearing replacements all the time all due to riders applying degreaser & solvents with ParkTool chain cleaners and brushing the cassette with degreasers. The correct way is to remove the chain, cassette, and C-rings and clean them away from the bike. To clean the cassette and C-rings get a small plastic container, fill it with 16 or 20 OZ of paint thinner, and have at it with a brush, then rinse with water, then with water and a bit of soap, and they are like new again. As for the chain get a small plastic container with a large screw-on lid, fill it with o/a 10 OZ of thinner, close the lid and shake it gently for 1 min, and let it stand overnight. The next day gently swirl and shake the chain in the container, remove it, flush it with a garden hose, then with some soap and water, rinse of the soap, let it dry, lube, and its like new inside and out. I have dozens of sad stories with those ParkTool cleaners, the most recent happened in Dec 2020 where a customer bought a Canyon with wireless AXS RED and ZIPP 303 wheels and bought it to me for assembly. Two months later he came by my shop to have me look at his bike as it was making funny creaking & crackling noises. I also noticed his bike and drive train was sparkling clean and right away I knew the problem. So I asked him, "how do you keep your drive train so freaking clean???" His reply "Oh I use a top-of-the-line ParkTool Chain Cleaning tool, why do you ask?" My heart sank as I gave him the bad news he now had to replace the bearings on his new rear ZIPP 303s, and his Ceramic BB bearings. I then explained how the ParkTool chain cleaner did the damage. AT FIRST, HE GOT PISSED OFF AT ME, and later cooled down and began to understand how the ParkTool spread all that solvent into his hub and BB bearings as he practically cleaned his chain every 5 days, often more. The total bearing replacement and labor came out to $300 plus. He promptly went home and took a hammer to his ParkTool.

[@haashimhussain4385]

The teeth tool is for the cassette in between the sprockets

[@buildersedge888]

Nicely done video. I've been rather obsessed with finding the right chain cleaning tool. No tool is perfect but for ease of maintenance, I think the Park Chain Cleaner looks like a good choice. Trail Crest did a great job on his instructional video. Thank you for taking the time to do this review.

[@marcelortfontenelle3081]

I bought one a month behind. Used it four times. It works but at each time, a lot of debris from the brushes get hooked to the chain. In that way, it won't last much and won't value the price I payed.

[@nicolas.1882]

5:01 Good Spiderman reflexes

[@sportme6734]

5:30 Cassette

[@kassaioliver]

This is exactly how I oil my chains 😊😊

[@jernbek1]

Great job on this video

[@calvintanner7897]

I bought this to use for my electric bike/moped, but I wanted to know what can I use with this once the degreaser is gone.

[@khazza930]

5:10 those teeth are for scraping any debris and dirt between the cogs on the cassette, a brush may not be strong enough i love a clean drivetrain and chain... beautiful indeed!

[@Davey87B]

Thanks for this vid! It was super helpful!

[@yaronmtb8848]

👍 📹 You should try to wax your chain 🔗... you won't Believe how more quiet, effective, long lasting and clean your chain 🔗 drivetrain and bike will be... Great video 👍

[@trailcrest3543]

Yaron Amir thanks a lot, great suggestion I will try that one day. 👍

[@yaronmtb8848]

Trail Crest once you go wax you'll never go backx 😜

[@GerardvanReekum]

I moved away from waxing and never missed that chore...

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Have you found a wax lube that will last 100 miles? I have not.

[@yaronmtb8848]

@@geraldhenrickson7472 I'm doing it with candles wax. Dipping the chain in it.

[@pauloneill8912]

can this be used on motorcycle chain?

[@haashimhussain1020]

Yh the tooth thing Is for your Cassette

[@GerardvanReekum]

I recommend this little machine over waxing. Do this after every ride and you're good, nothing beats it. But two remarks: 1) Take the rear wheel out and guide the chain tbrough a chain keeper while cleaning. And clean the entire cassette separately, with the wheel, because there will be dirt & grime on the adjacent sprockets contaminating your 'clean" chain. Same goes for your rear derailleur wheels, which you therefore need to whipe on both sides in advance, before you clean the chain. 2) Don't be ridiculous and lube the chain by pouring a fine line of the lube while turning the pedal backwards at a moderate speed until you're re-lubing where you've already been (usually briefly after two or three revolutions of tbe chainring). Then spin the chain for a while to allow the centrifugal force to work lube down into the axes evenly. Finally whipe the drops of lube that you sent flying out off of the chainstay and front derailleur cage and wait with removing excess lube until you start your next ride. . Quicker & better.

[@mscffp]

Why run it through a water bath instead after cleaning? Can't you just spray it off with a hose?

[@GerardvanReekum]

The brushes work between the shackels, better than you can accomplish with the force of a water hose.