Do I need to get another (better) chain remover?

LS17 said:

I went to Walmart and picked up a Bell chain link remover tool and a Bell chain to replace the chain on my beater bike. I put the chain on the tool and proceeded to twist the hand grip so as to punch the rivet through, but trying as hard as I could I simply was not able to get the rivet out. I could push the rivet out just a little (enough to make the chain "freeze"😉 but it seems impossible to twist the lever any more in order to get the rivet out completely. Now the chain tool was about $1.80 and I just started looking around the net and it seems like most are going for $10 and up. I'm thinking maybe this cheap thing doesn't have good enough tolerances and is causing the head of the tip to push the link itself instead of the actual rivet? Actually, I don't know one way or the other since I've never done any maintenance work whatsoever and am new to cycling. Can anyone offer some advice? I will be buying a better chain remover and would like some suggestions. Thanks.

Park Compact chain tool (model CT-5 ) is a good quality tool for $12-15 and should work on most derailleur chains (except probably not the best for 10s chains). Tools are one area not to cheap out. You may want to check the Park Tool website repair help pages for assistance on tool choice as well as basic repair technique.

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/index.shtml