Design Flaw of the Topeak Hexus 16

Topeak Hexus 16 Design Flaw

Made a discovery about the Topeak Hexus 16 tool when I was about to install a new Shimano 8 Speed Chain on a bike. Apparently, the Hexus tool’s chain break does not have a housing long enough for the bolt pin to thread in to push the master pin .

The chain does not fit if put in straight.

You will need to angle the master pin down and insert this way for it to be able to sit in the place-holder.

Fully inserted, the master pin is covered by part of the housing.

This results is the bolt not being about to thread into the housing of the chain tool due to a short housing length. Alien Tools have a longer housing.

This is the minimal threading that the bolt needs in order to fit into the housing. Notice the protruding pin in the region of the place-holder. Compare with the picture above with the chain and master pin fully set in the place-holder and you will realise that it is impossible to screw in a master pin for a chain.

Forcing the bolt strips the thread of the bolt. (Look very closely in Hi-res at the beginning of the screw thread)

Well, I have written in to Topeak US and hope they will offer a solution to this as I hope I do not need to have to buy another multitool just because of a flawed design on the Hexus 16.

The Alien Tool from Topeak has a housing that is longer and is able to install a master pin perfectly. I wonder why Topeak has a different design and in the process created this problem???

Anyway, for all you guys out there who have this problem, go check out the Alien Tool. You will see that the chain breaker component has a longer housing than the Hexus version.

Cheers