corrosion resistant chain for sliding gate?

[Vintage Veloce]

The chain for my sliding gate is getting darn ugly. I've heard of nickel plated and stainless steel chains. Looks like the Stainless stuff is expensive, but the Nickel plated ones might not be too bad.
Does anyone have a recommendation?
(And please don't tell me to oil the darn thing regularly! ;-)

It takes 27 feet of #41 chain.

 

[matt_i]

Oil it more, use LPS 3 on a dripping coat or Fluid Film the daylights out of it.

 

[rlitman]

#41 is a 1/2" pitch chain. I believe bicycle chain will fit. If so, you can get galvanized chain that will weather better than anything other than stainless:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFM2BY7/?tag=atomicindus08-20

To get to 27', you'll need to link together three of those 120" bike chains.

stainless is about twice the price (though I'm not sure if that is wide enough to fit your sprockets):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C1YOQ8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[tinmanwpk]

Just get stainless and be done with it.

 

[My Old Tools]

Our community gate has been up probably 20 years. I oiled it up this winter, probably for the first time. Plain old chain, still going strong. Your salt water environment is harder, so your mileage may vary.

 

[Worsedog]

Some stainless would be $150 from Amazon. If it were me, which of course it's you, I'd throw down just to avoid effing with it.

 

[kbs2244]

Check out the industrial parts sites
This is not a new need.

 

[Millwrong]

San Diego? Is your chain on the brink of failure, or simply "getting ugly"? 27' of stainless roller chain should be chump change for someone who gives a **** what their gate chain looks like!

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Yeah, I know, it's a small thing. But our yard is nice and the crusty chain dangling across it for about 25 feet is the ugliest thing in sight.
And there are the stains it leaves on my white pants. ;-)

But the question... does anyone know if the nickel chains are pretty good corrosion wise? They are half the price of the stainless ones.

 

[mcbane]

"But the question... does anyone know if the nickel chains are pretty good corrosion wise?"

Once you scratch the nickel plating, the steel under the plating will form a galvanic cell with the nickel plating near the scratch and will use your salt water as an electrolyte. The steel will be corroded rather than the nickel plating (opposite of how galvanizing works). The voluminous corrosion products formed under the plating will cause the plating to blister off. IMHO, rusted steel looks better than blistered plating so I would opt for un-plated steel chain rather than plated.

 

[heffneil]

I replaced the three chains on my gate - myself- to stainless years and years ago. It is softer but I will tell you the salt water and all the regular chain just couldn't hold up. It was a better investment than replacing the chain every year which you could do. I have to remove a couple links a year and tighten every 6 months. I took one of those Dewalt carry totes and loaded it up with chain tools and labeled it as such. What I can't find is the gate bolt that is stainless. I usually just remove the old one and put a new one up. They are cheap - just a hassle to replace it. I've thought about using a threaded stainless rod and bash it down and drill a hole - just never did it!

 

[heffneil]

This seems like a good price: https://www.rollerchain4less.com/41SS-X-10FT-Stainless-Steel-Roller-Chain_p_2630.html

I see other 10 foot pieces for $135 or so.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

I ordered a nickel plated one, we will see how it holds up!

 

[ace10]

Gated property owner fretting over a few bucks for a chain.

Hmmmm.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Gated property owner fretting over a few bucks for a chain.

Hmmmm.

LOL. It's our gate to the alley behind our house. And have you priced stainless chain?

 

[ace10]

LOL. It's our gate to the alley behind our house. And have you priced stainless chain?

I've priced gated homes.

 

[Bretny]

Why not grease the hell out of it?

 

[nh_yota]

You could hire a doorman to open and close the gate for you...

 

[kingchevy]

Chain looks like **** just hanging, take a piece of 1 1/2" channel and make a chain tray for it.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Here is the new Nickel Plated chain.
$60 for 30 feet, with master links, on eBay.
We will see how it holds up.

 

[pamike]

Tsubaki Neptune hydroservice chain is another option for the future if needed.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Well, here is an 18 month follow up.
The cheap eBay nickel plated chain has worked fine, but it's covered with gunk, so you would never know it is nickel anyway!
It does seem to be well preserved under the gunk.
So, I guess having a "pretty and clean" chain is impossible, unless you want to clean the thing, and I'm never going to go that.

 

[kbs2244]

I would have suggested an industrial oiler and motorcycle chain oil.

it may sill clean up your current install

 

[manwithtools]

Where in San Diego? That looks like fine desert sand that has found its way to your oiled chain. If you are in the desert area, that's going to be a constant battle. You will need to clean and re-oil once a year or so.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

LoL. I'm an avid motorcyclist. The chains on my motorcycle are well maintained. The fence? Not cleaning and oiling that thing. ;-)
I wiped a single link, and it looks fine under the crud.

 

[PFSard]

I don't know if this is a plausible solution, but ....
- I used to lube my bicycle chains with various types of lube. Pain in the **** to clean chain and re-lube with the dust/dirt around here.
- Now I pop the chain off once a month, quickly wipe it down with a rag and drop into melted paraffin wax. I average 1-1/2 hours riding per day. None of that dirt collects on anything anymore. Chains last as long as with other chain lubes.

 

[steaks&anvils]

LoL. I'm an avid motorcyclist. The chains on my motorcycle are well maintained. The fence? Not cleaning and oiling that thing. ;-)
I wiped a single link, and it looks fine under the crud.

crud - environmental friendly protective layer. Like when the elephants roll in the dust, elephants know best.

 

[couch67]

Well, here is an 18 month follow up.
The cheap eBay nickel plated chain has worked fine, but it's covered with gunk, so you would never know it is nickel anyway!
It does seem to be well preserved under the gunk.
So, I guess having a "pretty and clean" chain is impossible, unless you want to clean the thing, and I'm never going to go that.

Not to be picky but that was your 30 month follow up

 

[nadogail]

Chain Drive and White Pants is a disaster waiting to happen. Stand well clear of an exposed lubricated chain while wearing anything White.

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Not to be picky but that was your 30 month follow up

Yikes, you are correct!

 

[Vintage Veloce]

Chain Drive and White Pants is a disaster waiting to happen. Stand well clear of an exposed lubricated chain while wearing anything White.

Lol, that originally was a joke... But good advice regardless.

 

[rburke65]

I should have such problems!