Chain from hardware store

[crawgator]

Is it feasible to buy a chain in bulk length from a hardware store? What should I be looking for? This is to lock it to the RV at night.

 

[rich c]

Sure it's feasible. Get the biggest chain they have because I doubt if they have hardened chain.

 

[crawgator]

what does hardened mean?

 

[rich c]

There is soft steel, and then carbon steel that is heat treated and hardened. The more expensive bicycle chain locks are heat treated so a bolt cutter can't cut it. If the hardware store uses a bolt cutter to cut it to your length, so can a thief.

 

[draver]

Something else to consider is the quality and resistance to attack of your lock. It should match your chain in terms of physical strength.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Something to think about too: chains sold as bike chains at bike stores and online usually have a protective cover to that you don't drag raw metal chain across your bike frame, scraping off paint whenever you lockup.

There are a lot of things involved and this isn't always true, but you tend to get what you pay for with chains. Hardware store chain is relatively inexpensive. It may be fine for your requirements though.

TT

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Something to think about too: chains sold as bike chains at bike stores and online usually have a protective cover to that you don't drag raw metal chain across your bike frame, scraping off paint whenever you lockup.

There are a lot of things involved and this isn't always true, but you tend to get what you pay for with chains. Hardware store chain is relatively inexpensive. It may be fine for your requirements though.

My recommendation is to use an old bicycle inner tube to wrap the chain so it doesn't bark your bike or anything else up.

If you look up "security chain" you can get some pretty serious (and pretty heavy) gear for locking up a bike. You can also get "contractor locks" which generally are tougher, heavier, and more expensive and might be more secure.

 

[JRA]

Didn’t work for Pee Wee