[Grommit]

We have been using chain drives for about 7 years and until this year have not ever used a tensioner. For drive shafts, we would just have someone pull as hard as possible on the wheel while tensioning it. This has never caused any problems for our drive shafts, chains or wheels, but we have a colorful history of chains coming off because they were loose.

This year we used a tensioner, not spring loaded, just a plastic adjustible runner, on our drive system, on the chain that allows it to swerve. The reason was not to protect the chain or make it easily tensioned. The real reason was that it was impossible, with our tiny sprockets, to get the wheels all aligned without tensioners.