My e-bike has a 9 speed chain. I am not sure which make of split link it has other than a bloody awkward one. I remember it worked perfectly on a brand new chain with no dirt or grime but not it is like trying to wrestle apart a pair of mating anacondas.
Which split link is easy to actually split when the chain has a bit of dirt on it.
Do you remember to push outer plates of link together before opening it?
That is the whole "trick" for easy opening of any 9 speed split link.
Had Sram, KMC, Clarks and YBN, no issues with opening with fingers only whatsoever...
Cheers!
I.
Yes I've also used several different ones, mainly SRAM with no problem, as long as the plates are squeezed together as they are pushed apart.
Also note that link pliers are a handy thing to have. Inexpensive, make things easier, and keep your hands clean.
Fat fingers mean that squeezing the sides together makes it difficult to push the ends together at the same time so the next link along tends to slip. I will persevere I guess.
9 Speed quicklinks were the last ones I could reliably open by hand. They were always SRAM Powerlinks never tried another brand
I used to do them by hand without serious problems (squeeze the plates together trick). Then I bought some quicklink pliers and they make it utterly simple, well worth it.
I'm an OK-ish bike fettler but I've always had a bit of a 'mare doing quick links by hand. Link pliers FTW.
Connex Wipperman, by a country mile.
As above Connex the easiest by far but a set of chain pliers makes this so easy however tight the quick link is and keeps hands clean.
Fat fingers mean that squeezing the sides together makes it difficult to push the ends together at the same time so the next link along tends to slip.
The trick I think is to use two fingers and two thumbs, you want one digit squeezing inwards on the centre of the link, and another digit on the back of the link to slide them apart.
Connex is King.