Hey, I'm farm boy and you learn to make do. I used to rivet sections into a mower knife all the time and this isn't that much different.
There's noting to it if you know what you're doing. Lay the chain in place, slide the master link in, put the centre piece in and use vice grips and a small nut over the pins to force the other link into place. I use two hammers - one at the back of the link and the other to slowly peen the link into place. A study of the factory crimp shows that it really doesn't take much to peen it into place. I very seriously doubt that it will ever come apart. If the smaller crimp from the tool holds it, so will this method. You guys might be surprised at just how many people do this but don't say that they do. No doubt some are unaware of the tool but 500 bucks is too much for it anyway. All you're really doing is riveting some metal - something I learned how to do a long time ago.
