[nonameguy]

Today I broke my chain. Sad! Now I need a new chain. A bike shop have shimano and kmc chains. I dont want to spend a lot money so I looked for shimano deore cn-hg54 , shimano xt hg95 and kmc x10. I want durability I dont care for the weight. Also I want the smoother chain. So which of the 3 are the best chain? Before I had ybn chain but the manufacturer say that the shimano and kmc work better with my groupset I have. For microshift advent X 1x10 system.

 

[wschruba]

Shimano all the way. They shift far better than the competition (mind you: the competition might be 90th percentile on a modern drivetrain, and it Shimano will take that to 99).

The more expensive chain, HG95, will last longer with hard chromed pins/treated side plates.

 

[Sparticus]

I'm happy running KMC chains.
That's not to say KMC is a better chain than Shimano.
I'm only saying I'm happy running KMC chains.
That's all.
=sParty

P.S. Shimano drivetrains... all 5 bikes.

 

[nonameguy]

.

 

[DannyHuynh]

I am a big KMC chain fan, I have used shimano and sram chains both of which have snapped on me before. KMC chains have nnever snapped on me once. This is for 10 speed chains.

 

[CrozCountry]

Tough call. I usually will go KMC, but I run shimano 10sp chain now and its comparable to KMC.

The stuff that people say about shimano chains being great at shifting applies mostly to the 12 speed chains. Below that there is nearly no difference.

KMC claim for fame was usually their strength, which is very important for heavier riders. I am not sure this still applies to 12 speed. For 9-10 speed I will still stick with KMC just to be on the safe side.

 

[blackfly]

My go to chain on my 10 sp setup is a HG 95 but I like the Sram 1092 as well. I have never used (or seen for that matter) the KMC. Why mess with success. I have found the Shimano chain does shift better on the XTR cassette/derailleur though, but both the HG 95 and 1092 are equally smooth.

 

[hkmeup]

I used to use HG 95 chains on my Jamis Dragon 650b hardtail. I typically would see .75 stretch on the Park CC-2 chain checker after about a couple of months, at which time I would replace the chain. The thing that bothered me the most was that the HG95 would measure at .25 stretch even when brand new. The KMC X10sl chain that I'm currently using is 7 months old. When brand new the tolerances were so precise that the chain checker wouldn't even drop in and the 7 month old chain is currently showing just a tad more than .25 of stretch. (Btw, the lower priced basic KMC X10 chain lasted about the same as the HG 95.) For me, there is no comparison, and I will only use the KMC X10sl.

Fyi, I run Rock and Roll Gold chain lube on my chains. It is absolutely the cleanest lube I've used in my dry, dusty So Cal conditions, which further increases chain life. Although R and R may not result in the quietest running chains, from my experience, if a chain lube doesn't run clean, the resulting gritty paste definitely hastens chain wear.

 

[nonameguy]

I finally got the cn-hg54 because is cheaper than xt and I dont think is have much differrent with xt. I couldnt find kmc near me.

 

[hkmeup]

The X10sl chain is readily available on Amazon at a very good price. Although the cost of entry is a little higher, the long life will more than make up for the cost increase. Give it a try next time and I think you will be quite happy. Cheers.

 

[nonameguy]

I want to support local bike shops. If they dont have something or is very expensive Im ordering from outside. Kmc x10sl is expensive for me. My cassette cost less than this kmc chain.

 

[edubfromktown]

I've had good luck with both. KMC's are built to tighter tolerances so they can be a bit finicky on cassettes with more miles on them. I find XTR chains last longer mileage-wise on my MTB's and 2x10 gravel bike.

 

[DannyHuynh]

The X10sl chain is readily available on Amazon at a very good price. Although the cost of entry is a little higher, the long life will more than make up for the cost increase. Give it a try next time and I think you will be quite happy. Cheers.

this is my go to chain that I run. They last long, don't snap, take a long time to get stretched out.

 

[richj8990]

this is my go to chain that I run. They last long, don't snap, take a long time to get stretched out.

I've never snapped a chain over 8-speed yet (all but one KMC, all 11-speed). I have broken a few 8-speed chains including Shimano. I think that's why a lot of e-bike manufacturers have given up on 8-speed chains and just go for the 11-12 speed stuff now even if it's over 250 watts, because the modern chains are fine. Just because a 7-8 speed chain is wider doesn't mean it's stronger in reality. KMC is fine.

Good shifting in my experience can depend more on how the frame is setup for the rear derailleur than the chain and other related stuff (assuming the chain doesn't have 2000+ miles on it!). I have a carbon bike that has a flimsy derailleur hanger, same RD, chain, shifter, cassette as my other bike, but the other one is aluminum with a very solid hanger mount, and the other bike shifts noticeably better, all other drivetrain components besides the chainring and bottom bracket being the same. And I switched the chainring from the aluminum frame to the carbon one, no difference. I highly doubt the shifting difference is coming from the BB, so it has to be the frame and derailleur hanger. The bike shops that tell you all drivetrain components have to be from the same manufacturer are just trying to avoid any problems with liability, not that you can't mix and match them and be fine.