Hello,
I just used a powerlink to finish off my new chain. It's nice. Easy. Fast. But is it as durable as all the other links? Has anyone had trouble with these?

Put 'em on all my rides. No problems in five years. Well one, but it was my fault. I lost one side of the link in the gravel when I was assembling my S&S coupled road bike in low light conditions. I ended up breaking the chain with a chain tool to finish the assembly. Now I cary a spare Power Link.

Installed one in June, it's held up fine on a 2000km loaded/unsupported tour this summer and about as much in day rides since then, so I guess I'd call them reliable. I keep a spare one in my toolkit but haven't needed it yet.

Sweet. I tried to avoid having to use it on my new chain, but for some reason when I'd break links to join the chain up, the link would always freeze up and not bend right. I finally got frustrated and just cheated with the powerlink. Is there some magic trick with chain breaking tools?

Yes there is a trick, but it's not with the tool...

After you drive the pin into place, grab the chain on either side of the pin you just drove in and flex the chain in the direction of the plates ie 90* from the way it normally rolls. Flex it first one way then the other till the tight link loosens up. It takes some muscle to achieve the desired results, you'll know when you've got it right. This flexing motion puts some "slack" into the plates and rollers that just got squished too tight when you used the chain tool.

Is this a hand-bend on the chain or a grab-the-pliers-betty-we're-getting-kinky-tonight kind of deal? Analogous to hand-tight or screwdriver-tight

Some chain tools have a loosening shelf. It looks like the regular shelf, but is to big so. Pop the chain in there and turn it down a quarter or something. Effectively does what the original suggester said.

You can bend it by hand.

I've got nearly 3000 miles on my Powerlink on a Shimano HG73 chain. Wouldn't be without it.

I fix stiff links or other peoples chains after breaking and driving a new pin by hand as suggested. Have used the function on the tool as well but prefer by hand.

Have used the 9 speed on a few bikes, awsome. Heard the 10 speed is a one shot version, ie can't take it off and on multiple times.

The 10 speed version snaps into place with an interference fit so it's not easy to take it apart and reuse. I took a new clip and snapped it open/closed a number of times until it loosened up some - going to reuse it just like the 9 speed version.

This is a recipe for chain failure. For Shimano and Campy chains, using their specific installation or replacement pins and following their directions, the joint will be as smooth and free as any other. For SRAM or Wippermann chains with their master link, none of this abuse is needed.

I actually use my SRAM chains without the power link-- I just use a Park Chaintool to set them up and close them. I've had no problems with these.

I did have one SRAM chain and used the Power Link Master Link; I had no problems with it, but I did replace it with another chain I liked better for that particular bike.

I use the chain tool's loosening shelf to loosen the links that are tight. I then do the finishing touches by hand-- feeling the links move for any tightness. If there is a little tightness left, a very light, low-impact hand bend gets things just right. It's hard to get just the right feel with the loosening shelf when you're very lightly trying to get the last bit of tightness out. That's why I use a very mild hand bend to finish the job (no big muscles involved here).

I put a powerlink on my cheap YHM chain. Fit like a dream and makes cleaning tons easier.

The links seem to last okay, but I've had them come apart while riding.