I'm ordering a Sram 10 speed chain. On the Sram specification mentions "A new PowerLock must be used each time the chain is split". Is this really a must to change to a new one or I can reuse the powerlock.
Thanks

When I built the CG2 with Force I re-used the PowerLock at least twice during my chain cutting. I cut it too long the first time. Used the Park Tool Master Link pliers to separate the link and just locked it back down after.

I have over 600 miles on it with no chain related issues. I check it weekly and it appears to be fine.

My rule of thumb is that if you can lock/unlock the power lock by hand then you need to replace it. Sometimes this means every time you unlock it, sometimes it lasts for a couple.

Either way it only costs a few bucks.

So I took the chain apart w/ a chain breaker on a regular link. Did a century and the chain snapped 30 miles in. Lucky the SAG was only 2 miles away. So, dont break anything besides the PowerLink.

Yeah that significantly weakens the chain. I would never take a chain apart with a chain tool and then reinstall it and use it on my bike.

This is why I use the Wipperman link. They cost too much, but they can be reused as well as easily removed/installed without tools.

I have reused them, but they definitely get looser (easier to open) with each re-use, and I also find that they get squeaky.

It never ceases to amaze me where people will try to save a couple of bucks. Powerlinks are not designed to be broken once installed. They are relatively inexpensive and the chain, along with cranks and handlebars, is one place where possibly compromising reliability is a really bad idea. Breaking a chain mid-ride is at least inconvenient and could possibly result in a nasty crash. I suggest either buying another power link or getting a link that is designed to be used multiple times. Just because something CAN be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be done.

While this is solid advice from a safety perspective, at $6 from your LBS the Powerlock is not exactly inexpensive. For those of us that like to take the chain off completely to clean it thoroughly, $6 added to the already expensive chain degreaser starts to add up quickly.

I've said this around here before, but I really don't think reusing the Powerlock connector even a couple of times is going to hurt anything. Why would it? The chain tension keeps it in place the same way the reusuable Wipperman Connex link does. The outward force of the pins against the opposing side's outer plate is where the strength is necessary. It doesn't matter if the two sides can be squeezed together easier because under normal use the chain tension pulls them apart, not together. I don't recommend taking it off frequently, but 2-3 times over the lifetime of the chain isn't going to hurt anything. I still think SRAM only advises against this so they can make a few bucks each time a chain is broken. Well, there's that and the extra layer of legal protection.

Was this on a SRAM chain or other?

While on the subject of breaking chains, what's the proper method of breaking a Shimano chain for a thorough cleaning? I have brief experience with Shimano chains, but I think I remember reading that once the connecting pin is riveted in place you can't remove it. I thought maybe you can push it all the way out and insert a new connecting pin, but I'm also remembering something about weakening the outer plates by removing the pin even once, meaning the chain cannot be reused once the connector pin is removed. What's the deal with that?

To re-use a Powerlock:
1. Buy Park MPL-1 to open it.
2. Re-use link for the life of the chain.
3. Discard link when you discard the chain.

IF you had thoroughly read my post, I recommended getting a link that is meant to be taken on off more than once if you need to do so. Six dollars is a pretty paltry amount of money to pay when you consider the alternative should the link fail due to going against factory installation instructions. The anecdotal evidence of ten or twelve folks on the internet notwithstanding, I stand by my recommendation and the recommendation of the company that makes the chain.

As for taking off a chain to clean it, don't get me started...

Not that you will believe me here either but Shimano recommends breaking the chain at a location other than where the first connecting pin is installed. They do not recommend pushing out the old connector and inserting a new one.

If you look closely at a Powerlock you can see the tiny raised area they added to make it difficult to remove, only for the purpose of doing an end-run around the Superlink patent for a *reusable* link.

Yeah, this is the best advice. Many of us have re-used PowerLocks not only many times on the same chain but across other chains. They're well engineered and aren't going to break.

This is basically what I do. I don't keep track but if I had to guess I'd say I might reuse the powerlink 5-7 time during the life of the chain.

Or just buy a wipperman or kmc link and use that instead, reusing to your heart's content. Why risk it?

How to join a Shimano chain?

Use an SRAM, KMC, or Wipperman master link.

Yeah, the recommendation where you spend $6 for $0.25 worth of something.

Imagine that.

What? There's an easier way to clean a chain than to pop a master link, take the chain off, and drop it into a jar of solvent?

Please, enlighten us! What is the easier method you allude to?

Because there's no risk - the load-bearing elements of the link are unaffected by removing and reinstalling the SRAM PowerLock.

I take my chain off once a month to clean and relube. I seem to get a year out of a 1071 and I reuse the same SRAM Powerlock for the life of that chain. Never had a problem.

+1.
I was using SRAM links with Shimano chains until recently I decided it just made more sense to buy a *modern* chain that includes it, so now I buy SRAM or KMC chains.