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I just bought a pair of SRAM Powerlocks for 10-speed chains. The packaging says that they can only be used with SRAM chains. Will anything nasty happen if I use it with a Shimano chain and cassette?

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They will work fine together- same if you swap the brands around. I've done this many times for myself and for others with no issue and it's common practice amongst bike shops. This is strictly marketing & legal covering of their own asses. If you look at Wippermann Connex Link compatibility they say that the one link is compatible with SRAM, Shimano, and Campy. They're all so close in terms of the spacing that interchanging their quick links doesn't make a difference.

As an aside, those Wippermann Connex quick links rock. Tool free installation and removal, and it's almost impossible for them to come undone while riding.

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    Note - don't mix-and-match the parts of different brands of quick/master link. They might go together but tolerances can vary. Keep the two parts connected when not on your chain.
    – Criggie ♦
    Jun 4, 2020 at 5:21
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I don't recommend doing so. I put a sram powerlink onto my shimano chain, but it was so tight that the chain was not moving smoothly back and forth. And because it was so tight I couldn't get it off again. I had to use a chain breaker and physically destroy the link.

Instead, I recommend the KMC quick link, these seem to be much more compatible with Shimano 10speed chains. I've used a bunch of them in the past.

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Yes you can, I've done it myself. However forget about taking it apart, sram link is ever so slightly smaller thus doesn't have room to be squeezed in and removed.

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    Welcome to Bicycles @Johnny. Thanks for answering one of our questions. We recommend that new members take the tour to make best use of the site, and since you're answering see How to Answer also. It's a good idea to check the existing answers before adding a new one; in this case your answer doesn't add anything new to what's already here.
    – andy256
    Jan 23, 2017 at 6:28
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    I think this is a fair point. The SRAM 10-speed locks are not designed to be opened again - unlike their 7/8/9-speed locks which are quite easy to open.
    – Christian Lindig
    Jan 23, 2017 at 9:23
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They just take a bit of tugging to "click" into place. I had to put a foot on the pedal and then pull the chain with both hands to get it to lock in.

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  • If I remember right, the 8-speed links are really easy to click, but the others are much tougher. The recommended technique is to rotate the drivetrain until the PowerLock link is on the top section of chain running forward from the cassette to chainring, stand the bike on the ground so the rear wheel won't spin and pedal forward (not riding, just pushing forward on the pedal while the bike is still) to apply enough pressure to get the link to click.
    – Noah Sutherland
    Jul 12, 2017 at 17:15

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