I have always used Shimano 10-speed chains with the "snap off" pins. My Cannondale road bike came with a KMC X10 chain with a KMC quick link. I was very impressed with how easy it was to break and re-close the chain. I am pretty fanatical about chain cleaning and the KMC link makes the job almost too easy. I hope it holds up.
...j
I am weary of those quick links, they are difficult to get the engineering correct. Shimano had a chain lock last(?) year, it was... rubbish. Take a spare with you on the road.
I have only had one problem with a "quick link". and that was a Sram. I had fitted a chain with it but some time later, after removal, I couldn't get it back together.
My KMC ones have been O.K. up to now but I do carry a spare.
I like them.
Ride hard or ride home alone!
i've been using a KMC chain with the quick link for about a year and like it a lot. i probably don't clean it as often as i should and it gets used quite a bit (dry dirt, snow and more recently rain and mud), but i've never had any problems with it. it's a sound design, and i like it a lot better than some of the other quick-removal link designs (especially the ones that come with the single-use links or the ones that have the extra clip on one side.) it seems just as strong as a regular link, but makes taking the chain off super-easy. i don't think you'd have any more problems with the KMC quick link than you would with a standard chain/chain tool combo. in fact, i don't miss fumbling around with pushing pins in and out at all.
i really like KMC chains in general and i've noticed that a LOT of big manufacturers are using them now, even on really high-end bikes. as others have stated though, it's always a good idea to carry an extra link or two (and pins, if necessary), just in case. it's cheap insurance that takes up virtually no space.
I had a 10-speed Dura Ace chain fail catastrophically this year and was not impressed with the snap-off pin system. The Cannondale Six I just bought came with a KMC 10-speed chain--which surprised me. I was even more surprised by the quick link, easy off and on. Yes, carrying a spare is easy, and it takes up a lot less space than a chain tool! Hope it holds up.