How to choose between 10 speed vs 12 speed drivetrain on mountain bike. Pros and Cons

Question

I'm buying a mountain bike from a company that lets you choose the drivetrain. I am having trouble deciding whether to go for a 1 x 10 speed Deore option (11-42) or a 1 x 12 speed SLX (recently released) (10-51) or GX Eagle Sram (10-50) option.  My budget could stretch to the more expensive 12 speed options. But is it worth it? Can't seem to find a definitive answer and cut through all the marketing. What are the  pros and and cons of 10 speed vs 12 speed drivetrain on mountain bike?

Some obvious benefits of the 12 speed:

Range

Negatives (correct me if I'm wrong):

Less distance between shifts? 
Alignment very important for smooth shifting.
More expensive.
Quicker to wear out?

Previous drivetrains I have tried:

Traditional mtb 9 speed with triple front ring
1 x 10 and 44 tooth front chainring on my commuter bike
2 x ? on my road bike
GX 11 speed when I demoed the mtb I'm looking at
singlespeed huret flip flop
8 speed XTR. 
fixed gear
mountain bike fixed gear 
7 speed SIS 
7 speed gripshit
Sturmey Archer 3 speed Chopper

David D · Accepted Answer

It comes down to what you would enjoy more - how you prefer to ride vs cost.

I can't find any durability tests I trust but from my reading the general impression I get is that 10 speeds is no more or less durable than 12.

You have ridden many different drivetrains so you have built up experience that should guide your preference. 2 extra speeds in the shifting range is nice, is it nice enough to justify the cost? Only you can make that call.

Fingel · Answer

Is the 10 speed option a single ring setup (1x10)? If so, you are correct: you'll get a lot less range with the 10 speed option. Quite a bit less as the 12 speed stuff is meant to provide a huge range with a single cassette. The Sram 12 speed cassettes have a giant lower end, 50. Paired with a 30 or 32 tooth chainring in the front you should be able to climb pretty much anything within your technical abilities.

If the 10 speed setup has multiple rings, then you need to ask yourself if that is what you want. You might get a bit more range out of a 2x10 or 3x10, but the advantages of a single ring setup are huge: less dropped chains, no front derailleur, simpler operation and less weight. I've been riding 1x for years now and will never go back, the drivetrains are just too good.

Eric McKinney · Answer

my favorite OneBy drivetrain is micro shift's adventx.
it has a wide raito for a 10spd and is on par with shift quality of Sram's GX 12spd
(it comes close to the same gear ratio to)
also clutches are important and this one is not as effective as Shimanos shadow, but better than Sram's paw and ratchet clutch.
also shifter cassette and derailleur only cost $160 and you can get them cheaper if you do some digging.
i have a stock pile of micro shift's 10spd parts for mountain and road
i use the 11-42 for my xc bike and 11-48 on my santa cruz megatower.

How to choose between 10 speed vs 12 speed drivetrain on mountain bike. Pros and Cons

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