I’m curious about the supposed issues with KMC chains. I’ve been using KMC X11SL (silver version, not gold) for a few years and have had no issues. I did start with new chains, and cleaned per the MSW instructions. My only change is that I tend to let them soak in the first mineral spirits bath for about a week shaking occasionally, instead of doing all the cleaning in one go. I’ve done a total of 9-ish chains.
On average, I get about 250-300 miles before rewaxing. I don’t often ride in the wet, but when I do, a quick wipe down with a cloth to soak up the water does the trick. Sometimes some light surface rust shows up, but it’s gone after the next ride, and doesn’t cause any problems. If it gets really wet and I don’t dry the chain, it’ll get squeaky really fast on the next ride, but after a fresh wax, it’s back to normal.
I’ve never had a chain rust to the point I wanted to toss it.