Lone_rider

Looking for a torque wrench for working on my bikes. I have a road, mountain and touring bike so i am wondering what am i looking for in a wrench

Retro Grouch 

"Torque wrench for working on my bikes" isn't specific enough. There are a couple of quite different uses for a torque wrench relative to bicycles:

Bottom brackets and crank arms generally call for around 30 ft/lbs of torque. That's a pretty good amount and generally takes a torque wrench with a 3/8 drive.
High end stems and many carbon fiber components use much lower torque specs in the in'lb ranges. They generally require a torque wrench with a 1/4 drive.

You'd like the torque spec that you are aiming for to fall in the middle of the range of the torque wrench that you use. If you want to cover both bases on a bicycle, you really should have 2 different torque wrenches.

KBentley57

I was looking for a low-torque torque wrench just this week, and bought this one on amazon: Amazon.com: VENZO Bicycle Bike Torque Wrench Allen Key Tool Socket Set Kit: Sports & Outdoors . It's a nice little kit, 1/4" drive, comes with various size hex bits, seems to work fine. Tons cheaper than the PT torque wrench too.

Lone_rider

Thanks i will have to take a look online and see what is there i mostly need it for hex head bolts. Park tools may have something that would fit the bill

Jackontheroad

I got my torque wrenches from HFT and O'Reilly's what I don't like is the units are not in Nm.

T Stew

Most all of my tools are Harbor Freight, but I don't know if I would trust them with something for more precision like a torque wrench that needs to be accurately calibrated. Hammer and regular wrenches sure, but not sure about torque wrenches. I'm looking as well. I have a big 1/2" craftsmen wrench for working on trucks and tractors, etc, need something smaller for say aluminum chainring bolts...

trailangel

Craftsman.com

Radish_legs

What is the torque wrench with the hex allen keys that look kinda like a swiss army knife. Outer part is metal. the hex is in the center of the "pocket knife" configuration. Guy at the bike shop used it to tighen my headset.

RoadGuy

Harbor Freight has low priced toque wrenches that oftern can be had for $10-$11 each (on sale or with coupon). They offer 1/4", 3/8, and 1/2" models all at about the same price, and they come with a Lifetime Warranty. Magazine Reviews are pretty good too.

If you want higher quality, you can get click type or beam type torque wrenches from Sears, but the warranty is only about 90 days. Seems ridiculous to pay 8-10 times as much and get virtually no warranty.

Lone_rider

We don't have a Harbor Freight in Canada but we have a Princess Auto. Which is about the same thing i should go and check out what they have.

luism

Super B 1/4" torque Wrench Set - Silent Sports they make a 3/8 too. torque wrenches are like very expensive tools. need to buy ones that can maintain there certification of torque settings within a %.

Drew Eckhardt 

Neither warranty will pay for broken parts, the time it takes to disassemble things to repair them, or the garage door your HOA makes you replace because you threw a torque wrench through it that didn't click at the right time.

20X Harbor Freight prices pays for itself when you avoid those headaches.

If you're going to spend more buy a split-beam Stahlwille wrench shipped to you from from TBS-Aachen Tools in Germany instead of paying for a nicer name on a micrometer unit and you'll get full-scale accuracy in both directions, near instant torque setting, and no need to release tension when storing the wrench.

You could also buy used to get the performance without the price-tag - I only paid $40 for my small 730/2 4-20Nm wrench.

cthenn

Why hasn't anyone suggested Park TW-5 and TW-6? I have the TW-5 and use it constantly. It's a little pricey but man do I get use out of it...

fietsbob

yea 1/4 & 3/8 and 1/2 are the drive ends like socket wrenches , tha sockets and Bits are required to Use them

Only the heaviest torques need the range of a 1/2" , BBs on Bikes .

on the path

That's pretty much the same torque wrench that Nashbar sells. Even has the same case and driven bits.

eric044

I got the 1/2" Craftsman, seemed to work fine on my bottom bracket.

_ForceD_

I'll say this about torque wrenches...especially for use on carbon fiber bikes. I have a Snap-On click type that measures in inch-pounds and Newton Meters. But I'm in seeking out a beam type instead. Probably the Park Tool one. Frequently I can't feel the "click"...especially when torquing fasteners in lower torque ranges. I've accidentally over torqued a couple of time (fortunately without incident). I'd rather have a visual indicator to know when I'm at the specified torque. The digital torque wrenches would be nice, but they cost a lot more.


Dan

TGT1

One of these will cover 90% of what you need a torque wrench for.

https://www.amazon.com/CDI-Torque-TLP.../dp/B004XG5YIA

Get a 3/8" drive cheap wrench for everything else. While you are at it get a 1" -3/8" drive socket to fit your cassette tool.

1 grunt tight (redneck torque wrench) is close enough for the cassette anyway.

5nm tee wrench for all the fasteners is gong to cover about everything you will commonly need to adjust.

Lone_rider

Sounds like i have to do some homework and then i have to find what my torque setting are.

Dsprok

Canadian Tire often has Mastercraft torque wrenches on sale.

Ball Bearing

Warren & Brown or a much cheaper Kincrome copy fits the bill. You can snag them secondhand on eBay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfj8vJJkc5g

fsdogwood

The HFT 1/2" torque wrench is good, for car lugnuts

I had trouble with its 3/8" version, as the clicking is not loud enough so you have the risk of overtighting

Have also its 1/4" version, but no chance to use it. And for 1/4" thought I'd rather go with a beam one, just to be safe

fsdogwood

At least the HFT torque wrenches have both Nm and Ft-#, one on each side

WizardOfBoz

I grew up working in a machine shop (and a bike shop in high school). I like the feel of industrial quality tools. But they're expensive. A good 1/4 in drive wrench in the 0-50 in-lbf (about 0-6Nm) or 0-150 in-lbf (0-17Nm) can cost nearly 200 bucks. The Stahlwille wrenches look nice but cost nearly $400 for some models! Harbor Freight tools may be completely satisfactory, but as some of the folk here are working on bikes that cost $12,000, it seems to me that the extra certainty of high-quality tools is worth it. YMMV: get what serves you best.

I would recommend the size (1/4 inch drive) and range (0-50 or 0-150 in-lbf, and a Nm is 8.85 in-lbf so that you have 0-6 and 0-17Nm or thereabouts). The 0-150 in-lbf range covers a lot of the ground for bikes. A 0-50 in-lbf unit gives you nice precision at low torques. I got both: a used Proto and a used Utica in those ranges on eBay. Another good name is Sturtevant-Richmont. I have a set of beam-type S-R torque wrenches.
Again, all eBay: these wrenches would have cost well over a grand or two if purchased new.

BTW, you should do some sort of check on the torque settings when you get a torque wrench. If used, it's a must. If new, I'd still check it. I've taken a 24" piece of steel, drilled a hole in the center, and put a 3/8" bolt through it. Tighten the nut (torque it! ) and use permanent threadlock on it. Put a socket on your torque wrench to fit the bolt. adjust the wrench to some convenient torque and fix the handle (gently, with a leather to protect) in a vise. Attach your torque beam and level using the vise. Hang a bag with known weight (I have a fairly accurate scale) on the end of the beam. You should get the unit to "click" within about 4% of nominal.

Or, you could use a beam torque wrench to calibrate a click wrench. Point is: check the thing before a worn, out of calibration wrench has you twist off a bolt head, or pull a thread insert out of your carbon frame.

Drew Eckhardt 

Unless you import direct from Germany. The same 730/2 which costs $415 at amazon.com is 143 Euros or $160 from TBS-Aachen tools (once you create an account you'll get price listings without VAT).

You can also pay attention on ebay - I've seen new ones with Volkswagen Audi Group branding go for about $100. Mercedes also uses Stahlwille as an OEM supplier.

Used is also an option. I paid $40 for mine.

Definitely a fine idea.