Cheap ebay torque wrenches?
 

I see quite a few 3/8" Drive torque wrenchs for like $20 bucks on ebay. Are they decent enough for bike work? I just have a few things to torque to specs like the BB shell, crankbolt and some other stuff.

Can you please give us a link or a picture and description of the tool?

You'll find a whole bunch with a search for 3/8 torque wrench.

This is the one I was looking at

120 foot inches on the low end is too much force for working with carbon parts = 13.55 newton meters, some stems etc. have a max 6 nm. Try Ace Hardware about $50 for a decent quality 3/8. I suggest you don't skimp on tools but you don't have to pay Park prices to get good ones.

ON the ebay item. All you have to loose is $22 to try one out. If it is junk your only out that much. Shipping seems reasonable as it weighs a bit. Saw a seller with bike shoes that wanted $26 for shipping alone. Was going to email and ask if a bike messenger was delivering them. Good luck. Bottom line on the ebay wrench, unless it is a name brand tool it most likely is Chineese and you get what you pay for.

120 foot inches on the low end is too much force for working with carbon parts = 13.55 newton meters, some stems etc. have a max 6 nm. Try Ace Hardware about $50 for a decent quality 3/8. I suggest you don't skimp on tools but you don't have to pay Park prices to get good ones.

ON the ebay item. All you have to loose is $22 to try one out. If it is junk your only out that much. Shipping seems reasonable as it weighs a bit. Saw a seller with bike shoes that wanted $26 for shipping alone. Was going to email and ask if a bike messenger was delivering them. Good luck. Bottom line on the ebay wrench, unless it is a name brand tool it most likely is Chineese and you get what you pay for.

120 foot inches on the low end is too much force for working with carbon parts = 13.55 newton meters, some stems etc. have a max 6 nm. Try Ace Hardware about $50 for a decent quality 3/8. I suggest you don't skimp on tools but you don't have to pay Park prices to get good ones.

ON the ebay item. All you have to loose is $22 to try one out. If it is junk your only out that much. Shipping seems reasonable as it weighs a bit. Saw a seller with bike shoes that wanted $26 for shipping alone. Was going to email and ask if a bike messenger was delivering them. Good luck. Bottom line on the ebay wrench, unless it is a name brand tool it most likely is Chineese and you get what you pay for.

The torque wrenches look similar to these:

http://store.yahoo.com/bostonindustr...ewrenches.html

I bought two (1 large, 1 small) after checking out the two available from Nashbar and finding that they were identical to the ones in this link… …but Nashbar were charging over twice the price I paid Boston Industrial… I've had no problems with either of mine, but I'm not using them every day…


FWIW -

- Wil

You can buy a craftsman for the price of that wrench and shipping...or very close.

Unless this is a micrometer type with bi-directional torque checking, I would just hit up Sears.com

Note that most cheap micrometer type torque wrenches only torque on a clockwise (right) turn. bi-directional torquing means it will do torque checking on both directions.

The $24 Craftsman is a needle-type, but is accurate enough for casual bike work.

I would suggest the beam type wrench. Its the cheapest, never has to be calibrated other than bending the needle indicator when it comes off zero.

Get one that is graduated so that the torques you commonly measure fall around the middle range of the wrench.

"Clicker" type torque wrenches are most suitable for when you can't see the scale. A lot of automotive and industrial torquing is done "blind" and they are invaluable for those uses.

There is no bicycle work I can think of that won't let you see the torque wrench at all times. Beam wrenches are much cheaper, more reliably accurate and a lot less trouble prone, so for the bike mechanic, there is no justification for paying more.

If you are near a Harbor Freight tool store, they have a 3/8" 'clicker' torque wrench on sale for $ 16. The torque range is 0 to 80 pounds, which I think is a more realistic range for bicycle work.

You, sir, are my hero. Now I have a great excuse to go to the Harbor Freight store that's opening today down the street rather than continue packing my apartment.

You, sir, are my hero. Now I have a great excuse to go to the Harbor Freight store that's opening today down the street rather than continue packing my apartment.