Torque wrench
 

I have had one of these for about a year and am very pleased with it:

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I went with the Harbor Freight 3/8" drive one. Not the best but it does the job. I'm sure someone will chime in and tell me how inaccurate it is, that's what happened last time I posted about it.

You get what you pay for with specialized tools; Harbor Freight stuff is cheap for a reason. I only use quality tools I can rely on - Craftsman, Park, etc.

In the world of quality torque wrenches, neither Craftsman nor Park pop into my mind. Proto, Sturtevant-Richmont, Utica, or Snap-On/CDI are brands that are probably more trusted. That said, they're not cheap.

I have a bunch (I actually bought an old salesman's sample case of Sturtevant-Richmont torque wrenches and screwdrivers) so I can test the things against each other. They may all be off but its not likely.

If I wanted a cheap torque wrench I'd look into the bicycle set son ebay. They have all the bits and sockets (dont' overlook the cost of these things). Anyone try one of these sets?

Go with a quality tool. If you are looking on the cheaper side and don't need a whole lot of adjust-ability the Park ATD-1 adjustable torque driver does most of the small stuff I need. It may not be the absolute highest quality but it is way further ahead then any of the cheap stuff on Amazon, Harbor Freight, eBay, or similar cheap-o sites or from lesser known manufacturers or lower cost manufacturers. If I am looking for something of good quality I would probably go either Effetto Mariposa Guistaforza or the Topeak Digital Torque wrench or Snap-On. A torque wrench is probably not a spot I want to save money, yes it is an expensive tool but it does an expensive job or maybe better said is it saves you from big expenses. I might save money on a tool I would rarely need or use but a torque wrench not so much. With today's modern components made of lightweight materials proper torque is important.

Whenever I adjust the seatpost height on a carbon bike I always always always pull out a torque wrench because CRACK KILLS!

Beam type torque wrenches are often looked down on but they never go out of calibration. If you can find the right unit I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. I've got a couple of expensive dial type Snap-On's (made by Precision Instruments) but they are fragile and I've broken the internal mechanism before on one of them when tightening a sticky bolt, so much of the time I break out the beam unit.

Edit: this unit would be pretty good for torquing stem bolts and such...https://www.amazon.com/Presa-CP31006...078028&sr=1-95

there is much to recommend the beam-type. It is less expensive, accurate, and easy to recalibrate.

I got a big Kobalt (50-250 ft.lb) from Lowes. I was pretty impressed with the build quality and smooth operation for the price (~$100). Don't know if they have smaller, more bike-suitable wrenches, but I'd be happy to get another Kobalt

That bolt only requires 5-7 nM of torque. The smallest HF one is way beyond that--only good for higher torques like pedals, cassette nuts, etc.. You need a set of pre-set torque keys or a mini torque wrench like a Pedros rated 2-15nM or its generic labeled clone from Bike Tires Direct. The one from BTD is exactly the same as the Pedros but much cheaper and includes Allens with it.

I have all 3 sizes of Harbor Freight torque wrenches (and others) and they all check out fine on the torque calibrator at work. They recently had a coup[on for them for $9.99 each.

This can work, or not. I posted an experience with my neighbors new HF torque wrench that was so obviously way off. Took it back with him and Manager said to come back after the parking lot sale as all the ones he had on the shelf were way off and the current lot would be sold and a fresh batch in the store. It worked, that was over a year ago and we have checked the replacement (post parking lot) and it is spot on. Lots of DIY calibration videos on you tube.

Bikes may not hide the beam or dial scales, but they can certainly require some contortions to see them at times, and the click or buzz can be helpful..

1/4" square drive for little bolts 3/8" for bigger , above that range you get 1/2" drive.. beam type are the simplest..
so least cost..
preset click off , and dial and and digital are alternatives..

Then you must buy sockets and bits. but IF you have an extensive socket wrench set already .. you have many of those..






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