# Torque wrench recommendation



## nuclear_biker (Jun 8, 2017)

I'm looking to get a torque wrench so I can work on my carbon bikes with a little bit more confidence. Initially looking at the Park Tool but frankly a lot of the reviews seem to indicate they're not really well made (despite the companies reputation). Some indicate they've outsourced these to other companies and some have failed after only a few uses. I find it very hard to imagine such a device would ever last in a bike shop. So are these reviews just astroturfing or are they really crap? Any recommendations on something better? 

Initially looking at the ATD-1.2 (4-6 Nm, good for tricky spaces) and TW-6.2 (10-60 Nm).

Edit: Looking for one torque wrench for all the little doo dads and such, likely around 2-10 Nm or similar and then I'd *like* to have a second one to service my pivot (17 Nm) and BB's (~45ish Nm).


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I have something similar to this,

https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-4-Inc...eway&sprefix=torque+wrench+new,aps,195&sr=8-6

Then I carry one of these with me on rides,

https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Nano-...4&s=gateway&sprefix=topeak+tor,aps,209&sr=8-4


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## kirecoma (Sep 28, 2007)

I'm a big fan of park tool but I wouldn't buy one of their torque wrenches.
I recently bought this CDI torque wrench.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-CDI-30...295830&hash=item4207400a58:g:wVcAAOSwECNdLndR
Actually goes to 150in-lbs, title of item is incorrect. CDI makes torque wrenches for snap-on and there made in the US. This model doesn't have a ratcheting head, but that's not a big deal to me. 
I wanted a Tohnichi, but couldn't pass on the price of the CDI and it has a little bigger torque scale range.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

My friend in Texas who sells speed stuff for motorcycles turned me on to this line of tools he distributes. I bought their safety wire pliers and they are excellent. 
Anyway, it's Bike Master. I liked the pliers so much I looked at their other stuff and came across their torque wrenches. I just ordered the 1/4" drive electronic wrench for 119 dollars. I don't have it yet but based on what I've seen so far I think I'll be happy with it.

https://bikemaster.com/motorcycle-t...ockets-multi-tools/digital-torque-wrench.html


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## ciki62 (Sep 21, 2018)

Go for proxon or more expensive Wera 
https://www.bike-components.de/de/werkstatt/allgemeine-werkzeuge/drehmomentschluessel/

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

I like bean style torque wrenches, they are cheap and good for low torque stuff that click wrenches aren’t very good for.

park used to make some, craftsman also have.

cdi has a 2-9 I believe wrench that’s very nice, similar to the fixed torque that park makes now.

effeto maripoza has a really nice 2-16 click torque wrench as well as wera like mentioned before

you are likely to find better and less expensive non bike brands wrenches!

check the prices at amazon.de much cheaper than buying in the US, the price is cheaper than shown since it includes VAT which you don’t pay when shipping to the US


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## nuclear_biker (Jun 8, 2017)

Thank you all for the advice!



mfa81 said:


> cdi has a 2-9 I believe wrench that's very nice, similar to the fixed torque that park makes now.


Do you mean this: https://www.amazon.com/Products-TorqControl-TLA28NM-Screwdriver-Magnetic/dp/B01DIRD5CG

Looks like a great stand in for the Park ATD 1.2 which is a form factor I really like and a useful range for water bottle holders, seat posts, stems etc.

Most of my pivot requires 17 Nm and my road bike BB is around 45 Nm, but it seems difficult to fit this range into a single wrench.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

nuclear_biker said:


> I'm looking to get a torque wrench so I can work on my carbon bikes with a little bit more confidence. Initially looking at the Park Tool but frankly a lot of the reviews seem to indicate they're not really well made (despite the companies reputation). Some indicate they've outsourced these to other companies and some have failed after only a few uses. I find it very hard to imagine such a device would ever last in a bike shop. So are these reviews just astroturfing or are they really crap? Any recommendations on something better?
> 
> Initially looking at the ATD-1.2 (4-6 Nm, good for tricky spaces) and TW-6.2 (10-60 Nm).


Depending on what you are trying to torque down....you may need more than one torque wrench.

Look at the claimed accuracy of each wrench you are considering. They will list the %accuracy at what range. For example the wrench will be most accurate someplace on both sides of the middle of the range and less accurate at the low and high ends.

Next, make sure you know how to tighten a bolt. There are a number of threads that comment on how a user broke a bolt while using a torque wrench. They keep waiting for the wrench to tell them when to quit but then it was just a smidge too tight. 
You know the situation.....tighten until it's broken then go a little less. haha


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## nuclear_biker (Jun 8, 2017)

Forest Rider said:


> Depending on what you are trying to torque down....you may need more than one torque wrench.
> 
> Look at the claimed accuracy of each wrench you are considering. They will list the %accuracy at what range. For example the wrench will be most accurate someplace on both sides of the middle of the range and less accurate at the low and high ends.
> 
> ...


Likely! I'm looking at the CDI TorqControl for the form factor and then maybe something like the CDI 10-60 Nm to work on the pivot/BB and other big stuff. I've updated the original post with the ranges I need as well as posted it below:

Looking for one torque wrench for all the little doo dads and such, likely around 2-10 Nm or similar and then I'd *like* to have a second one to service my pivot (17 Nm) and BB's (~45ish Nm).


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Here's a recent thread (6/2019) with some good info:

https://forums.mtbr.com/tooltime/whats-your-favorite-torque-wrench-1104459.html


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## teK-- (Dec 3, 2011)

You want one that goes from 2NM to about 20Nm, and one that can measure lefthand threads as well. Don't bother with the bike branded ones they are just rebadged and heavily marked up.

Go straight to the quality tool manufacturers. I picked up an excellent Norbar one in 1/4" drive it was about $250AUD it has 3% calibrated accuracy.

That will cover 90% of what you do day to day.

Then get a larger one like 3/8" drive whereby you can go with a cheaper quality one since accuracy isn't as critcal; it would be from about 10Nm to 50Nm

a6


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

nuclear_biker said:


> Thank you all for the advice!
> 
> Do you mean this: https://www.amazon.com/Products-TorqControl-TLA28NM-Screwdriver-Magnetic/dp/B01DIRD5CG
> 
> ...


that's the one. and like said you will also need a high torque one 10 - 60, 20 - 100, 10 - 50 are the most common ranges you will find


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

teK-- said:


> You want one that goes from 2NM to about 20Nm, and *one that can measure lefthand threads as well*. Don't bother with the bike branded ones they are just rebadged and heavily marked up.
> 
> Go straight to the quality tool manufacturers. I picked up an excellent Norbar one in 1/4" drive it was about $250AUD it has 3% calibrated accuracy.
> 
> ...


That's a great point about the reverse threaded items. Torque wrenches are less accurate, generally speaking, in counter-clockwise direction.

I think there are only 2 left handed threads on a bike, right? Pedals and threaded bottom brackets?


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## arnea (Feb 21, 2010)

And compression rods on Manitou forks. I got an 1-5Nm torque screwdriver for them and then discovered that it is not working in reverse direction.


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## teK-- (Dec 3, 2011)

Forest Rider said:


> That's a great point about the reverse threaded items. Torque wrenches are less accurate, generally speaking, in counter-clockwise direction.
> 
> I think there are only 2 left handed threads on a bike, right? Pedals and threaded bottom brackets?


I've never used a torque wrench in pedals ; just do them up snug by hand.

Reverse threads are common on BBs, and suspension pivots for some brands.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

I'm not even talented enough to operate a torque wrench on a pedal bolt -how to hold the cranks from spinning while in a position to torque the bolt.
Is there even a torque specified on the spindle. haha

The benefit of having pressed in bottom bracket -nothing to torque down!


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## nuclear_biker (Jun 8, 2017)

Forest Rider said:


> I'm not even talented enough to operate a torque wrench on a pedal bolt -how to hold the cranks from spinning while in a position to torque the bolt.
> Is there even a torque specified on the spindle.


Back in the day the Garmin Vector 2 pedals needed to be torqued down. You generally had to attach a tool and recalculate the torque value for the added lever arm. But I agree that in most cases this isn't a piece you need to torque down (especially since they're self 'tightening').

That said, the bottom bracket is important to me. The CDI 10-60 torque wrench does have the ability to switch ratcheting directions. Its 4% accurate in the CW direction and 6% in the CCW direction (both are of indicated value) between 20% and 60% of full value. So, at 17 Nm (what my pivot needs to be torqued to) I could be between 16.3 and 17.7. I'm not an expert but presumably that's an acceptable level of overtorque for a carbon frame.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

nuclear_biker said:


> ... (especially since they're self 'tightening')...


They are not self-tightening. Threads are such that precession will kept the pedals from falling out if loose assuming the spindle in the pedal is rotating freely. If the pedal spindle is stuck in the pedal, it will unscrew from the crank. A loose pedal can still wallow out the treads in the crank arm and ruin the crank.


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## nuclear_biker (Jun 8, 2017)

Lone Rager said:


> They are not self-tightening. Threads are such that precession will kept the pedals from falling out if loose assuming the spindle in the pedal is rotating freely. If the pedal spindle is stuck in the pedal, it will unscrew from the crank. A loose pedal can still wallow out the treads in the crank arm and ruin the crank.


Don't disagree, thus the quotes. But 99% of the time I pull off my pedals they're waaay tighter than I put them on.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Forest Rider said:


> Is there even a torque specified on the spindle. haha


I have a Surly crankset that has "No Ham Fisting" laser etched around the pedal holes. Good enough for me.


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## Ratt (Dec 22, 2003)

nuclear_biker said:


> Don't disagree, thus the quotes. But 99% of the time I pull off my pedals they're waaay tighter than I put them on.


The same with me but it depends on the pedals, if the pedal has 2 bushing bearings it will loosen. If it has ball bearings a pedal will tighten. The outer race + ball bearing + inner race = 3 gears spinning against each other causing the inner race to tighten the spindle. As such I put my pedal on at about 5 in-lb and it takes about 30 in-lbs to get them off.


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## nuclear_biker (Jun 8, 2017)

So, most of the 10-60 Nm offerings have 1/2-3/8th inch drive. Most of the allen/torx bits are 1/4th inch square socket. So, my question is two fold:

1. is it possible to get an entire set that's a larger drive size (tentative research states no)
2. does putting various adapters on (say a 1/4 to 3/8 reducer) require you to have to recalculate your torque setting? Since it doesn't change the 'lever arm' length my first guess would be no, but there is a bit of play in the system...


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## mfa81 (Apr 1, 2011)

nuclear_biker said:


> So, most of the 10-60 Nm offerings have 1/2-3/8th inch drive. Most of the allen/torx bits are 1/4th inch square socket. So, my question is two fold:
> 
> 1. is it possible to get an entire set that's a larger drive size (tentative research states no)
> 2. does putting various adapters on (say a 1/4 to 3/8 reducer) require you to have to recalculate your torque setting? Since it doesn't change the 'lever arm' length my first guess would be no, but there is a bit of play in the system...


you can find sockets for all hex sizes in 3/8, pb swiss make ones (that's what I use, but I really only needed the 8mm in 3/8 but also have 5 and 6), as well as hazet, gedore.

you can probably find cheaper ones at home depot or harbor freight as well if you don't like to invest too much on tools.

http://toollady.com/phone/store.html#!/Sockets/c/19306253/offset=0&sort=normal

and you can buy hazet or gedore at amazon.de much cheaper than here in the US

on a different note, for pedals I grease and remove then regurlarly because dirty and no grease you give you hard time teying to remove your pedals if you wait too long, following this has caused no problems with stuck pedals!


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

mfa81 said:


> ......
> 
> on a different note, for pedals I grease and remove then regurlarly because dirty and no grease you give you hard time teying to remove your pedals if you wait too long, following this has caused no problems with stuck pedals!


That is a good reminder about routine removal.

I broke a hex socket removing a pedal on a bike I was selling. Pedals had been installed for a few years (road bike) with considerable mileage.

I haven't had them off my mountain bike maybe since I got it 3 years ago. Egads! And my newest bike is 8 mos. old. Today I should crack them loose (after I purchase a new hex of course).


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## MetaWolf5280 (Aug 30, 2019)

I went with this xtools torque wrench. I was initially scared because of the price, but pulled the trigger due to the good reviews. Couldn't be happier, very well made tool at an amazing price. 2-24nm range with all typical bits included. I also have a digital ft lbs torque wrench that i use for automotive purposes, and use that to cover things such as cranks, cassette, bb since those NM values are large enough to convert over to Ft lbs and be within that wrenchs range.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/x-tools-essential-torque-wrench-set/rp-prod155414


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## chadbrochills (Aug 9, 2018)

Just recently picked up a Pro Bike Tool torque wrench using my buddies discount code: charles-pbtus20

https://www.probiketool.com/us/product/torque-wrench-set/

Really nice setup that comes with a Cert. of Accuracy.


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## Toby-BeachBiker (Jun 3, 2021)

chadbrochills said:


> Just recently picked up a Pro Bike Tool torque wrench using my buddies discount code: charles-pbtus20
> 
> Torque Wrench Set - PRO BIKE TOOL US
> 
> Really nice setup that comes with a Cert. of Accuracy.


how is the pro bike torque wrench holding up? would you recommend it?


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

Fwiw I've been torquing on the pro bike tool and quite happy with it.


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## chadbrochills (Aug 9, 2018)

Toby-BeachBiker said:


> how is the pro bike torque wrench holding up? would you recommend it?


Like a champ! Well worth it.


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