Torque wrench - click or beam?

Monkeyman01

Hi I was just wondering what people thought about which wrench is better.

I was all ready to buy a Click type torque wrench. When I looked on the previous posts on here about which one to buy, lots of people were saying it doesn't matter cos they all end up needing re calibrating after a whole anyway. This got me thinking that perhaps the beam type is better as I can calibrate it myself no probs, and save some money

Does anyone have any advice on this?

frisbee

With the low torque 1/4" wrenches it can be hard to feel/hear the click.

bikeit65

I wouldnt be without one, takes all the guess work out of it.

StillGoing

Click. You can feel it if you can't hear it. Calibration is something like every 2800 for checks (a figure plucked from the internet) so it's not going to make a big dent in anyone's day to day running if they just use one for home servicing rather than as a business.

slowbike

Although the cheaper torque wrenches aren't entirely accurate, they're probably better than not having any idea.

I went for one of the fixed torque keys - 6Nm - works for the critical bits I'm interested (bar, stem & seatpost) - I'm hoping it'll stay calibrated for longer! And anyway, it didn't cost loads (plus it was a present)

As with all things, you have to be careful and not 100% rely on it - so if it's tough to tighten and you're not getting a click then stop - with the key it's difficult to tighten to 6Nm anyway so I'm unlikely to overtighten, but with a bar it will be easy to overcook it.

rolf_f

Slowbike wrote:

Although the cheaper torque wrenches aren't entirely accurate, they're probably better than not having any idea.

Strictly speaking, you don't need accuracy - you need precision. ie if you check the torque of a bolt before you undo it, then you can use that same setting when you do it back up. Whether it says 3,4,5,6 or 7 on the wrench isn't strictly important. It's more important that the wrench gives the same reading for a specific torque than that the calibration is spot on - as long as you are aware of this!

If in doubt, I tend to tighten bolts up in stages - gradually increasing the torque to the required level. I find that the difference between say 10 and 12 Nm can be a fraction of a turn of the wrench.

I think as long as you remain suspicious of them, torque wrenches are great!

darkhairedlord

depends if you want to torque down left hand threads. In which case make sure the wench you buy goes both ways....
many click types don't!

me-109

Rolf F wrote:

if you check the torque of a bolt before you undo it, then you can use that same setting when you do it back up.

Why would you do that? It's wrong on two accounts. In order to find out what the highest setting is on the torque wrench you would have to go past the actual torque to the point that the bolt/nut then moves, so you have potentially over-torqued it. You are also overcoming stiction and may be having to combat threadlock or corrosion, so again you have the potential to over-torque in the first instance or when you reassemble.

darkhairedlord wrote:

depends if you want to torque down left hand threads. In which case make sure the wench you buy goes both ways....many click types don't!

All the click-type wrenches that I have seen have the facility for the socket bit to push through the head to cope with left-hand threads.

cattytown

Rolf F wrote:

Strictly speaking, you don't need accuracy - you need precision.

I think you may be getting your terms confused. Accuracy is knowing that if it says 5NM it means 5NM within an acceptable range (eg +- 2%). Precision is 5.2345 NM Consistency is reading 5NM, getting 4.5 NM, but getting it every time.

Paul.

slowbike

cattytown wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Strictly speaking, you don't need accuracy - you need precision.

I think you may be getting your terms confused. Accuracy is knowing that if it says 5NM it means 5NM within an acceptable range (eg +- 2%). Precision is 5.2345 NM Consistency is reading 5NM, getting 4.5 NM, but getting it every time.

Paul.

If you're going to quote - then quote the right person ... Rolf said that, not me ...

cattytown

Terribly sorry Slowbike - slip of the fingers.

slowbike

cattytown wrote:

Terribly sorry Slowbike - slip of the fingers.