A decent torque wrench for the home workshop

homers_double

How's this one in peoples opinion, torque range is 5-25Nm so should be suitable for all bike applications?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/teng-tools-dr ... ench/44700

Screwfix is my prefered tool shop as I have a card.

drlodge

I bought this for my bike, seems to work fine. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essent ... rench-set/

arlowood

homers double wrote:

How's this one in peoples opinion, torque range is 5-25Nm so should be suitable for all bike applications?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/teng-tools-dr ... ench/44700

Screwfix is my preferred tool shop as I have a card.

Half the price at Wiggle

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essent ... rench-set/

Ordered one for my recent first build of a carbon frameset. Worked well and seems nicely put together

Edit - Grrrr - beaten to by Dr Lodge

lincolndave

I also bought one from wiggle, a good wrench for the price, well worth it

brettjmcc

How do people find that one? I bought a Cyclo ones for the lower range stuff (not at the full price). It is really hard to feel the give/click at low torque i.e. 5-8Nm

arlowood

brettjmcc wrote:

How do people find that one? I bought a Cyclo ones for the lower range stuff (not at the full price). It is really hard to feel the give/click at low torque i.e. 5-8Nm

No problem feeling the click on the Wiggle one I used - although 4Nm was the lowest value I dialed in.

wishitwasallflat

Search on here and you will find several really experienced members recommend the Sealey STW1012. I got one a few months back for my first ever carbon bike and very happy with it. They are calibrated before sale and if needed you can get them rechecked. Pretty reasonable I think I paid £30 odd for mine via Amazon.

diamonddog

Lincolndave wrote:

I also bought one from wiggle, a good wrench for the price, well worth it

^^Another one here.

darkhairedlord

get one that goes both ways.

Monty Dog

Rarely do you need anything except 5Nm for bars, stem, seatpost and 40Nm for BB etc. Simply get a 5Nm preset and get youself a decent set of Allen Keys. For BBs etc, its simply a good heave.

londoncommuter

Monty Dog wrote:

Rarely do you need anything except 5Nm for bars, stem, seatpost and 40Nm for BB etc. Simply get a 5Nm preset and get youself a decent set of Allen Keys. For BBs etc, its simply a good heave.

I got one of those torque keys and they're fine but then you end up with a stem that has torx bolts and then something else and you may as well have got a proper one in the end. Mine had a fixed 4mm allen though and I know some of the better ones have replaceable bits now so may be better. Personally, I should just have gone straight for the Wiggle one above which seems pretty decent (although we're all guessing as who knows how accurate they are really.....).

daniel_b

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Search on here and you will find several really experienced members recommend the Sealey STW1012. I got one a few months back for my first ever carbon bike and very happy with it. They are calibrated before sale and if needed you can get them rechecked. Pretty reasonable I think I paid £30 odd for mine via Amazon.

I too have one, and it's a really solid bit of kit, paired with a suitable bit kit you are covered for every eventuality.

I also have a 27-102 version I think, but purely for Vectors.

Again, stonking quality, and decent value at less than £30 a pop.

This is the one I bought:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-8-inch-2-24nm-1-47-17-70lb-ft-Micrometer/dp/B000RO1ZCG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464161058&sr=8-3&keywords=sealey+torque+wrench

jomoj

I bought the Laser torque wrench from screwfix, it seems well made and is easy to use. Looks identical the Sealey wrench, same plastic case etc. so I'd just get whatever is cheaper, we're not dealing with super-critical tolerances here after all.

wishitwasallflat

Daniel B wrote:

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Search on here and you will find several really experienced members recommend the Sealey STW1012. I got one a few months back for my first ever carbon bike and very happy with it. They are calibrated before sale and if needed you can get them rechecked. Pretty reasonable I think I paid £30 odd for mine via Amazon.

I too have one, and it's a really solid bit of kit, paired with a suitable bit kit you are covered for every eventuality.

I also have a 27-102 version I think, but purely for Vectors.

Again, stonking quality, and decent value at less than £30 a pop.

This is the one I bought:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-8-inch-2-24nm-1-47-17-70lb-ft-Micrometer/dp/B000RO1ZCG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464161058&sr=8-3&keywords=sealey+torque+wrench

Yep that's the one I got as recommended on here. Hesitate to disagree with Monty but I do have to differ re comments that you only really need 5Nm. I built up my bike and at no point did the manufacturer spec 5Nm - as I recall it ranged from 3 to 12, every part was different and nothing was specced as 5. Only other things were the 40Nm parts which as others say is just a good heave.

wishitwasallflat

Not sure what happened here but can't delete.

PS Does quoting yourself make you go blind?

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

wishitwasallflat wrote:

Search on here and you will find several really experienced members recommend the Sealey STW1012. I got one a few months back for my first ever carbon bike and very happy with it. They are calibrated before sale and if needed you can get them rechecked. Pretty reasonable I think I paid £30 odd for mine via Amazon.

I too have one, and it's a really solid bit of kit, paired with a suitable bit kit you are covered for every eventuality.

I also have a 27-102 version I think, but purely for Vectors.

Again, stonking quality, and decent value at less than £30 a pop.

This is the one I bought:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-8-inch-2-24nm-1-47-17-70lb-ft-Micrometer/dp/B000RO1ZCG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1464161058&sr=8-3&keywords=sealey+torque+wrench

Yep that's the one I got as recommended on here. Hesitate to disagree with Monty but I do have to differ re comments that you only really need 5Nm. I built up my bike and at no point did the manufacturer spec 5Nm - as I recall it ranged from 3 to 12, every part was different and nothing was specced as 5. Only other things were the 40Nm parts which as others say is just a good heave.

Jomoj - could well be the same wrench externally (even internally) but re this part of your post -

jomoj wrote:

... we're not dealing with super-critical tolerances here after all.

with what my frame cost, personally I wouldn't like to put that to the test. I'm very happy to have one which was calibrated, was recommended on here by a me,beer I have a lot of respect for and can be re-calibrated for a reasonable cost if needed.

wishitwasallflat

jomoj wrote:

I bought the Laser torque wrench from screwfix, it seems well made and is easy to use. Looks identical the Sealey wrench, same plastic case etc. so I'd just get whatever is cheaper, we're not dealing with super-critical tolerances here after all.

Jomoj - could well be the same wrench externally (even internally) but re this part of your post -

jomoj wrote:

... we're not dealing with super-critical tolerances here after all.

with what my frame cost, personally I wouldn't like to put that to the test. I'm very happy to have one which was calibrated, was recommended on here by a member I have a lot of respect for and can be re-calibrated for a reasonable cost if needed.

jomoj

OK - let me explain what I meant. I'm not implying that a torque wrench in this price range is likely to be dangerously inaccurate and for example, the Laser wrench I suggested, comes with a calibration certificate and can be recalibrated. What I mean by 'super critical' is that I think its important to remember that a carbon frame is not going to break if the bolt is over torqued by a fraction of the recommended amount, there will be a decent amount of tolerance built into the frame.

It's more important to develop some 'feel' for what you're doing and not just trust a tool blindly because if for whatever reason that tool has a fault and you keep cranking down waiting for the click then you really will be in trouble. Thats the case for working with metal as well as carbon.

Anyway I hope that makes sense and you can find something that suits your needs. If you're in any doubt about the accuracy of a lower priced tool then for peace of mind it would be worth spending some more money I guess. I've found the Laser absolutely fine for the seatpost and stem bolts I use it one - no failures yet, touch wood.

drlodge

jomoj wrote:

It's more important to develop some 'feel' for what you're doing and not just trust a tool blindly because if for whatever reason that tool has a fault and you keep cranking down waiting for the click then you really will be in trouble. Thats the case for working with metal as well as carbon.

This. I wondered if I would ever really need a torque wrench since most bolts are just done up to "common sense" tightness. I bought one so I could see how tight things were getting on my carbon bike, since I didn't feel 100% comfortable tightening up some bolts, enough that nothing moved, but without going beyond the recommended torque. This was particularly the case with the seat post topper, which has an expanding metal plug going into the integrated seat post and I did not want to crack that!

jomoj

drlodge wrote:

jomoj wrote:

It's more important to develop some 'feel' for what you're doing and not just trust a tool blindly because if for whatever reason that tool has a fault and you keep cranking down waiting for the click then you really will be in trouble. Thats the case for working with metal as well as carbon.

This. I wondered if I would ever really need a torque wrench since most bolts are just done up to "common sense" tightness. I bought one so I could see how tight things were getting on my carbon bike, since I didn't feel 100% comfortable tightening up some bolts, enough that nothing moved, but without going beyond the recommended torque. This was particularly the case with the seat post topper, which has an expanding metal plug going into the integrated seat post and I did not want to crack that!

yes, I've got to admit that the first ime I used it, the recommended 5Nm for the seat clamp bolt ' 'felt' less than I expected so it's worth trying to calibrate your hand in case you are caught without the tool.

daniel_b

jomoj wrote:

drlodge wrote:

jomoj wrote:

It's more important to develop some 'feel' for what you're doing and not just trust a tool blindly because if for whatever reason that tool has a fault and you keep cranking down waiting for the click then you really will be in trouble. Thats the case for working with metal as well as carbon.

This. I wondered if I would ever really need a torque wrench since most bolts are just done up to "common sense" tightness. I bought one so I could see how tight things were getting on my carbon bike, since I didn't feel 100% comfortable tightening up some bolts, enough that nothing moved, but without going beyond the recommended torque. This was particularly the case with the seat post topper, which has an expanding metal plug going into the integrated seat post and I did not want to crack that!

yes, I've got to admit that the first ime I used it, the recommended 5Nm for the seat clamp bolt ' 'felt' less than I expected so it's worth trying to calibrate your hand in case you are caught without the tool.

Yep and some of mine I only tighted to 4nm as I am using carbon paste so does not need to be as tight.
My Ritchey single bolt seatpost says it needs a 12nm to keep the saddle level, and I can confirm it slips all over the shop if not that tight, but it is veyr tight, and nowhere near where I would have voluntarily gone by hand, I would estimate I would probably have stopped at about 8 or 9 on feel alone.
I now have mine at 11nm with the assistance of carbon paste once again.

drlodge

Daniel B wrote:

My Ritchey single bolt seatpost says it needs a 12nm to keep the saddle level, and I can confirm it slips all over the shop if not that tight, but it is veyr tight, and nowhere near where I would have voluntarily gone by hand, I would estimate I would probably have stopped at about 8 or 9 on feel alone.
I now have mine at 11nm with the assistance of carbon paste once again.

I had to tighten my Ritchey single bolt seat post as tight as I possibly could, even with carbon paste. Its metal so will deform a bit before anything actually breaks. Without carbon paste it always slipped. God only knows what torque setting its on...

wishitwasallflat

jomoj wrote:

OK - let me explain what I meant. I'm not implying that a torque wrench in this price range is likely to be dangerously inaccurate and for example, the Laser wrench I suggested, comes with a calibration certificate and can be recalibrated. What I mean by 'super critical' is that I think its important to remember that a carbon frame is not going to break if the bolt is over torqued by a fraction of the recommended amount, there will be a decent amount of tolerance built into the frame.

It's more important to develop some 'feel' for what you're doing and not just trust a tool blindly because if for whatever reason that tool has a fault and you keep cranking down waiting for the click then you really will be in trouble. Thats the case for working with metal as well as carbon.

Anyway I hope that makes sense and you can find something that suits your needs. If you're in any doubt about the accuracy of a lower priced tool then for peace of mind it would be worth spending some more money I guess. I've found the Laser absolutely fine for the seatpost and stem bolts I use it one - no failures yet, touch wood.

That makes sense and I wouldn't disagree. As to feel I was amazed (and happy!) when I built up my new carbon frame, using the Sealey wrench, to find that I had pretty much across the baord been fitting stuff on my old Al bike at below what the manufacturer specced for the same parts on the new carbon frame!

wishitwasallflat

jomoj wrote:

OK - let me explain what I meant. I'm not implying that a torque wrench in this price range is likely to be dangerously inaccurate and for example, the Laser wrench I suggested, comes with a calibration certificate and can be recalibrated. What I mean by 'super critical' is that I think its important to remember that a carbon frame is not going to break if the bolt is over torqued by a fraction of the recommended amount, there will be a decent amount of tolerance built into the frame.

It's more important to develop some 'feel' for what you're doing and not just trust a tool blindly because if for whatever reason that tool has a fault and you keep cranking down waiting for the click then you really will be in trouble. Thats the case for working with metal as well as carbon.

Anyway I hope that makes sense and you can find something that suits your needs. If you're in any doubt about the accuracy of a lower priced tool then for peace of mind it would be worth spending some more money I guess. I've found the Laser absolutely fine for the seatpost and stem bolts I use it one - no failures yet, touch wood.

That makes sense and I wouldn't disagree. As to feel I was amazed (and happy!) when I built up my new carbon frame, using the Sealey wrench, to find that I had pretty much across the baord been fitting stuff on my old Al bike at below what the manufacturer specced for the same parts on the new carbon frame!

PS I would always treat the spec as maximum values as in many places I find it works fine at lower.

daniel_b

drlodge wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

My Ritchey single bolt seatpost says it needs a 12nm to keep the saddle level, and I can confirm it slips all over the shop if not that tight, but it is veyr tight, and nowhere near where I would have voluntarily gone by hand, I would estimate I would probably have stopped at about 8 or 9 on feel alone.
I now have mine at 11nm with the assistance of carbon paste once again.

I had to tighten my Ritchey single bolt seat post as tight as I possibly could, even with carbon paste. Its metal so will deform a bit before anything actually breaks. Without carbon paste it always slipped. God only knows what torque setting its on...

Indeed, it makes you wince eh...........

I was tightening the one up on my gf's bike, and the bolt actually snapped :shock:
Wiggle replaced it though - just sent an entire new clamp.

jomoj

Cool, glad it's worked out and hope you enjoy the new bike