Torque Wrenches - X-Tools / Venzo
 

Hi guys,

I was wondering if some of you owned any of the 2 torque wrenches mentioned above? If so, could you please let me know what are your thoughts? I'm looking to buy one, and have narrowed down my choices to these 2. I don't want/need anything fancy as it's only for periodic maintenance.

X-tools : on CRC - currently on sale for 45$ (MSRP 65$)
Venzo : on Amazon - 70$

Venzo says it has a 4% accuracy, which is OK. Accuracy is not specified for the X-tools.

Let me know,
Thank you.

I have the x-tools. It works great but it is not fool proof. You have to shake it back and forth about 20x to distribute the lube every time you use it. You have to be careful not to turn the handle when ratcheting the wrench. You also have to set it back to 2 nm when done.

Forget the X-Tools. So disappointing. Venzo is okay. If you can get the Pro Bike Tool torque wrenches, I highly recommend it.

Can you guys post links to the specific items being discussed? I'm looking for a torque wrench for my cockpit items and am considering the one from ParktTools.

I hear this one is pretty good for the $
look it up on amazon

TEKTON TRQ21101 1/4-Inch Drive Dual-Direction Click Torque Wrench (10-150 in.-lb./1.1-16.9 Nm)

Pro Bike Tool 1/4 Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench Set – 2 to 20 Nm – Bicycle Maintenance Kit for Road & Mountain Bikes, Motorcycle Multitool - Includes Allen & Torx Sockets, Extension Bar & Storage Box

For cockpit-range items, I’d recommend a beam type.

Theres one on amazon for about $23 and change. Just type in 1/4” drive beam torque wrench on amazon search box and it usually the first item that pops up. It goes up to 9 Nm, but you hardly need anything above 7Nm for cockpit items.

For the cockpit I find the CDI TorqControl works very well and is reasonably priced.

Okay, so what about this Park Tool. Obviously costs more, but maybe the difference is a higher quality product?

For a bike? Just get the Venzo $25 beam hex tq wrench. It's likely more accurate than the $75 clicker models.

This tiny $25 Venzo beam torque wrench is good for up to 10 nm, which covers most cockpit fasteners. Comes with most bits we'd need.

No idea about clicky preset torque wrenches for torquing over 10 nm, still shopping around and reading reviews.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d521cdc033.jpg

Venzo beam torque wrench for up to 10 nm.

SnapOn are supposed to be decent :eek:

https://shop.snapon.com/product/QD1RN6A

I've been using a Tacklife (what a horrible name) torque wrench purchased from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Torque-2-26-2.../dp/B07GJSP7RW

Rated at +/- 4%, comes with a little slip of paper showing the values from calibration check, gets pretty good reviews. I have a Park beam-type also, but the ratcheting is often more convenient; the Park still does get some use as a reference by which to check the Tacklife, though. I think that I've had it for about a year and a half and it hasn't discernibly drifted.

I prefer beam-type wrenches, but they take a little bit of skill and knowledge to use.

Lol $300+ still gonna be less accurate than a beam tq wrench after some time.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money nor do you need ultimate accuracy.
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/t...ed_slideshow=0

I dont own either of the above.
Instead, I bought a $25 beam style wrench from Northern Tool. Its some generic sounding brand, im guessing their house brand. Its simple and inexpensive. All I need it for is 4 bolts on one of my bikes- the plug, the headset, and the stem. And on one of my kid's bikes its 5 bolts.
Out of the all the bolts on 14 bikes, I only need to use the tool for 9 of them, so i dont need anything small and cute or whatever- the beam wrench is used rarely since once built, there isnt much reason to pull stems or whatever.

Its as accurate as I need since it keeps bolts tight enough to not be unsafe and not so tight that damage occurs.

Thanks. Every torque wrench indeed need to be ''zeroed'' out after use - it's how you keep them accurate. Before every use, I also set mine up (I have one for cars) to the highest possible torque and back to the lowest to lube it properly. It ensures longevity.

Thanks to the others for your prompt responses as well. The Venzo beam torque wrench is supposedly ''prime'', but they charge me import fees and it's 2 weeks of shipping. I don't like to pay for extras when I already pay for a prime membership. :foo: How accurate are beam wrenches?

Not as small, but this one is the one I mentioned above

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-03727A-...s%2C122&sr=8-2

Sure, we can go with that.

FWIW, CDI Torque Products is SnapOn. I found that the TorqControl wrench was more accurate and IMHO better built than my previous version of the Park wrench you linked to. It is commonly used by gunsmiths and is pretty easy to pickup cheaper than Amazon at gun shows.

I'm a proud owner of this set as well :)

I've had it for close to three years, and the carbon bits on my bike have yet to snap or come loose, so it's good enough for me.

Ditto, no complaints or problems here. If anything using a torque wrench for low torque fasteners reminded me that I tend to under-torque rather than over. I'd only used the larger torque wrenches for motorcycles and cars. Now that I'm rebuilding my first all carbon fiber bike, a Diamondback Podium frame from a friend, pretty much from scratch (it only has the crankset, original fork and headset), I wanted to be cautious.

However I can see the convenience of the single torque setting wrenches with long bits for easily reaching some fasteners in positions that would be awkward with a beam torque wrench. Especially for a production line or shop where time is money.

But I'll probably just get a larger beam torque wrench for the rest of the bike. There's usually a way to read the beam pointer graph while working.

I ended up buying the Venzo from Amazon mainly because of availability (next day shipping hehe!). Will provide my thoughts on it shortly. I need to flip my stem to raise my bars so the torque wrench will be handy!

Specs says 5.5nm for the stem bolts & 6nm for the faceplate bolt. Not sure if going 6nm on all of them will do any harm, but it might be hard to set up the torque wrench to half a nm. Will see tomorrow.

I bought a Kestrel in the box and it came with a similar tool as the Venzo beam wrench above. I also stuck a chart like this:

Torque Conversion Chart Newton Meters to Inch Pounds | AutoDrill

on the wall near my tool chest for my 1/4" clicker wrench. But not trusting either too much, I bought the Park adjustable torque wrench :

https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-ATD...63315758&psc=1

that's super handy.

So I tried the Venzo torque wrench yesterday when I installed my parts back after flipping my stem. You need to be careful when tightening the screws - it will not ''click'' if you go too fast & will over tighten. Once you figure that out, everything is OK. The wrench came with a certification of accuracy and looks well built. I have no complaint whatsoever on the quality.

I had the venzo at one point and while it worked great, it was a real pain in the butt to see the dials at certain points

This is simply not true. The Silca Ti Torque does not need to be reset or zeroed out after every use.

https://silca.cc/products/updated-t-...-ti-torque-kit