TimothyH

Recommend a 1/4 inch drive digital torque wrench. 3 to 15 Nm would be acceptable range. Should be ratcheting and not too long.

I'm not interested in beam or click types, nor am I interested in hearing about them. Thanks anyway.

Some of what I'm seeing out there are only guaranteed accurate above 20% of the operating range. I would like better.

I don't mind spending money for something nice and was looking at this Proto for reference. 1.5 to 30 Nm, 16 inches long. +/-2%. Pricey though.

I'm open to reasonable suggestions.


-Tim-

Marcus_Ti

Don't know of a cheaper 1/4" drive digital...I have this ACDelco 3/8" drive digital that does 3-50Nm IIRC:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Even Topeak's one is 3/8" drive, and double+ the price:

https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-602000...dp/B002FP9FHM/

dscheidt

20% of full range is part of one of the specs that everyone follows. so even if the tool is better than that (and many are), the calibration cert won't say so. If you really need that range, you probably are looking at two tools. Maybe a torque screwdriver for the low end, and a wrench for the higher end. Grainger's prices are very high, unless you're a high volume customer, you can surely do better than that price.

I'd look at CDI's offering, as well. If you want to spend a bunch of money, snap-on.

Vince Canepa

I don't understand your range for the Proto. It's range is 10-100 FT/LBS. That converts to 14-136 NM. If you want 3-15 NM that converts to a range of 27-127 IN/LBS. I would look for a wrench with a range of 10-200 IN/LBS or 1-23 NM. I'm afraid you will find them expensive.

aggiegrads

aggiegrads

I prefer cam-over or slipper torque wrenches to click, beam, and digital torque wrenches. These are the only style that I have found that are really fool proof in not allowing over-torque.

TimothyH

I looked at those briefly and remember a friend having one years ago.

Are you able to suggest a brand or model?


-Tim-

DrIsotope

This thread is going places.

Meanwhile, I'm staying over here using a torque wrench from the Harbor Freight (with a companion Ritchey Torkey) because I work on bicycles, not Mars rovers.

Looking forward to the eventual write-up on the $500 torque wrench, though.

pdlamb

Oh, really? What's the zip code for "Nowhere, Fast?"

Ayup, bought a click-type wrench after I stripped a stem (S&S coupled bike), and it's been a few years since I used the bigger torque wrench.

fietsbob

User pre set click torqkey, when you hit target torque number is another option ..
Come up to the Pro level, like Snap On and you can get a periodic re calibration
for the search impaired ; https://healthyhandyman.com/best-1-4-torque-wrenches/

..

aggiegrads

aggiegrads

TimothyH

DrIsotope

Listen, I never told you what to do, or even suggested what you should do. But I will now-- how's about you HTFU and thicken the skin a little, eh precious? This is the internet, where we're all pretty much free to say whatever we want whenever we want. I wouldn't type anything in this box that I wouldn't say directly to your face. And just in case I've been in any way unclear: a $300 torque wrench-- forget a $600 one-- to work on a bicycle is "look at me" money. You're showing off. You're being a showoff. None of it is necessary or prudent. If you worked on other things, you wouldn't need to ask about it here. For instance, I don't ask you about woodworking equipment because I know more about it than you ever will.

Whatever overkill option you go with, I'm sure you'll both be very happy together.

TimothyH

Doug5150

Ummm...

Most high-accuracy digital torque wrenches are non-ratcheting.

Grainger lists a lot of stuff but has kind of a high markup.

https://www.mscdirect.com/ is where I get much of my machinist tools. They show a few 1/4" digital torque wrenches, for $500 - $750. Most are made in the USA, with a couple Euro companies in there too.

IMHO you are about to waste your money. Any digital, industral-grade torque wrench is way more precise that will matter for anything on a bicycle.

I just have some beams and clickers myself. My little one is a Park 1/4" beam. I think it cost $32 at the time but Park seems to have stopped making beam wrenches entirely now. And their clickers cost WAY more than the beams did...

Amazon is showing some 1/4" beams for $20 to $40.