metropical

trying to decide between these 2.

LifeLine Essential Torque Wrench Set

LEXIVON 3/8-Inch Drive Click Torque



any thoughts or other ideas?

alcjphil

those are 2 very different tools. The first is a 1/4" drive with a torque range much lower than the other 3/8" drive tool. The first is fine for many of the smaller fasteners on a bike while the other would be used on bigger nuts and bolts

choddo

Yep. I have both. The lifeline gets used a lot more. And you'll probably need a set of adapters.

Like this... will let you use your 1/4" tools on the bigger 3/8 wrench and vice versa and also use 1/2" tools on both of them

https://www.amazon.com/StrugDeas-Con...32Q/ref=sr_1_9

Crankycrank

As previous posters mentioned, most of your bike fasteners will need the lower Nm Lifeline model. The Lexivon won't even register low enough for many of the fasteners on a bike but would be very useful for working on cars/motorcycles, etc. Offhand the only other fasteners on your bike that need the higher Nm model will be the Bottom Bracket (if threaded) and the Cassette Lockring which many of us just do by feel anyways. There is no One-Size-Fits-All torque wrench for everything as they only operate in limited ranges.

Barry2 

I purchased a decent torque wrench capable of low single digit Nm values.
I also purchased a cheap Harbor Freight torque wrench just for 40Nm stuff, like cassettes and brake rotors.

Barry

metropical

thanks all. Looks like the Lifeline is best for my purposes. Seat post, saddle, handlebar, stem, riser, headset. If I need more then it'd prolly go to the shop.

2_i 

I highly recommend a digital torque adapter, instead of a torque wrench. Once I got it, I started using it from day one and never stopped. The mechanical torque wrench I got some time earlier gathers dust in the meantime, used maybe 1-2 times. The electronics makes immediate sense, you read it without thinking, change units to whatever you want, apply this or other mode of operation, never bothering to look for a manual. Is it a solution for everything? Generally not, because it makes the measuring setup on the bulky side. However, in my applications I consistently tended to solve this one way or another.

The one I got is the Performance Tool M206, but it appears in the market under other brand names too.

alcjphil

That looks like a very cool tool. All I wonder about is how accurate it is at the low torque values of many of the small fasteners used on bicycles given that it comes with adapters for 3/8" and 1/4". One thing in its favour is that it works clockwise and counter clockwise

2_i 

What I read about digital torque wrenches is that they beat mechanical both in terms of range and accuracy. The question generally, though, is in the accuracy of any particular gauge - I am sure that you can go cheap enough to fall out of such a general claim. While this is tangential, in cheap calipers the battery dies over few months, if not sooner. In this particular gauge the battery has held for me for several years now. I am sure I read some reviews prior to the purchase, but what and where I do not recall anymore.

grumpus

I have one in 1/4" drive, the small size is ideal for most bike applications; for higher torques I have a generic 1/2" drive mechanical torque wrench.⁹

rekmeyata

The Lifeline is a generic Chinese made torque wrench; it has many brand labels attached to that unit, including the older version of Pedros, Pro Bike, Amazon Basics, Venzo, and others.

I think the best torque wrench is the Topeak D-Torq Wrench DX, and the Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza, that is if you want the best. I didn't buy either of those, I wanted something a lot more compact so I could carry it while touring, so I ended up with the Lezyne Torque Drive, I had to add 3 different bits to the box, but it works great.

Two things to keep in mind with ANY torque wrench, 1.) DO NOT remove bolts with it, if you loosen bolts with any torque wrench you will ruin the calibration and the torque wrench will be useless; 2.) DO NOT go over the max rating of the wrench. The only torque wrenches that I know that is used in the cycling world that can be recalibrated is the Topeak D-Torq Wrench DX, but it can only be done by Topeak, and they recommend getting it recalibrated after 5,000 cycles, and the other is the Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza. Beam type, and spring type do not need to be recalibrated, but clickers do like the Effetto Mariposa. Either type, digital, clicker, beam, or spring, if you try to loosen a bolt the calibration will no longer be accurate, most of the torque wrenches will have to be thrown away except for the Topeak and the Effetto Mariposa, but both are expensive, but that's why they're expensive.

But if you don't need such expensive ones as the two mentioned above then all you need is a simple spring type like the Lezyne or the Silca. I did not like the Silca, the number scale was not spaced out properly and it cost a heck of lot more than the Lezyne, yet both were spring type.

metropical

I'm a very casual rider. Perhaps 10 to 20mi/day 3 or 4 days/wk.
Just really need this to adjust my seat and get a handlebar riser extension in (aging body).
I wish I had a bud I could borrow it from or a rental house that had one as in all likelihood I'll use it for a day or 2, then be done with it for a 5 years.
Though it's a lovely bike, it is a 2008 CAAD9-6 that is barely worth the price of the wrench and the stem riser extension.
I'd think the Lifeline (terrible brand name) is all I might need.

choddo

Yeah it’s plenty good enough for that.

I did find that post above fascinating and informative though.

blacknbluebikes 

Buy quality, for accuracy, but don't "over spec" a torque wrench purchas.... 95% of my maintenance is 4Nm, 5Nm or 6Nm. It's really about "don't strip it or crush it."

SoSmellyAir

If you are just adjusting and finetuning your fit, then all you really need is this:
Amazon.com : Topeak Nano TorqBar 5 with 5 Tool bits, 5nm : Sports & Outdoors

I have both the 5 Nm and the 6 Nm versions, and I only use the latter for CF steerer expansion plug.

SoSmellyAir

The CAAD9 is the last Made in USA CAAD and has some value if in good condition, certainly more than a no-name torque wrench and stem riser extension.

leftthread

Lexivon has a 1/4 drive low range "bike" torque wrench that I picked up recently for a car engine project:

https://www.amazon.com/LEXIVON-Dual-...Y2hfYXRm&psc=1

metropical

Value for the C9 I've seen is about $200, but I wasn't thinking of trading up currently anyway. More to the point of how much to spend on a decent torque.
The only other thing I had to do recently was the crank arm pinch bolts to the crank.
Max I see is 15nm, and that's the crank arm pinch bolts .
That little Topeak looks pretty nice too.

Wattsup

Lots of internet instruction on how to recalibrate a clicker, any clicker.

Wattsup

I bought a well known brand 1/4" drive 2-20nm. I needed to torque a bolt to 3nm, and the d@mn thing wouldn't click. Instructions warn about a very light-sounding click at very low settings. Yeah, this was low alright. Inaudible. Anyway, I continue to use the wrench, but for lower settings, 2-4nm, I bought a beam-type wrench.

zandoval 

You don't need a fancy torque wrench for your bicycle. A 20 USD ChiCom outlet 3/8" or 1/4" @ 100 will do (Harbor Freight).

But if you are going to use your torque wrench on your car or other vehicle then ya better go with a 1/2" model @ 250...

2_i 

For a cassette lockring you need 40Nm. I rarely get there, but at least I put around 35Nm.

mpetry912 

Don't overlook used. this one came from Eboy for 25 bucks, it still has the calibration sticker from NASA JPL

good enough for cheap low end bikes anyway. For high end bikes, it's all about Harbor Freight

/markp

metropical

I'll look at ebay. Didn't see any on craigs. My auto mech has a low range one, jic.
Or the ChiCom (giggle, giggle, giggle.. haven't heard that since high school) from Fright.

metropical

the HF one is ft/lbs. I'll have to do math!