maartendc

Hi all,

I want to get a cheap Torque wrench to be able to tighten the bolts on my carbon bike to the proper torque. I don't want to spend close to $100 for a tool that I'm going to use a couple times a year.

I was reading reviews, and heard surprisingly good things about this little tool: Icetoolz Ocarina. I believe it is a "beam style" torque wrench in a slightly different format. It looks kind of silly and cheap, but apparantly it is very accurate, and super cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=AUO9W8MUC55QD


The others I was looking at are by Venzo:
https://www.amazon.com/Venzo-Premium...+torque+wrench

Those are the cheap "click" style wrenches. They seem more durable and well made, but I have heard horror stories of cheap click style wrenches being miscalibrated, and destroying carbon parts. Exactly the OPPOSITE of what I'm trying to achieve.

At least with the beam type, you still have the "feel" of a normal allen key, and you see the dial move while tightening. With the click style, you have to keep tightening, and there is no indication of where you are until it 'clicks'.

Which one do you guys think I should get? I'm leaning towards the Icetoolz Ocarina, because I am really scared of the cheap click type not being properly calibrated. I've never heard horror stories about the beam type?

EDIT:Another one I stumbled upon is this adjustable one from CDI: https://www.jensonusa.com/CDI-Torqcon...-Torque-Wrench
People seem to like it, and it is pretty affordable. I know Park Tool makes a similar one, the ATD-1, but that only goes from 4-6Nm, and for some of my bolts I need 8Nm, this one does 2-8Nm.

Any other recommendations in the $40-$50 range are also appreciated.

Thanks!

davidad

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-03727A-...e+wrench&psc=1

TheRef

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easyupbug 

Any cheap torque wrench should be calibrated. I only have experience with a neighbors Harbour Freight but it was so bad he took it back and was advised by the manager to come back when they get a new batch in. The new one was a tiny bit low reading and we checked it again a month or so ago, so maybe a year later, and it is still where it was. He says he always returns it to zero which is necessary.

pdlamb

I'm a beam type fan just because it's simple. It'll come with an accuracy of +/-X% (where X is the unknown), but it'll stay pretty close to that for a long time. Click type torque wrenches have more fiddly hidden little parts to go wrong.

WizardOfBoz

I actually snipe ebay for good tools, cheap. I'd get something pretty foolproof, like a beam type, from a good brand like Sturtevant -Richmont or Proto. Snap-On is overpriced, even on ebay. Hard to knock the beam types out of calibration. But if you want one quickly and don't want to have to figure out which ebay offering has what you want, Harbor freight has a 1/8 drive click wrench for 20 bucks. Make sure that the one you buy has the range of torques your bike needs.

TheRef

Not to hijack the thread but does anybody have any experience with the performance brand wrench?
Spin Doctor Torque Wrench Set

cycledogg

I have this one and it seems to do the job. Since I don't actually use a torque wrench much, I can "feel" good enough not to need one. I have tested my touch with torque wrenches and come close enough that I am sure of myself. When in doubt, I'll pull out the wrench. Having said that, the Spin Doctor Torque Wrench is suitable for home use.
Cheers

mzr

I have an auto parts store generic click wrench that has held up for more than 10 years. Its a 1/2" drive, so it does lug nuts, cylinder head bolts, and suspension bolts. Its even torqued CV axle retaining nuts that require 250 ft-lbs. I'd imagine using a click wrench for low torque applications they'd last indefinitely.

Go with the click type, the beams you have to look at to see the torque value. The click, well they click when you reach the set torque. I often torque two or three times just to make sure, and makes it easily repeatable.

HillRider

That's only a problem when you can't easily see the wrench. There is nothing on a bicycle that keeps the wrench out of sight. Beam types are cheaper for a given quality, more rugged and won't go out of calibration without it being obvious.

xiaoman1 

In my younger days when I was building a lot of motors, all I could afford was a beam TW, it always seemed a little hit or miss.
I moved on to the click type and have been happy.... with smaller loads I think the click is more accurate. Beams can either not load enough or go past the mark.
I like hearing the click.
JM2C'S

bargainguy

Beam types are a little less user friendly. You need to look at the readout plus what you're doing simultaneously. Dial/click types are a little easier to use but must be zeroed out between uses.

All torque wrenches are their best in the middle of their range and less accurate at the extremes. Get the torque wrench where the middle of the range falls where you're most likely to use it.

I wound up getting a Topeak d-torq. Different than a dial or beam in that it uses an electronic transducer. You set the desired torque on the digital gauge. The wrench beeps when you reach set torque and beeps again if you exceed. Very user friendly and doesn't need to be zeroed out between uses. Of course it costs more than the dial or beam type, but it gets a fair amount of use on my workbench.

SJX426 

It is not only important to get the right range but measure towards the middle of the range, if you have a choice. Often the extremes of the range provide a false indication as the measurement is not always linear. If the manufacturer compensated with the scale, then it would be more acceptable.

Not the case for bicycle, but I would not be able to read a beam TW with a torque reading above 150 ft-lb. I would be shaking so much that I would not have an idea where on the scale the torque actually is! 250 works well for a click TW

Elvo

I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/2-10NM-Bicycl...+torque+wrench

It is super tiny but it does the job. I would recommend a clicker for higher torque applications. Getting up to 10 nm is quite a challenge on the little guy though. The icetools one looks cool but might not work in certain rare situations. There was barely enough space to tighten the clamping bolts that clamp brifters to the handlebars (~7 nm) with the hoods on.

SkyDog75

Beam wrenches are cheap and reliable, and they don't ever need to be recalibrated, but you need to be able to read their scale head-on. On a bike, that's usually not a problem. But if you ever find yourself needing to use a torque wrench on a fastener where you don't have head-on visibility to the wrench, you'll appreciate having a clicker. The down side to a clicker is that you should get it recalibrated periodically.

jsdavis

The CDI torque driver is calibrated and comes with calibration chart on the back of the packaging. CDI is a brand owned by Snap On.

It's not a torque wrench, but rather a torque limiting device that will ratchet once at the torque setting. It will not allow you to torque above whatever you set it at. The bad is that it only works in one direction. Neutral is it is a disposable device and I think considered worn out after so many thousand clicks - the mechanism will click at lower and lower torque as it wears out. For a home user, probably you'll get a decade of use out of it.

ridelikeaturtle

I have a click type (Draper), but I'd buy a beam type to use with the bike simply because you can't torque a left-hand thread Ultra-Torque bottom bracket cup with a click type torque wrench - gotta use a beam type torque wrench for left-hand thread.

sunburst

I have it and am happy with it. I use it for carbon parts. It's got the Allen wrench sizes you will need also.
Performance is reselling a Chinese product that is available on Amazon for $30 less. I think I got mine at 30% off and still paid a $10 premium to support my brick and motor Performance store. But their mechanic had just given me a portion of carbon assembly paste (they were out of stock on their tube of the stuff), so I felt OK paying the premium.

I've also got a much larger Harbor Freight torque wrench that I used today to bolt on a crank, and I can definitely say the click type was an advantage while trying to get up to 25-30 ft-lbs, iirc, while that crank wanted to spin and I was bending over the frame and bike stand. I would not have been able to see the beam. The square taper crank is kind of an odd joint to get up to proper torque anyway because it takes some force to move the crank arms up the taper. I thought surely I was over-tightening but I was just forcing the arm up the taper.

Oh yeah, I also slack off the torque setting when I put it away.

Bill Kapaun

If you are going to 8Nm, you want a wrench that has a higher range.
You basically want to keep your torque readings in the middle 2/3 of the scale.
Avoid the extremes. Accuracy starts to deteriorate. Sometimes rapidly.

AdvXtrm

Unless you plan on getting a certified clicker, and keeping its re-calibration schedule, you'd likely be better off with the beam-type.

Bikedud

Great article on the subject. FWIW- we use the CDI adjustable, the Lifeline Pro, and the Topeak D-Torq at the shop.

Best torque wrench for bicycle grouptest - BikeRadar USA

rydabent

+1 Even cheap beam type torque wrenchs should be quite accurate.

maartendc

Alright thanks guys, I'm ordering the Ocarina.

I don't plan on getting it professionally recalibrated, and I am very worried about breaking my carbon stuff if it goes out of alignment, so the Ocarina seems to be the better option. The Bikeradar review had the Ocarina very accurate out of the box, so that should be good.

The main drawback seems to be reading the dial, but I cant think of any application on my bike where I would have trouble reading it.

Thanks!

Kopsis

Nothing wrong with your choice, but you really don't need to worry so much. The margin on torque "specs" for the stuff you're doing is pretty big. In the case of things like stem bolts, the spec is for the lowest value (with margin) that will keep the stem or bars from slipping, not the highest value that you can use without crushing the tube. Using a torque wrench is a good thing, but even if it's calibration is off by 20% the worst problem you'll have is not getting things quite tight enough.

maartendc

I know, but I own a BMC SLC01 frame that has an integrated carbon seat clamp. These clamps are known to be very fragile, and there have been plenty of people that have cracked them and destroyed the frame in the process.

So until now I have been extremely cautious and just tightening them enough for the seatpost not to slip. But I knew I eventually should get a torque wrench.