Torque wrenches - brand importance?

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2lo8
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by 2lo8

Meant more at someone else apparently getting upset and commenting about anecdotes and fuzziness ruining threads.

And as a general comment not really directed towards anyone in particular, it's not very difficult to verify the accuracy of a torque wrench with a ruler and a scale (this is weight weenies right? We all have scales). Torque is measured in newton meters. All you need to be able to measure is a newton and a meter (or convert to in/ft lbs).
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sugarkane
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by sugarkane

2lo8 wrote:So tell me what needs precisely 3nm of torque on a bike so we're not talking in fuzzy abstracts? Or any fastener that needs extreme precision on accuracy on a bike, not that having a better tool hurts anything, except the wallet.



The good old extralite stem uses 3nm.. and at 3.5 you've busted a bolt that's 40 euros for a replacement set.. close enough is good enough really isn't with an 100g seat post or a pair of $500 schmolke bars. And in the world of torque wrenchs bike brand stuff is actually pretty cheap

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ms6073
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by ms6073

BRM wrote:Another perfect example how people ruin interesting informative topics with their meaningless posts.

Lighten up Francis! I am guessing your parents did not give you any toys to play with when you were a child. Nobody is forcing you to read and/or reply to the posts in this thread. :noidea:
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2lo8
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by 2lo8

sugarkane wrote:
2lo8 wrote:So tell me what needs precisely 3nm of torque on a bike so we're not talking in fuzzy abstracts? Or any fastener that needs extreme precision on accuracy on a bike, not that having a better tool hurts anything, except the wallet.



The good old extralite stem uses 3nm.. and at 3.5 you've busted a bolt that's 40 euros for a replacement set.. close enough is good enough really isn't with an 100g seat post or a pair of $500 schmolke bars. And in the world of torque wrenchs bike brand stuff is actually pretty cheap


Well apparently I was wrong then, if you have extralite stuff with tiny screws, you need to spend 15 minutes bothering to calibrate your torque wrench so it's accurate at the low end instead of the middle.
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BRM
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by BRM

ms6073 wrote:
BRM wrote:Another perfect example how people ruin interesting informative topics with their meaningless posts.

Lighten up Francis! I am guessing your parents did not give you any toys to play with when you were a child. Nobody is forcing you to read and/or reply to the posts in this thread. :noidea:


Ah, another one that want to interfere with a useless post.
Maybe you better had followed your own recommendation:

Your idea:
Nobody is forcing you to read and/or reply to the posts in this thread.

Why should such a thing only counts for me and not for you? Well?

Just skip Francis!, when you don't like something to read. :wink:



You only place a rant without any word on the real topic, congratulations!
My rant however was from a different kind.

I should wish that the next one that comes here to search for info on torque tools and what to buy, would have found a topic without nonsense and only good valuable information. People here should be more aware that their combined knowledge in topics like this can help many others. We can complement eachother in subjects like this. Together we know more and the outcome could be a good reference for all. This is how you can build reference topics on forums, by using the input from many members.

Every normal thinking being can come to the same idea.
But when I try to steer to more quality and less shit in topics, people don't understand. They don't see the need. . . .

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Ha, those low value torque settings was exactly the reason I went searching (years ago) for a torque wrench that was made for such small torque values. And in the interest of showing exactly "what I have" again... here it is... a blow up of the Proto torque screwdriver...
Image

It has a range of 0-36 inch/lbs. That's 0-4Nm, with 18 inch/lbs (right in the middle of the range) being ~2Nm. Ha, so do I actually use this? Sometimes, but very rarely. That's why @2lo8's post about people actually using a torque wrench for top cap bearing bearing preload made me laugh. Cuz I was one of those people. These days, if something is so low torque that I'm worried it might come loose, I just put a tiny dab of lowstrength Loctite 222 (Purple) and know that that will hold it in place...
For fun... scale of 0-36inch/lbs (0-4Nm)...
Image
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Squint
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by Squint

You should see the torque wrenches that dentists use for tooth implants. They're in N*cm.

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BRM
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by BRM


2lo8
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by 2lo8

If you're using a fish scale (or bike scale), you can mount the torque wrench so you pull on the horizontal plane so the weight of the handle doesn't affect calibration.

@Calnago I wish I could justify something like that for home, but given that I can't justify Extralite/Schmolke I make with considerably less. Sometimes I forget my place, that I'm a filthy plebeian and my entire bike collection is worth less than a lot of frames posted on this board.

Also if it's for a daily pro shop use or you have money to burn, then you can go ahead and buy something much more expensive. I'm just saying short of super fiddly parts that specify much less than the recommended torque values listed on other parts, you don't need more than the HF wrench. If you have a snap-on truck, go ahead and get snap-on (conversely, snap-on is overrated if you don't have a truck). And if you can shell out for super fiddly parts, then cost probably isn't an issue and you can shell out for super precision tools.

Also as a side note, I don't even use a torque wrench for my 102g seatpost. I know it's not not as exotic and prone to implosion as those 100g seatposts which will get utterly destroyed when half a nm off. I use a fake torque wrench, which is just me trying to lift up the bike with an allen key held a few inches out. The difference 2g makes.
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MAsshole
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by MAsshole

So...moral of the story is get which brand?

Looking for a second one to go along with my PT ATD-1 (that managed to get some rust on it and lock up, hope that didn't ruin it..)

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sugarkane
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by sugarkane

Calnago wrote:Ha, those low value torque settings was exactly the reason I went searching (years ago) for a torque wrench that was made for such small torque values. And in the interest of showing exactly "what I have" again... here it is... a blow up of the Proto torque screwdriver...
Image

It has a range of 0-36 inch/lbs. That's 0-4Nm, with 18 inch/lbs (right in the middle of the range) being ~2Nm. Ha, so do I actually use this? Sometimes, but very rarely. That's why @2lo8's post about people actually using a torque wrench for top cap bearing bearing preload made me laugh. Cuz I was one of those people. These days, if something is so low torque that I'm worried it might come loose, I just put a tiny dab of lowstrength Loctite 222 (Purple) and know that that will hold it in place...
For fun... scale of 0-36inch/lbs (0-4Nm)...
Image



that is a rad bit o kit @calnago :thumbup:

MikeD
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by MikeD

I think the most accurate type of torque wrench for the home user is a bending beam type. As long as it zeros, it accurate. The downside is that it can be difficult to read the scale in use. Click type wrenches are more convenient in that regard, but unless you have them calibrated regularly, who knows how accurate they are?

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