If we can ignore the merits of them for a moment, I would like to buy a cheap ish torque wrench. I won’t use it much, I am just conscious that some of the more delicate components on my bike need a more caring touch. I don’t really want to spend more than about £60 including attachments if at all possible.
I’ve seen an M:Part one, a Giant one and a BBB one, all for similar money and wondered if anyone had any experience of them? Or indeed experience of anything similar.
I paid about £80 for my Norbar SLO several years ago, but I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for".
I use the Park tool TW1 and TW2 - they're the old style scale and pointer ones but cheap(ish) and cover all the range I need.
Got a BBB one, worked perfectly for about a year 😐
Im with Dibbs on a Norbar.... best bit of kit I've bought for a while.
They do one that actually gets down to sensible bike levels as well.
Bit of advice, check the lowest torque you need and get a wrench with lower values.
They're generally a bit out at the extremes of their range.
IIRC my Norbar is [url= http://www.norbar.com/TorqueWrench_3_8_ratchet_adjustable_N_m_lbf_in;TruTorqueTT20-TruTorqueTT20andTT50-TorqueWrenches-54-1-304-11161-product.aspx ]3/8"[/url]
Got it through a local [url= http://www.buckandhickman.com/storelocator ]Buck & Hickman branch[/url]
The only thing I can think of that I've used a torque wrench for is the aluminium locknut on the spindle of my my gxp cranks, I've got a draper one with 1/2" drive that I also use for the car. The cranks need quite a high setting (and I've heard stories of snapping the relatively fragile aluminium bolt by overtighening)compared to nearly everything else on the bike that I can happily do by hand.
I've got the 1/4" drive Norbar as I already had the socket set to fit.
I've got [url= http://www.bike24.net/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;menu=1000,185,191;product=24905 ]this[/url] TACX one, 5-25nm, comes with 1/4" bits and a couple of free sachets of carbon assembly compound (very good for creaky seatposts). Euro65.
Yep, Norbar for me to, I also have 1/2" drive halfords Pro one which has been great. (not cheap either - think it was about £60)