Norbar Torque Wrenches – Any Good?

As above. Does anyone have any experience? I think of them as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Park Tools 1/4″ one.

Some of the best torque equipment you can buy.

Great kit. Industry standard for professional technicians in my workplace.

I’d have Norbar over Park any day

I’ve had a Sykes Pickavant branded Norbar torque wrench for nearly 25 years. Its probably too big for bike use but it’s provided sterling service torquing down cylinder heads etc.

Money well spent.

Many thanks. Now to find one for sensible money….

I’ve got the 1/4″ drive SLO model I think I paid around £80 6 or 7 years ago, but I think that there may be a slightly cheaper version with a plastic knob rather than a metal one.

Just found this:-

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/tech/gear/1001/4/torque-wrench-grouptest.html

Good kit.

I got a couple of ex MOD ones off eBay for peanuts.
Can’t remember the sellers name off hand but he had loads of them a bit back

Yes – great kit! I have a couple that I have used for many years on car repairs etc – the smaller one goes down to 20Ft Lbs – which is OK for some bike work (cranks etc) – but ideally needs to go lower.

The adjusting mechanism is pretty good (winding in the end of the handle & the scale viewed through a little window). So yes – much better than a Park tools one. I notice that much of the bike torques are in inch pounds too – so worth bearing in mind.

£65 seems a pretty good price.

http://www.cromwell.co.uk/NBD5551001B

Got one – love it!

Yep, got one, love it.
wouldn’t even consider a Park Tools item over a Norbar.

The guys in our workshop, who overhaul £100k compressors fitted to refrigeration plants on Nuclear submarines use Norbar, we get them calibrated annually, and you can get them repaired if they fail.

I’ve had my 3 for over 20 years. The medium sized one has taken some abuse. Still fine and never let me down. Pretty much industry standard. Can’t recall seeing anything else in use by proper professionals.

I’ve had my Norbar torque wrench for 8 years. Mostly automotive use. Made in Britain. Can’t imagine why anybody would buy anything else.

I’m a chinook technician in the RAF and we use them, never had one fail in 7 years

I have a britool but use norbar at work and they’re good