i have one of those Harbor Freight $20 1/4 click stop wrenches. Its actually pretty high quality. made in taiwan not china.. You do have to know how to read the scale and it only clicks in one direction. Hehehe probably right as good or better then the $100 pedros...
If i was professional mechanic i would invest in a nice quality flat beam type. More durable, never needs "calibrating", and you can see what going on. Never a need to wonder about the click working right. And more accurate. Although like i've said, torque wrench accuracy is kind of a joke, I am trying to think of something to compare it too: well maybe like brushing some paint on a board and using the time-to-dry as a stopwatch. if the conditions are right, and repeatable, well then you could probably get pretty accurate.
I've done quite a few Bolt torque versus bolt tension tests. I've seen the tiniest little burr under the bolt head cause the bolt tension to drop to half! yes half, of what it should have been given a torque. i've seen a different grease, or a different coating on a bolt or nut be so slippery that the bolt was necked down, threads stripped (making slinky's..), or clamped members squished, in other words, upwards of 50% more tension then expected given a torque.
an experienced hand still trumps all. I almost never use a torque wrench, but then I don't have any carbon parts, that require it, where over-torque, can create a very bad day. whereas steel or aluminum will yield, deform, exhibit toughness given an over-stress condition, carbon cracks.
A lot of bicycle stuff due to lightweight pursuits, is way beyond "sensible engineering design" and into the test test test, does it work ? yep test some more, record for liability, Ok, sell it, realm. There is a law of diminishing returns, i think for a lot of bicycle stuff we're starting to hit it, ie imagine take 5 more lbs off a bicycle, not a big deal with a 25 or 20 lb bicycle, but for a 10 or 15 lb bicycle!
--- On Fri, 1/23/09, dennis veatch wrote:
> From: dennis veatch
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Recommendations for Torque Wrench
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Date: Friday, January 23, 2009, 1:12 PM
> Hands down on the Giustaforza wrench. I got the Pedros one
> since it had
> just slightly a wider range and was EXTREMELY disappointed.
> I swear it was
> a harbor freight wrench with pedros stamped on it. It was
> $100. Ended up
> returning it and getting the Giustaforza. When it comes to
> torque wrenches,
> you get what you pay for. If I cause a hairline crack in
> my handlebar and
> don't know it, and it fails when I'm leaning on it
> most, I'll wish I spent
> the $150 on the Giustaforza.
>
> dennis
>
>
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