Anyone use Tekton or Capri Torque Wrenches?
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The Capri comes with a certificate of calibration. I’ve had mine for a couple years and it has worked flawlessly. The only negative is that the engraved scale is difficult for my 50 year old eyes to read. But maybe they’re all that way.
Yes. In fact my main bike torque wrench is a tekton 24320. I also own a basic Park tw-1 and the ATD driver as well. I tested the tekton against a couple other much more expensive wrenches and they all measure within a few percent. More than accurate enough for bike work IMO.
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One thing to consider when looking for a torque wrench is the zone of which it is most accurate, or at least where manufacturer suggests it's accurate.
It's important (in my opinion) to purchase a torque wrench that places your intended uses within the manufacturers accuracy range.
I do not really own much in the way of precision tools. However, I'm sure the difference in accuracy (outside of the 4% allowed by the manufacturer) will not be harmful to the bike. Figure 4% of 5nm is only going to be 0.2. So if I use 5nm to clamp my bars, is 4.8 or 5.2 acceptable. Seems to be.
I too am interested in a torque wrench and I'm not too interested in the Park Tools that offer up the preset values required for bike maintenance. I'm sure it is fine, what else do I torque that uses values in the range of bike components. It's the principal. haha
For what it's worth, the Teckton I found on the net has easier to read numbers than the Capri I compared.
I'm right there with needing glasses to see things that precisely.
It's important (in my opinion) to purchase a torque wrench that places your intended uses within the manufacturers accuracy range.
I do not really own much in the way of precision tools. However, I'm sure the difference in accuracy (outside of the 4% allowed by the manufacturer) will not be harmful to the bike. Figure 4% of 5nm is only going to be 0.2. So if I use 5nm to clamp my bars, is 4.8 or 5.2 acceptable. Seems to be.
I too am interested in a torque wrench and I'm not too interested in the Park Tools that offer up the preset values required for bike maintenance. I'm sure it is fine, what else do I torque that uses values in the range of bike components. It's the principal. haha
For what it's worth, the Teckton I found on the net has easier to read numbers than the Capri I compared.
I'm right there with needing glasses to see things that precisely.
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FWIW: It's easy to check the calibration of a torque wrench. The way I do it put a socket vertically in a bench vise, put the torque wrench in it, and pull perpendicularly on the handle of the wrench with a string and fishing scale. Torque applied is the distance from the center of the socket to where the force is applied on the handle times the force indicated on the scale. A spring type scale is way easier to use than a digital one cause the digits aren't jumping around. And of course you can verify the fishing scale with known weights.
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I view tools, high-quality tools as a long-term investment and torque wrenches are where I prefer to not compromise. While (personally) I feel there are many areas in tool acquisition where expense compromise can be valid, I choose to not to on these.
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I have a 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 Tekton torque wrenches and they have been absolutely fine over the past couple of years I have had them.
So fine in fact that I haven't had an itch to scratch to find something better.
Bikes aren't moon launches.
Are they as fabooolus as a Snap-On or wonder brand X?
No.
Do they need to be?
No.
So fine in fact that I haven't had an itch to scratch to find something better.
Bikes aren't moon launches.
Are they as fabooolus as a Snap-On or wonder brand X?
No.
Do they need to be?
No.
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1,327 Posts
Yeah, I have the 1/4" drive Tekton torque wrench too. I use it for my low torque applications.
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10,062 Posts
CDI isnt exactly a snapon rebrand... but its from snapon. Its one of their industrial brands.
I use CDI professionally to rebuild very expensive engines. The ratchet is a bit sloppy, but its consistent and holds its calibration over the years. I check mine about every year, and I havent had to calibrate it in the 7ish years Ive had it.
They're affordable for a every single day make a living with it kinda tool. Precision instrument is great too, but that level of stuff is overboard for a bike, I think.
On a bike, you're probably just torquing the 4, 5, 6nm stuff. I think the fixed torqkeys are awesome.
Over the years, ive seen so so so many threads where people tried to do the right thing, but totally destroyed a bike part (usually a stem) from using the wrong range torque wrench. Torqkeys do a great job avoiding that.
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I agree that using a torque wrench with the proper scaling and not confusing things like in/lb and ft/lb is important ::lol:: ; but I would argue that the cdi wrench is more versatile as it is more likely to be useful in other hobbies/fix-its/applications--more bang for your overall buck.
Disclaimer: Those not named One Pivot may not care about the following (and he may not either
)
Sorry, strictly speaking CDI are the industrial line from snap-on, but I can tell you that after having something like 8-10 of each calibration checked and tracked weekly for the better part of a 26 month period to ensure the instrumentation and process i designed and we were developing remained within a particular spec, and I can tell you that the numbers were statistically indistinguishable with very little, but identical drift well below what was significant for our application and well within the advertised spec. To me that suggests functional rebranding with cosmetic tweaks: a less fancy handle and maybe a few less teeth on the ratchet; however, I would bet the torque components are identical. In my home shop I'm partial to SO for wrenches, ratchets, and sockets, but just dont see a point in shelling out the dough for torque wrenches when cdi performs identically. Screwdrivers I buy the definitely-rebranded-last-years-model "williams" logo'ed SO stuff.
Disclaimer: Those not named One Pivot may not care about the following (and he may not either
)Sorry, strictly speaking CDI are the industrial line from snap-on, but I can tell you that after having something like 8-10 of each calibration checked and tracked weekly for the better part of a 26 month period to ensure the instrumentation and process i designed and we were developing remained within a particular spec, and I can tell you that the numbers were statistically indistinguishable with very little, but identical drift well below what was significant for our application and well within the advertised spec. To me that suggests functional rebranding with cosmetic tweaks: a less fancy handle and maybe a few less teeth on the ratchet; however, I would bet the torque components are identical. In my home shop I'm partial to SO for wrenches, ratchets, and sockets, but just dont see a point in shelling out the dough for torque wrenches when cdi performs identically. Screwdrivers I buy the definitely-rebranded-last-years-model "williams" logo'ed SO stuff.
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Thats awesome you tested it that far! It very may well be the entire as-is snapon internals, its been a fantastic top quality tool.
The head is probably 24pt though. The nice snapon 88t head would have been nice, but for a torque tool its not really worth the cost. The whole rest of the wrench does look the same as SO.
The head is probably 24pt though. The nice snapon 88t head would have been nice, but for a torque tool its not really worth the cost. The whole rest of the wrench does look the same as SO.
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