Park Tool TW-1 Torque Wrench (1/4- Inch Drive, 0-60 inch Lbs)

This tool does just what it's advertised to do: accurately torque small bolts on sensitive bike parts. The torque beam design allows the user to see the torque increase - the "click" style torque wrenches reach set torque without warning. Also, the accuracy of a 1/4" torque wrench can wander and the cost of recalibration can exceed the value of the wrench. The 0-60 inch/pound range perfectly fits the bolts on most stems, seat posts and derailleurs. I'm not certain, but I expect that this wrench is made in the USA by Danaher, which also builds for Matco, K-D, Kobalt and Craftsman. Only downside I can see, you have to take the seat post off the bike and turn it upside down to read the scale while torquing - about the only task where a micrometer wrench would be preferred.

The pointer wasn't centered on "zero." I don't consider this a big deal. I put in in a vice and sprung the pointer around until it red correctly when released. It was only off about TWO inch pounds in one direction.Whoever zeroed it at assembly probably was not looking straight down, or across from the unit's pointer to its scale. You do have to know how to work with this or any tool.

I purchased the TW-1 to work on my carbon fiber bicycle, and also to check if my clicker torque wrench is accurate. This product is priced right, simple, and never needs calibration. The scale has torque readings in both in-lbs and Nm. However, a beam type torque wrench is not as easy to use as a clicker torque wrench, because it does not have racheting action. The indicator did not point exactly at zero when I received this tool; the enclosed manual has the instruction on how to bend the pointer until it sets to zero. I have both beam and clicker torque wrenches. If you need to choose one, I think it is best to have the beam-type wrench because you will never have to worry about calibration.

Retuned it 10 minutes after receiving. Flimsy. Tightened one bolt to 40 inch pounds and the pointer went back to around 30 inch pounds and would not go to zero without bending each and every time I tried it.

I returned this.I found this awkward and hard to use properly when working on my bicycle.I know that many people swear by these, but the angles that are needed to turn items on the bike made this "not for me".In fact, after returning this, I replaced both the TW2 and the TW1 with using click torque wrenches, ALL the tightening I did was off with the TW01 and the TW02.To use this properly, you need to "balance" the handle in a neutral position to get the right torque - I just wasn't able to do this properly - I knew this as I was using it and it was confirmed by calibrated torque wrenches that I used after returning this one.I agree that the calibration on this is more assured than the clique types, but if they are difficult to use then calibration is a moot point.

I received the wrench quickly, and it was needed badly to get my truck back on the road. The use I had for it was for measuring preload on the pinion bearing of a differential.Quality seemed decent, but I had an issue with mine. The pointer didn't point to zero, and couldn't be adjusted to do so. I tried flexing the torzue shaft out to 60in.lbs to get it to "zero", but it would still return to show about 4 inch pounds when not loaded, so I had to add 4 to my reading. Problem is, the preload method requiring a "rolling" torque reading, meaning it had to be read during rotation, not the breaking torque reading, which would be the amount needed to start rotation. Getting a reading between 10-12 "/# and subtracting 4 is simple math, but a pain to have to keep up with when it should have read correctly.

I thought about the click torque wrenches but worried about the calibration, etc. This is a plain beam wrench so all you have to do is look at the pointer to make sure it is zeroed before you use it. Granted you have to be looking at the scale to use it which can sometimes be difficult. I like to be able to watch the torque value increase so I can increase it gradually.My 150 ft lb wrench is not practical for my motorcycle which often requires inch pounds. I am so impressed I am going to order the 600 inch pound version. Sometimes low tech is the better way to go.

I've been using more and more carbon components and thought I should abide by the warning labels to avoid over torquing. Bought this, and it has served me well. I'm still not quite sure in the long term how accurate the deflection will be as over time, the properties of the metal from being repeatedly bent would likely change. But considering I'm not a full time mechanic and the use is intermittent, it would likely be years before that ever became a concern.