Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

If, like me previously, you are looking at this torque wrench thinking, "I just spent all this money on my bike and bike parts, I really should be following the proper torque recommendations; especially for these carbon parts.", then read the rest of this. After spending the equivalent on my MTB for what normal people spend on a nicely equipped used car with relatively low miles, I wanted to be sure I was following all the recommended guidelines for tightening the various bolts to spec - especially anything securing the carbon parts. However, having just blown all of said money on the bike and bike specific parts I was foolishly hesitant to go drop another $100 - $150 on a torque wrench. Enter into the equation the Venzo torque wrench. Not a bad looking tool. Seemingly well made, it feels substantial in your hand. Movements of the torque setting are positive and stiff - not sloppy by any means. Actuation of wrench at set limit is not followed by an audible click but from reaching a small dead space movement where the arm slightly rotates room the pivot point of the head to let you know you've hit the setting. So far, so good, right? - read on. Having assessed the product's fit and feel, I decided to test it on something. I tightened a bolt on my lawnmower to 5 Nm. Felt good and I got a feel for actuation. Bike time! The first item I went to check the tension on were the stem bolts (aluminum Ritchey C260 stem with Easton EC90 carbon bar). Set wrench to 5Nm and adjusted. Tight, tig..., - click. Felt good. Next, I went to check the seat post clamp (aluminum frame with Easton EC90 stem). Set to 6 Nm and turned slowly... nothing... still tightening... still haven't hit the feel for the limit... still tightening... stopped. Something just wasn't right. Loosened the bolt back up a bit with an allen wrench. Rechecked the Venzo setting. Started tightening again. Same thing. The bolt just seemed to keep tightening. Dropped the wrench down to 5 Nm hoping to feel the same actuation I had before. Tight, tight, click. Finally! Adjusted up to 6 Nm; tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, tight, click. Thought to myself, "Man that seems a bit odd for only 1 Nm difference." But I trusted the tool. Went on to tighten my suspension bolts bolts next. Looked at the recommended setting on the bolt itself (125 - 150 In Lbs = 14 Nm on the low end.) Set the wrench to 14 Nm thinking I was safe to start at the low end to check. Tight, tight, tight - CRACKCRUNCH! "Mother...!" Just split the suspension bolt. Glad I had a spare. Took out the bad bolt (30 minutes later) and put the new one in. Dropped the Nm to 10 - the equivalent of only 89 In Lbs - supposedly. Started tightening, still tightening, stopped. Pulled out the wrench. Dropped it to 8 Mn. Went to a different suspension bolt with same 125 - 150 range. Tight, tight - stopped. Dropped it to 7 Nm. Went to another bolt. Tig... - click movement. Unreal! Loosened the previous two suspension bolts and tightened to the suppoosed 7 Nm. Realizing the possibility that I just clamped my handlebars and seat post too tight as well I backed those off. Finished hand tightening bolts back up and took bike to my LBS next day to have a safety check on the critical bolts. Told them about the ordeal and they said it sounded like it wasn't calibrated right at the factory. Took the torque wrench to a shop that calibrates them. Lo and behold, it was way out across the range of the wrench - higher the supposed load the higher the variation. Meaning the higher the Nm setting, the higher load it was actually letting me apply. Calibration was about $40 with tax and about $10 in gas to and from the place about an hour plus round trip. The thing works great now. Ended up spending $110 total for it $60 wrench, $40 calibration, $10 gas). My advice - Get a Park Tool and be done with it.