Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

2017 Update - In early March of 2015, I learned that Park Tools is contracting the manufacture of their TW-5 torque wrench out to a supplier in Taiwan that uses the same factory in China used by Tekton. After doing a bit of research, I found that the exact same factory which makes this Park Tools TW-5, also makes the Tekton 24320 (The Park Tools TW-5 is roughly $104 to $118 and the Tekton 24320 is roughly $41, .... a huge difference). Naturally suspicious, I ordered the Tekton 24320 and tested it against my Park Tools TW-5. To do an accuracy test, I set both the TW-5 and the Tekton 24320 to 4 Newton meters (35.4 inch pounds) (this is the recommended torque from Easton for their EC90 SL riser bar when mated with a Thomson four bolt stem), in my heavy duty vise horizontally and attached a plumb weight (of known mass) from a string on the end and began dialing the lock ring back down to 4 N m, until the weight made it click. I then measured the distance (from the center of the drive to the center of the handle where the string was tied holding the weight) x weight I used and then converted to Newton Meters, and compared that to the setting at which it had clicked. It turns out the TW-5 is accurate to within 7.1%, while the Tekton 24320 is accurate to 0.9%. However, these type of torque wrenches are more accurate when the internal spring is stretched than when it is relaxed, so a further 1 or 2% correction could be in order either way. For a torque wrench in this range, this is a poor result for the TW-5, and not within the 4% spec Park Tools claims. (there is a method for resetting the wrench back to complete accuracy, but a bit long to describe here). The TW-5 also uses a 1/4 inch socket, so you will want to purchase a 3/8 inch to ¼ inch adapter to use many common socket heads. The Tekton 24320 (no, I do not work for the company) also has some nice features that the TW-5 lacks. The printed scale on the handle is easier to read than the little window in the TW-5. The knurled handle is easier to hold and is solid vanadium steel rather than the plastic of the Park Tools TW-5. Also, the feel of the Tekton 24320 is much more intuitive and when you reach the limit in torque you set, the click and swivel of the head is much sharper, louder and easier to notice. This is a welcome feature when you are wrenching and torquing multiple fasteners quickly. Overall, the Tekton 24320 just feels better and also has a higher quality of construction with more steel used throughout. The only thing I do not like about the Tekton model is that it only measures torque in a right hand direction, while the Park Tool TW-5 measures torque in both directions. But fortunately, on most modern bikes, you only find left handed threads at three places, the left pedal, the right hand bottom bracket cup and the drive side cone. (the left pedal and bottom bracket cup are outside the torque range of the TW-5 anyway). And finally, there is the price. The Park Tools TW-5 is selling for about $104 to $118 currently, while the Tekton 24320 is going for about $41 on average. That is simply a huge amount of difference and when you combine that with the fact that the TW-5 is less accurate, then it becomes almost comical. I have been wrenching on my own bikes for almost 20 years and no doubt, Park Tools makes some fine products (like my five star TS-2.2 professional truing stand) This just isn't one of them. If you really like the Park Tool brand (and I do), look into their older TW-1 beam torque wrench that measures up to 6.8 N m. You can still find it for sale here on Amazon. And, if you want a really high end professional torque wrench look at the CDI wrenches. They make tools for Snap On and their price is about the same as this TW-5 but you get much higher quality. I would also mention that Park Tools has a brand new facility in MN and I am not sure why this TW-5 could not have been made there? I have nothing against the good people of Taiwan, but in this particular case I was spending the extra money on a Park Tools item because I was hoping for a higher level of quality control and workmanship (and with the hope that American workers would be supported even if the price is higher). Outsourcing labor to China and Taiwan and then charging Made in the USA prices is bad for publicity. Especially for educated clients who have the funds to afford high level carbon mountain and road bikes and who would buy the TW-5 for home use on delicate carbon fiber components. Overall, this TW-5 torque wrench is simply beat hands down by the far cheaper and more accurate Tekton 24320 in all categories. In the end, I simply cannot recommend this wrench.