Any reason *not* to the get the new Park ATD-1 torque driver?

[Avincent52]

Coming to the realization I need a torque wrench but I wasn't loving the alternatives--the $25 preset drivers or the $100 clicking torque wrench from Park or Shimano.

Then I found this:
The Park ATD-1 which is kind of like a pre-set driver on steroids, in that it'll cover the most common sizes and tensions for the bolts that get tweaked (stem, seatpost/binder, brakes, derailleurs, etc)

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/park-took-adjustable-torque-driver-review-2015.html

Anything I'm missing here or should I just buy this thing?

[bjf]

There's some stuff on my bike that wants 8nm, and this tool doesn't go there. Just a consideration.

[54ny77]

no, i just bought it and it's terrific.

yeah you need a 6mm allen key to adjust the torque settings, and a hand adjustment would be better, but it's no big deal. just keep a 6mm allen tool right next to it in your pars bin.

bjf brought up a good point. i have separate tools (allen socket on a different torque wrench as well as a big allen key which i use most often anyway per my reasonably accurate whiff-o-meter torque setting, i.e., tight, but not obscenely tight) for pedals. the park tool won't work for that.

[CSTRider]

Here's another torque tool that has a greater range (2-8 NM), and is cheaper (about $56 including shipping):

CDI TorqControl Screwdriver, 2-8 Nm, 1/4-Inch Hex Magnetic Bit Shank with 6 Bits, #TLA28NM (http://www.industrialsupplydenver.com/cditosc28nm1.html)

[dpk501]

it sounds annoying to use and adjust.

Get the CDI...high quality and good range and inexpensive to boot.

http://www.amazon.com/CDI-Torque-Wrench-Tool-Bits/dp/B00IQBIHA0

[DrSpoke]

The PRO (Shimano, I know) is on sale at Bike Tires Direct - lowest price I've seen on that site: https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/pro-torque-wrench

[benb]

You can always get the Craftsman one and a set of hex sockets reasonable as well..

Last time this came up ISTR finding an angry post about this on MTBR by a mechanical engineer at Ford who was saying the need for fancy torque wrenches for biking is ridiculous as the Craftsman ones hold up fine being used thousands of times a day on car assembly lines and get recalibrated once every few months and then thrown out after a year or two...

It'd take most of us a lifetime to use the wrench as much as they do in a day.

The park looks overpriced at $75 for what you're getting.

I still want to get a set of the pre-set drivers personally though.. they save a lot of time. I have two torque wrenches already but if I am just doing a couple bolts or a stem or something where everything is the same torque spec it wastes a good bit of time getting the adjustable wrench out, finding the right bit, setting the torque, and then unsetting the torque when I'm done... the pre-set driver saves quite a few steps.

[Avincent52]

The Craftsman is $75, and I can get the Shimano or the Park for the same money. Don't love the fact that the Craftsman is calibrated in lbs/feet instead of Nn.

In terms of actual use, how does a driver like the Park or the CDI compare to the Shimano?

Don't expect I'd be using the higher range of the torque specs too often, so let's concentrate on how they're likely to perform on seaposts, stems and the like.

Thanks much.

[benb]

The Craftsman has both markings on it. (At least mine do)

The Park one is annoying because it doesn't have many torque settings and as the review says you need to use an allen key to set the torque setting.

All of these are likely fine for covering the small parts range but most of them (Park, Pro, small craftsman, Effetto Mariposa IIRC) do not cover the ranges you need for pedals (I never torque those personally) and bottom brackets (which I do like to torque if possible)

Cassette lockrings are also above the max torque of most of these small wrenches (Shimano = 45Nm IIRC) and that is something I have frequently had make noises when the shop does it and doesn't torque it properly. Never any noise from the cassette when torqued properly IME. (Actually I had a crank start to fall off in a race after a shop tech didn't torque it properly... that's another one you want torqued correctly)

The PRO one seems good at that price since it includes a nice case and bits.

You end up needing a bunch of other attachments to really do this right. IIRC when I do cassettes I use:

- Big torque wrench
- Park FR-5
- Big Socket that can fit over the FR-5
- 1/2" to 1/4" adapter IIRC?

There are several tools needed for doing BBs too although if you have press fit BBs all that goes out the window. (One of the Park BBT-xx tools)

[one60]

I have found the adjustable CDI to be a great tool. Its well proportioned, has a comfy handle and is simple to set. It comes with a few well made bits including a long T25 torx bit which is perfect for attaching Campy shifters.

The Park tool or similar torque wrenches are probably great tools but for the home mechanic the CDI will meet all your needs.

[drewellison]

I'm liking my CDI torque wrench which I got a while ago.

My only complaint is that the bits are magnetically attached to the wrench and often after I torque something, when I pull the wrench off, the bit stays in the nut. Otherwise, it's just about a perfect tool.

Yes, plastic so you can't just drop it on your concrete floor all the time. And it's not big enough to do cranks, but it's not designed for that.