Effetto Mariposa Torque Wrench

[BdaGhisallo]

A few you have mentioned having this new italian-made torque wrench. I gather that it is designed specifically for use in the range that bike components call for. How is it holding up for those of you using it? Until I saw a pic somewhere of one in someone's hand, I didn't realise how short it was!

The one concern I would have is calibration. Would it have to be sent back to Italy to be calibrated? I have an old Park click torque wrench and when I set it to 5nm for my Ritchey stem, it clicks out a good bit sooner than the 5nm ritchey torqkey I also have. Is there anyway to verify the accuracy and reliability of this torque wrench?

Thanks,
Geoff

[rnhood]

A few you have mentioned having this new italian-made torque wrench. I gather that it is designed specifically for use in the range that bike components call for. How is it holding up for those of you using it? Until I saw a pic somewhere of one in someone's hand, I didn't realise how short it was!

The one concern I would have is calibration. Would it have to be sent back to Italy to be calibrated? I have an old Park click torque wrench and when I set it to 5nm for my Ritchey stem, it clicks out a good bit sooner than the 5nm ritchey torqkey I also have. Is there anyway to verify the accuracy and reliability of this torque wrench?

Thanks,
Geoff


It could be calibrated here and, if an error existed then a correction table would be supplied - assuming the lab or shop could not adjust it for whatever reason. For a quick check, you can buy a couple belleville washers at your local hardware/fastener store and, this will provide a good indication of relative accuracy.

[Too Tall]

A few you have mentioned having this new italian-made torque wrench. I gather that it is designed specifically for use in the range that bike components call for. How is it holding up for those of you using it? Until I saw a pic somewhere of one in someone's hand, I didn't realise how short it was!

The one concern I would have is calibration. Would it have to be sent back to Italy to be calibrated? I have an old Park click torque wrench and when I set it to 5nm for my Ritchey stem, it clicks out a good bit sooner than the 5nm ritchey torqkey I also have. Is there anyway to verify the accuracy and reliability of this torque wrench?

Thanks,
Geoff
Catch your SnapOn man by the toe...he can test for you.

[J.Greene]

Can this wrench be bought in the US?

JG

[benb]

The Warranty terms & info on that thing are sketchy as hell..

Buy Craftsman, Snap-On, etc.. save some money and get a real tool that has an unconditional lifetime warranty, costs, less, will never never need to be calibrated when used by a home mechanic, etc..

My 2 Craftsman "click" type wrenches cost less that that one.. and they actually cover the full range you need for a bicycle. That one won't be useful for bottom brackets, cranks, and shock/swingarm mounts if you have a MTB.

BBs and Cranks are the most important thing to torque since they work free so easily if they're not fully torqued.

The only thing that wrench has going for it is the marketing.. I'm sure it pulls plenty of people in who think bicycles are magical and everything from Italy is best.

[sspielman]

The Warranty terms & info on that thing are sketchy as hell..

Buy Craftsman, Snap-On, etc.. save some money and get a real tool that has an unconditional lifetime warranty, costs, less, will never never need to be calibrated when used by a home mechanic, etc..

My 2 Craftsman "click" type wrenches cost less that that one.. and they actually cover the full range you need for a bicycle. That one won't be useful for bottom brackets, cranks, and shock/swingarm mounts if you have a MTB.

BBs and Cranks are the most important thing to torque since they work free so easily if they're not fully torqued.

The only thing that wrench has going for it is the marketing.. I'm sure it pulls plenty of people in who think bicycles are magical and everything from Italy is best.

*ALL "click-type" torque wrenches need to be re-calibrated or checked periodically..regardless of where they were manufactured. This is true whether they are used alot or sit in the toolbox...

* A torque wrench may provide readings over a given range, but it is only really reliable in the middle of the specified range....

* Torque wrenches are especially useful at applying 'just enough" tightness for sensitive bolts such as the stem binder bolts when using a carbon fork column, a seatpost binder woth a carbon seatpost, etc...

[benb]

Yes but you buy a certain quality level and they'll tell you the calibration schedule.

If it's 10,000 torque applications it's essentially infinite for the home bicycle mechanic.. you don't worry about it.

And no, if you unload the springs (as the instructions will say) they shouldn't wear out sitting in the toolbox.

Point being read that website.. they are not going to stand behind that tool... there is essentially 0 warranty, you basically can return it right away if it's broken out of the box, otherwise forget about it. That's totally unacceptable for a $150 wrench.

Heck if you're going to fret about calibration on a click type go get a Park Beam type, even cheaper, more then good enough, and so dead simple it's very unlikely to ever break.

A lot of the carbon foo-foo parts you're playing with fire anyway.. cause in this day of build the sh*t in Taiwan as fast & cheap as you can they either don't supply torque specifications, or they are wrong.. Watch as your part snaps off at 60% of the rated torque or the bolts snap at 50% of the rated torque. See if your shop even uses a torque wrench for small stuff.. chances are they often don't. I've had some real eye opening experiences working on stems, handlebars, etc.. (thank god I haven't seen a steerer crack or anything like that though)

The sad fact is a torque spec is only safe and valid if the person telling you the specification is making all the parts and the fastener and has tested the system as a whole. This is extremely common when you're working on a car or a motorcycle as one company is responsible for the whole product.. it's not on a bicycle. Pick up a handlebar and see it tell you "Check the stem specs for correct torque", then you pick up the Stem and it says "Check the handlebar specs"..

[Kevan]

am I aiming for a 3/8's? I don't know much about these beasts. Do I then need a set of metric-sized hex heads?

For the infrequent user, what style is best?

Sears is more my budget. Web links would be helpful to know what setup works. Thanks

[dave thompson]

am I aiming for a 3/8's? I don't know much about these beasts. Do I then need a set of metric-sized hex heads?

For the infrequent user, what style is best?

Sears is more my budget. Web links would be helpful to know what setup works. Thanks
The Craftsman 3/8" beam torque wrench from Sears http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00944690000P?vName=Tools&keyword=44690 is near perfect for a home mechanic; cheap, reliable and easy to read. You can buy the correct sized hex heads at Sears too. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00934448000P?vName=Tools&keyword=metric+hex+head

[BdaGhisallo]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I will leave the Mariposa well alone. I'll stick with my Torqkey and get myself a Park beam torque wrench.

Thanks so much,
Geoff

[crSteve]

The Giustaforza is fantastic for precision lightweight parts. If you ride carbon you should have a torque wrench specific for the job. It is also easy to use on things like zero offset seat posts.

Can this wrench be bought in the US?
Yep. Check your local bike shop and if they don't have it check online at CantitoeRoad.com (http://www.cantitoeroad.com/catalog/).

The Warranty terms & info on that thing are sketchy as hell..
Buy Craftsman, Snap-On, etc.. save some money and get a real tool that has an unconditional lifetime warranty, costs, less, will never never need to be calibrated when used by a home mechanic, etc..
While I agree that if you don't ride carbon, a Snap-On dial gauge torque-o-meter (excellent for up to 125 foot-lbs), and a Craftsman (for heavy torque values), are a bit awkward but as good as they get. However, if you do ride carbon you need a bicycle specific torque wrench like the Giustaforza. Over torque on a carbon part is never good.

The torque tolerance of the Giustaforza is guaranteed for +-4% for the first 5000 cycles ('clicks'). After each calibration the wrench is returned to the customer with a calibration certificate, and the +-4% tolerance guarantee is extended for 5,000 cycles. In addition, if you bought the wrench from CantitoeRoad you can return the wrench within 30 days for any reason. If you have other problems past the first 30 days contact the shop where you purchased the wrench. Alberto, the guy who created the Giustaforza and runs Effetto Mariposa, is a real stand up individual and he produces a high quality product.

Yes but you buy a certain quality level and they'll tell you the calibration schedule.

If it's 10,000 torque applications it's essentially infinite for the home bicycle mechanic.. you don't worry about it.
The calibration service for the Giustaforza only needs to be done after 5,000 cycles (clicks/torque applications), which is roughly two years of heavy use in a bike shop. As long as the wrench is set back to 2Nm at the end of each use this wrench will last a very long time for home mechanics. The calibration can be done through CantitoeRoad.com at a cost of $50 plus shipping expenses.

[pdxmech13]

.....however I have been using mine now for a few months and have found it to be a great tool. I have used many a torque wrench and the size and weight of this one is just perfect for its purpose.