Price: £59.99 / $TBC
Torque range: 3-15Nm
Weight: 288g grams
Drive size: ¼” square driver
It's a good idea to use a torque wrench when working on modern bikes. Modern road and gravel bikes tend to feature carbon fibre components, frames and wheels, and a torque wrench is the difference between hoping you've tightened a fastener properly and knowing you have.
The best bike torque wrenches give you the means to apply the correct amount of torque to a fastener when tightening it up. In simple terms, if your tightening a bolt or screw, a torque wrench is the tool that will ensure you have tightened it to the manufacturers' recommended spec, which is often, but not always listed on the part.
Today, I'm looking at the M Part torque wrench, which is a more affordable offering for anyone working on bikes. It's a neat little tool and set which comes in a tough plastic case and with seven bits included, which means you can hit the ground running and use it straight away.
M Part is an in-house brand of UK distributor Madison, so this tool may be trickier to find in Europe or the States, though you may be able to order one. The RRP is £59.99, though you can find it for even less online.
Design and aesthetics
The M Part wrench comes in a sturdy plastic case with two snap-lock closures. Inside is the wrench itself, which is silver with a black handle. There's a calibration and instruction leaflet, six Hex and one Torx bit. The Hex bits are 3/4/5/6/8/10mm, and the Torx bit is a T25.
The torque wrench itself covers a torque range of 3-15Nm, so this unit will cover all your standard handlebar, stem, seatpost bolts, derailleur mount bolts, Shimano crankset bolts, etc. It will cover a wide range, but you may need another wrench for cassette and disc lockrings or bigger crankset bolts. Some fasteners and headset parts do have torque ratings lower than 3Nm, but they are more uncommon.
The torque wrench itself uses a 1/4 square drive head. If a lot of your sockets are 3/4" size, as I know mine are, don't worry too much, as the included bits will get you off and running. You can always add more bits or sizing converter sockets as you go.
The wrench has a reversible ratcheting head with a fairly fine action, and a push button on the back of the head releases sockets effortlessly.
There is a see-through torque scale window on the body of the unit, and you adjust the torque setting by pushing the bottom of the wrench in and rotating it. There's even a handy image on the bottom of the bottom if you need help.
The torque wrench is calibrated to the ISO 6789 standard and comes with a paper certificate of calibration in the box. This is a pretty stringent calibration, as I learnt when I took torque wrenches to a calibration lab, and guarantees the wrench is going to be accurate for at least one year of use, which is the interval that most manufacturers recommend getting a torque wrench recalibrated. I believe this rarely happens, at least in the bike industry. A torque wrench of mine was still in calibration after at least two years of heavy use. However, it's good to remember this is a precision tool, and it will pay to look after it.
Torque wrench tips and tricks from the experts.
Performance
This has been a great torque wrench to use so far. The ISO 6789 calibration gives me confidence that I'm working accurately. This goes for any torque wrench, but you will be able to send it for calibration when needed in most territories.
It doesn't cover everything. I needed a 1.5Nm rating on the Canyon Grail gravel bike I recently finished testing, for instance, but for the majority of common jobs on a modern bike, it will prove very useful for the money.
It's around 30cm in length, and the grip is comfortable and easy to use. I also like the clear audible click off when torque is reached. M Part recommends just keeping the hand 'centred on the handle' in use, so just hold the black handle evenly to ensure proper torque.
One thing I found a little niggly at first was following the printed scale for decimal places, the scale doesn't have whole numbers printed. For instance, it goes from 0.8 to 1.2, meaning you have to slow down and take your time to arrive at certain torque ratings. Especially since only even numbers are printed on the white torque scale on the wrench's body. It's hardly the end of the world, but it's more noticeable coming from other wrenches, which are easier to use. I got used to it quickly enough, but it's not the quickest way of working.
The other thing I would recommend purchasing if you don't have it already is a long hex bit and holder so you can torque down shifter clamp bolts, which often get overlooked. A long bit will also help on other hard-to-access bolts, like seatpost clamp frame bolts, for instance.
It's nice to have a case included, and it keeps the unit dust and dirt free and adds to the value offering again.
Value
I think this tool offers pretty solid value. It's made in China, I believe, and I have seen similar looking units on offer from other brands, but the ISO calibration is a seal of accuracy.
In use, the wrench has done exactly what it says on the tin for me. The scale is my only small gripe, and as mentioned, the included chrome vanadium bits and case add to the overall quality of the package, especially considering the price.
Verdict
This is a good value offering from M Part that ticks a lot of boxes at a competitive price point. The included bits allow you to hit the ground running, and the ISO calibration gives confidence. I enjoy using it and will continue to use it to work on a range of bikes.
