Birzman M-Torque 4 multi-tool review
It’s easy to achieve proper torque specs when you’re at home. But trail side repairs are often a guessing game.
Lowdown: Birzman M-Torque 4 Multi-tool
The Birzman M-Torque 4 looks like an ordinary multi-tool, but features an integrated torque wrench that has been pre-set to 5Nm. It only has four bits, so you’ll need to carry a secondary tool with you, but you’ll never risk over tightening stem bolts again.
| Tools: 4/5mm hex, T25, and flat head | Price: $25 |
| Torque: 4/5mm hex preset to 5Nm |
Rating:  4 out of 5 |
Pluses |
Minuses |
|
|
|
|
Review: Birzman M-Torque 4 Multi-tool
Whenever I build a new bike, every bolt receives a dollop of Loctite or a healthy slathering of grease and is torqued to spec. But out on the trail, things are a little more flexible. How many times have you fallen, tweaked something, jammed it straight, and gave the bolts a ham-fisted once over?
The Torque button on this Birzman tool is preset to 5Nm.
When you’re on the trail, you don’t have much choice. You have to trust your internal hand calibration, which is not ideal. Enter the Birzman M-Torque 4 multi-tool. This sleek problem solver looks like any other tool, except for a small button on the exterior that clicks when you’ve hit 5Nm.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP5K8LPD4tQ
To engage the torque function, you have to hold the tool precisely. The basic idea is you put your index finger on the pivot and your thumb on the torque button as you apply pressure. Your fingers cannot contact the tool at any other point or the reading will be off. For further explanation, watch the video above.
The M-Torque 4 comes with a 4/5mm hex, T25, and a flat head.
There are four different bits on the M-Torque 4, but only the 4/5mm hex keys opposite of the torque button have this special feature.
The hex keys only extend out to a 90-degree angle, which makes the Birzman a little more difficult to use in tight spaces.
So how accurate can this tool be? After using the Birzman on components, we went over everything with our regular torque wrench and found the readings to be consistent. Changing your hand position on the Birzman can cause small variations in torque readings, but nothing drastic.
At $40, the M-Torque 10 retails for $15 more than the svelte M-Torque 4 and includes six more tools, which makes it kind of a no-brainer.
The only major downside is that this tool has just four bits, which makes it necessary to carry a second multi-tool. It’s also a bummer that only the 4/5mm hex keys get the torque function, especially since SRAM has recently started to embrace T25 hardware.
Luckily, this model has proven popular enough that Birzman launched a larger version. The M-Torque 10 includes a 2.5/3/4/5/6/8/flat head, Phillips, and chain tool. At $40, it’s $15 more than the M-Torque tested here, but includes six more bits and the 4/5mm hex keys and T25 get the torque attention feature.
For more info, visit www.birzman.com.
The post Birzman M-Torque 4 multi-tool review appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.