Spoke tension meter

[Blue Hills]

Thinking of getting one of these.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tool-spoke-tension-meter/

I get the impression that it's the default choice if you don't want to pay mega bucks for something that looks like it came out of my horror memories of O level physics.

Is it easy to use?

Decent quality?

Pretty robust?

They do also sell the X tools one for a lot less.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-x-tools-spoke-tension-meter/

Anyone used that?

Have also heard the dread word "calibration" whispered in connection with these things.

Something I should worry about?

 

[All uphill]

I'm into building wheels but rely on "pinging" spokes to identify any that are too tight or loose. Seems to work for me, and is much quicker than using a guage.

 

[Cycleops]

Best tension meter made

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I got one of those after learning to build wheels and to be honest think it was a mistake. Spokes are now pinged to judge tension and my wheels seem to be better for it.

 

[I like Skol]

Never had one, don't want one, don't need one!

I build my own wheels and they stay strong and true, despite my hooligan abuse.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'm into building wheels but rely on "pinging" spokes to identify any that are too tight or loose. Seems to work for me, and is much quicker than using a guage.

Fine if it works for you but I'm not that musical I'm afraid and I fear for my fingers.

 

[I like Skol]

Fine if it works for you but I'm not that musical I'm afraid and I fear for my fingers.

Ask experienced wheelbuilders if any of them use a spoke tensionometer?

 

[Blue Hills]

Ask experienced wheelbuilders if any of them use a spoke tensionometer?

I'm an inexperienced (very) wheel builder skol.

 

[I like Skol]

I'm an inexperienced (very) wheel builder skol.

I'm not sure how a tensionometer will help you? Wheel building is pretty much all about eye and feel, torque at the spoke key should tell you how tight the spokes are.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

Ask experienced wheelbuilders if any of them use a spoke tensionometer?

I know at least 2 that use expensive tension meters.

You can judge relative tension between spokes by tone and that works very well.

If you are building your on wheels you can do whatever you like but when you build for somebody else or for money you have to consider that you don't over tension the spokes with regards to the rim recommended max tension.

I use a tensiometer, not for my wheels though. I use tone while I build the wheel and when I feel that I have just about the right tension I measure the tension on a couple of spokes to make sure I've not gone over the recommended max tension. There's no need to measure every spoke tension, at that point all spokes tension aren't far from each other. The two wheel builders I know use the tension meter for all spokes, I know that one of them is tone deaf.

As I said before, for your own wheels, tone alone is good enough as long as you have an idea what a spoke sounds like when it has sufficient tension.

To judge the tension for flat blade spokes is very hard, you might think they feel the tension is enough when in reality you are way short.

The tensiometer comes with a list of values for different spoke gauges but if the spoke you need to measure is not in the list then you have a problem. I have a device for those occasions, I tension the spoke on the device to the desire tension and then I measure the tension with the tensiometer, the value I get it's my target.

 

[neil_merseyside]

I have a cheap spoke meter and I use it to check for even tension, I did cheat and tested many a wheel first (cafe stops, only all hand builts) to get an idea of the numbers that my device uses. So lots of exotic stuff has low spokes count, lots of tourers have 'how many' spokes, and then the custom built stuff have spoke numbers somewhere in between, took me a few weeks to gather lots of data - and no I can't find it now...
I still use the meter for double checking, but the mark 1 finger finesse of tightening, or even the mark 2 death grip (in gloves) of stress relief tells me such a lot more than playing the wheel as a harp ever would - guitar tuning apps needs investigation methinks.

 

[PpPete]

I'm fairly tone-deaf, so I use a Park one to save asking Mrs P to tell me "sharp or flat" 32 times on every wheel.
Tool is fairly robust IME, and no, i've never had it calibrated, it's much more to get an assurance that the tensions are more or less even around the wheel (as well as lateral & radial trueness and correct dish).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I have the park tool one and it does the job no problem.

 

[dodgy]

I also have the park tension meter, really handy and imo better than relying on the 'ping' sound which is highly subjective to my ears.

 

[Velochris]

https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/support/tensiometers/

A general discussion on tension meters. If you are fairly new to wheel building his online book is very good value.