Looking for a new torque wrench

[The Gman 476]

I'm in the market for a new torque wrench. Mine is the pointer style  on a long bar. It's served me well but worn out now.

Looking to find out what everyone has and opinions on them

Click style?

Digital adapter? 

Digital?

 

Best range for what we do?

I've read some reviews on the princes auto (harbor freight) not so good in cases

Any help on your preference would be appreciated.

 

[ebinmaine 62,982]

I bought an inexpensive needle style at the local Napa and it's done just fine.

 

Accuracy is ok but not sure how it would do for precise engine work.

 

HF does ok with some tools but I'd avoid a precision measuring from tool them.

 

[953 nut 51,541]

I have used a Craftsman "Click Style"since the late 1960s and it has served me well. I have no idea how accurate it is, but when torquing a cylinder head or differential assembly I think repeat-ability is the most important thing. If all of the bolts are torqued to 38 ft/lb rather than 35 the torque is off by ten percent but are uniform. I would rather trust a mechanical torque wrench than a digital electronic one any day.    

[lynnmor 6,762]

I have a number or torque wrenches from 1/4” to 3/4” and both click and needle in some sizes. There has been tests of the Harbor Freight torque wrenches and they showed good accuracy.  I have tested my HF against my other wrenches and they showed exactly the same readings. 

 

The most used size for your tractor would be 3/8”.  At the price, buy 1/4” & 1/2” as well.  A HF wrench is cheap, and of course not a high quality tool, but I think you would be fine with using one.

[roadapples 6,981]

Was told by a sales rep, to keep accuracy, before storage, after every use turn back to zero, then one revolution past, then back to zero.

  I never put mine away without doing this. He seemed to know what he was talking about. I figure if it don't help it can't hurt...

[Achto 26,519]

Never! never! store a click type torque wrench under load. Always return them to 0 or the lowest setting before putting them away.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Achto

[Ed Kennell 35,629]

  I used Snap On click type torque wrenches  for 50 years with very few problems.  IMO, they are the most versatile being usable in the dark.

When storing the wrenches, I always backed them off to the minimum setting to take the tension off the spring, and never let it go to or below zero, as I was told  the calibration could be affected if all tension is remover from the moving parts allowing them to take a different set.

Never use a torque wrench to loosen a fastener.

If you must torque a left hand fastener, make sure the wrench is designed for both directions.

If you must use a crows foot or similar extension. adjust the device 90 degrees to the wrench length.

 

                                                     

[WHX?? 46,707]

I've got two older crapman's beam styles and an newer HF click style pos in 1/4 drive  that is useless.  Only measures up to 200 in lbs and no good for setting head torques or anything else for that matter. Don't know about the accuracy of the Crapman's when they get thrown because you have finally discovered you have the wrong head gasket! 

If I had Ed's pockets I'd op for the snap offs but till my ship comes in ...I recently got this for that four letter word we all like that starts with a F.

 

Suposed to be for torqueing flare nuts on AC units but will try it out in the horse barn. Ain't figured out how to use it yet as I no read Chinese but we'll see. It's ajustable but  ain't quite figured out if it's metric or not! Looks like it has a removable head for putting  crows foot wrenches on???

Its got lights and beeper that go off when reaching set values which is kind of handy.

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by WHX24

[Ed Kennell 35,629]

6 minutes ago, WHX24 said:

 

If I had Ed's pockets I'd op for the snap offs but till my ship comes in ...

 

 

Jimmy, Mrs K refuses to mend my greasy tattered clothes, so my pockets are full of holes.  Those were Allis Chalmers and Voith Hydros pockets that I had my hand in  when I bought the best tools available. 

[WHX?? 46,707]

Figured you had those tools left over from yer days on turbine farms Ed! 

[squonk 38,848]

I've have had Snap on for 40 years. My 1/2" spin dial clicker can be stored at any setting. Had it checked 10 yrs ago and it's right on. @WHX24 that 1/4 200in lb wrench is mighty handy when setting a timing belt tensioner on a 2.0 Mitsubishi 4 banger at 8 in lb. I bet you didn't have to pay $250 for yours either!  

Edited September 5, 2019 by squonk

[Tuneup 1,416]

Ditto on the release method for storage. My old SnapOn has had that treatment since, gulp, the 80s when I acquired it. Had an old beam type that seemed to have no problem keeping the Chevelle and Briggs running when I was a teen. Curious about the Snapper, I got an HF digital adaptor for a cross reference so China says it's OK. So much for references but it gave me some piece of mind. Ever compare 4 or 5 air pressure gauges? It's a crap shoot. I've got techs I manage all around this country calibrating torque - none close enough for a drop-in measurement.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,488]

CTC has some of their torque wrenches on sale this week.

1/2 inch - 50-250 ft. lbs. (70-340 Nm)

3/8 inch - 50-250 in. lbs. (6-30 Nm)

 

50-250 in. lbs. = 4.2-20.8 ft. lbs.

 

Notice 20.8 - 50 ft. lbs. is not possible.

 

Garry

[bottjernat1 2,189]

Here is some great ideas i have been looking myself for a 1/2 torque wrench mine just wore out to. bad thing is mine was a blue point and i had a brain fart and chucked it instead of having snap on repair it. arrgg. I am going to buy one from harbor freight i have read up on there click style and digital ones. if you go this route the icon brand is the best that they offer and there very accurate. if not i priced snap-on yesterday and there 1/2 inch click style is $450. OUCH! Here is the site for harbor freight the ones i am looking at compare to snap on and are just as good!! they have cheap ones to but if your like me the cheapest when it comes to a tool you need to rely on is not the way to go. https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=torque wrench

[clueless 2,898]

I've been using my dad's 60 year old 3/8 and 1/2 craftsman beam wrench's for the last 30 years. I've got a big 1/2 in click that I got from a coworker years ago and a 3/8 click I bought from TSC. I never thought the TSC 3/8 was quite right (over torquing) and the 1/2 is way to big for most of what I do. I Was telling my local shop guy about them, and he told me he would call me the next time the snapon truck was there, he has a tester on the truck. A few weeks later he tested them the big 1/2in click was 5ftlb off (under) the TSC 3/8in was 8 over. We tested the two old craftsmans, they were both 2lb over 

[The Gman 476]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

Probably going for the 3/8 click style.

[Lagersolut 613]

All mine are click style - 2 craftsman ( inch pounds -ft pounds ) and 50-250 1/2  Husky I picked up at Home Depot - one of the reasons I bought the husky it was actually made in the USA - needed it to torque the lugs on my truck .

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

Another thing I learned in Engineman A School (fifty years ago!) is that you never use an extension with a torque wrench as it sqews the setting. A torque wrench is calibrated to have only the socket attached.

[roadapples 6,981]

Can't get to the lugs on my truck without an extension....

[ebinmaine 62,982]

10 hours ago, shallowwatersailor said:

Another thing I learned in Engineman A School (fifty years ago!) is that you never use an extension with a torque wrench as it sqews the setting. A torque wrench is calibrated to have only the socket attached.

 

10 minutes ago, roadapples said:

Can't get to the lugs on my truck without an extension....

 

 

I can't remember where or I'd be happy to share it but I remember reading that there are calculations that can be done to account for extra length or different angles for using crow's feet.

 

The thing to remember is that they are calculations that can't be made a hundred percent accurate to the best of my knowledge.

They can't account for the compression and expansion rates of all the different metals.