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Recommended torque wrenches

62K views 79 replies 40 participants last post by  Firenailer 
#1 ·
So I picked up my maintenance manual and one handy item I do not have is a torque wrench. It looks like you can get more use out of an inches/pounds one, I just wanted to know if anyone had any recommendations.
 
#2 ·
depends on how much money you want to spend. i have mac AND snap on, but i've been an auto tech most my life. i would recommend sears and craftsman tools. easy to warranty and not very expensive.
 
#3 ·
Craftsman will test out within the allowable percentage when compared to Snap-On. Not as expensive and unless you do it for a living, no reason to spend more money.

I used a Craftsman torque wrench saily for 7 years until the lock broke on the handle. Probably my fault anyway....
 
#5 ·
or use it as a weapon............
 
#7 ·
Agreed. Obviously, 12 inch/lbs = 1 ft/lbs.

However, in order to use an inch lbs wrench on a rear axle, (65 ft/lbs) it would have to read up to 780 inch.lbs. Not likely...

If you're going to do your own work, you'll need both.

As well, cheap-O inch/lbs wrenches will only read no less then 20 inch/lbs, and some bolts are 7, 11 and less then 20 inch/lbs.

Food for thought.
 
#11 ·
I have 8 torque wrenches. Beam type and clickers. Expensive ones and Harbor Freight specials. The cheap ones seem to be accurate enough but I had one that did break. Harbor Freight replaced it. I have a beam type wrench that reads 0 to 60 in lbs. As Dave said, you need at least one that will do very low inch lb. readings. I have a 600 ft. lb. wrench for the Deuce and a Half. Its so big I can hardly lift it, but it will sure do a job on lug nuts.
 
#12 ·
I have 7 torque wrenches . Beam , dial , clicker and electronic , inch pound and foot pound . Usually only use them in critical applications though , otherwise it's wrist / elbow torque !
Inch pound for the #8 , 10 and 1/4 " fasteners , foot pound for the 5/16ths and up fasteners . The back sections in service manuals usually have general fastener size and grade torque ratings .
For occasional use the Harbor Freight torque wrenches work well , just remember to wind them down after use .
 
#14 ·
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I have a chinese made torque wrench that's within spec compared to my Snap-On torque wrench.

Truth of the matter is: You get what you pay for.
 
#15 ·
I've been in a boggle over getting the torque wrenches I need.

All the tools I have either do the job or don't, they don't cost big money, and they don't break.

Torque wrenches do cost big money, they do break, and might not be doing the job and I wouldn't be able to tell.

The Craftsman web site has dozens and dozens of purchaser reviews, on all their wrenches, and they're all bad. It's amazing.
 
#16 ·
Nathang ,
I've had my Snap-On tool guy take all my torque wrenches in for calibration and they all passed and got the cal. sticker . I've got Mac , Craftsman , Harbor Freight and Northern Tools torque wrenches . The torque wrench itself is not rocket science , actually a pretty simple device ! The electronic torque wrenches are less accurate than the snap type and the most accurate are the dial type ! Go figure !
 
#17 ·
Dave63, I used to work for a company that had 200 mechanics and I had to check the accuracy of their torque wrenches. The chinese wrenches sounded like they were working. They would click at the setting selected. But, when checked, they were actually clicking as much as 25% above or below the selected setting. You just didn't know it. No tool repair shop would touch them. We just threw them away, some as new as 2 months. Snap-On were the most accurate; they never needed repair or calibration.
 
#18 ·
Ok....let's see if I can make this clearer: "Chinese Torque wrenches" insinuates EVERY TORQUE WRENCH MADE IN CHINA....EVER.

Do not buy a chinese made wrench.


I'm sure there's more then 3-4 MFGers in China for such a product and could probably bet not ALL of them are junk.

If you got a bad batch or bought from a crappy company, then so be it. But saying that ALL CHINESE made torque wrenches are junk is misleading information.

Truth be told, I've had defective Craftsman torque wrenches. They replaced them.

Again....you get what you pay for. It sounds as if your company skimped on an order based on dollars and cents, when accuracy and dependability was more important.

However.....a lot of companies do that exact same thing.
 
#20 ·
I like the "Beam" type too, Nathan, but you have to be careful never to hit the needle or drop it. I have one that's inch pounds.
 
#75 ·
I used a beam type once to break look front end bolts on a 71 vw bus. Bent that sucker like a pretzel. Took it to sears, guy said, 'What were you doing with it?" I told him, he gave me a new one.
 
#21 ·
Dave63, I just have never found anything good about chinese tools. The only execption is when an American tool maker has his tools made overseas. Then, they are built to a quality standard. No, pittsburgh and central pneumatics are not American tool makers. Chinese torque wrenches are not accurate, chinese allen and torx bits are not sized correctly so they strip the insides of your bolts, chinese lifts are made of soft, sub-standard steel and come with grade 2 bolts, and chinese wrenches and sockets are not sized correctly so they chip the corners off of your chrome bolts. In tools, you get what you pay for.
 
#25 ·
IMHO precision is not in the chinese language. Lots of my buddies use Eagle racing cranks cause the ***** steal is so much cheaper, but brand new they need to be turned cause there isn't 1 journal the same as the other. I would never diagree with Super Dave in open forum but I havn't seen anything out of China that is precision.
I use a torque wrench everyday and wouldn't even consider using a chinese. The best one of the many I own is the newest Snap(it off in ya) On's newest, it has in lbs, ft lbs & what we are using all the time now is torque angle for those streatchy bolts. It is bad azz, it better be for small fortune it costs.
 
#22 ·
Just to add to all this hub-bub about tools . Just got my " thetoolwarehouse.net " tool catalog and remembered I've bought many tools and pieces of related equipment through this vendor with no problems whatsoever . They have an excellent selection of everything including automotive specialty tools . A premium Harbor Freight type of tool vendor .
As far as not buying " cheap " tools ... there's a good place for " cheap " tools in your tool box . A good example is " bender wrenches " . If I need to modify a wrench to do a specific job I don't plan on heating and bending my $50.00 Snap-On 3/4" combination wrench to do a task that I only do once in awhile , I'm gonna grab that $5.00 " cheap " bender wrench , heat it up and bend it the way I want it and use it every now and then when I need it ! Just like that " cheap " Harbor Freight vacuum pump I bought for $16.00 nine years ago that I've bled hundreds of brake systems with and more than hundreds of fork oil changes with .
The tool is only as good as the mechanic wielding it .
 
#23 ·
Damn Nathan that inch pound beam is what I keep lookin for at Sears and they never have one. got the foots most of the time I guees I ought look in the web to see if they have a set. Beams is all I'm smart enough for.
 
#24 ·
I'm pretty sure there is no Craftsman inch pound " beam " torque wrench , just 3/8" and 1/2" . They may sell a different mfg. wrench at their web site though . The Sears stores seem to stock only Craftsman / Sears brand tools mostly .
Duh ... I meant just ft. lb.
 
#29 ·
Just thought I'd pipe in. If you're a professional technician, making your living w/your tools, then Snap-On, Mac, Matco etc. is the right choice. If you're an enthusiast, then Craftsmen or Kobalt (a Snap-On Co.) sold at Lowes will fit the need and price point. It's all about ROI - Return On Investment. Not to mention ease of warranty replacement. If you're a profeesional tech, the major tool trucks show up once a week at the shop. When was the last time a Snap-on truck showed up at your home workshop when you need them? Sears are pretty much in every town.

Most of us have heard of or own a Gearwrench tool. Did you know that Danaher, parent company of Gearwrench, manufactures most of the Craftsmen hand tools. Walk into a Sears and look at the wrenches or sockets. Sears sells both brands and you'll quickly notice similarities. Where are they manufactured? South Carolina and off shore. Bottom line, buying a known brand name, regardless of where they are manufactured will usually result in a higher spec of material & quality control to live up to the name that is etched on the tool.

BTW - read the instruction that come with all torque wrenches. They all state the tool should be calibrated annually. Honestly, like others, mine are used everyday and I find every other year is fine.

Yes, I'm a professional technician, 34 years in business working only on highline imports. Using the right tool for the job should be your first choice.
 
#30 ·
Very well stated, just like Super Dave! and I agree completly. and it was just that, out of necessity to buy an overpriced bolt stretcher when time is money. fumbling with angle meter was becoming costly
just like you said, they all need to be checked cause unlike other tools, they usually don't break physically, they cause what your workin on to break prematurely and not being obvious that the root cause of the failure is it just wasn't tightened enough and/or evenly.
 
#34 ·
Good thread. I currently don't own any torque wrenches and was thinking of picking up a decent / cheap set if one exists. If I use it once or twice a year that would be a lot but it's one of those things that if you need it, you need it.

The more posts I read about doing your own maintenance (which I want to do) kind of boil down to needing one or two.
 
#35 ·
Awesome thread here, just about all of the pros and cons of good and bad tools are mentioned here. I am debating on what I should get for both inch and ft lb wrenches, I am a mechanic by trade so I definitely know you get what you pay for especially when it comes to tools. Like it has been mentioned I am not going to be making a living with the wrenches I buy for my bike, at the same time I need to know it will work when I need it to. One thing I have learned over the years if I had a torque wrench that had not been used for a while, I will run the adjustment up and down the scale and Cycle it at different settings with a bolt in a vice. Just to make sure it is working.
I seen Gear Wrench mentioned also, I have a few ft lb wrenches at work and they are very dependable when I use them just some food for thought
 
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