Reliable Torque Wrench

[chopthebass]

Can anyone recommend a reliable torque wrench that can be trusted? Being in Canada my choice seems to be limited, and I have heard the Canadian Tire ones are about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle. I'm happy to ship one fro the US.

[Ray]

I have a 1/2" Snap-On, a 1/4" and a 3/8th" Harbor Freight. For other than engine assembly, the Harbor Freight ones work fine. You have such a wide target range of torque values that as long as you are over the minimum, you should be fine.

Ray

[68GT500MAN]

I have both a 1/2" and 3/8" Craftsman in my tool chest. They were bought many years ago before K-Mart bought Sears so I do not know if todays tools are of the same quality.
Doug

[maczter]

I am sure your post will, and should, elicit some good responses. I come from a background in the US military, where torque wrenches required calibration on a regular basis. They do lose their effectiveness over time with age and use, and should be re-calibrated (if they can be adjusted and their value warrants it), or replaced if economically feasible. These are MY opinions and come with over 30 years of using them for various uses (automotive, aircraft and weapons maintenance).

I have a Craftsman 1/2 drive that I keep for sentimental reasons, but do not use it anymore as it is over 25 yrs old. I actually had it tested 15 years ago, and it was off by over 6 lbs at 70 then. That being said, I buy middle of the road torque wrenches, use them for my occasional use, and replace them after 5-6 years. Overkill, maybe, but when it comes to some of the toys I work on, better safe than sorry. To say that a wrench "is OK if it meets the minimum" is not sound advice. Tools that are this important, should be given some thought.

Never, repeat, never buy one of the torque bar indicator types...too cheap. But do you have to buy a $200 Snap-on? In my experience, most Harbor Freight tools are great for occasional use, but something like this, I would buy Craftsman, or one from a tool maker with a good rep. Personally, I have two from Autozone (1/2 <150 lbs and 3/8), one from Sears (3/8 in lbs) and one from Performance Tools (1/2 <250 lbs) (Summit Racing).

[68GT500MAN]

maczter, you bring up a good point. I do have my wrenches checked every two years (at work) and they are still within spec. (not a whole lot of use like the military would have).
Doug

[chopthebass]

I didn't even know you have to have them checked! So do they re-calibrate them if they are out?

[Boz1911]

I've used a Proto 1/2 drive torque wrench for over 35 years and it still performs flawlessly. And yes I've had it checked and calibrated by a friend at a major Atlanta based airline.

[maczter]

Proto's are good tools. I want to amend my earlier post. I did a little research into the calibration of torque wrenches. Seems, that once a year or every 4000 cycles is the norm. So I am rethinking my buy and replace scheme. This company will calibrate a standard click style for $48, with free return shipping. I am going to get my old Craftsman checked to see where she stands. It has been in my box gathering dust, so it cannot hurt.

http://www.teamtorque.com/service_repair.html

[skullandbones]

I don't think the clicking type wrenches go bad on the shelf so if your use is low frequency like an occasional torqueing a set of heads or suspension bolts, you can go quite a while without worrying about the calibration. If you use the tools per spec that is don't use with extensions except when necessary and other attachments that cause the torque to vary (without correcting on a known table), you will fair much better with your accuracy. I have a Craftsman and two HF 1/2 and 3/8. The 3/8 is almost never used. I check one 1/2 against the other occasionally. They are very close. But that will be a task to add to the to do list eventually (calibration check). My SBF roller rockers are not adjustable so they have to be torqued to 22 lbs. I think that is pretty critical. For most of the tasks I do, these tools are adequate. I reiterate that proper technique is as important for the tool's accuracy with the given that you have a correctly calibrated one. Good luck, WEK.

[VdubJoe]

Here's a test article. Interesting results.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_1304_torque_wrench_testing/


Joe

[Doutie]

Another quality choice is Precision Instruments. I believe they were making Snap-on's torque wrench. You can buy direct from them on line and their prices are half of what Snap-on charges. I'm a diesel mechanic and use my torque wrenches a lot. I recently replaced my 3/8 Snap on with one of these and they look identical. Love half the price. Also I recommend a split beam style because you don't have to unload the spring after use. Micro-meter wrenches that are set by twisting the handle, load the internal spring and if left with the spring loaded for extended time the calibration will be effected.