Anyone have a craftsman Torque Meter?

[gb387]

Anyone have a craftsman Torque Meter? I have been thinking about picking one up on ebay. Any pros/cons if them? I would only for use from time to time not everyday use.

Like this:
http://i16.ebayimg.com/03/i/03/23/d5/d7_1_b.JPG

[Luckydevil]

That's pretty cool looking. Are the electronic ones self-calibrating?

[gb387]

not to sure... but I was going to get one off ebay to see what they are like. Not sure if anyone else has used one. Not sure that crapsman even makes then anymore as I can't find them on their site anymore.

[JeremyS]

I was just checking one out at my local Sears. Looks like they've been discontinued because it was on clearance for $119. The unit itself looks pretty fragile.

[C_F]

The unit itself looks pretty fragile.

That's what I thought when I looked at them too.
I was waiting until they went on sale to justify buying one...looks like I may have missed out.

I do like the idea though, hopefully someone will make a better designed one.

[Luckydevil]

I'm pretty sure snap-on makes one. Last time I looked I think it was about $300.

[C_F]

I'm pretty sure snap-on makes one. Last time I looked I think it was about $300.
I didn't know that, I'll have to hit up the Snap-on geek next time he rolls in here. I would assume the quality is better.

[kartracer55]

Craftsman torque wrenches are notoriously inacurate. I was considering buying one, but your probably better off with astandard torque wrench, and not a craftsman one... something like an sk.

Jim

[dink]

Yea I had a Craftsmen Torque wrench and it sucked....the actual ratchet mechanism always came off the teeth so it didnt turn....but it was in awesome shape basically brand new...so a few weeks ago I took it back and exchanged it for some stuff....knowing the wrench was 2 years old....I just told them i bought it a couple weeks ago

[kartracer55]

Yeah THe biggest problemt hat I have read about with those is the torque setting lock colar breaking or not holding. But thats the problem with sears... its all about who can make it the cheapest in the USA.

Jim

[dink]

Well when your a large retail corporation like Sears you can do that and get away with it....they really ultimatly dont care about the hardcore tool guys...we know whats going on...they want the normal home user that uses there tools every once in awhile who wants "USA" but doesnt ultimately care at what exspense in quality they are getting....Sears just wants to make a dollar or 2 with a few cents on the side

[kartracer55]

Yeah, I mean some sears stuff is great... ie thier pro wrenches and screwdrivers. I usually always buy extensions from sears, because thats not someting your gunna break. As for sockets, I will occasionally, but I prefer my SK stuff. Craftsman is great for the homeowner/ weekend warrior, and I dont htink you will find any mechanics who dont own at least 1 craftsman tool. Sears and Snap on are after 2 different markets.

Jim

[EdoubleDeezy]

I’ve never heard or seen of a craftsman torque tester but it is important to calibrate your torque wrench periodically. It depends on the usage but a good rule of thumb is every 6-12 months. If the usage is high then you may want to consider doing it every 3-6 months or sooner. There are a lot of torque wrenches out there so just be careful about which ones you buy. I’ve used a brand called CDI Torque Products and I’ve always been happy with the performance. There are a lot of companies out there that sell torque wrenches. There is one company www.FlexibleAssembly.com that I have used in the past and I’ve always received pretty good service and they have a decent selection of Click, Dial Indicating, and electronic torque wrenches.

Check out the link below…

http://www.flexibleassembly.com/Products/Torque-Wrenches

They also offer torque wrench calibration in case your job requires you to have a torque wrench with certification. I’ve been into some factories where they have their own metrology labs where they do their own in-house calibration instead of outsourcing it. Torque wrenches can be calibrated and certified by using a torque tester. There are some old school versions still out there that use a dial with needle but it’s very tough to gage the accuracy of those. The latest and greatest which have actually been around a while are the digital torque testers. If done correctly you can do your own certification which can save you a lot of money in the long term. I’m all about saving money in these tough times. I’ve seen some torque testers for below a thousand dollars (which is really good!). Check out the FAQ link below…

http://www.flexibleassembly.com/Torque-Testers-and-Torque-Meters

-Deezy

[Danglerb]

Funny you should mention them the same day as a press release.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2478694.htm