Would/do you trust a HF torque wrench?

[Outlawmws]

Yes... Another thread that turned into HF versus SO.. And my Tool is Better than yours, and its cheaper/More Expensive to boot. I wonder who the First culprit was who actually brought Snap on into this thread..... Interesting, Yet not suprising.

Post No 15, but to be fair it was not derogatory to Snap On; nor were any of the 20 odd other snap On references derogatory to Snap on. a couple of statements about a couple of TW needing calibration, but even those had no trace of animosity, they were either neutral or concerned or in my case, a question as to whether it was the same one being repeated...

 

[Hiball]

Post No 15, but to be fair it was not derogatory to Snap On; nor were any of the 20 odd other snap On references derogatory to Snap on. a couple of statements about a couple of TW needing calibration, but even those had no trace of animosity, they were either neutral or concerned or in my case, a question as to whether it was the same one being repeated...

K.... My Bad.. I see now that the OP asked for "20 odd" posts referencing Snap on torque Wrenches. <--- Sarcasm.

Oh.. And as i referenced in #4, All Torque Wrenches need Occasional Calibration to be Reliable and Accurate.

 

[Butters]

If you have not had your hands on one, had not had one checked for calibration, then your opinions are based in ignorance.

Actually, my knowledge comes from what I read on the internet. Therefore, my opinions are based on other people's ignorance.

It IS pretty amazing how some people can so fervently bash or promote a particular tool without having actually seen, touched, or had any firsthand experience with it. They aren't even open to the possibility that something they have never seen is different from what their preconceived expectations.

Nothing wrong with having a general opinion. I have general opinions that HF sells a lot of garbage and Snap On sells really good tools. But to go from that general opinion and assume something from HF couldn't be good or something from SO couldn't be garbage is crazy.

Thankfully we're just talking about people's tools and not people's races - 'cause there's a whole klan of "toolists" around here!

 

[Outlawmws]

K.... My Bad.. I see now that the OP asked for "20 odd" posts referencing Snap on torque Wrenches. <--- Sarcasm.
SNIP.

I don't get need for the sarcasm. In a discussion, comparisons are made. Done constructively, no harm no foul. Nothing negative happened in reference to Snap On, nor Proto, nor the other TW makers referenced. Can the same be said about some of the unilateral comments about HF in general or about the HF TW specifically?

Discussing the differences equitably and factually should be the way posts and threads about tools and opinions on those tools should be made. Inane unsupported attacks and slanders about the companies and the intelligence of other posters has no place in the discussion IMO. There is NOTHING to be gained by going there. That is the behavior of trolls feeding their ego at the cost of others, or "drive by snipers" feeding their ego the same way.

 

[Drisco Z71]

I should have known this would happen when I made this thread. I can understand where the snap-on guys are coming from. If I found out that there was a tool for $13 that did the same thing as my $300 one I would be very skeptical and or pissed off.

That ought to get the SO guys all riled up.

 

[MD11]

Bottom line, a $1 HF #2 philips will work just as well as a $12 PB Swiss #2...

I'd just prefer to own the better made one. Do what you like... its' your money.

 

[Hiball]

I don't get need for the sarcasm. In a discussion, comparisons are made. Done constructively, no harm no foul. Nothing negative happened in reference to Snap On, nor Proto, nor the other TW makers referenced. Can the same be said about some of the unilateral comments about HF in general or about the HF TW specifically?

Discussing the differences equitably and factually should be the way posts and threads about tools and opinions on those tools should be made. Inane unsupported attacks and slanders about the companies and the intelligence of other posters has no place in the discussion IMO. There is NOTHING to be gained by going there. That is the behavior of trolls feeding their ego at the cost of others, or "drive by snipers" feeding their ego the same way.

K.. Stick around here a bit longer and you'll get a chance to see how these threads generally turn out.

BTW.. I seen 4 Negative posts out of 85 reviews about the HF torque Wrench... So Yes i can say the same can be said about Unilateral comments in regards to the HF torque wrench. Unless of course..

Personally NO.. But there are lots of people here who claim they are accurate, like all calibrated tools they require periodic testing and "I" choose to favor a company that specializes in torque applications.

My quote gets everyone's ******* in a bunch? I have nothing Negative to say about he HF Torque wrench, I dont own one.. I just choose to Purchase Calibrated tools from People who soley specialize in the Craft.

Anyways.. No reason to Interupt the OP's Thread, I gave my opinion based on the OP's Question, Informed the Uniformed that Snap On isnt the OEM for there Torque wrenches.

Proceed...

 

[trboxman]

Here is a cheaper alternative to test your torque wrench.

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-torue-adapter-68283.html

Or you can order one of these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0031QPJZG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Butters]

My quote gets everyone's ******* in a bunch?

Hiball -

I may be mistaken, but I didn't read any of the previous posts to be calling you out as staring this mess. The one post that specifically mentioned your post didn't appear to call you out either - in fact it specifically said it wasn't derogatory.

How about a group hug?

 

[Outlawmws]

Yep, I'm well aware of how "these threads" usually turn out. Which is why I try to stay out of the obvious ******* contests and griping threads. I had hoped that maybe this one might be a little different... Shame on me.

 

[Hiball]

Hiball -

I may be mistaken, but I didn't read any of the previous posts to be calling you out as staring this mess. The one post that specifically mentioned your post didn't appear to call you out either - in fact it specifically said it wasn't derogatory.

How about a group hug?

Thats what i was getting at, I only seen 4 Derogatory posts aimed at the HF torque wrenches. I Honestly didnt think i made a derogatory post, But as some said there is alot of reading between the lines here. You will NEVER find me make a claim about a tool i dont either have in my hand or have used, I dont get off on typing for my health. Im good on the Hug........ Thanks anyways.

 

[Outlawmws]

Hiball -

I may be mistaken, but I didn't read any of the previous posts to be calling you out as staring this mess. The one post that specifically mentioned your post didn't appear to call you out either - in fact it specifically said it wasn't derogatory.

How about a group hug?

Second this, I didn't see you post anything derogatory.

 

[Kaervak]

Well, I have the 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" Harbor Freight torque wrenches. So far I've only used the 1/2" drive for torquing lug nuts. I also have a 1/2" Craftsman beam torque wrench from the 60s/70s. Last time I rotated my tires I checked the HF wrench against the Craftsman one. Torqued the lugs to 100ft/lbs with the beam, then followed up with the HF at 100ft/lbs. The HF wrench clicked at 100ft/lbs without moving the lugs. Bumped the HF wrench up to 110ft/lbs and the lugs moved a bit and the wrench clicked, switched to the Craftsman beam and got it up to 110ft/lbs, barely any movement from the lugs.

Laboratory accurate, 100% fail proof test? No, but it's good enough for me. As others have said an uncalibrated wrench from any maker is useless.

 

[redwrench60]

Would I trust a HF torque wrench?........NO. Based on my experience with their simple/non-complicated tools Theres no way I'll trust a precision instrument from them, especially long term. Interesting side note; all 16 techs at work including myself almost all exclusively use Snap On torque wrenches for all our needs. We send a lot of work out performed by these wrenches and I don't see any broken bolts or comebacks. They must be doing something right.

 

[mudflap]

NO..... That is one thing you dont want to cheap out on. I am not a HF basher by any means, they sell some items that i like, last week i bought a box of auto type fuses from there, the plastic splits and falls off before you can even get them in the fuse box. Its trial and error with them.

 

[pipsters]

whats the point you'll need that calibrated too

True but the chances that both are off are pretty slim to none. Plus, if you click on the amazon link, there was a guy who bought one and used his military grade torque testing equipment to check the thing. IIRC he was saying throughout the range it was off by about 0.4 ft-lbs. Certainly damn good.

He even tested it below the units 29 ft-lb minimum and it was also very close.

I dunno, seems like a great way to go IMO. I found them on another site for around $32 + shipping. There is a 3/8" version that goes from 20-99 ft-lbs.

 

[tyndall]

Would I trust a HF torque wrench?........NO. Based on my experience with their simple/non-complicated tools Theres no way I'll trust a precision instrument from them

NO..... That is one thing you dont want to cheap out on.

Proves my point that people buy based on reputation and price and ignore real world facts. They don't care about proven quality as long as their wallets tell them they bought the best.

 

[Hiball]

Proves my point that people buy based on reputation and price and ignore real world facts. They don't care about proven quality as long as their wallets tell them they bought the best.

Not Necessarily.... Whats Proven to You or Someone else doesnt necessarily mean thats "Real World Facts", Especially when conversing over the Internets.. Im sure youve spent some time in the HF Pass/Fail Thread? Ever Notice how there is "tons" of Conflicting Reviews on Items? So which Review is "Real World Facts"? It Always boils down to buying what tool you feel comfortable with, Regardless of COO or Price...

 

[GRX]

thread = "unsubscribed"

 

[redwrench60]

Proves my point that people buy based on reputation and price and ignore real world facts. They don't care about proven quality as long as their wallets tell them they bought the best.

Not trying to start an arguement with you I just answered the OPs question. And yes I do care about reputation and quality, HFs isn't very good overall. I based my opinions on the high mortality rate of the dozen or so tools I tried from them early on. Like I said, the torque tools I am using have proven their quality, the examples are driving down the road right now.

 

[TonyCH]

One thing I would question about cheap tw is: are they all the same? If my neighbor bought one yesterday and I get one today are their performance equal? Can I draw conclusions from somebody elses experience or is it a game of luck every time? So basically is their quality of manufacturing and quality control so good every wrench is equal in performance? Probably not as its something sometimes even high end manufacturers are struggling with. But, is it more likely to get uniform quality from high end manufacturer? Probably. Does this also mean that I can trust the expensive tw to deliver same torque click after click? More likely in my opinion.

Would I trust I had such luck that the wrench I bought is accurate and its performance is repeatable from the box? No. I personally would not trust any tw until it was checked and calibrated. This goes with cheap and expensive, used and new ones alike. Its up to the owner to decide whether his tw is worth of $50 calibration or not.

 

[GoBlue]

That is the smartest post in the whole thread.

 

[wreckercologist]

Another six page thread full of horseshit. By the way, I believe there are better ways to phrase the question "Would/do you trust a HF wrench".

As a side note to the discussion, I repaired the boss' Mac torque wrench by gutting the ratchet mechanism out of a pittsburg TW. The pittsburg was cheaper than buying the damned repair kit from Mac or Proto.

 

[MD11]

One thing I would question about cheap tw is: are they all the same? If my neighbor bought one yesterday and I get one today are their performance equal? Can I draw conclusions from somebody elses experience or is it a game of luck every time? So basically is their quality of manufacturing and quality control so good every wrench is equal in performance? Probably not as its something sometimes even high end manufacturers are struggling with. But, is it more likely to get uniform quality from high end manufacturer? Probably. Does this also mean that I can trust the expensive tw to deliver same torque click after click? More likely in my opinion.

Would I trust I had such luck that the wrench I bought is accurate and its performance is repeatable from the box? No. I personally would not trust any tw until it was checked and calibrated. This goes with cheap and expensive, used and new ones alike. Its up to the owner to decide whether his tw is worth of $50 calibration or not.

I always said that people in Finland were some of the smartest people I've ever met... and this shows why.

 

[tyndall]

One thing I would question about cheap tw is: are they all the same? If my neighbor bought one yesterday and I get one today are their performance equal? Can I draw conclusions from somebody elses experience or is it a game of luck every time? So basically is their quality of manufacturing and quality control so good every wrench is equal in performance? Probably not as its something sometimes even high end manufacturers are struggling with. But, is it more likely to get uniform quality from high end manufacturer? Probably. Does this also mean that I can trust the expensive tw to deliver same torque click after click? More likely in my opinion.

In our case, we have well over a dozen of each of three brands, all bought separately at different times. Of the two high end brands, one is consistent in failing calibration after one year of use. Meanwhile, the other high end brand and the HF has proven themselves to be superior in accuracy and durability. All over a period of years

So how does one choose? World's most popular high end brand - ignoring multiple owner reports on failures as anomalies. An industrial brand at the same premium price with good consistency but bad ergonomics. An import from one of the most low end tools stores in the US - ignoring multiple owner reports of quality and consistency as anomalies.

Lets look at it another way - value. Not to be confused with cost. What seems to be agreed on in this thread is that all TW need calibration. It's tough for someone to get their head around spending $50 to calibrate a $15 TW. The value of any TW that consistently fails is zero. TW's that consistently pass all have the same value, regardless of the cost.

Is it worth paying a 1500% premium for a "feeling" of trust, knowing that all brands can fail and they all have to be checked regularly anyway? When a cheap tool breaks we can beat ourselves up and say we should have gotten something better. When an expensive tool breaks we get to take the blame off ourselves, after all, we bought the "best". We refuse to evaluate the tool on it's own merits. Marketing at it's finest.

 

[demographic]

There's a relatively cheap way to make a testing rig for torque wrenches.
Not exactly rocket science.

 

[Hiball]

So how does one choose? World's most popular high end brand - ignoring multiple owner reports on failures as anomalies. An industrial brand at the same premium price with good consistency but bad ergonomics. An import from one of the most low end tools stores in the US - ignoring multiple owner reports of quality and consistency as anomalies.

Lets look at it another way - value. Not to be confused with cost. What seems to be agreed on in this thread is that all TW need calibration. It's tough for someone to get their head around spending $50 to calibrate a $15 TW. The value of any TW that consistently fails is zero. TW's that consistently pass all have the same value, regardless of the cost.
.

Ain't America great!!!! Not everyone has to have the same views , opinions on products. Where the problem lies is when one group tries to repeatedly convince the other there wrong/right. Food for thought....

 

[gte718p]

In college I had access to cal lab equipment. We tested a large number of hf and craftsman wrenches. Every hf wrench we tested was within 5%. Craftsman was all over the place. The one thing we noticed was the hf was not as repeatable, but still always within spec.