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Todays Torque Wrench test..

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Hiball

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Ive been very interested in some of the Torque Wrench talk of Late and being that im a Tool Nut, I picked up the Harbor Freight 1/2" torque Meter. Obviously this thing is designed to be used with a Standard Ratchet to Torque fasteners down, But it can and has been used in the past to get gauge on a How Accurate a torque wrench is. As far as the Test goes, I simple mounted the Torque Tester in a Vise and proceeded to Pull out my Assortment of Torque wrenches.

HF Torque Indicator.



My 1/2" Drive Torque Wrenches.


PI




PennCraft 1/2" Flex



Probably 10 year old Pittsburgh Torque wrench, New Never Used.




Disclaimer:... This is ONLY a Test using the above components, The Results are not Indicative of the Brand, Only the results of todays test under these conditions.

I didnt know really where to start, Since the HF test unit only goes to like 148 ft lbs, I decided to use 90 and 130 for my 2 benchmarks. I was limited on time so i only did 5 tests at each level, All tests where the same hand placement, Pulling Nice and steady till it clicked. I also ran the setting from min to max and back down to Min, Then set at the desired torque.

HF

90 ft lbs..

1. 90.0 <-- This surprised me.
2. 88.2
3. 92.4
4. 86.6
5. 91.6

130 ft lbs..

1. 130.8
2. 133.8
3. 126.5
4. 132.4
5. 130.5

I was really surprised with the Results, I really figured they would be closer (more consistent), especially after the first time it hit right on the Money.

Precision Ft lb Torque Wrench

90 ft lbs.

1. 91.1
2. 91.3
3. 90.9
4. 90.8
5. 91.0

130 ft lbs

1. 132.4
2. 132.1
3. 131.8
4. 131.7
5. 131.6

I was pretty Happy with these Numbers, While i never hit the Number on the Head. I was happy with the Consistency.

I started to use the PennCraft torque wrench and its became blatantly obvious that it needs some Service at 90lbs it was in the 70's, 130 rang up around 115 consistently. Ill probably see if can get it serviced, it was my Grandfathers and hasnt been abused so ill see what can be done.

Thanks for Reading.. Any Questions? I also have some 3/8" and 1/4" along with a split beam PI that i will be trying to follow up later in the week.
 
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Stephenw

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I have the Alltrade Powerbuilt torque adapter. They have both a 1/2" and 3/8" drive model.

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H

Hiball

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Hootbro said:
Thanks for the test.

The HF seems to be within the +/- 4% of the spec.
Click to expand...

I didnt put Pencil to Paper, but id say you are correct. As i noted its Also a Older style. Does it look like the Current offering? Its kinda Handy as it has dual markings ft lbs on one side and NM on the other side.
 
N

NC-Fordguy

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Thanks for the effort you put into this

Looks like the HF torque meter might be good tool to have to double check ones torque wrenches.

Looking forward to your beam torque wrench results
 
H

Hootbro

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Hiball said:
I didnt put Pencil to Paper, but id say you are correct. As i noted its Also a Older style. Does it look like the Current offering? Its kinda Handy as it has dual markings ft lbs on one side and NM on the other side.
Click to expand...

At +/- 4%

90 = 93.6/86.4 (HI/LO)

130 = 135.2/124.8 (HI/LO)

Your HF wrench does look like the current offerings. I do know with some if not most clickers, the accuracy is at it's worse at the top/bottom 25% of the usable range.

I know you stated that you ran the adjustment full scale a couple of times, I would be interested if you could run the adjustment full scale like ten times and then rechecked to see if the accuracy improves? When I was in the Army and had to take our torque wrenches to the base calibration lab, that was what the calibration techs did with a torque wrench that failed first check or were marginal.
 
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D

diesel research

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Hiball said:
Probably 10 year old Pittsburgh Torque wrench, New Never Used.


3. 92.4
4. 86.6

2. 133.8
3. 126.5
Click to expand...

in a recent thread, i hinted at my hypothesis that the HF model has more imprecise machining, and requires a longer "break-in" period.

I would be interested to see how it acts after about 15 or more cycles at med-high torque (no need to use adapter or keep track) and then running 5 cycles at a torque value of your choice, against the torque adapter.
 
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H

Hiball

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Hootbro said:
At +/- 4%

90 = 93.6/86.4 (HI/LO)

130 = 135.2/124.8 (HI/LO)

Your HF wrench does look like the current offerings. I do know with some if not most clickers, the accuracy is at it's worse at the top/bottom 25% of the usable range.

I know you stated that you ran the adjustment full scale a couple of times, I would be interested if you could run the adjustment full scale like ten times and then rechecked to see if the accuracy improves. When I was in the Army and had to take our torque wrenches to the base calibration lab, that was the calibration techs did with a torque wrench that failed first check or were marginal.
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking the same thing, the PI TW limited at 250 and the the HF was like 170. As I stated earlier the HF was at min 8 years old, it was stored in the release position, but the adjustment was very stiff. I think next time I'm gonna cycle the spring a few more times and see if it loosens up some and brings those numbers in a bit. While it was in spec, it shouldn't vary that much in between pulls.. In all honesty it probably wasn't the best test candidate but it was available.
 
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#1SomeGuy

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What's the accuracy of the torque meter? I would think that it would compound some of the inaccuracy seen in the torque wrenches if it's not significantly more accurate (or calibrated perfectly).
 
H

Hootbro

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#1SomeGuy said:
What's the accuracy of the torque meter? I would think that it would compound some of the inaccuracy seen in the torque wrenches if it's not significantly more accurate (or calibrated perfectly).
Click to expand...

Give the tighter and more consistent readings of the PI torque wrench over the HF, any tolerance stacking is inconsequential in this test.
 
A

andywander

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#1SomeGuy said:
What's the accuracy of the torque meter? I would think that it would compound some of the inaccuracy seen in the torque wrenches if it's not significantly more accurate (or calibrated perfectly).
Click to expand...

Yeah, remember that the test only shows whether the wrench agrees with the meter-and we don;t know how accurate or precise the meter is, either.......
 
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H

Hiball

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#1SomeGuy said:
What's the accuracy of the torque meter? I would think that it would compound some of the inaccuracy seen in the torque wrenches if it's not significantly more accurate (or calibrated perfectly).
Click to expand...

Absolutely.. And I don't have the equipment to test it, HF claims its +/- 2% and based off what I've read it utilizes a strain gauge type measuring system and there fairly simple/accurate. Another reason I used multiple torque wrenches to try and eliminate some things.. I also had a 1/2" drive inch lb torque wrench but didnt have time to test it, it on the to-do list next time.
 
H

Hootbro

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Hiball said:
Absolutely.. And I don't have the equipment to test it, HF claims its +/- 2% and based off what I've read it utilizes a strain gauge type measuring system and there fairly simple/accurate. Another reason I used multiple torque wrenches to try and eliminate some things.. I also had a 1/2" drive inch lb torque wrench but didnt have time to test it, it on the to-do list next time.
Click to expand...

The empirical data suggest there is no tolerance stacking that would explain away the HF variances. The PI wrench readings are only slightly off on the high side. The HF wrench swings both high and low (but still within tolerance).

I think your measuring meter setup is fine.
 
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ex-x-fire

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If you have any exercise weights you can do an accuracy check on the torque meter, put the meter in a vise, hook up a 25'' braker bar to it, hang a weight at 24'', the weight times two should equal the torque reading.
 
L

Loscaldazar

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In for the readings on the Split Beam. Got two of those (3/8 and 1/2).

With all the positive reviews of the HF electronic torque gauge, I might have to pick one up...
 
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Danglerb

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Clickers sometimes need a few cycles to loosen up or get lubricated, something like that. I wouldn't be too happy with that much variation between lug nuts let alone anything internal on a motor.
 
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glenmore

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I just bought one too!

They are on sale for $32 and a 25% coupon makes it $24!

I haven't had a chance to test my torque wrenches (because I haven't bolted down my garage sale vises just yet!:willy_nil
 
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oldtools

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ex-x-fire said:
If you have any exercise weights you can do an accuracy check on the torque meter, put the meter in a vise, hook up a 25'' braker bar to it, hang a weight at 24'', the weight times two should equal the torque reading.
Click to expand...

How is that more accurate than the calibration done at the factory?
 
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SMKS

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The HF torque adapter is a pretty interesting little tool and I've tinkered with mine more than I thought I would. It was definitely a worthwhile purchase.

I'll second what another member added, some manufacturers recommend cycling a torque wrench several times at a higher setting before using them. If would be interesting to see how the results change/don't change on the HF unit if it's cycled first after sitting.

In my case, I usually test my HF torque wrench at 70 ft-lbs.My HF torque wrench is definitely not as nice as my CDI or Armstrong torque wrenches, but it's more than accurate enough for my use, and I would venture to say more than accurate enough for many uses.

And, I know people always ask "what about the accuracy of the torque adapter?"

Well, it's a far simpler design than a clicker torque wrench and comes with a calibration certificate. It's made in Taiwan and appears pretty good quality.

In my case, either all my torque wrenches and the torque adapter are pretty accurate, or they're all off by the same amount in the same direction.

Car Craft recently bought a HF torque adapter and tested it against calibration equipment and found the HF unit they bought was quite accurate:
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_1304_torque_wrench_testing/
We originally gathered a small collection of standard 1⁄2-inch drive clicker torque wrenches including a Snap-on, a Craftsman, and a Harbor Freight. Then we discovered a digital torque adapter sold by Harbor Freight. This small unit fits in between a standard 1⁄2-inch drive breaker bar and the socket, and using a digital strain gauge, it converts the torque applied through the adapter into a digital readout. At a typical Harbor Freight price of $39.99, we decided to include it in our test. We frankly didn’t expect this little unit to be very accurate. But testing proved otherwise.

We ran the torque adapter through five consecutive applications of 70 lb-ft of torque to watch it hit within 0.10 of a lb-ft twice and actually hit exactly 70 lb-ft on one occasion. The average of the five tests was an amazing 70.1 lb-ft. The unit offers a digital readout and warning lights, and it even emits a progressive electronic beep when nearing the pre-selected torque.

Read more: http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_1304_torque_wrench_testing/#ixzz2VDvyMrpG
Click to expand...
 
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bimmerZ5

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ex-x-fire said:
If you have any exercise weights you can do an accuracy check on the torque meter, put the meter in a vise, hook up a 25'' braker bar to it, hang a weight at 24'', the weight times two should equal the torque reading.
Click to expand...

that's actually not accurate for many reasons. 1. the exercise weights are not produced to accurate weight... a 5lbs plate might actually be 5.12 lbs. 2. the breaker bar you suggest as a lever has its own mass all along the 25" length, which combined with gravity applies torque by its own weight.
 
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CWP1616L

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That HF is no where near accurate enough for me, but that P.I. would be just fine.
 
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SMKS

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Well, I'm off of work today so I decided to toss in some info for this thread.

Note - I'm not saying this is a scientific test, just that this is some casual data gathering by a DIY'er.

Also, how you pull can really affect the consistency of this torque wrench. A slow, steady solid pull that completes the clicking cycle seems to give me the best accuracy.

Anyway, here's what I did:

This torque wrench is about 5 years old and has been used a lot by me over the years to torque wheels and suspension parts. I also own CDI and Armstrong clicker torque wrenches and a couple beam torque wrenches.
attachment.php



I'm trying to give an honest perception of how the torque wrench works, good and bad, so I'll tell you exactly what I did.

I used my car as a testing device:
attachment.php



First, I decided to do a bunch of pulls to see how the consistency changed after several cycles. (All cycles performed with wrench set at 70 ft-lbs)

I didn't set the parking brake securely enough right off the bat and the car moved a lot on the first two pulls, which netted these low results. I actually would discount these, as I think it's my fault for not securing the car well, which gave inaccurate pulls that didn't follow through the click. But, to be fair, I included them:
65.7
65.4

The car was then better stabilized and I went through a number of cycles. Here's what I got:
67.9
66.9
66.3
67.2
69.7
70.2
68.3
68.2
68.9
68.3
69.1
67.8
69.9
69.5
69.3
69.9
69.5

Then, I ran the torque wrench all the way up and down and cycled it several more times. (NOTE - It's starting to get difficult to twist the grip on the this torque wrench sometimes. It may be reaching the end of it's usable life at 5 years and lots of use).

I then got these results (NOTE - these were all good, solid pulls that follow through the click):
69.9
70.6
69.2
69.8
71.0
71.0
68.4
70.6

Conclusions - If you can even take any conclusions from this unscientific example:

-Cycling the wrench does seem to help its accuracy and consistency.

-Consistent pulls that follow though the clicking cycle (for lack of a better term) give more accurate readings, in my case.

-This torque wrench is more than accurate enough for my needs.

-The HF torque adapter is a very interesting little tool that I've used quite a bit. I would encourage any serious DIY'ers to pick up a torque adapter. They're available from brands like Eastwood, Alltrade and I'm sure others.

-A torque adapter may be worth it's purchase price just to show a person how much their pulling method can affect the final applied torque.
 
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pendragon1998

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I would be interested to see the mean and standard deviation of something like 30-50 measurements with the torque wrench cycled down to 10 t-lbs and back to the torque spec each time.
 
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bimmerZ5

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Hootbro said:
What do you do that the HF wrench would not be accurate enough for?
Click to expand...

i doubt that's what he meant. he probably meant to say that the COO of the HF torque wrench isn't good enough for him; has nothing to do with accuracy concerns.
 
H

Hootbro

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bimmerZ5 said:
i doubt that's what he meant. he probably meant to say that the COO of the HF torque wrench isn't good enough for him; has nothing to do with accuracy concerns.
Click to expand...

"no where near accurate enough for me"

His statement is pretty clear on the accuracy not being enough for him. I am just wonder what specialized torquing application that a standard +/-4% deviation is not acceptable? I know there is applications, just wonder what his is?
 
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oldtools

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Hootbro said:
"no where near accurate enough for me"

His statement is pretty clear on the accuracy not being enough for him. I am just wonder what specialized torquing application that a standard +/-4% deviation is not acceptable? I know there is applications, just wonder what his is?
Click to expand...

His nuts?
 
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diggerrick

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I love threads like this - kudos to you guys for the actually doing these tests. Scientific or not, they do provide some useful information and trends.

I bought the Torque Adapter for the same $24 w/ coupon last year. I haven't used it much, but thought it was a must-have if it's anywhere close to being accurate.
 
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