1/2" torque wrench recommendation

[tech]

anyone know of a good cheap one that they can vouch for...

 

[Catamount]

I love my Husky 1/2" Torque Wrench. I looked at a lot of them before buying and Husky got good reviews, feels well made and is relatively inexpensive at around $70.

Read this:

http://www.sporttruck.com/techarticles/0811st_husky_tools_torque_wrenches/index.html

 

[BWright]

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-instruments-c3fr250f.aspx

 

[back2class]

Any beam style one. Don't know why everyone thinks they need the clicker type. Less accurate, delicate and more expensive. Just get a good old beam style one.

 

[cardude56]

anyone know of a good cheap one that they can vouch for...

What is Cheap to you?

I have a HF I only use for wheel nuts ,$9.99
And an assortment of Craftsman That I bought on sale for 50% off , reg $59.00

 

[terabyte]

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-instruments-c3fr250f.aspx

what he said

torque wrench is not somewhere to go cheap if using for things like engine building

 

[Griff93]

I have three of the precision instruments torque wrenches in the SO variety and would gladly buy them again. They see daily use.

 

[T1320T]

As mentioned above, you don't want to skimp on a torque wrench, especially if you're doing things like engine assembly where the torque needs to spot on. I will say that I wasn't happy to find out that my Cman doesn't carry the lifetime warranty when I took it in after the handle "lock" started twisted when it was only about 6 months old.

 

[mojo_13]

What is Cheap to you?

I have a HF I only use for wheel nuts ,$9.99
And an assortment of Craftsman That I bought on sale for 50% off , reg $59.00

I have the HF one also. It really depends on what you are going to be doing with it. I will only be using it for lug nuts so even if it is a few ft lbs off as long as they are consistent it's good. If I was building $10,000 engines I may use a more expensive tool. That being said there are alot of ppl who swear by the HF unit.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Gearwrench toque wrench?

 

[mrholeshot]

The beam style is very accurate and cheap. Just tough to use in tight spots where you can't see the needle. bank for the buck I would say the Craftsman Mico Torque. About 60 dollars

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Are the gearwrench toque wrench have 60 tooth or they 36 tooth?

 

[Indy_500]

HF torque wrenches are a lot better than you think, my vote is for the HF ones. Only $10 when caught on sale w/coupons...

 

[djb2]

I have five or six of the Harbor Freight ones scattered in various locations. I love them. It's nice to have two so you can leave them set during a job e.g. one to wheel bolt torque.

All are fairly accurate -- within a few percent of correct.

My pampered Craftsman one broke its thin ratchet pawl with just light use. No warranty, and it would have cost most of the price of the wrench to buy a complete ratchet head since it had been redesigned to use a heftier pawl. In contrast I broke a Harbor Freight one by *jumping on it* (I was far from a breaker bar), and they exchanged it without question. (I did take the new one back to the car before buying a 25" breaker bar at another cashier.)

Be suspicious with the low-end "digital" ones. They are just count the handle turns and are otherwise the same clicker mechanism as the $10 ones.

Make friends with someone that has a high-end digital strain gauge torque wrench. You can borrow it for a minute to check the calibration and repeatability of your cheap ones.

 

[atari]

I have an ampro unit that i got from advance auto some years ago. I do engine work on the side and it has put on about 6 or 8 heads and countless other things since i picked it up for 25 bucks. I guess im lucky though, the Jegs store in the area I live in has a tester on the show room floor. When I go in to pick somthing up I take the wrench with me, Its still dead on.

 

[atari]

Oh, but if i had to do all over again, I would get a beam type. Prolly the craftsman, the beam type are lifetime.

 

[BWright]

HF torque wrenches are a lot better than you think, my vote is for the HF ones. Only $10 when caught on sale w/coupons...

Built a lot of motors where precise torque is an absolute necessity have we? You've still got a lot to learn.

 

[rockchucker]

I use a 1/2" Snap-On for 50-250 lb/ft Spendy but spot on.


http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?store=snapon-store&item_ID=68477&group_ID=958



Wright Tools 3/8" lb/ft Model 4477


http://www.wrighttool.com/pub/defau...ools&oid=D9BD85B9-FF1F-11D3-8B5D-00A0C942294E



Wright Tools 1/4" lb/in Model 3478



http://www.wrighttool.com/pub/defau...ools&oid=D9BD85B8-FF1F-11D3-8B5D-00A0C942294E




They all have served me well but if you want a good solid Torque Spec Tool then don't go cheap and test them often up against some of the better brands when you get a chance. You can even have the Snap-On guy pit them up against the new ones in his truck if you buy off brand just to make sure they are on.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The Tooltopia.com link above is a real good deal. I bought both the 1/2 and 3/8 split beams from them, and I seem to recall paying about $155 for the 1/2 drive and $115 for the 3/8 drive. At $125 the 1/2 drive is a bargain for a quality tool.

Charles

 

[mrholeshot]

I have five or six of the Harbor Freight ones scattered in various locations. I love them. It's nice to have two so you can leave them set during a job e.g. one to wheel bolt torque.

All are fairly accurate -- within a few percent of correct.

.

I would use a HF Torque wrench to torque wheels but not for engine building. Who pays 70 dollars (what it cost me to have them checked and calibrated) to have a 10 dollar torque wrench checked?

 

[supertooljunkie]

I have had several C-man click type over the years. The last couple didn't last as long and seemed very cheaply made. The display ring kept slipping and I finally retired them. I bought a SO 50-250 lb. on sale from my dealer, and I'm very happy with it. I was looking at the SK click types until they declared bankruptcy. I would go with the Gearwrench. I've heard they are US made.

 

[mrholeshot]

I think if I was in the market for a new torque wrench I think I would buy a new 150lb S-K. Although they filed for bankruptcy it's still a great wrench at a good price and most places that calibrate them keep parts on hand to repair them. I would pick the 150 because I build auto engines and it's rare anything gets over 130. I have found that Torque wrenches that are maxed at 150 tend to be more accurate than those that go to 250 in the range I use them.

 

[BWright]

Ideally, I'd have both of these.

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-instruments-c3fr250f.aspx

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-instruments-c2fr100f.aspx

 

[mrholeshot]

I have the Snap-On versions but mine have rev ratchet heads, I don't like the non rev torque wrencdes

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Built a lot of motors where precise torque is an absolute necessity have we? You've still got a lot to learn.

right on...

 

[simonb]

i love my 3/8 hazet that was given to me at STEP graduation.
the electronic snap on one is the way to go- everyone in shop uses them.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I have found that Torque wrenches that are maxed at 150 tend to be more accurate than those that go to 250 in the range I use them.

I'm just curious how you know this. If they are in proper calibration, it would not matter the max limit of the tool, it would be accurate to within whatever percentage of accuracy the calibration room checks it to, at all settings from 20% to 100% of scale.

Response to BWright post with links to Tooltopia PI split beam torque wrenches.

I have the Snap-On versions but mine have rev ratchet heads, I don't like the non rev torque wrencdes

Its the inherent nature of a split beam that it cannot read but one direction. All the ones on the Snap On web site that I could find note that they are either *Non-Reversible* or "torques in a clockwise direction only" Both the PI and Snap On split beams (either made by PI or CDI) would be seriously damaged by pulling a load on them CCW, hence the non reversing ratchet. I'm curious, do you have need to torque counter-clockwise?

TQFR100B, TQFR250E, TQR100B, TQR250E, TQR400E "Designed for measuring torque in a clockwise direction only. Wrench is not reversible."

TQFR50B "Designed for measuring torque in a clockwise direction only. Guaranteed Accuracy: Within ±4% of any clockwise setting from 20% of full scale to full scale"

Charles

 

[dan76]

The beam style is very accurate and cheap. Just tough to use in tight spots where you can't see the needle. bank for the buck I would say the Craftsman Mico Torque. About 60 dollars

I'd suggest not. I've had two CM micro torques fail outside the warranty period with just weekend usage. I now have a used SK unit and it's kept calibration for the past six months with average usage.

 

[dankicksass]

I have Craftsman 1/2 and 3/8 beam-style torque wrenches, I think they cost $50 together on sale when I bought them. Lifetime Craftsman warranty, unlike the click wrenches. Until recently, I used torque-limiting extensions for wheel installation, but I sold them.

Are the gearwrench toque wrench have 60 tooth or they 36 tooth?

If you're using your torque wrench as a ratchet, you're not doing a favor for anybody but your Snap-On guy.