Hi all. I'm thinking about adding a beam-style torque wrench to my tool collection, and I've been perusing eBay for possibilities.
I already have several click-style torque wrenches in my collection, but it seems like having an old-fashioned beam-style might be good to have around for backup. Additionally, my understanding (partly from reading this forum) is that as long as beam torque wrench pointers are zeroed out, they are in calibration (someone please tell me if that is presumption is wrong!), and a beam wrench can be used to roughly check the calibration of other wrenches.
Keep in mind that I'm pretty budget conscious. I'm not a collector and I typically buy the right tool for the job at hand as I need them and rarely buy kits or sets. I tend to look for deals on a particular tool, balancing quality and price. If it's something I see myself using frequently or is pretty specific to a job, I'll consider the tool-truck brands and and industry-specific brands, such as Klein or Ideal for electrical work. If it's something I won't use frequently but still need a certain degree of reliability, I'll look for industrial brands and some higher-end consumer brands like GearWrench or Craftsman (albeit I look for older, American-made versions). To be honest, I'm open to any country of origin, as long as there's a reasonable track record for quality control and reliability.
As an aside that might be revealing to my tool philosophy, one of my very favorite and most-used tools is my GearWrench 3/8 " Roto ratchet. If it works, makes my task easier, and I can rely on it over and over, I'll buy it!
Anyway, I'm trying to see if I can add a beam-style torque wrench for around $30 or under in the 0-150 ft/lbs range.
On eBay, I'm seeing several older Craftsmans (made in the U.S.), some still with a box, that meet my criteria. A couple of SKs. A couple of KDs.
Any thoughts or suggestions? I might jump on a deal, but I could wait for the right deal, too.
I'm pretty familiar with brands, so I'm open. For instance, I saw a CDI beam that would cost about $55 with shipping, an I'm confident that would be a safe choice. But is it worth it to spend the extra bucks for what I intend to use it for?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I already have several click-style torque wrenches in my collection, but it seems like having an old-fashioned beam-style might be good to have around for backup. Additionally, my understanding (partly from reading this forum) is that as long as beam torque wrench pointers are zeroed out, they are in calibration (someone please tell me if that is presumption is wrong!), and a beam wrench can be used to roughly check the calibration of other wrenches.
Keep in mind that I'm pretty budget conscious. I'm not a collector and I typically buy the right tool for the job at hand as I need them and rarely buy kits or sets. I tend to look for deals on a particular tool, balancing quality and price. If it's something I see myself using frequently or is pretty specific to a job, I'll consider the tool-truck brands and and industry-specific brands, such as Klein or Ideal for electrical work. If it's something I won't use frequently but still need a certain degree of reliability, I'll look for industrial brands and some higher-end consumer brands like GearWrench or Craftsman (albeit I look for older, American-made versions). To be honest, I'm open to any country of origin, as long as there's a reasonable track record for quality control and reliability.
As an aside that might be revealing to my tool philosophy, one of my very favorite and most-used tools is my GearWrench 3/8 " Roto ratchet. If it works, makes my task easier, and I can rely on it over and over, I'll buy it!
Anyway, I'm trying to see if I can add a beam-style torque wrench for around $30 or under in the 0-150 ft/lbs range.
On eBay, I'm seeing several older Craftsmans (made in the U.S.), some still with a box, that meet my criteria. A couple of SKs. A couple of KDs.
Any thoughts or suggestions? I might jump on a deal, but I could wait for the right deal, too.
I'm pretty familiar with brands, so I'm open. For instance, I saw a CDI beam that would cost about $55 with shipping, an I'm confident that would be a safe choice. But is it worth it to spend the extra bucks for what I intend to use it for?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.