Are Harbor Freight torque sticks any good?

[gnx547]

I was wondering if the Harbor Freight torque sticks are any good? Are they accurate? Anyone here using them?

 

[dclassical]

I use them (not a shop, just at home on 6 different cars). Use them for lug nugs mostly and then check with a torque wrench. Has not failed so far and right on the money.

 

[WhiffySpark]

My snap on set was only $100

 

[kythri]

My snap on set was only $100

Seriously, how does this answer the OP's question?

 

[WhiffySpark]

Seriously, how does this answer the OP's question?

Just my personal opinion but I wouldn't use harbor freight torque sticks with my family in the car

$100 is cheap in the scheme of things

 

[dogdog]

It has pretty good review I think, some one from youtube also did a torque test with some torque meter, it gets pretty close.... my fav to use becase it is easy to set better than my craftman or eastwood digital torque... but as far as for critical job.... I don't think it is meant for aircraft ppl. Then again don't think the sears or eastwood one is either.

 

[rlitman]

It has pretty good review I think, some one from youtube also did a torque test with some torque meter, it gets pretty close.... my fav to use becase it is easy to set better than my craftman or eastwood digital torque... but as far as for critical job.... I don't think it is meant for aircraft ppl. Then again don't think the sears or eastwood one is either.

Neither is the Snap On. Torque sticks are far from precision instruments, but I still feel they have some uses.

My torque stick set is from Matco, but only because I got it at a pawn shop for less than the HF set on sale (which is what I'd own if I didn't find that deal).

 

[bcradio]

I use them (not a shop, just at home on 6 different cars). Use them for lug nugs mostly and then check with a torque wrench. Has not failed so far and right on the money.

How do you know this?

 

[Finky198]

Yes I've had them a while double checked all with digital torque meter always spot on I run them with an ir2135Timax

 

[warweapon762]

Just out of curiosity are these designed with single hammer or dual hammer impact drivers in mind, can they be used with both?

 

[stage20]

Just out of curiosity are these designed with single hammer or dual hammer impact drivers in mind, can they be used with both?

good question.

 

[kythri]

Just my personal opinion but I wouldn't use harbor freight torque sticks with my family in the car

$100 is cheap in the scheme of things

Your threadcrapping still doesn't answer the OP's question.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Bah. $100 Snap On torque wrenches are for pure amateurs. Unless you spend a minimum of $5,000 on a tool, then it isn't reliable. It's impossible for any tool to be affordable AND accurate.

Alright, that's the attitude I see whenever someone mentions a tool truck brand over any other brand. It's the same with welders too. People get so hung up on price and brand that they ignore reality.

I was surprised last year when a review of torque wrenches between Snap On, Mac, Craftsman, and Harbor Freight had the HF wrenches in the lead for accuracy and price. I wish I could remember what magazine that was in.

Point is, if it works and is accurate, then that's good enough.

I do have a couple of the HF torque wrenches and have checked them against my older Craftsman ones and they seem to be good. How can I know? I'm not sure I can say for real that any measurement is accurate without some sort of standard test I can do in the garage. For example, if you take that Snap On wrench and use it as a breaker bar, you may damage it. Do you know if it was? No. Can you test it? Not without another known good unit. Will you ever be able to trust it? I don't know. There's just too many unknowns for any brand in any situation.

 

[zx2slow]

My snap on set was only $100

1) Its wonderful you have [tool truck brand] tools, but this is not the new tool or post your tool chest thread.

2) I dont think anyone here thinks that there aren't better options than HF out there.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Just my personal opinion but I wouldn't use harbor freight torque sticks with my family in the car

$100 is cheap in the scheme of things

This post reads as very elitist and self serving. I hope that was not their intent, but it sure is demeaning the way it reads now.

 

[panknuckshovel]

Bah. $100 Snap On torque wrenches are for pure amateurs. Unless you spend a minimum of $5,000 on a tool, then it isn't reliable. It's impossible for any tool to be affordable AND accurate.

Alright, that's the attitude I see whenever someone mentions a tool truck brand over any other brand. It's the same with welders too. People get so hung up on price and brand that they ignore reality.

I was surprised last year when a review of torque wrenches between Snap On, Mac, Craftsman, and Harbor Freight had the HF wrenches in the lead for accuracy and price. I wish I could remember what magazine that was in.

Point is, if it works and is accurate, then that's good enough.

I do have a couple of the HF torque wrenches and have checked them against my older Craftsman ones and they seem to be good. How can I know? I'm not sure I can say for real that any measurement is accurate without some sort of standard test I can do in the garage. For example, if you take that Snap On wrench and use it as a breaker bar, you may damage it. Do you know if it was? No. Can you test it? Not without another known good unit. Will you ever be able to trust it? I don't know. There's just too many unknowns for any brand in any situation.

OP is asking about torque sticks

 

[dclassical]

How do you know this?

Because I use a torque wrench every single time I use the sticks. And it clicks right away. What am I missing?

 

[stage20]

Because I use a torque wrench every single time I use the sticks. And it clicks right away. What am I missing?

it clicks because its overtorqued already. LOL.... just kidding.

 

[Finky198]

My hf torque wrenches are super accurate along with the Torque stick and lug nut sockets say what you want but accuracy is accuracy regardless of the brand or the price If you have an issue with HF tool then don't uses them But they work just as well in my experience

 

[WhiffySpark]

This post reads as very elitist and self serving. I hope that was not their intent, but it sure is demeaning the way it reads now.

No not elitist in anyway

Guy asked for an opinion. I gave mine. I'm sure by tomorrow there will be 10 people in here calling everyone an idiot for using torque sticks and all you need is a hf torque wrench.

So

 

[zx2slow]

If you are using the tq wrench anyway why bother with the sticks at all?

 

[dclassical]

it clicks because its overtorqued already. LOL.... just kidding.

That is a good point though, I did not think about it to be honest.

 

[Finky198]

I'm just saying they do work I don't use them together but we have them And I've never had and issue with either

 

[jakemac]

Guy asked for an opinion. I gave mine.:

No you didn't. The OP asked for opinions about the HF sticks, what you gave was a statement telling him how much you paid for a different brand. You didn't address the HF brand until after you were called out.

 

[firebox40dash5]

That is a good point though, I did not think about it to be honest.

Or they could be too loose, and you're getting a false reading from static friction.

I'd rather be a little too tight than a little loose, but otherwise I'm of the opinion that a) this ain't rocket surgery and pretty close works, and b) even is as important as exact (OK, so if you were being 100% spot-on it would also be even by default).

I have a set, forget the brand but they're the ones making them for Mac and Matco, and they were like $50 for the set. Used them for 3+ years professionally, as did my boss (who still uses them, and used them prior to me being there) and the only problems we ever had were caused by the compressor being turned off but still having enough air to convincingly run the impact.

 

[WhiffySpark]

No you didn't. The OP asked for opinions about the HF sticks, what you gave was a statement telling him how much you paid for a different brand. You didn't address the HF brand until after you were called out.

"Called out?"

Jesus Christ all I'm saying is for not much more money you can get a trusted proven tool

 

[dclassical]

I use the sticks and a torque wrench because I do not do this professionally. I only work on my cars for maintenance and repairs, so sometimes I go a few months without using any tools. So I do not have the habit or the feel for using the impact and the torque sticks give me the safety of not going over (or not too much - which I have definitely done in the past). And because they are my cars in my driveway I take the time to use the torque wrench to double check.

I have only used them on wheel nuts so far and all my cars have what I would call a wide range for accepted torque. I think the fact that they are all the same (or very close) is more important than the value itself (within the range)... and the torque wrench gives me that.

Now my scientific mind (scientist but not in the mechanical field) is curious... given a tight bolt, is there a way to know how much torque was applied? I know the snap-on tq will give you the final torque after turning a bolt x degrees... but what about after the fact?

 

[woody 73]

Some time back by chance I bought a HF set on the cheap and being a shade tree DIYer , I gave the set a try on several of my family cars and they all worked ok. On the other hand I own several Torque wrenches that I still use every time work needs to be done; so I would say it is just another tool in my arsenal to use.

 

[AmishFury]

If you are using the tq wrench anyway why bother with the sticks at all?

sticks get you close without going over

torque wrench makes sure

 

[scissorman]

I don't and won't EVER use or trust a torque stick. Think about it for a minute, in order for a torque stick to be accurate you would have to know the amount of impact force that was used to "size" the particular torque stick. Every impact gun has a different amount of impact force capability, air line size will also make a difference, and the available air pressure also will make a difference. All that being said I have a friend who had bought a set of torque stick from the Snap-on truck and the first use he snapped the stick in half. He was sure it was just a bad tool so he had it replaced with another new one and preceded to break that one in half as well. He quickly learned that pulling out the trusty torque wrench and torquing the lugs by hand was the best method and has never used another torque stick to this day.

 

[TTLLOGIC]

Torque sticks are a good way to gain a false sense of security, just to many variables for a semi-critical application such as wheel lug nuts IMO.

I'd be interested to know if anyone on here has access to a Skidmore tension gauge and would be willing to spend a little time to do accuracy and repeatability testing on various brands/types of torque limiting extensions and sockets with a few different leading brand impact guns.

 

[AmishFury]

I don't and won't EVER use or trust a torque stick. Think about it for a minute, in order for a torque stick to be accurate you would have to know the amount of impact force that was used to "size" the particular torque stick. Every impact gun has a different amount of impact force capability, air line size will also make a difference, and the available air pressure also will make a difference. All that being said I have a friend who had bought a set of torque stick from the Snap-on truck and the first use he snapped the stick in half. He was sure it was just a bad tool so he had it replaced with another new one and preceded to break that one in half as well. He quickly learned that pulling out the trusty torque wrench and torquing the lugs by hand was the best method and has never used another torque stick to this day.

probably used some ungodly high torque impact on it's max setting to snap a torque stick...

 

[Flivver250]

Very low cost Asian tools are all the rage here. HF doesn't needlessly waste money on QA/QC or costly raw materials and thus can pass on significant savings to you. All kidding aside, my personal opinion, I assume this is for your own vehicles and not commercial application, a quality torque wrench is the best and most accurate way to mount rims. Using a cheap implement in a quest to attain accuracy is counter productive. This is like bargain shopping for condoms to go to a prostitute party in Swaziland. I didn't answer your question, as I would not use them. I generally use an impact to remove lug nuts, and my 4 way to reinstall them followed by torquing them with a Snap-On torque wrench I trust completely. In fact, time to send my TW out for a calibration check/adjustment. Wrenching is my hobby now and no longer a vocation. I probably don't have more than 10 years left twisting a wrench. Not going to begin this late in life cutting corners on process or quality.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

It will get the job done and they are pretty accurate.... Oh and did you ask how much Snap-On ones cost? I didn't think so....

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I am a ToolAholic, Sometimes I regret it, Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

 

[malykaii]

My snap on set was only $100

Not answering the question. Price doesn't mean something is good. Brand name doesn't mean something is good.

Just my personal opinion but I wouldn't use harbor freight torque sticks with my family in the car

$100 is cheap in the scheme of things

Why not harbor freight? Again, brand name doesn't answer to the quality of a product. You don't even know if the snap on one is good or if the hf is not. Adding your family doesn't have anything to do with the issue. What your doing is distracting from the issue to prove a point with out any actual point.

You may as well be saying the snap on torque sticks are better because, look free pizza! Loook!!!

Google "falacy" dude.

 

[malykaii]

Also, torque sticks don't work with all guns. I don't know about single vs double hammer, but I know it won't work with clutch style guns like the NitroCat.

Also, you can't check a torque stick with a torque wrench. It will always come out right since the wrench will be fighting static friction.

 

[AmishFury]

i think what they mean when they "check" it with a torque wrench is when they use the wrench on the lug nut after hitting it with the impact/stick and they get little/no movement before the click

a little movement before click is ideal IMO i'm not expecting the stick to land me right at my desired torque but to simply keep me from going over

 

[Finky198]

I have the HF brand and That's exactly how I tested mine I used the torx sticks with my 2135TiMax on 7.5hp 80 IR compressor with 3/4 hose hit them each for roughly the same amount of time and Then went back using a digital torque adapter and checked each they were within 1-5 ft/lbs if I remember correctly it's been a while but They were close enough for my liking

 

[gte718p]

I'll join the torque ***** are useless crowd. I always run lug nuts/bolts in with the gun but never tighten them with the gun. That is what torque wrenches are for. The extra minute it takes to do the final tightening by hand is worth the certainty it is done right to me, but I have had a wheel come off on my so I'm a little bias.
For the record the wheel that came off was not caused by a torque sticks. It was a stupid shop and me not checking my trailer prior to use.

 

[rlitman]

I have the HF brand and That's exactly how I tested mine I used the torx sticks with my 2135TiMax on 7.5hp 80 IR compressor with 3/4 hose hit them each for roughly the same amount of time and Then went back using a digital torque adapter and checked each they were within 1-5 ft/lbs if I remember correctly it's been a while but They were close enough for my liking

Interesting. So you use an air hose as thick as the tool's handle? How'se that work out for you?