"Cheaper" Torque Wrench

[Charles (in GA)]

The older Craftsman beam type torque wrenches are guaranteed accurate to within 2% for the life of the tool. By older, I mean about 30 years or so. I have a 3/8 and a 1/2 both still in the original box and Styrofoam. If you don't exceed the limits of the tool, chances are, it will be just as accurate as when new.

Personally, I like dial type, they are, in essence, a beam type that operates a dial. The almost never get out of calibration if not abused and are easy to read.

I have two Snap-on dial types, a 3/4 drive 600 ft/lbs, and a 1/2 drive 250 ft/lbs.
I also have three Sturtevant Richmont interchangeable head clickers, a 150 in/lb, a 750 in/lb, and a 150 ft/lb and 3/8 and 1/2 heads for them. Just need a 1/4 head to complete the set. I also have a Seekonk 1/4 drive clicker, 150 in/lbs with what appears to be a Craftsman/Allen fine tooth ratchet head. In addition to all of these, I have the two older beam types I mentioned and two newer beam types, 3/8 and 1/2 also. They are in molded plastic blowpaks, but are also good torque wrenches.

Charles

Charles

 

[Vicegrip]

I have a HF that is for track wheel at the track use only. A Snap on and two Husky brand that tested out the best of the bunch. I also have a small bending beam that is my inch pound go to. Only the HF gets lent out at the track.

so much goes into a good torque set on a fastener that a % or two one way or the other is nothing compared to the prep of the fastener and hole. Wet, dry, greasy or rough threads will all change the clamping force. How you hold and the rotation speed will to as well.

 

[jay50]

The Husky clickers at HD are a decent TW for the money.

 

[eschoendorff]

The Husky clickers at HD are a decent TW for the money.

I disagree... I went through three of them and none of them were even close - out of the box. They all went back to the bog orange box. The HF ones I bought were more consistent....

 

[NOMAD]

Cool. Sounds like I'll keep it and use it. Kinda nice to have a little "patina" on it. Goes to 150ft/lb and it's probably made better than the ones they sell now.

 

[eschoendorff]

Cool. Sounds like I'll keep it and use it. Kinda nice to have a little "patina" on it. Goes to 150ft/lb and it's probably made better than the ones they sell now.

If it were me, I'd certainly keep it!

 

[nissan_crawler]

Do you have some sort of PMET or calibration program? Ours had to have a company engraved number on them, tracked in a computer, and the sticker showing calibration. If you failed to have it recalibrated on time, your foreman got a nastygram and came looking for you. It HAD to have current calibration, or be removed from the work area, ie: taken home. The engraving was necessary to track the tool. I have a company provided tire gauge and it has to be calibrated each 12 mos. I cannot imagine the FAA allowing a facility to operate without a calibration program for ALL precision measuring tools, not just the company owned ones.

They are tools, not artwork, or rare antiques, tools that you USE, not sit and look at. I still haven't figured out Merkava_4's hangup with engraving tools.

Charles

It's not engraved on ours, there's a sticker with the number, calibration, and the date. Yeah, we get chewed out if we don't get them to cal on time. Ours is every 6 months.

I've got to disagree.
We were working on a Neon (friends daughter's car, what can I say) and the book torque spec was wrong. Way wrong.
Intake bolts, grade 8 bolts into aluminum head. As I say, a Neon.

My buddy was doing it and he is a retired (46 years old, 24 years on the line) mechanic using a very accurate inch pound torque wrench and using it carefully. The book called for 140 inch pounds. At about 80 inch pounds they started to strip.
We had to pull them, drill out the holes and rethread larger.
No way could you 'feel' it start to go.

Maybe on a lug nut or head bolt, but small stuff in aluminum?

There just isn't enough tactile sensation before aluminum lets go.

Again, it depends on the person. I work with aluminum every day, it's my job. It's quite easy for me to tell when something is stretching and quit long before threads are stripped. In 6 years of this, (and 10 on general auto work before that), I have NEVER stripped a bolt or nut, with the exception of removing existing galled stainless fasteners.

Cool. Sounds like I'll keep it and use it. Kinda nice to have a little "patina" on it. Goes to 150ft/lb and it's probably made better than the ones they sell now.

DO NOT TURN IT IN!!! If you have a lifetime warranty one, you will NOT get another lifetime warranty torque wrench. You will be handed your made in China one with a 90 day warranty. Sears will NOT honor the original warranty on it. Use that warranty when you NEED it.