Craftsman 44599 Torque Measuring System

[Danglerb]

Several of us have these electronic torque measuring things from Sears, so I made this thread to pool information and experiences from using them.

What it looks like.
Digital meter/display same size as the rest Craftsman sells, made of two parts a smaller black "meter" inside a very thick red protective plastic holder. The transducer is the size of a D cell battery with a 4" long 1/2" drive extension sticking through the middle (its a fancy something, but looks like an extension).

What it does.
Its a full featured 0-150 ftlb reversible torque measuring system, and can also be used to "calibrate" other torque wrenches. Claimed accuracy is +- 3%.

Why buy it?
Its on closeout for $34 instead of $120 or $200, I forget which it was, and even at the higher price its way cheaper than anything else like it. Looks like a fun toy, could be actually useful, and accuracy might be better than claimed.

Warranty?
Mine says 1 year with recalibration only covered for the first 90 days. I think I saw a package though with lifetime online or in a catalog, more info on this if anybody has it.

Patents related to device.
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5520059.html
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6145387.html

US patent site has much more complete info, but a way messier URL, the curious can look it up themselves.
Inventors: Garshelis; Ivan J. (Pittsfield, MA)
Assignee: Magna-Lastic Devices, Inc (Carthage, IL)
http://www.mdi-sensor.com/ VERY cool info on their site.

Best plain language explanation is from Sensor magazine.
http://archives.sensorsmag.com/articles/1104/28/main.shtml

****************
I don't know if I am going to use this thing directly or just as a check/calibration of my cheapo HF torque wrenches. I do plan to call the number for a calibration before my 90 days is up.

 

[eschoendorff]

Sounds good. Please keep us posted on the recalibration....

 

[vjquan]

Its on closeout for $34 instead of $120 or $200, I forget which it was, and even at the higher price its way cheaper than anything else like it. Looks like a fun toy, could be actually useful, and accuracy might be better than claimed.

****************
I don't know if I am going to use this thing directly or just as a check/calibration of my cheapo HF torque wrenches.

I got mine for this very reason - to check my other torque wrenches. It's surprisingly accurate as my wrenches fall within the 4% acceptable range. My SK fares a little better than my Craftsman units. It's also fun to see what it feels like at ** ft/lbs. with a standard ratchet. It surprised me - I'm putting out way less then I thought. I always fear stripping threads, but my pulls tell me that I'm far from it. I can also now teach my kids how to go by "feel", something I wish I had growing up.

If you can find one, pick it up. The bench mounted torque testers in the catalog have them at $1100 (if they still sell them). I've also dropped my wrenches before and now I don't have to guess if it's out of whack.

 

[JB740i]

I can't seem to find it on their site. Think it's finally gone?

 

[vjquan]

I can't seem to find it on their site. Think it's finally gone?

Gone from the site, but can still be found at the stores. Remember, it's a clearance item, so it may be a little difficult to find.

 

[cambell]

I just wanted to say thank you for the heads up on the torque meter. After reading your post today I went down to my local sears and found the last one they had sitting in the tool cabinate. It was marked $119.99 so I asked the salesman if he could check on the price for me because my friend said it was on clearance. He checked and it rang up $33. He was shocked, lol. He just bought one a month or two ago at full price. I would have bought more if they had them. I'm just happy i got the last one. Cant wait to try it out, thnx again for the heads up.

 

[vjquan]

I would have bought more if they had them.

Haha... that's what I did. They had 2, so I bought both of them. If it was tagged at the clearance price, you can guarantee that they won't last long at all. Slickdeals mentioned this deal back in August. Just as you experienced, the sales people don't even know about the clearance. So long as people think it's $120, they will continue to sit in the display.

 

[bmwpower]

Fudge. Gotta drop by my local mispriced sears store to see if thhey have one.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Guys,

If you ebay check there too, they have been showing up there alot recently. I bought the last one in Topeka, KS about a month ago, it had been on the clearance rack for about 6 months at that point! I know since I had been watching it for most of that time!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The Sears store I looked at today has the best selection of tools of all kinds that I have ever seen in a Sears anywhere, bar none.

They had one 44599 in the case with the electric meters at the price of $119. Their clearance rack at the entrance had some minor junk in it and nothing to get excited about.

I did note that the 80th anniversary bottle opener was on sale for $6.29 while the identical but non-80th opener was $14 something.

Charles

 

[Uncle Buck]

The Sears store I looked at today has the best selection of tools of all kinds that I have ever seen in a Sears anywhere, bar none.

They had one 44599 in the case with the electric meters at the price of $119. Their clearance rack at the entrance had some minor junk in it and nothing to get excited about.

I did note that the 80th anniversary bottle opener was on sale for $6.29 while the identical but non-80th opener was $14 something.

Charles

You did not ask them to scan the price? It should have shown around $34.00 if tou were interested! Great for checking torque wrenches BTW!

 

[Danglerb]

Yup most Sears don't have them anyplace special, and still have them marked about $120, but its in the computer and all stores should have the $33.97 checkout price. At least until it goes on double secret clearance.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Well, I went back to the Sears I was in yesterday (long drive for me) and had them pull the 44599 and scan it, it came up at $119 just what was on the price tag on the peg in the locked case where it was. I told them that several people on an internet discussion group had found that it scanned at $33 something dollars, and they told me had it come up at that, that they would have refused to sell it, as they "knew" that was the wrong price. They said store employees had been fired or disciplined for selling items at very low prices that came up in the computer, as they should have known they were mistakes................ Duh! Possibly Sears needs to be firing the people who put those wrong prices in the computer in the first place, rather than sales clerks.

Charles

 

[Uncle Buck]

Well, I went back to the Sears I was in yesterday (long drive for me) and had them pull the 44599 and scan it, it came up at $119 just what was on the price tag on the peg in the locked case where it was. I told them that several people on an internet discussion group had found that it scanned at $33 something dollars, and they told me had it come up at that, that they would have refused to sell it, as they "knew" that was the wrong price. They said store employees had been fired or disciplined for selling items at very low prices that came up in the computer, as they should have known they were mistakes................ Duh! Possibly Sears needs to be firing the people who put those wrong prices in the computer in the first place, rather than sales clerks.

Charles

Too bad for you. In my store they knew it was marked down and didn't blink an eye; your guys must be some of the few clinging to the old prices. Check ebay, there were many on there for buy it now cheap money just a few weeks back when I got mine. I bet there are still many there!

 

[Danglerb]

Sorry about that, I was sure the clearance was nationwide, yours is the first I have heard otherwise.

One on ebay just went past $100.

 

[bmwpower]

Checked 3 stores in the Southern NJ last night....all gone. I haven't checked the store near work yet, but my guess is that they're gone there, too.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Well, went to a class A Sears store, which has a large and complete tool department, they had two of them laying in the bottom of the locked case with the multi-meters, they came up at $33.97 each, so I bought them both. One had the seal broken, but appeared to be OK, serial numbers of transducer and meter are the same, probably someone just wanted to see the instructions. I'll keep that one, and I suppose, sell the other one, still sealed.

This store is in an area that is rather depressed. lots and lots of lower middle class to working poor, last year the county had the highest unemployment of any county in the entire US according to Dept of Labor stats (local Ford assembly plant closed plus other closings and bankruptcy's, changing ethnic makeup, going from white/black to black/Vietnamese/hispanic, all contribute to poor sales in the mall), I cannot see how the tool dept sells anything especially high end stuff like $100 meters and $200 digital torque wrenches. I suppose that is the only reason the torque adapters were still there, and that they were laying in the bottom of the case, not on a peg and not priced at all.

Anybody need one?

Charles

 

[icnsltmfg]

Would love one...been looking at 4 local stores....PM me Charles..

 

[bmwpower]

Well, went to a class A Sears store, which has a large and complete tool department, they had two of them laying in the bottom of the locked case with the multi-meters, they came up at $33.97 each, so I bought them both. One had the seal broken, but appeared to be OK, serial numbers of transducer and meter are the same, probably someone just wanted to see the instructions. I'll keep that one, and I suppose, sell the other one, still sealed.

This store is in an area that is rather depressed. lots and lots of lower middle class to working poor, last year the county had the highest unemployment of any county in the entire US according to Dept of Labor stats (local Ford assembly plant closed plus other closings and bankruptcy's, changing ethnic makeup, going from white/black to black/Vietnamese/hispanic, all contribute to poor sales in the mall), I cannot see how the tool dept sells anything especially high end stuff like $100 meters and $200 digital torque wrenches. I suppose that is the only reason the torque adapters were still there, and that they were laying in the bottom of the case, not on a peg and not priced at all.

Anybody need one?

Charles

Me please!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

OK, took one of these out to my shop and played with it some. I have several torque wrenches, all calibrated, except for the Craftsman beam/needle type.

I clamped the square drive in a vise and tried two clickers in it, one at 40 ft/lb was reading 38 something every time I tried it. This was a 30 to 150 ft/lb which tended to read about 2% low in the low range and dead on at 70 and above when I had it checked about a week ago.

I also tried a 750 in/llb max clicker, set it at 400 which is 33.3 ft/lb, and was consistently reading 32 something every time. This clicker was last checked in 2004 but has seen little use since then.

I tried a snap on 0-250 ft/lb dial type at 50 lb, it was right on, and checked so in 2004 when it was last checked.

Last one I checked was a 1/2 drive craftsman beam type, never checked, but at 50 ft/lb it was very close, the scale on these are difficult to read anyhow.

Recommendations. If you are going to use it to check other torque wrenches, don't clamp the square drive in a vise, it moves around too much. Rather, get a very large 1/2 drive socket, a cheapie, junk one, and grind, cut, machine, mill, whatever, so it has a couple of large flat areas that can be easily clamped in a vise real tight, then put the torque sensor in the socket's square drive, it will be much more stable.

Comment, the chrome plating on the sensor's square drive, both male and female ends, is very cheesy, and mine is already chipping and flaking around the edges of the female drive end, so go easy on it. Also, the battery is a major hassle to get in and out, since you have to remove the rubber jacket from the box, then remove a screw on the battery cover. I'm wondering whether its a good idea to leave the battery in, I don't recall 9v cells leaking very often, but it sure would ruin a unit if it did.

Charles

 

[bmwpower]

Charles,
Now you need to drop one of your wrenches down a flight of stairs then measure....

 

[vjquan]

Recommendations. If you are going to use it to check other torque wrenches, don't clamp the square drive in a vise, it moves around too much. Rather, get a very large 1/2 drive socket, a cheapie, junk one, and grind, cut, machine, mill, whatever, so it has a couple of large flat areas that can be easily clamped in a vise real tight, then put the torque sensor in the socket's square drive, it will be much more stable.

Comment, the chrome plating on the sensor's square drive, both male and female ends, is very cheesy, and mine is already chipping and flaking around the edges of the female drive end, so go easy on it. Also, the battery is a major hassle to get in and out, since you have to remove the rubber jacket from the box, then remove a screw on the battery cover. I'm wondering whether its a good idea to leave the battery in, I don't recall 9v cells leaking very often, but it sure would ruin a unit if it did.

Agree with you there regarding the movement in the vise. I'm afraid of putting too much pressure and cranking it down. The chrome on the male side on mine is also chipped/flaked. I also wouldn't think the battery would have to be changed very often.

 

[Danglerb]

Might be a good spot for a long life 9v, lithium or whatever.

What do you all think about some kind of calibration cradle to hold the transducer? Maybe a U shaped bracket with a hole in one end for the female end to poke through and thick walled slot the male end goes in, so the transducer would be loose, but not going anyplace, and bottom of the U would get clamped or bolted to something solid.

OTOH a thick wall socket and two minutes with a grinder and your done.

 

[Deafautotech]

i did went to my local mall sears and they said they dont have one in stock but can order it... they said it is 119.99. i told them i tought it is 39.99 dollars... they said no. they said i have to pay 119 dollars to have it arrive my sears store.... they did called local sears area and they said nothing in stock...

 

[Danglerb]

I think Sears wasn't hit on the head an even number of times.

Price should be $33.97, but at some stores it appears to be stuck at the old $119 price. I haven't seen anything to do about it yet, but I'm still looking into it.

 

[Deafautotech]

I think Sears wasn't hit on the head an even number of times.

Price should be $33.97, but at some stores it appears to be stuck at the old $119 price. I haven't seen anything to do about it yet, but I'm still looking into it.

i am really like to buy that torque measuring but i cant pay 119 dollars while other people can find and paid 33.95 dollars...

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Update: Since buying my Craftsman electronic torque measuring system, I decided that the most reason I wanted it was to verify the accuracy of my other torque wrenches without having to take them to work and have the calibration room check them. Of course I will still do this every couple of years, but in between I would like to check them If I have a question about the tool.

Realizing that you cannot clamp a square drive in a vise and expect it to stay put for long when pulling a 100ft/lbs on it, I made a fixture to put the torque sensor on.

Walking by a scrap metal bin at work yielded me a section of heavy wall square tubing. I cut it to about 6 inches long with a chop saw nearby and then bead blasted the paint and rust off of it. I dug in my junk and broken tool pile at home and found a Williams 1/2" square drive socket that the broaching was messed up on. I had got this socket in a batch of 3/4 drive ones I bought on Ebay. Took it back to work and had one of the machinist mill a hole for the socket and then he ground off the chrome and TIG welded it to the tube for me. Took it home, reblasted it and primed and painted it.

Here is the fixture and the rig in use. I used a 30-150 ft/lb Sturtevant-Richmont interchangeable head torque wrench I recently bought on Ebay and had the calibration room at work check for me. This tool was very accurate when they checked it, only about 2% max error when they checked it. The printout shows that at 90 ft/lbs setting the tool was actually pulling between 88 and 89 ft/lbs, and my check with the Craftsman torque sensor confirmed this. I did find that the readings varied until the tool had been operated five or six times and then it settled in to very consistent readings.

Charles

 

[vjquan]

Nice job Charles. I wish I had the means to make something like that.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Update: Since buying my Craftsman electronic torque measuring system, I decided that the most reason I wanted it was to verify the accuracy of my other torque wrenches without having to take them to work and have the calibration room check them. Of course I will still do this every couple of years, but in between I would like to check them If I have a question about the tool.

Realizing that you cannot clamp a square drive in a vise and expect it to stay put for long when pulling a 100ft/lbs on it, I made a fixture to put the torque sensor on.

Walking by a scrap metal bin at work yielded me a section of heavy wall square tubing. I cut it to about 6 inches long with a chop saw nearby and then bead blasted the paint and rust off of it. I dug in my junk and broken tool pile at home and found a Williams 1/2" square drive socket that the broaching was messed up on. I had got this socket in a batch of 3/4 drive ones I bought on Ebay. Took it back to work and had one of the machinist mill a hole for the socket and then he ground off the chrome and TIG welded it to the tube for me. Took it home, reblasted it and primed and painted it.

Here is the fixture and the rig in use. I used a 30-150 ft/lb Sturtevant-Richmont interchangeable head torque wrench I recently bought on Ebay and had the calibration room at work check for me. This tool was very accurate when they checked it, only about 2% max error when they checked it. The printout shows that at 90 ft/lbs setting the tool was actually pulling between 88 and 89 ft/lbs, and my check with the Craftsman torque sensor confirmed this. I did find that the readings varied until the tool had been operated five or six times and then it settled in to very consistent readings.

Charles

Charles, I never saw your follow up on this thread. Very impressive test fixture. I like this a lot! Great stuff!

 

[teeoter]

Hi Guys, I'm a newbee to the site. I would like some info regarding the Craftsman torque system. I have the 44599 without a user manual. I have looked and surfed everywhere with no luck finding a manual. Any ideas or clues where I may find a manual? (Looks like the 44598 with a different case).
Thanks.