hautpot
Well-known member
nothing
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Digital Torque Wrench versus Mechanical (clicker)
- Thread starter hautpot
- Start date
kunkernator
Well-known member
Did you get the newest Snap On digital one? Angle and torque? If so, you will love it. I love mine. As for the Brutus, IIRC, they are marketed as 'heavy duty' torque wrenches for tire change shops and the like (repetitive abusive usage).
dnschmidt
Well-known member
I sell digital torque wrenches (Eclatorq) and they are great with respect to accuracy. All digital torque wrenches should be great in this regard as they are based on strain gauge technology and that's inherently accurate. The problem with digital wrenches is that they are not as fast as you've got to pay attention to them when your using them. With a clicker when it clicks you stop pulling. With a digital you'll seldom be able to actually see the display and have to depend upon lights or buzzers. I sadly find that flat rate mechanics prefer the clickers or split beams even though they are not as accurate. Honestly, and this really hurts since I sell digital, I prefer clickers.
SMKS
Well-known member
Note that the "sweet spot" is generally going to be 20-100%, not 20-80.
Note that the "sweet spot" is generally going to be 20-100%, not 20-80.
Correct. And yes, this applies to digitals
bmwpowere36m3
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2012
- Messages
- 1,125
From what I've seen SO and CDI guarantee accuracy in the 20-100% range... and most "standard" calibration services check in that same range. Why is the range larger for electronic wrenches? Maybe marketing, gimmick or actually usable (but not verified or guaranteed).
I'm sure you can try and get a wrench calibrated over a larger range, but its not guaranteed to work with all wrenches (due to design and age).
I'm sure you can try and get a wrench calibrated over a larger range, but its not guaranteed to work with all wrenches (due to design and age).
dnschmidt
Well-known member
The digitals have a wider range, and it's actually wider than the specification provided, due to the nature of strain gauges which are far more accurate than the springs used in clickers. Nobody guarantees digitals on the low end but the fact of the matter is that most of them are quite accurate below their rated minimums. If you have a calibrator you'll find this out very quickly.
Why is the range larger for electronic wrenches? Maybe marketing, gimmick or actually usable (but not verified or guaranteed).
Digitals can go lower because of the way the mechanism works. A micrometer or dial style torque wrench has a mechanical linkage and springs, which rely on deflection of the parts for the mechanism to work as designed. It takes a certain amount of force for all of the tolerances of those parts to be taken up, and stiction to be overcome, before the mechanism can function. A digital wrench has no moving parts in the measurement mechanism, so the mechanism starts to function immediately, from zero.
guy48065
Well-known member
The reason they're all specified, and later calibrated to, the same 20-100% of rating is the manufacturers are complying with an ASME or ISO international standard when they publish the specs. It can actually greatly exceed that accuracy in and beyond that range, but can't fall short.
Schurkey
Well-known member
I had some interest in "upgrading" to one or more digital torque wrenches. Had my eye on the Snappy Torque/Angle jobs.
Then I looked at the cost to re-calibrate torque wrenches. My two favorite torque wrench services each charge $50 basic fee for a mechanical "clicker". That goes to $125 for an electronic wrench. This is the END of my desire for an electronic wrench. An electronic torque wrench is more expensive than a clicker to buy, and then costs 250% more to check/calibrate each year.
Then I looked at the cost to re-calibrate torque wrenches. My two favorite torque wrench services each charge $50 basic fee for a mechanical "clicker". That goes to $125 for an electronic wrench. This is the END of my desire for an electronic wrench. An electronic torque wrench is more expensive than a clicker to buy, and then costs 250% more to check/calibrate each year.
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bmwpowere36m3
Well-known member
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- Nov 8, 2012
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- 1,125
Digitals can go lower because of the way the mechanism works. A micrometer or dial style torque wrench has a mechanical linkage and springs, which rely on deflection of the parts for the mechanism to work as designed. It takes a certain amount of force for all of the tolerances of those parts to be taken up, and stiction to be overcome, before the mechanism can function. A digital wrench has no moving parts in the measurement mechanism, so the mechanism starts to function immediately, from zero.
True... but no sensor or transducer is 100% linear. I haven't seen the specs or tested one myself on a comparator. I'd assume its better than a micrometer at the low end, but is it still within the +/- X% range.
All I'm saying is it needs to be checked, to be a reliable measurement.
True... but no sensor or transducer is 100% linear. I haven't seen the specs or tested one myself on a comparator. I'd assume its better than a micrometer at the low end, but is it still within the +/- X% range.
All I'm saying is it needs to be checked, to be a reliable measurement.
Definitely not saying that an electronic torque wrench shouldn't be well taken care of and calibrated.. just explaining why the rated ranges are often a lot lower.
guy48065
Well-known member
hmm it appears the snap-on ctech torque wrench I got has is published with 40-80% of scale.
Link?
I've NEVER seen this in years of calibrating torque wrenches. UNLESS it's stated as the typical ±2% CW from 20-100%, ±3%CCW from 20-100% AND ±1% CW from 40-80%, etc. A mfr. can state expanded specifications in addition to the Standard spec.