good torque wrench for head/valve gaskets? cheap

[BDT/NWMN]

The performance of the ones from HF are certainly impressive given their price although i'd be more interested in the results from, say, a pool of 10 purchased off the shelf and how they all work. Basically i'm more curious as to how common a defective one is because that's ultimately what will screw you. For less than $20 you cant tell me the things have much, if any, quality control.

I have had seven of them so far.. the three 1/2" drives: one is still unused ; The other two were given to my boys,.(we tried them out and made sure they worked first. Saves them borrowing mine))) The two 3/8" drives have two different designs.. One has a rounded shank.. One of these are junk, and one has been replaced once already.. The 1/4" drive inch pounder seems ??( don't have the click and feel of it's ProTo counterpart ... So that is two absolute duds for seven....


The HF torque wrenches with the flattened shank appear to be cloned after the four ProTo torque wrenches I purchased back in 1970... The ProTo torque wrenches have a more definite click... But I expected quality for the price paid for the ProTos, and I got it.... Are the HF just as good? not in my dreams

I have 11 torque wrenches; and can check the click-stops against the open beams...... For a new guy to purchase ONE dependable torque wrench, I would suggest a good old school open beam torque wrench.... Ya they are not as nifty to use as a click-stop,, but they are affordable , durable, and dependable.

 

[blackz26]

Thanks for all the hell guys. I'll think it all over.

 

[johnnie5]

Car Craft finally posted some of the info from the recent torque wrench test on their website. They found the HF torque wrench to be quite accurate and the HF torque tester to be quite accurate.

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_1304_torque_wrench_testing/photo_05.html



Sigh....

I think some people are losing sight of what the OP asked.

Here's what we know about the OP based on his post:
-He's enough of a beginner that he doesn't own a single torque wrench
-He wants to buy one (which is good), but he doesn't have a lot of money to spend on one.
-He says he'd like to buy locally, especially from Autozone. (BTW - the same torque wrench sold at HF is sold at Autozone for three times the price. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...ue-wrench/_/N-25fw?itemIdentifier=914018_0_0_)

So, now we have people recommending used torque wrenches that are out of his budget to begin with, and then expecting him to cobble together a testing apparatus using gallons of water, bathroom scales, etc.

I like going overboard on tools as much as the next person, but not everyone needs a Snap-on torque wrench to do basic repair jobs and torque wheels.

To the OP-
I give up. See what you can get locally in your price range and go from there.

i can understand what the OP is asking a good torque wrench for cheap

but with something like a torque wrench

you can buy a quality used one for the same price as a cheap and nasty one
that you might not know is accurate at all

i would prefer buying the quality one and also test it prior to using it on something important like a head bolt

 

[bull_duck]

I've always used a beam torque wrench. Want and need to go digital to tear down and rebuild the top end of wife's '98 Dyna Harley-Davidson. Leaking oil at the bottom of the rear cylinder so that gasket needs to be replaced. Nothing new there. All EVO HD engines require that eventually.

Good video http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=fvwrel&v=18tnJOKdlLs
on part of the job - buttoning up the top end.
(1) if you know a better video on the topic, please post URL.
(2) a complete video sequence of url from tear down to reassembly would be useful.
(3) got me thinking of going digital and need recommendations.

I am a home garage mechanic on my own machinery. So a torque-angle won't get much use. But when it is used, it must be accurate.

Seen this Eastwood digital torque-angle 7-100 lbs. It is at the right price point for me IF torque and angle are accurate and precise. The level of error that reviewer "Thomas" has indicated on the angle measurement is unacceptable. Image attached.

Advice appreciated.