high quality torque wrench for a fair price?

[jd_1138]

Elderly friend of ours had a screw in her tire, so I drove it over to a tire shop 2 miles away. The tech plugged it up and put the wheel back on. Then he picked up a torque wrench and set it to 100 foot pounds, and then it made a beautiful clicking noise as it reached the proper torque.

And it appeared to operate so smoothly. I asked what brand, and he said it was a Mac Tools one. I was practically drooling. My HF 10 buck one is crude in comparison. I feel bad saying that about a 10 dollar torque wrench, but I've had several new ones fail mid job after only a few light uses. You can't depend on them. Cheap can be expensive.

Who makes a high quality torque wrench for a great price? Or do you have to pretty much stick to SO, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, SK? The tire tech had a Snap On cordless impact wrench, another tool to drool over.

 

[paulsomlo]

http://www.torqwrench.com/

Tooltopia has good prices.

 

[Wamsutta]

Who makes a high quality torque wrench for a great price?

Precision Instruments. They got them at Tooltopia.

 

[packet]

CDI. I have 3 of them and zero complaints.

Precision instruments, wera, and stahlwille make good ones too.

 

[RedneckWelder]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002XMSFIM/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Precision Instruments 1/2 flex head split beam

The tool trucks are much higher priced than buying a CDI or Precision Instruments off the Internet

 

[Qualitytools]

Also have a look at NORBAR

 

[superskaterxes]

whats your budget? im totally against all of the truck brands (snap-off, mac, etc.) but the only tools i have from them are a 1/2" and 3/8" Tq wrench from snap-on. I bought them gently used off of CL and only paid about 200 for each (retail is 500). If you can catch the snap-on truck they have a tester on board that can tell you if its in spec or not.

 

[Fedwrench]

Precision Instruments split beam type is your best bet. They're durable, require less calibration, and are US made.

 

[Krokodil]

Norbar is excellent for the money.

 

[MuhThugga]

I don't have any complaints with my CDI clicksticks.

 

[Skeptic68W]

Carlyle has a couple torque wrenches in the Napa Real Deals catalog this quarter. I'd imagine they're real good since everything from Carlyle seems to be.

https://realdeals.napaecatalog.com/Real-Deals-1Q-2019/1/

 

[Tonyuk]

My torque wrenches are from Norbar, they've been the best value to cost one's i've seen.

The cheapest of the lot are a bit 'plasticy' however, but tough.

 

[KnurledNut]

How about a digital torque adaptor?

 

[jsmeece]

I am not a professional mechanic, just work on my own vehicles and sometimes family members. I have several torque wrenches, three are Armstrong (1/4 [64-032], 3/8 [64-041] and 3/8 [64-046]) and two Matco (Armstrong clones) (3/8 [TRB75F] and 1/2 [TRC250F] both flex heads). I bought them all off Ebay. I have less than $200 in the two Matco torque wrenches with cases, and less than $100 in the three Armstrong torque wrenches. All are in excellent shape and all within torque spec. Now newer Matco torque wrenches are different them the ones I have, but good deals on used tool truck brand torque wrenches can be found on EBAY if you are patience and choose a sightly used one in excellent shape.

 

[3jakes]

but good deals on used tool truck brand torque wrenches can be found on EBAY if you are patience and choose a sightly used one in excellent shape.

Exactly:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SNAP-ON-QD...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

[arrowhead]

Precision Instruments split beam type is your best bet. They're durable, require less calibration, and are US made.

I got one based on the feed back on this board also. Worked fine for a while, but for some reason the spring loaded lever fell off. Need to contact them to see if they will fix it.

 

[Steve_P]

Very recent thread on this topic

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=410677

 

[woody 73]

I have lost count on how many torque wrenches that I own, but the lions share were all bought used and they are all up to standards. Funny story but the last one I bought it felt like a drug deal going down, long road trip out in the country, meeting on a dirt road, passing money from car to car, etc. but in the end it was well worth the many miles.

op keep your eyes open for good deals around your part of the town.

 

[ChrisLS8]

CDI split beam can be had decent price. The SO impact gun is overpriced and underwhelming, go take a look at Milwaukee

 

[ChrisLS8]

Also heard good things about Kobalt which are made by eclatorq

 

[JJ99SS]

CDI. I have 3 of them and zero complaints.

Precision instruments, wera, and stahlwille make good ones too.

Same here, three CDI's in the box...

 

[Zimbo]

Use my Precision Instrument torque wrenches daily as a Caterpillar mech and have done for years. Binned two of my Snap-on wrenches after Snap-on failed to repair them will never buy another. Have heard good things about Stahlwille wrenches.
As the lads say, Tooltopia have good prices.
I’m in Australia and I use them.


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[Packard V8]

Use my Precision Instrument torque wrenches daily as a Caterpillar mech and have done for years. Binned two of my Snap-on wrenches after Snap-on failed to repair them will never buy another. Have

FWIW, for many years, Snap-on had Precision Instruments put Snap-on ratchet heads on the PI mechanism and sold them for twice the money.

And yes, we just went through this with Snap-on. They no longer stock the parts, so they won't repair or calibrate many of the older PI torque wrenches.

Had you saved them, since it's a PI mechanism, there are independent shops who have the parts to repair them.

I was able to determine the problem and fix it myself here:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411441

jack vines

 

[Wamsutta]

FWIW, for many years, Snap-on had Precision Instruments put Snap-on ratchet heads on the PI mechanism and sold them for twice the money.

And yes, we just went through this with Snap-on. They no longer stock the parts, so they won't repair or calibrate many of the older PI torque wrenches.

Had you saved them, since it's a PI mechanism, there are independent shops who have the parts to repair them.

I was able to determine the problem and fix it myself here:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411441

jack vines

Precision Instruments/Snap-on torque wrenches are my favorite. I actually prefer them over the new CDI/Snap-on torque wrenches. If I had and old one that needed parts, I would leave no stone unturned in the effort to find the parts.

 

[Zimbo]

You are correct V8, the Snap-on wrenches I binned are the micrometer style made by SO. They have a block/shim set up for the calibration and apparently they are a pain to calibrate.
PI did send me their service manuals for the split beam, exceptional service.


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[visionguru]

...The tire tech had a Snap On cordless impact wrench, another tool to drool over.

CDI split beam can be had decent price. The SO impact gun is overpriced and underwhelming, go take a look at Milwaukee

Snap On cordless impact is not that much more expensive than Ingersoll Rand or Milwaukee. But, they sure are outdated. Frankly, now I have IR and Miluwaukee's latest offerings, I wouldn't want to use Snap On even if they are free. Totally uninteresting.

How about a digital torque adaptor?

That's a good option. At least, it's cheaper ($30~50) and accurate enough to caliberate mechanical torque wrenches. I've had this for years, but mostly used to make sure my torque wrenches' accuracy.

 

[ricleh]

You are correct V8, the Snap-on wrenches I binned are the micrometer style made by SO. They have a block/shim set up for the calibration and apparently they are a pain to calibrate.
PI did send me their service manuals for the split beam, exceptional service.


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The QJ series from PI and the QD series from CDI are very similar in calibration process. I have a lot of parts to aid in the calibration of the micrometer click style torque wrenches. I buy used torque wrenches off ebay regularly when I find them for $100 or less. I think I currently have about 80 torque wrenches. I have only been unable to calibrate one of these wrenches. All of my torque wrenches are accurate to less than 2% deviation from 20% to 100% of the range of the wrench. Average time to calibrate a wrench is about 15 minutes. About half of them were calibrated in under a minute.

 

[Packard V8]

Precision Instruments/Snap-on torque wrenches are my favorite. I actually prefer them over the new CDI/Snap-on torque wrenches. If I had and old one that needed parts, I would leave no stone unturned in the effort to find the parts.

Just for the good of the order, what is the going price for a good used one? Any preference between the 3200 and the 3250 models?

You are correct V8, the Snap-on wrenches I binned are the micrometer style made by SO. They have a block/shim set up for the calibration and apparently they are a pain to calibrate.

That's not how those from PI work. Precision Instruments makes a big deal as to how theirs can be calibrated externally without disassembling the internals as was required by those which require taking the top apart and a box of different little blocks to replace/test/replace test.

Exclusive Patented Calibration Mechanism-This patented mechanism allows for calibration in both the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, plus with regard to spring rate, without the disassembly of the wrench. This protects against contamination of the working mechanism, and make calibration quick and easy. . . calibration is completely external, unlike traditional mechanism that require disassembly and the replacement of blocks and shims.

jack vines

 

[guy48065]

You are correct V8, the Snap-on wrenches I binned are the micrometer style made by SO. They have a block/shim set up for the calibration and apparently they are a pain to calibrate.
PI did send me their service manuals for the split beam, exceptional service.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

It's a shame you were misled by SnapOn and discarded your torque wrenches. As post #27 indicated these are not special and NOT difficult to calibrate, and should only cost at most $60 even if it were necessary to open the tool to clean/lube or replace the pivot block ("pawl").

 

[slowTA]

I have the older version of this one (no funky design on the handle and it was a few dollars cheaper.) With no complaints at all, and it has a lifetime warranty too!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-50-250-ft-lbs-1-2-in-Drive-Torque-Wrench-H2DTWA/205914009

 

[Gone Boating]

I have a CDI, just wish the click was a little more pronounced.

 

[56Safari]

+1 for CDI. I love mine

 

[country83]

That's not how those from PI work. Precision Instruments makes a big deal as to how theirs can be calibrated externally without disassembling the internals as was required by those which require taking the top apart and a box of different little blocks to replace/test/replace test.

Not the Snap-on version. I think they only came out with that around the time SO stopped rebadging them, so most SOs from Precision use the block/shim design that requires disassembly.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

 

[Skeptic68W]

I have the older version of this one (no funky design on the handle and it was a few dollars cheaper.) With no complaints at all, and it has a lifetime warranty too!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-50-250-ft-lbs-1-2-in-Drive-Torque-Wrench-H2DTWA/205914009

Don't watch this video:

 

[slowTA]

Don't watch this video:

Hmmm... maybe the older version is better? At least mine can be set at every foot pound, not every other like the one in the video.

Thanks for pointing out the difference.

 

[anndel]

CDI or Precision Instruments. Clicker-type wrenches you have to drop the torque to "0" at the end of use versus split beam-type you can leave it there indefinitely.

 

[Skeptic68W]

Well, my bank account isn't very happy about it, but I just bought this matching set of torque wrenches to replace all of mine. These are Napa, but identical so far as I can tell to the Armstrongs, just with a slide lock instead of twist, and a different knurling pattern on the grip.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-1-2-D...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NAPA-3-8-D...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Napa-1-4-M...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649

I didn't need the 3/8 since I have an old KD that's still accurate...but I couldn't pass up on having a matching set. I mean look at em! They're gorgeous! That knurled grip with the lines crossing back and forth looks so elegant.


Edit: I bought the last of the 1/2 and 1/4 drive ones, but the seller just updated the listing for the 1/2 and now there are 3 available, so he may also have more 1/4 ones as well. You could possibly also purchase the matching set, all 3, for a little over $200.

 

[Packard V8]

Good price for three matching torque wrenches. Other than you bought orphan tools, the Armstrong is an excellent torque wrench. The 1/2"drive was our go-to for years, but it finally crapped out and they're NLA. They're also expensive to have calibrated, as they have to be disassembled and the block changed.

jack vines

 

[jsmeece]

Good price for three matching torque wrenches. Other than you bought orphan tools, the Armstrong is an excellent torque wrench. The 1/2"drive was our go-to for years, but it finally crapped out and they're NLA. They're also expensive to have calibrated, as they have to be disassembled and the block changed.

jack vines

Angle Repair in Beckley West Virginia will calibrate Armstrong 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive click type torque wrenches for $25 and 3/4 drive for $60. Not really that expensive!

 

[Skeptic68W]

Good price for three matching torque wrenches. Other than you bought orphan tools, the Armstrong is an excellent torque wrench. The 1/2"drive was our go-to for years, but it finally crapped out and they're NLA. They're also expensive to have calibrated, as they have to be disassembled and the block changed.

jack vines

That's kind of a bummer. Was hoping they would be set up in a way I could fiddle with the calibration and do it myself over the years to save cost.

Well, hopefully they will show up in good calibration (says they are new and come with calibration card), but I will verify with my torque adapter.

Then hopefully, since I don't use them that much, they will hold their calibration for a long time. I can always check them myself and verify they're accurate, and only send them out when they are off.