I've managed to find one of the last remaining, American made, Husky torque wrenches at an undisclosed Home Depot. I use my 3/8" Kobalt torque wrench a few times a month to work on my car and I now need a 1/2" for stuff over 100 ft/lbs. I've held off on buying a 1/2" torque wrench and always thought about going with a Precision Instruments. The micrometer style on my 3/8" isn't so bad for dialing from 20 - 100 ft/lbs, but I think dialing 50 - 250 ft/lbs would be a pain in the ***. What sayeth Garage Journal? Do I buy the Husky or hold out for the PI?
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Husky Torque Wrench
- Thread starter Tenex
- Start date
anndel
Well-known member
I have a CDI 1/2" 50-250 lbs and it's that bad to crank it from "0" to around 200 ft-lbs-f. I would hold out for the PI, the split beam type torque wrenches are great and you don't have to set it at the lowest torque at the end of each day.
I would definitely get the PI! I was worried about spending the money when I got my 1/2" PI but it is worth more than I paid for it certainly. Using it is so nice and quick. I would never get a micrometer type over a split-beam now.
I dump these in every PI thread but just look at this beauty of a wrench:
View media item 60928View media item 60927View media item 60926
I dump these in every PI thread but just look at this beauty of a wrench:
View media item 60928View media item 60927View media item 60926
gdocktor3
Well-known member
How much is this USA made Husky?
$85 + taxHow much is this USA made Husky?
SuzukiGS750EZ
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 3,273
I've had the USA made Husky (KD tools) made torque wrenches in 3/8 and 1/2 and i wasn't dissapointed. I have used a Snap on (PI) as well and loved it. If you feel more comfortable spending the money on the Husky, go for it. You won't be dissapointed, but if you can spend the extra for the PI since it's easier to set the torque, especially if you need it for repetitive torquing at the same rate, go for the PI.
guy48065
Well-known member
I have both, use both and like both. The PI is more convenient. The Husky is tighten-only if memory serves so no advantage there.
The PI does have a couple minor demerits that don't get mentioned often. One is there's very little let-off when it clicks so you need to apply torque slow & steady to avoid over-torquing.
Second is the tiny dial is hard to read, the pointer is vague and the hash marks are close together. All add up to making it hard to be spot-on your setting. IF fine accuracy is important...
The PI does have a couple minor demerits that don't get mentioned often. One is there's very little let-off when it clicks so you need to apply torque slow & steady to avoid over-torquing.
Second is the tiny dial is hard to read, the pointer is vague and the hash marks are close together. All add up to making it hard to be spot-on your setting. IF fine accuracy is important...
SMKS
Well-known member
If twisting the handle of a clicker torque wrench is too much work for you, then I can't see how you could ever even take on a job where a torque wrench is needed.
I'm mostly joking with that statement, but the real question is how much is this going to be used? I've owned both PI and normal clicker torque wrenches and the amount of time I would have saved over the years with a PI can't be more than a minute.
I can see the argument if all day every day you were using a torque wrench and constantly needing to change the setting. But for me, there's really no measurable time savings with the PI.
If you don't mind taking the time to adjust your 3/8 wrench, then you won't mind taking the time to adjust the 1/2" wrench.
I'm mostly joking with that statement, but the real question is how much is this going to be used? I've owned both PI and normal clicker torque wrenches and the amount of time I would have saved over the years with a PI can't be more than a minute.
I can see the argument if all day every day you were using a torque wrench and constantly needing to change the setting. But for me, there's really no measurable time savings with the PI.
If you don't mind taking the time to adjust your 3/8 wrench, then you won't mind taking the time to adjust the 1/2" wrench.
If twisting the handle of a clicker torque wrench is too much work for you, then I can't see how you could ever even take on a job where a torque wrench is needed.
I'm mostly joking with that statement, but the real question is how much is this going to be used? I've owned both PI and normal clicker torque wrenches and the amount of time I would have saved over the years with a PI can't be more than a minute.
I can see the argument if all day every day you were using a torque wrench and constantly needing to change the setting. But for me, there's really no measurable time savings with the PI.
If you don't mind taking the time to adjust your 3/8 wrench, then you won't mind taking the time to adjust the 1/2" wrench.
It's certainly not that it's too much work to use a micrometer clicker style. It's more like, you pick up the PI split-beam, set it, and then torque a bolt and go: "Why would I use anything else?" It's just so much less fiddly. No trying to read the little stamped collar for the torque or messing with the screw on the bottom if you can't reach the torque you want. You just flip open the lever, spin to the reading you want, close it and torque. Plus I don't have to be paranoid and go out at midnight to check when I think about it and go "Did I reset that torque wrench to zero before I put it away?"
In addition, it's real purdy.
If twisting the handle of a clicker torque wrench is too much work for you, then I can't see how you could ever even take on a job where a torque wrench is needed.
In a professional environment, removing process-steps and opportunities for error are very much on people's mind. Lifetime cost of ownership, ease & reliability calibration, and consistency etc are too.
rlitman
Well-known member
$85 + tax
I only paid $75 on CL for my SnapOn version of the 1/2" PI (TQFR250). I wouldn't be paying anything near that for a micrometer Husky.
A vote for the PI from me.