Seeking torque wrench advice

[nytehawk]

I have a Craftsman "Microtork" 1/2 inch drive 20-150 ft-lbs torque wrench that I've owned for the better part of at least ten years now. Mostly use it for lug nuts, brake calipers, and other things in the 50-80 ft-lbs torque range. It's been a few years since I last calibrated it (courtesy of my former employer who had a calibration lab) but it is in great condition and still seems to be working fine. I've never dropped it and always lower the setting to 20 ft-lbs when finished using it.

According to the reviews on Sears / Craftsman website, however, it's only a matter of time before this wrench breaks (especially if I ever use it > 100 ft-lbs) and would cost more to repair than replace. That being said, my Snap-on dealer said there was a recent sale and he can sell me their QD3R150 1/2" drive 30-150 ft-lbs torque wrench for 85% of MSRP, or $265 plus tax which would bring my total cost to ~$290.

Is it worth paying the $$$ to switch to the Snap-on wrench at this time or should I continue with the Craftsman for as long as it will keep me going?

Thanks in advance!

 

[amolaver]

i was recently hunting for one as well and the folks here steered me to precision. i recently got the 3/8 version and have been pleased with it the couple times i've used it so far. feels nice, made in the US and reasonably priced. when funds allow, i will add the 1/2" as well to the shop. doesn't need to be 'unwound' after each use either (says so in their documentation). it doesn't use the typical twist handle to set it - small knob on the side that has a shield that flips out of the way. hard to explain, but i like it.

http://www.tooltopia.com/precision-instruments-c3fr250f.aspx

ahm

 

[griff99]

I have a CDI Torque 30-250LB wrench that I bought of E-Bay new from an authorized dealer (looked them up on CDI's site before I bought) for less than 1/2 that.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-CDI-TORQUE-...535?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item414caef87f

CDI is a Snap-On specialty company, I am not sure whether or not they are making the torque wrenches for Snap-On, I know I have seen several posts on here that it used to be Precision Instruments, maybe someone else will chime in. But anyway I really like my CDI wrenches and their quality and finish is top notch.

 

[csargents1546]

The other nice thing about a snap on one is when you need to get it recalibrated, snap on charges about 60-70 dollars. Depending on how often you use it they recommend once a year to get it reclaibrated. You end up with your old case and brand new inards in your torque wrench.

 

[mixxmstrmike]

If you're going to spend around $290, I would HIGHLY recommend getting BOTH the 3/8" & 1/2" drive split beam Precision Instruments torque wrenches.

Tooltopia is good source for both of them.

Good luck with your decision,
Mike

 

[DrkMtnDew]

If you're going to spend around $290, I would HIGHLY recommend getting BOTH the 3/8" & 1/2" drive split beam Precision Instruments torque wrenches.

Can't go wrong with PI...

 

[d33pt]

doesn't PI make the snap on ones? i like the split beam ones because you don't have to zero it out. i forget sometimes on my other ones and feel like i can't trust it anymore.

 

[nytehawk]

Thank you all very much; your prompt advice has been extremely helpful. I'm definitely going to pass up the Snap-on. Now my decision is whether to continue using my Craftsman until it gives up the ghost, or to dive in with a CDI or Precision Instruments. That 30-250 ft-lb CDI looks very nice, but the split beams appear to have some potential advantages. So many tools, so little money...

 

[blue dog]

There is a proto CL in luguna for $50.00 I have the same one and am happy with it.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/tls/2143940825.html

 

[nytehawk]

Well, I decided on the Precision Instruments C3FR250F 1/2", 40-250 ft-lb split-beam wrench from ToolTopia. Couldn't believe how fast I received it: apparently it shipped from Fresno and was on my doorstep two days later -- and that was the free shipping for orders > $99!

I was a bit concerned about the packaging though. The wrench was in its protective plastic case, of course, which was placed into a long cardboard box along with a few of those "air pillow" things. The air pillows successfully occupied the remaining volume within the cardboard box but certainly did not provide any cushioning to the wrench, which had slipped all the way to one end of the box.

This split-beam wrench seems potentially more durable than other types of torque wrenches, but it still is a measuring instrument. Should I be concerned about the apparent lack of cushioning it experienced during shipment?

 

[JayL]

Several years on the board and I still have not come across even one negative comment about these Precision Instrument Split Beam TWs' quality or performance. ( Did I miss anything? )

I bought these as well.

 

[nytehawk]

Several years on the board and I still have not come across even one negative comment about these Precision Instrument Split Beam TWs' quality or performance. ( Did I miss anything? )

I bought these as well.

I don't think you missed anything. The question/concern in my most recent post (immediately prior to yours, above) had nothing to do with the quality of the tool itself, only the quality of ToolTopia's packing job when it was shipped to me.

 

[nytehawk]

Just in case anyone's interested, turns out my employer has a set of calibrated torque testers at our facility...and they were even willing to let me use them!

I don't have the results in front of me at the moment, but my new 50-250 Precision Instruments wrench tested very well at 50, 100, 150, and 200 ft-lbf. So did my old 20-150 Craftsman Microtork, which I tested at 30, 80, and 130 ft-lbf. I tested both wrenches at least four times (clockwise only) at each set point.

This experience was also a very good reminder that the accuracy of any decent torque wrench in actual application likely has much more to due with user technique than the accuracy of the wrench itself.

 

[glenmore]

The other nice thing about a snap on one is when you need to get it recalibrated, snap on charges about 60-70 dollars. Depending on how often you use it they recommend once a year to get it reclaibrated. You end up with your old case and brand new inards in your torque wrench.

For a 3/8", calibration only is $38, full monte is $60, which I take to mean if any parts need replacing.

 

[amolaver]

Just in case anyone's interested, turns out my employer has a set of calibrated torque testers at our facility...and they were even willing to let me use them!

I don't have the results in front of me at the moment, but my new 50-250 Precision Instruments wrench tested very well at 50, 100, 150, and 200 ft-lbf. So did my old 20-150 Craftsman Microtork, which I tested at 30, 80, and 130 ft-lbf. I tested both wrenches at least four times (clockwise only) at each set point.

This experience was also a very good reminder that the accuracy of any decent torque wrench in actual application likely has much more to due with user technique than the accuracy of the wrench itself.

good news! care to elaborate on the technique comment? thanks!

ahm

 

[bart1]

Just in case anyone's interested, turns out my employer has a set of calibrated torque testers at our facility...and they were even willing to let me use them!

I don't have the results in front of me at the moment, but my new 50-250 Precision Instruments wrench tested very well at 50, 100, 150, and 200 ft-lbf. So did my old 20-150 Craftsman Microtork, which I tested at 30, 80, and 130 ft-lbf. I tested both wrenches at least four times (clockwise only) at each set point.

This experience was also a very good reminder that the accuracy of any decent torque wrench in actual application likely has much more to due with user technique than the accuracy of the wrench itself.

You should go pick up a $10 HF one to test too. Tests I have seen on them in the past actually showed them to be quite good.

Whenever I buy another, I am almost certain it will be a PI based on the feedback here.

 

[reptilezs]

good news! care to elaborate on the technique comment? thanks!

ahm

you must apply force in a smooth and continuous fashion.

 

[jk47]

you must apply force in a smooth and continuous fashion.

Also grip the handle in the proper place...

 

[nytehawk]

You should go pick up a $10 HF one to test too. Tests I have seen on them in the past actually showed them to be quite good.

Whenever I buy another, I am almost certain it will be a PI based on the feedback here.

Actually, I think one of my co-workers has a HF torque wrench and said he would be interested to test it. I'll post the results in this forum if/when we do.

you must apply force in a smooth and continuous fashion.

Also grip the handle in the proper place...

Assuming you're doing the basics correctly: gripping the handle properly, applying force slowly, smoothly, & continuously in a direction that is exactly perpendicular to the fastener's axis of rotation, not using an extension unless absolutely required, etc. etc. It can make a big difference how quickly you apply the torque to the fastener, and it can be difficult--especially at higher torque values--not to torque past the wrench's set point. I had to use a good portion of my 145 lb body weight to do the 200 ft-lb setting, and even though the wrench was "breaking" (clicking) right at 200 ft-lb I was ending up with ~204 ft-lb max torque because I couldn't release pressure quickly enough when the wrench clicked. And this was under ideal conditions in a calibration / inspection lab.

Oh, one other very important aspect of torque wrench technique is that the fastener must be rotating (tightening) when you reach the desired torque value. This is because static friction is higher than dynamic friction; since the torque set point corresponds to dynamic friction you need the fastener to be in motion (slowly, smoothly, and continuously, of course) when the desired torque value is reached. If you have a cw/ccw torque wrench, you can prove this to yourself by tightening a fastener to a particular torque value. Then try to loosen that fastener using the same torque value and you'll find that you reach the set torque value but the fastener hasn't budged. You'll have to use a substantially (20-30%) higher torque in the opposite direction to get that fastener moving again so you can loosen it.

I typically accomplish this by torquing the fastener(s) to a value that is maybe 20-25% below the desired final torque value, such as 60 ft-lb for an 80 ft-lb final value. This way I know I'll need no more than 1/4-turn when I reset the wrench to the final torque setting, get it back into ideal position and slowly, smoothly torque the fastener to its final value.

Just my $0.02... I'd be interested to hear the opinions of other folks too.