What's a good (affordable) torque wrench?

OK, I've walked this earth for a little over 33 years without owning a torque wrench, and I got a couple projects on the horizon that really would be better to use a decent torque wrench on... need one that will go up to 100+ ft-lbs, prolly 1/2 inch drive.

I know Snap-On makes a nice one, but I can't justify re-mortgaging the farm for one... especially since this is just for occasional home use. But I don't want one that'll break in a week either.

Anybody have any suggestions on what I should be saving up for?

I did a HAMB search, but nothing really came up, so if I missed a thread, point me at it!

 

Buy a Smap-On off ebay. Great quality and better price.

 

Hey Slide, if you want, come by and borrow my Snap-On. It will go up to the range you need but is only 3/8ths. I don't see this being a problem unless your sockets are 1/2 inch.

 

i agree.

 

get a 1/2" drive...you will need it for torquing head bolts , main bolts ,flywheels ,etc..... and use a 6 point socket on hex head bolt to keep from rounding them off

 

If you come across a PROTO they're as good as Snap-On.
1/2" drive if your going to be doing any engine work.

 

Thanks, everybody!

ntxc-- thanks for the offer, but it's time I quit borrowing certain things & get my own.... torque wrench is on the short list....

Digger Dave-- I borrowed a Proto one when I was probably still in High School... was real impressed with it, and I agree that it at least seemed every bit as good as the Snap-Ons I've used...

 

The other option is an old style beam type, you know the ones with the little pointer, while not as fancy as a click type they work good and I got my SK 1/2 inch for 5 bucks at the swap meet, works good.

 

I've been wanting one too.

Do the Craftsman suck? I know a lot of guys don't like Craftsman, but most of their stuff I think is OK. I usually buy better quality brand names, for less money, at swaps and flea markets.

Just curious about the Craftsman torque wrenches....

 

My buddy bought a Harbor freight clicker, took it to a guy who calibrates them (we have a lot of defunct aerospace stuff 'round here) He checked it and said it was only off by 2%, and he then recalibrated it for dead-on. Guy said these are hardle ever 5% off or more. So I got one too.

For $11, I dont care about being up to 5% inaccurate!

 

I still have mine. I wondered how accurate they are. They seemed to work for all those years. I also wondered if the clickers ever needed to get calibrated.

The only problem I had was that I needed another person to read the scale when I finally got to the final torque setting while torqueing Pontiac head bolts. I could get 'er there but my arms start to shake and I look like I'm trying to pull a locomotive. I needed some more Wheaties.

 

Steal one! Just kiddin'. I have a Snap-On that I bought when I worked for Discount Tire Co. Bought it used but re-built for $75. This was about 5-6 yrs ago and I take it in every once in a while to check the calibration and as of August, it's still right on.

 

Tommy I have the same problem, used to be I could do the two grunt method but now I don't have enought arm strength to calibrate the grunts so I use a torque wrench.

 

I really liked my 3/8 drive MAC I loaned to someone that I cant remember I am use a 1/2 Snap on you can borrow.

 

Rule of thumb - a quality beam deflection type is MORE ACCURATE than a quality Click Type - it's usually spelled right out in the sale literature. The other advantage a beam deflector allows you is to watch the bolt seat while you torque it - that's pretty difficult with a "clicker".


And YES the Click Type DOES go out of calibration - sometimes to the point that they CANNOT be recalibrated.

A 12 dollar Harbor Fright Clicker - NOT for MY head bolts - I don't care what the "cal man" says - 'cause it migh tbe accurate for ever or just the next two bolts!! Too risky - in my book. If you are wanting the BEST BANG for your buck AVOID the clickers and get a good old beam deflector. They're more accurate and DEFINITELY more reliable.

your mileage may vary

 

I paid extra for the Craftsman torque wrench I bought because of the name. Cheap plastic handle and no case. It started to act up and not click so I tried to get it warrantied, ya know, it's a Craftsman. "Oh no, sir, we don't warranty precision instruments, even though it has the Craftsman name." I ordered three clickers from Harbor Freight for $9.99 each WITH a case and carry them in the trunks of two my cars for tire changing. (That total with shipping was less than I paid for the Craftsman which went into the trash.) I've built three engines with the third one and never had a problem.

 

I also have a Harbor Freight clicker. I haven't had it calibrated but have used it side by side with my Craftsman beam deflection wrench and it's real close.

 

Who's sales literature? The beam deflection torque wrench manufacturer?

"Watching the bolt seat while you torque it .. "
I don't have any problem. And when your going around TRIPLE CHECKING head bolts/studs; the "click" is a hell of a lot easier to HEAR, than trying to look through a set of tri-focals.

True, but I figure ONCE in THIRTY YEARS on mine, ain't a bad track record!

But wern't we talking about GOOD QUALITY torque wrenches?

 

I use the "Spot torque" method



Tighten it up till ya see spots!

 

Ive compared my imports against a Snap-On and they are always dead on. As far as longevity, I've only had them a few years.
However I moved up one level for especially critical stuff. I use a 1/2" instead of 3/8 and 3/4 instead of 1/2. I already had a 3/4 socket set so it wasnt an added expense.
The import quality has come a LONG way the past few years.

I still have 2 beam types that I bought in the early 60's. The pro engine builders around here say they are junk and not to trust them any longer. Ive built a lot of engines with them tho.

 

Had a HF one for a long time now and it still works fine. I wouldn't have one if I were using everyday, but haven't had any problems so far.

 

i've never had a problem with my craftsman, been nine or so years now. it's been checked and is still accurate. maybe i'm lucky(?) i wouldn't cut corners on cost here, save money on some other tool, but not on a torque wrench. get a good one.

and hopefully this goes without saying, but don't use this tool for anything else other than torquing bolts. use a breaker bar and regular ratchets for all other tasks. like someone else said here, i wouldn't trust torqued head bolts from a cheapie wrench, so why would you trust something like that when it was torqued with a torque wrench that's also used to loosen and remove bolts.

am i anal?

yes, i am.

being anal has never failed me yet...

 

I have a friend who got a real nice one when he decided one day (on a whim) to search ebay for a "tork wrence". For some reason the auction wasn't getting much traffic

 

Dave, Clearly we disagree on this topic - no harm there as I knew I'd get this reaction when I posted my opinion. And it is just that my opinion, however I do base it on some factual experience. Now am I saying Clickers are junk - geez I hope not as I have a bunch of them in the drawer (good ones too). My point is simply that they have the potential for more inaccuracies. I even previously hinted on the topic of OPERATOR ERROR. A clicker can "read" differently depending on who's operating it. Go SLOW - Go Fast - Double click - you name it - it has a potential error factor. Now the REAL QUESTION - do we care??? Maybe, maybe not. Where I work the production line uses SnapOn clickers - they use the shit out of them. Our work isn't HYPER critical, but it IS traceable. EVERYTHING HAS to be in Calibration - period!!!! The cheap wrenchs simply would NOT hold up to the constant abuse we delt out. Of course for home use - who knows - maybe the sum flung dung model from Horrible Fright are just fine - I dunno. Life's too short to use crappy tools. Now am I saying Clickers are junk?? NOPE - just saying there's Pro's and Con's to them. If I was totally bucks down and needed the most accurate wrench for the least amount of money - I'd go get a beam deflector.

Nope - Apples to apples !! First off when I first looked into precision torque wrenches for work (production line stuff) there are manufacturer's that produce BOTH types of wrenches - time and time again the specs ALWAYS favored the beam deflection type wrench. Think about it - it makes perfect sense - the clicker type have lots of part - parts that wear and or require lube - those variables alone detract from the wrench's accuracy.

To be fair let's compare a 10 dollar clicker to a 10 dollar beam deflector - or 100 dollar ones - THAT was my point - in a dollars to dollars comparison - beam deflector will win everytime. Doesn't necessarily make them "better" - it depends on what your NEEDS are.

True, but keep in mind that when you RE-TORQUE a bolt - that you will likely do squat with your clicker (unless you are just making sure you didn't for get to tighten it) - by "not doing squat" what I mean is that the INITIAL amount of force required to tighten a bolt can be MORE than your final torque value!! In the case of ahead bolt there's a certain amount of relaxing the bolt does during the tightening - with a beam deflector I can watch this and continue applying torque until it subsides. Talk about bolts being CREEPY huh?? Clicker ain't gonna tell you much there.

Don't get me wrong Dave - certainly you have had success - so I aint gonna convince you - this I know - what I am only suggesting are ways to optimize "our" tightening ability. As we all know - applying torque to ensure a bolt is properly installed is amoung the WORST ways to accomplish this task. Naturally that dirty rat FRICTION is our enemy and a FAR larger error producer than our 5% vs 2% accuracy arguement we got going here. But those of us who are doing what we feel is critical stuff just might want to improve what we CAN control.

Your seeing versus hearing arguement is EXCELLENT assuming you/we HEAR better than you/we SEE.

I hope so - but of course when the Harbor Fright gets mentioned - all bets are off. Which leads us to another dilema - lets just say you were bolting you NOS Set of Aluminum Ardun heads on your flatty and you had a BRAND SPANKING NEW CLICKER TORQUE wrench from Horrible Fright and you had a zillion year old Craftsman Beam deflector laying there (both worth about 10 bucks). You had no access to test either wrench for accuracy, but did have a old pair of scratched glasses with just enough over spray cleaned off that you could see through the one lense. Which wrench do you use?????


Yep - there's really no "right" answer hear when we give opinions, but there are some facts. FACT: Clickers are generally LESS ACCURATE than beams deflectors - that's a fact - OR at least it WAS a fact the last time I looked into purchasing them. Clickers were typically +/- 5% and beams deflectors were +/- 2% (for stuff in similar price ranges). Clickers are EASIER to use and easier to MISUSE. You cannot tell they are out of cal by looking at them -unlike beams deflectors!!!! If the coupe of percent doesn't matter to you then - there's no point to discuss this. No arguement there!!!

 

I used to use beam torque wrenches for years, then I bought some Craftsman clickers about 15 yrs ago...the 1/2" drive did loosen the adjustment after I did a bunch of torquing at 140 ft-lbs, and it's only a 150 ft lb wrench. I bought a new one, it didn't cost much more than getting the old one fixed would have cost. Then I fixed the old one by calibrating it using the beam torque wrench...it's close enough for many tasks, but I wouldn't use it on head bolts or rod nuts now.

For occasional use a beam type is fine...if you have $$$ to burn get a good clicker, not a chinese one, but if it's used make sure to check calibration (find a tool truck?)

 

I have a 1/2" drive Husky from Home Depot......came in a nice case and the chrome is brilliant....it's a clicker and so far it seems to be a quality tool for only about $50 Easy to use....and read...

My $.02

Brucie

 

The bending beam is as accurate as any other, besides that, the little molocules inside of the metal of the bending beam never wear , like the ball & notch in the "break-click" type do, which requires periodic calibration. That SK is a good reputable brand. I have 2 Proto, 3/8 and 1/2 drive, got them about 30 years ago. On several occasions over the years their accuracy has been questioned by guys that claimed their break-clicks were more accurate. In one shop I worked in the lead mechanic would have me calibrate his break-click using my bending beam as the standard.

 

Ditto. I'll just add one comment. Find a bending beam wrench/beam deflection type, that has a fulcrum pivot in the handle, where none of the pull of your arm might influence the swing, consequently the reading. I put a piece of masking tape on the dial to line the needle up on when doing head bolts, cause the strain puts my corneas out of focus........

 

Hmmm. A Pro engine builder that don't know the quality of a beam deflector? Of course what does this old fart know?

 

In the last 25 years, I've built about 65 engines so far, using a Craftsman beam type torque wrench- not even the fancy click type. The beam type is dead nuts on- the click type needs to be recalibrated regularly.