Need torque wrenches, looking for suggestions. What's the sweet spot for price/quality?

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RSie

Idiot In Training
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I don't want junk. I don't want something I have to take a 3rd mortgage out on either. I'm not a full time mechanic or anything so it won't see heavy daily use.
 
Craftsmen - prices are good since the company has so much trouble. 3/8s was $40 something and the big 1/2" was a little more.

I have the craftsmen 3/8s, I believe it only goes to 80 pounds. I am happy with it - about 2 years

I ended up buying a Husky 1/2 that goes to 180 pounds - that sucker is long but works well- I was in a pinch and paid upper $50s

So depends what you are torquing
 
Craftsmen - prices are good since the company has so much trouble. 3/8s was $40 something and the big 1/2" was a little more.

I have the craftsmen 3/8s, I believe it only goes to 80 pounds. I am happy with it - about 2 years

I ended up buying a Husky 1/2 that goes to 180 pounds - that sucker is long but works well- I was in a pinch and paid upper $50s

So depends what you are torquing
Pretty much anything on a '69 Cuda. My torque wrenches since I lost mine in a move years ago have been my arms... snug, tight, really tight, or 'I'm gonna feel this tomorrow' tight.
 
Pretty much anything on a '69 Cuda. My torque wrenches since I lost mine in a move years ago have been my arms... snug, tight, really tight, or 'I'm gonna feel this tomorrow' tight.
Perfect!
 
Good one. 2 cent slight reply for laughs....

Sorry to hear your school mates were prude.
:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Better than being the opposite of prude! Anywho, before this thread goes completely off the rails, any input on new torque wrenches?
 
Something you are going to use again? If so spend a little more. You can rent one for one project.
 
I needed one that would torque to around 200 LB FT several years ago. I hit EBay. Found an old model Snap On Torque O Meter that'll go 250 lb ft and is still calibrated well. I gave under 100 bucks for it.
 
Something you are going to use again? If so spend a little more. You can rent one for one project.
I'd want to keep it. Good idea though if I don't have one yet and need one... I always forget most of the parts stores will rent out tools.
 
I have had a Craftsman 1/2" and 3/8" for years, I do have the luxury of being able to have them calibrated at work, and they never need it, dead on. Good bang for the buck.
 
If you buy a cheapie expect it to be a throw away. Even the expensive ones get tossed when ratchet kits and internal parts are discontinued.
 
If you buy a cheapie expect it to be a throw away. Even the expensive ones get tossed when ratchet kits and internal parts are discontinued.
I don''t want a cheapie.. then again, if I wind up tossing an expensive one, that may be the way to go. Dammit, now I'm confused again! Good points to think over, though. Thanks man!
 
Sorry, there is no 1 perfect wrench (or brand) and higher price usually buy a a better tool that lasts longer. Sold them for 28 years. I've seen a lot of them.
 
Yea, we could get real silly from here...

Suggestion? Craftsman.
Craftsman seems to be the way to go from the comments, which is good, as I have a Sears charge card. :)
BTW, the proper German spelling I always had in my head (from listening to my German gramma, and sometimes from my mom when they spoke in German, and when they yelled at me in words I shouldn't be hearing, in German) is 'Gutentight'. More emphasis on the 't'. "GooT en tight." :)
 
Craftsman seems to be the way to go from the comments, which is good, as I have a Sears charge card. :)
BTW, the proper German spelling I always had in my head (from listening to my German gramma, and sometimes from my mom when they spoke in German, and when they yelled at me in words I shouldn't be hearing, in German) is 'Gutentight'. More emphasis on the 't'. "GooT en tight." :)
More than likely a bastardization of 'gute nacht'... 'good night'.
 
There was a torque wrench "torque-off" in a mag and the $16 HF was +-3% of the best out there. 4% is the target for accuracy clockwise while 6% is counterclockwise. IIRC it was neck and neck with a Craftsman or a Matco. Now I have to find it....I think it was Off-road magazine? They have a digital "cube" that goes between a breaker bar and the bolt that measures the torque and beeps when its preset torque is met, it can also measure the breakaway torque. Its also used to calibrate on a static stand. I have a strange 3/8 Snap-On that is not a ratchet, just a straight torque "breaker bar". Beautiful piece, Kinda hard to use......
Here is the new HF $100 ICON compared the the $400 Snap-On 1/2 torque wrench...sorry Snap-On! ICON beat it in accuracy as well as repeatablilty, and even smaller degree of ratchet.
snap.jpg
snap2.jpg


 
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I have three or four junk Craftsman around here. Every one of them has had the nut under the handle come loose, one has been repaired by them and still the nut came loose. AND, the warranty SUCKS. My 25 year old HF still works great and tracks with my beam torque wrench.
 
There was a torque wrench "torque-off" in a mag and the $16 HF was +-3% of the best out there. 4% is the target for accuracy clockwise while 6% is counterclockwise. IIRC it was neck and neck with a Craftsman or a Matco. Now I have to find it....I think it was Off-road magazine? They have a digital "cube" that goes between a breaker bar and the bolt that measures the torque and beeps when its preset torque is met, it can also measure the breakaway torque. Its also used to calibrate on a static stand. I have a strange 3/8 Snap-On that is not a ratchet, just a straight torque "breaker bar". Beautiful piece, Kinda hard to use......
Here is the new HF $100 ICON compared the the $400 Snap-On 1/2 torque wrench...sorry Snap-On! ICON beat it in accuracy as well as repeatablilty, and even smaller degree of ratchet.
View attachment 1715336696 View attachment 1715336697


Good info! Thanks for taking the time to put that up.
 
I have had a Harbor Freight one for several years. I'm not a mechanic, so I don't use it daily, but I'm pretty happy with the service I have gotten out of it. Check the reviews on them. Pretty impressive for a cheap tool.
 
If its a micrometer style, (turn the handle to increase torque) remember to back it off to minimum setting when you're done using it. There's a spring inside that needs to be relaxed.
 
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