I'm the typical DIY'er at home. I've been using a 1/2" clicker-type Harbor Freight torque wrench but that thing sucks. I feel like it's not accurate at all. Like, I would tighten a bolt to the proper torque, then when I come back to it, I would be able to turn it a little more before the wrench clicks again.

Not breaking the bank, what torque wrench would you guys recommend? Anyone use those Harbor Freight digital torque wrenches? I'd like to go with a digital one and stay away from those guage types. Another clicker-type would be ok too if they work good.

What is the proper way to hold a torque wrench? In the middle of the bar or at the end?

 

Sorry this is not meant to offend , its just that I have been working with good tools for a long time and cheap tools are a pet peave .
Its hard for the do it yourselfer to get good tools , good tools cost more , there is no way around that .
Going electric is a mistake , especially for the DIYS , the rule above , if a non electric is too much , then thats the last thing you should look at , cheap is cheap , a more complicated cheap too has more % for failure & cost more .
The best is a tension bar / dial , the clickers are 2nd , electrics can be good but if $200-300 is too much , why ask about a $400+ ?
Its not rocket science but if you need to ask or use one of these , you may get your self in trouble .
The point being is your at harbor fright [ bad tools tend to do a bad job ] .
A torque wrench means your working on some thing that is important & costly .
Where you hang on it not important to the tool or use , unless you need that much TQ that you need the leverage .

 

I understand what you mean. I was looking to get a more decent one in the $50-75 range, if there is such a thing. I heard the Craftsman ones are crap. I was going to go to Home Depot or Lowes and see what they got. I heard Husky is pretty good (not sure how much it costs though). Any experience with it? What about SK?

I'm not going to be using this for head bolts or anything like that. Like last night I used it to install my PSC steering stabilizer. Frankly, I was a little scared that I might strip the threads in the frame! I got fed up with my torque wrench.

As far as holding position, someone told me that the most accurate way to get a torque is if you hold it in the middle. If you try to extend the arm, for example, you get more inaccurate readings.

 

I have not looked at a Craftsman TQ wrench , I thing in general , they should be one of the best for the price , better than depot of lowes .
SK used to be good , but have not looked at theres in some time .
Go with Craftsman / Sears .

 

We had a clicking Craftsman that lasted 20 years before it went out. Took it in and traded it for a new one. They don't have the lifetime warranty on the Tourque wrenches any more but we have had the replacement for mroe than 5 years now with no issue. IIRC they run around $100 for the craftsman.

 

I have a clicking craftsman and it seems to be accurate. Was in the 80 to 100 price range.

My dad (heavy equip mech) always told me to hold the wrench at the handle, somthing to do with leverage and the wrench design/calibration.

 

I really like my Craftsman tools as well so I was kinda surprised to hear the bad rep on their new torque wrenches. But just go to sears.com and read the reviews on them. 25+ reviews all saying they broke prematurely.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...e+wrench+1%2F2

Maybe that's why they don't offer the lifetime warranty anymore.

 

My Craftsman stuff has worked just fine for many years as a DIY'er.

Buy what you will, but Craftsman "junk" has always suited my tastes just fine. Plus there is always a Sears store around when you need something.

As always, just my opinion.

Have a good one.

 

You must've been typing that as I made my last post.

 

Mine is 3 or 4 years old. I have noticed that thier tools seem to be slowly slipping downhill qualitywise the last few years tho

 

My brother is a diesel mechanic and yes he has the good tools (lucky me!) Anyway, i had a 1/2 craftsman and torqued my 14mm studs to 150 lb-ft. He brought his matco home the next night to double check and they were off by about 30 lbs. This wrench was expensive, but they wil warranty it and if you take care of it you will have it for many years to come. I know money doesn't grow on trees, but spending the money on quality tools could save you $$$ in the long run especially with our head gaskets. Craftsman tool quality has gone downhill in my opinion. Tim

 

I've got a couple crafstman clicker types, and one beam type. All 3 have been fine for what I need, decent and reasonably accurate, but not Snap-on price...

These were all purchased a while ago, before K-Mart and Sears became involved...

 

Here is another view.

As a mobile mechanic, I carry no less than 6 torque wrenches at all times. A 1/4" in in/lb up to 200, a 3/8 vernier style click up to 90lbs, a 1/2 vernier 25 - 150lb, a 1/2 split beam snap on 50 - 250lb, a 3/4 split beam takedown by snap on, from 200 - 600lbs, and a cummins 6 in/lb t handle for doing valve and injector sets.

Of the bunch, the 3/8 90lb is westward, the 1/2 to 150 is from NAPA/ultrapro, the 1/4 in/lb is procore. all of these were "cheap" wrenches, the most expensive being just under 110 bucks. Tested new, they were all within 1 ft/lb right out of the box.

The two snap on wrenches were out to lunch right out of the box. The 1/2" drive flex head was reading almost 32lbs low, and the 3/4 drive was reading 71lbs high. These are both supposed to be the best quality you can get.

Not only that, but snap-on charged me 85 bucks each to calibrate them properly. these were both purchased within a 5 week span, and hadn't been used yet. Would I recommend another snap on torque tool??? Not a chance.

Hazet, for years, made the best torque tools I have ever used, tough to find, but very accurate. Also, in the big wrenches, try the TIREMAN breaking beam torque wrenches, 100% accurate, 100% of the time.

I make my living with tools, and they don't have to be the most expensive to do the job, however, when it comes to precision tools, they have to work right every time. Snap-on proved that they couldn't. The off brands, well, they continue to shine.

Good luck on your choices.

 

I've only owned Craftsman torque wrenches and never loaned them out or dropped them. They are a good tool for a good price in my opinion.

Proper use of a torque wrench is to set the ft/lbs, lock the locknut so you don't inadvertantly change the setting and place one hand over the head and the other on the handle and pull evenly until it clicks. Using an extension will multiply the torque a little and should be used with caution in precision installations, i.e. head bolts, pump housings, etc.

Just a couple cents, Kurt

 

Ok guys, all I gotta say is that I'm very confused on all these brands. Some say the Kobalt at Lowes is made by SnapOn and others say it can also be made cheaply in Taiwan. Same goes for all the other brands. They say Husky is made by SK. It's like, nobody knows who makes what anymore. Anyway, I looked online and apparently Harbor Freight sells a SK for $110. Not sure what I should do here... Husky, Kobalt, SK, or something a little higher end. Now I'm leaning towards a 3/8" wrench because of its range.

Oh yeah, another question. When you set a torque level on the torque wrench, do you overshoot the desired setting then come back down to it? Or do you undershoot that level and go up to it?