Torque Wrenches???? [Archive]

BennyB

12-29-2005, 03:10 PM

I'm looking at getting a torque wrench in the near future and wanted to get yous guys input on some.

What would you recommend for a max. torque?

Click or beam?

Anyone have any insight on this one? http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=239

I'm a get what you pay for guy, but considering I won't use it all that often, will this one do the job or do I need to bite the bullet and shell out 100 clams for an SK (northerntool) wrench?

I think I'm looking at a front end suspension project in the spring, as well as some others on my other vehicles, and I can see where it would come in handy on most DIY projects of the like.

Any help appreciated!

350TBI1990

12-29-2005, 04:20 PM

Back when I used to work on semi-trailers, we only used Snap-On or Husky torque wrenches. The Snap-Ons are very expensive but you can get a quality Husky torque wrench for like $60 bucks at Home Depot. You'll probably be glad you bought it later.

Brian

Goose

12-29-2005, 04:28 PM

I bought a craftsman a few months ago, right around $60. At this time of year, with all the sales and specials going I'm pretty sure you can find a good one that is reasonable in price. Besides, once you get it, you'll find other things to use it on (ie. lug nuts, headers, exhaust, lift kits, motorcycles.) It's not a bad investment.

s10er8

12-29-2005, 04:29 PM

I would get a better one that that too...you might not even be able to tell when that thing clicks, I've used cheap ones before

Sears has a beam type 1/2" for like $26 craftsman

ZebraSS

12-29-2005, 04:31 PM

I'm in the same situation and have looked around. That Harbor Freight one is lower end I'm sure. At the same time I'm not a mechanic needing to use one every day or even a dozen times a year. I'm going to go middle of the road, probably ebay.

s10er8

12-29-2005, 05:04 PM

yeah ebay usually has a lot of them kinda cheap...you might get lucky and get a snap-on for $50

enine

12-29-2005, 05:16 PM

I've been told that the click type needs to be calibrated every few years so that for home use your better off with the beam type.
I've bought HF tools once or twice and after a couple uses end up tossing them and going and buying a decent tool anyway so since I ended up spending then $ later I wasted the $ up front.
I don't use a torque wrench all that much either but have had a beam type craftsman for years and it only cost like $29 or $39 so over 10 years of use its only a couple $ a year invested.

SpitAndDirt

12-29-2005, 06:46 PM

I personally have the click type torque wrenches from Sears. They were on sale for $50 each during the holidays. Sure, I'd love to have a couple of Snap-On's but I don't wrench professionally, only side work. I have never had a complaint. I have owned them for over 5 years. I don't doubt that they are in need of calibration however. Get the 15-75ft/lb 3/8" and the 1/2" 25-150ft/lb

Bigblack90

12-29-2005, 06:46 PM

I would NEVER buy a torque wrench or any important tool from harbor fright.. ever. Go with the SK or Husky.

s10er8

12-29-2005, 07:04 PM

I would NEVER buy a torque wrench or any important tool from harbor fright.. ever. Go with the SK or Husky.me either

Bob T

12-29-2005, 07:18 PM

I keep my good torque wrenches in the garage (locked up, my kid's building camaros), a cheap one not locked up (for the kid to misuse) and a cheap one in the truck box for changing tires.

Cray91

12-29-2005, 07:25 PM

Not worth spending the money on the HF one IMO. They really are not that much more for a decent one from Craftsman or Husky. I also would not go used. They can be mistreated and inaccurate.

Always remember to loosen it up when you put it away.

350TBI1990

12-30-2005, 11:08 AM

Always buy a click-type, don't buy a beam-type. The accuracy of a beam-type changes with the abient temperature due to the expansion of metals. It might only be 5%, but 5% isn't accurate.

Brian

tee-boy

12-30-2005, 11:37 AM

click types do require re-calibration (you have to take it back to sears for them to do it). Click types can not take much abuse. I prefer beam torquer. However, most don't know how to use a torquer to begin with. It is a useless tool if you are torquing a used bolt (bolts stretch longitudally after first time tightened) or if your threads on both male and female are not close to perfectly clean.

MIKEAP

12-30-2005, 09:34 PM

bretsk2500

12-31-2005, 01:09 PM

Go and buy a Snap On torque Wrench.. Spend the extra dough and get something reliable.. Get the digital one as well.. you will never need to recalibrate it,, and if it does happen to be out.. SNAP ON will replace it on the spot.. No Questions asked..

no, they won't. they'll make you pay for the recalibration, just like everyone else does. been there, done that.

enine

12-31-2005, 04:20 PM

Sears has two different beam type on sale for $26 now, pick up one of those, the fancy digital and click type are overkill unless your using them every day. The HF you will have to pitch after a couple uses so you will end up buying it again every couple years and after a couple replacements you will have spent the same as the sears one.

MIKEAP

12-31-2005, 05:55 PM

no, they won't. they'll make you pay for the recalibration, just like everyone else does. been there, done that.

Actually my Snap On Dealer Just hands me a Brand new Tool everytime something happens to break.. I never end up seeing the old one.. Even wioth my Digital Torque wrench.. Just gave me a new one..

OzzHead

12-31-2005, 06:16 PM

i bought a cheap craftman one off ebay for just to use a few times for about 60$, works great and it has lifetime warrenty so sounded good to me.

Arctic_Scrap

01-01-2006, 10:23 PM

Actually my Snap On Dealer Just hands me a Brand new Tool everytime something happens to break.. I never end up seeing the old one.. Even wioth my Digital Torque wrench.. Just gave me a new one..

Just because a torque wrench needs calibration doesn't mean it's broke.

Click type torque wrenches are far more accurate than a beam. I work in the aircraft industry and the only kind of torque wrenches we use are clicks. Proper storage and use is very important. When you store it, always put it on the lowest setting it can go. When you want to use it crank it to it's max torque and then back down to the desired torque. Never go beyond the minimum or max. Our torque wrenches are checked on a regular basis, one that is in my area was found to be 20% off at one time.

Frankenbiker

01-02-2006, 01:00 AM

The general consensus on rec.autos.tech, years ago (anyone else around here old enough to remember that???) was that if speed was more important than accuracy, get a click-type; if accuracy was more important than speed, get a beam-type. The range of opinions varied; some were rabid for one, some rabid for the other.

Generally speaking, most everyone grudgingly agreed that for everything but torquing head bolts, a click-type was "good enough." The consensus was nearly unanimous to use a beam-type for torquing heads.

-blaine

oldred95

01-02-2006, 08:45 AM

We buy all our torque wrenches at pawn shops. Show around, look for the best deal and a good pawn shop will almost always have at least one torque wrench that is as close to new as you can get. My dad bought a like new snap on goes to 250 ft. lbs. for like a hundred bucks.