Torque wrench questions

[Huskymaniac]

1. What brands do you guys like? I want to get a "click" type.
2. I have read reviews of some wrenches where people are complaining about the click being too faint. They claim that it resulted in them over tightening. I always thought that the wrench clicks to prevent further tightening at the torque set point. So how are they over tightening? I suppose if you go slowly enough the static friction could allow you to apply a torque above the setpoint but even that should be limited, no?

[Hocrest]

I have a 3/8" Craftsman and a 1/2" Harbor Freight I prefer using the Harbor Freight one.

The lower the torque, the "lighter" the click, so for the 150 lb axle nut the click is easy. For the 20 lb Cam Cover bolts you have to pay attention or you can over torque.

If I worked rebuilding engines and trannies everyday and the torques had a 1% tolerance I may want a better quality, for tightening lugs and axle nuts and occasionally doing more precise work, Harbor Freight is the way to go.

[ZMan]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

I have a 3/8" Craftsman and a 1/2" Harbor Freight I prefer using the Harbor Freight one.

The lower the torque, the "lighter" the click, so for the 150 lb axle nut the click is easy. For the 20 lb Cam Cover bolts you have to pay attention or you can over torque.

If I worked rebuilding engines and trannies everyday and the torques had a 1% tolerance I may want a better quality, for tightening lugs and axle nuts and occasionally doing more precise work, Harbor Freight is the way to go.

+1 and the click indicates you've reached the torque, but doesn't limit it - you can continue to pull on it until you snap the bolt.

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

I have a 3/8" Craftsman and a 1/2" Harbor Freight I prefer using the Harbor Freight one.

The lower the torque, the "lighter" the click, so for the 150 lb axle nut the click is easy. For the 20 lb Cam Cover bolts you have to pay attention or you can over torque.

If I worked rebuilding engines and trannies everyday and the torques had a 1% tolerance I may want a better quality, for tightening lugs and axle nuts and occasionally doing more precise work, Harbor Freight is the way to go.

Is that the same brand as "Pittsburgh"?

[Cam]

Craftsman Torque wrenches are going to be your best bet as far as warranty, quality, and price. Anything else is going to be shoddy, expensive, or used. The actual tolerance on a torque wrench is affected as much by the person using it as it is by how well the torque wrench is made. Like previously stated, once it clicks you can keep using it as a normal wrench, so over-tightening is a real possibility. It is also true that the less the load on the inner spring, the less noticeable the click will become.



As far as using the torque wrench for accuracy, these are proven methods to ensure the torque is as close to the setting as possible.

1) NEVER jerk the torque wrench to make it click; it must be a smooth motion all the way up to the click.

2) Always back the torque wrench off to the set point (or lowest marked setting) when not in use. Failing to do so will result in the spring wearing out inside the wrench over time, making it no longer properly calibrated.

3) If you are tightening a fastener and you run out of room, ratchet the torque wrench back, and the wrench clicks without the fastener turning anymore THEN THE TORQUE IS NOT ACCURATE.

4) NEVER drop your torque wrench. Treat it like a sensitive, calibrated tool. After all, that is what it is.

I would say snap-on makes really impressive torque wrenches. However, unless you have a lot of money to throw around or are building engines/profiting off your car work, then I recommend Craftsman.


On a side note, most often the actual torque applied to a particular bolt is somewhat irrelevant. It is definitely important that it be in the ballpark (+/- 10%) but when applying torque to load bearing parts/assemblies it is actually more important that all the bolts on the piece be torqued EQUALLY. For instance, if your flex-plate is torqued to 65 ft. lbs on one side, and 50 ft. lbs on the other, there is a chance your flex-plate could crack from having an unequal distribution of load throughout the part. Just something to think about...

[Hocrest]

Sorry Cam but I just want to point out that the Craftsman torque wrenches vary in warranty period from 90 days for electronic to 1 year for click style. The Pittsburgh wrenches from HF have a lifetime warranty.

On another car board one of the members compared his Snap On digital, HF click and Craftsman click. The SO was most accurate and consistent, the HF was close to that and the Craftsman was significantly behind.

All of your tips for care and accuracy are spot on. Especially dialing it back to 0 when done since most home users will go weeks or months between uses.

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

Sorry Cam but I just want to point out that the Craftsman torque wrenches vary in warranty period from 90 days for electronic to 1 year for click style. The Pittsburgh wrenches from HF have a lifetime warranty.

On another car board one of the members compared his Snap On digital, HF click and Craftsman click. The SO was most accurate and consistent, the HF was close to that and the Craftsman was significantly behind.

All of your tips for care and accuracy are spot on. Especially dialing it back to 0 when done since most home users will go weeks or months between uses.

What's even better is the price. It is on big sale right now AND there is a 20% discount code! I got a 3/8th for $12!!!!! The tax and shipping were only an additional $4.20. Since I will use this mostly for servicing my mowers, I can't go wrong for this price. Thanks guys.

[Cam]

At 12 bucks I would say go for it.

Hocrest, I forgot that craftsman took their lifetime warranties from all tools (except hand-tools). Since torque wrenches are considered specialty tools, you are right in saying that the warranty leaves room to be improved upon. I am suprised that the HF model did better than the craftsman during that test. What was used to determine actual torque?

[Hocrest]

Originally Posted by Cam

At 12 bucks I would say go for it.

Hocrest, I forgot that craftsman took their lifetime warranties from all tools (except hand-tools). Since torque wrenches are considered specialty tools, you are right in saying that the warranty leaves room to be improved upon. I am suprised that the HF model did better than the craftsman during that test. What was used to determine actual torque?

It was a few years back, I seem to recall that where he works had the equipment to calibrate wrenches?

I'll see if I can find the details...

While on the topic of craftsman, I broke another 3/8 ratchet this weekend. I was performing the tough task of removing a 10mm nut that was holding the air intake on a Lego.
I will NEVER buy another Craftsman ratchet again. I have 2 in my tool pouch so that I have a spare and I will continue to return for rebuilt replacements. But if they were on sale for $5, I would walk right on past.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

It was a few years back, I seem to recall that where he works had the equipment to calibrate wrenches?

I'll see if I can find the details...

While on the topic of craftsman, I broke another 3/8 ratchet this weekend. I was performing the tough task of removing a 10mm nut that was holding the air intake on a Lego.
I will NEVER buy another Craftsman ratchet again. I have 2 in my tool pouch so that I have a spare and I will continue to return for rebuilt replacements. But if they were on sale for $5, I would walk right on past.

Their ratchets are not very good. I have a set just to hit with hammers on really stubborn fasteners. I love crafstman sockets/extensions/etc...but I have a Snap-On set of ratchets that are amazing, and worth the money because I turn wrenches pretty often.

[icingdeath88]

The click type I do not like at all. The non-racheting kind that have the little gauge thing on them is just fine for me . A lot of the things that you actually need to be careful not to overtorque, make so faint of a click that you don't notice and then keep going till it snaps. Also, pay very close attention to inch-pounds vs foot-pounds when reading manuals.

Next big project I'm going to get a snap-on wrench just to have around.

[Conn SVX]

Lowe's Kobalt same Life time bring it back and get a new one . Good enough for jimmy good enough for me $100.00

[92snowmachine]

i have compared mine. not sure if really technical but used a doubler to connect the ends together and torqued on my snap on digital one. the craftsman over torqued quite a bit. the snap on one reads out the torque that you last did for several seconds before re zeroing. if you plan on actually using it for bolts that are very important to get torqued right i would invest in a nice snap on one. pawn shops around here have em cheap because so many mechanics are now working at taco bell.

[kwren]

Originally Posted by Hocrest

Sorry Cam but I just want to point out that the Craftsman torque wrenches vary in warranty period from 90 days for electronic to 1 year for click style.

"Sears" no longer gives a lifetime warranty on any tools...
Some may know, or remember that when Kmart went bankrupt a short time back, The "powers that be" all got together to decide how to handle the Bankruptcy situation...

Some one suggested, gee, we are bankrupt... why don't we just buy Sears! So... bankrupt Kmart bought Sears. The name Sears, under new ownership had no obligation to honor any of the great guarantees of the previous Sears and didn't. That even applied to Sears refrigerators and other appliances.

However, you might find a store that has someone there that out of the goodness of their heart would help you out.

The click... I think most people can feel the click, no need to hear it.

Keith

[Conn SVX]

If you fight hard enough they will honor the tool bought Back in the day , but the new tool wont be. Kobalt is . I do it every day.