Who makes a good torque wrench?
 

My $9.99 Harbor Freight Torque wrench has (apparently) failed. I discovered this when I just stripped the oil drain plug in my FJ Cruiser with the wrench set to 30 ft/lbs. So then I decided to test it on another bolt (that holds the hood latch on) and snapped it off. Luckily I had a second Toyota drain plug to use... And there is a second bolt holding on the hood latch... fun project for the day, try and get out the snapped bolt and replace it...

Note to self: If it feels wrong, STOP! :)

I am looking to get a new non-harbor freight torque wrench, any recommendations? The one I was replacing was 1/4 drive and went to over 100 ft/lbs. Maybe it is just finicky at the lower ranges? Maybe I should get a 3/8?

Thanks

Steve

I use the Pittsburgh brand from harbor freight...have both 3/8 and 1/4 and have not had any issues yet...but I don't use it a lot. Maybe you just got a bad one?

A lot of Freight Harbor's stuff is made to a price point so you often get what you pay for. Try a Craftsman brand? They are decent enough for the home mechanic and have a lifetime warranty.

Snap-On.................

Love my Snap-On digital 1/4" drive, it's perfect for engines since most of the bolts are 7.5 ft/lbs or 10. Torque wrench accuracy declines alot at the extreme ends of their range.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1386447037.jpg

I don't think you can really get by with just one torque wrench. I got a Snap-on 21" 1/2" drive 40-200 ft-lb for lug nuts, a 3/8" Craftsman 5-75 ft-lb that covers most of the mechanical work I've done so far, and a 3/8" 30-250 in-lb one for the delicate stuff.

The Snap-on has a much more positive click than the other two. A buddy has the Snap-on 5-75 ft-lb with the flex head and it makes my Craftsman look kinda crappy.

I have a few beam-style units as well. I don't use 'em much anymore, although there is nothing wrong with them if you want something really inexpensive.

I own several Snap-On's, from 3/8 drive inch pounds to a 600 ft. lb. 3/4 drive; including a 1/4 drive 0.5 to 35 inch pound torque screw driver. Every one of them had be tested multiple times for accuracy, none of them has ever missed a beat. Not cheap, but very dependable.

I just checked, the Pittsburgh Harbor Freight is 1/2" drive, not 1/4" and goes from 10 ft/lbs to 150 ft/lbs. Also I have been leaving it at the last setting, which is usually 85-100 ft/lbs because putting lug nuts is usually the last thing we do. I realize now that is a no-no.

After I stripped the drain plug, I put the old one back in and decided to do it in stages, so I set the wrench to 15 ft/lbs, and got the click as I was tightening. Set the wrench to 30, and got no click after about 1/4 turn so I stopped and just left it at that setting. That is when I decided to put the wrench on another bolt and see if I could get the click, and that is when I snapped the bolt.

I have a craftsman micro torque, 3/8 that goes from 25 to 250 in/lbs, so I think I will get another 3/8 20-75/100 ft/lbs and use it for everything, and maybe save the big one for lug nuts and big values as it seems to never give any trouble there and I will do some tests comparing it with the other one. I have also released the tension on it. It is a big handle and has a lot of leverage, probably not the best to use on smaller stuff anyway. It was too easy to strip that drain plug and twist the bolt head off with that long handle (even though it was totally my fault and I learned a good lesson today)

Thanks everybody,

Steve

Edit: after some more thought I am going to treat the 1/2" Drive Harbor Freight torque wrench as nothing more that a long handled 1/2 socket wrench/breaker bar... I don't want to take a chance of messing something else up.l

Torque wrench
 

I have found TENG to be good. I have two 1/4 & 1/2 drive.

Good call. We have Princess Auto here, which seems to be similar to HF with regard to tool quality. I don't mind buying a snow shovel there, but I sure wouldn't buy one of their $20 torque wrenches, unless it was a gift for someone that had pissed me off.

Expensive car + expensive parts + cheap tools... that just makes no sense to me at all, especially given that you can get good used Snap-on and Mac on Ebay for not much more than the cheap junk costs in the stores.

Torque Wrench Testing - Shop Tools - Car Craft Magazine

Another Snap On fan here. Have both a 3/8 and 1/2 in models. ( Jealous of JFP with a 3/4", but replacing wheel bearings and air cooled pulleys are a rare charge in my shade tree garage).

A good torque wrench is a precision measuring tools. They are not breaker bars. You never loosen fasteners with your torque wrench. Also, its not a one size fits all tool as the OP Steve ascertains- 1/2" drive, 20 ft-lbs no way.

The pros (Byprodriver/JFP) pretty much sum it up with their tool range.

Harbor Freight really isn't saving you money in this case, buy quality they last much longer

When making a living depends upon your tools, you buy quality and whatever you need to do the job properly. At 2AM, no one will answer their cell phone, but you can always count on your tools to be there.....

I just bought a craftsman 3/8 digital and it has been great.

I like the Precision Instruments split beam torque wrenches. They can be found for less than $150. Precision Instruments: Split Beam Click Wrenches

Also, last time I checked sears torque wrenches did not have a lifetime warranty. Might want to double check if you are planning on going that way.

I just looked at the Craftsman digital and yes, it only has a 90 day warranty. Lots of complaints on that one. I like the look of the Precision Instruments one, I had not heard of them.

It looks like Precision Instruments is the supplier for Snap On? If so, that makes it an easy decision for me. I currently have a HF one but this thread has got me thinking.

Has anyone used the Brownline torque wrench?

Digital Angle Gauge & Digital Torque Wrench | Brown Line Metalworks

That actually looks pretty cool.

I ended up getting the $40 Kobalt 3/8" from Lowe's... Supposedly lifetime hassle free warranty.

Steve

PS I am going to start a new thread because I need a small air compressor now. I used to have a Harbor freight back int he day but had to take it back a couple of times. They always exchanged it but now the closet one is 45 min away so looking for something a little better.

Snap-on....

I have 3/8 and 1/2 Techangle wrenches, and they are incredible. Again, not cheap, but I certainly trust them.

Once in a while I'll buy something from Harbor Freight (I happen to love my air powered fluid extractor), or a weird size socket I'll use once on an American car, but I'm not about to trust a $20 torque wrench when torquing a rod bolt.