[gtorich]

Anyone use any of these 3, master craft from menards $90

Craftsman from lowes....$ 110

Kobalt from lowes.... $ 100

All are 50-250 lbs

Odd the Icon from HF is the most expensive $ 140

Snap on...........$ 400 plus, not going that route for maybe once a year use.

Your thoughts on this

Rich

[Mike Davis]

Depends on what you are doing with it.
For engines I use an older MAC Tools torque wrench that stays in the case and only gets used for mains, rods and heads.
For general use like wheels and tires I use a Craftsman.

[steve25]

A wrench starting off at 50 does not work for stock rod bolts and is a close call for rocker arm studs.

[grivera]

I have the Icon torque wrench from HF, which gets great reviews. It is definitely a high quality tool: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...SABEgLmWPD_BwE

[jwcfbd]

given the choice I would probably go with the Icon. It has the finest tooth count at 90 vs 72 and has a lifetime warranty where the others are only a year. They are all made in Taiwan but can be recalibrated if needed. That said I do have Snap On 1/2 and 3/8 that I bought on Ebay for a lot less than new. I was able to bring them to work, test them and recalibrated them myself.

[6T9GTO]

Torque wrench comparo:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa4VFiNa0Xs

[gtorich]

Hey thanks guys Steve brings up a good point about starting at 50 lbs, what i need this for is my flywheel bolts which are 95 lbs, forgot to mention i can get the Icon 3/8 torque wrench that is from 20 to 100 lbs, that one is $99.

I also see they have that Quinn 25-250 lbs Digital Torque Adapter, where you can use regular hand tools to use that, not to sure of that one.

I appreciate the help

Rich

[grivera]

If you are planning on wrenching, it helps to have several torque wrenches of various ranges and an inch pounds torque wrench too.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by jwcfbd

... That said I do have Snap On 1/2 and 3/8 that I bought on Ebay for a lot less than new. I was able to bring them to work, test them and recalibrated them myself.

How do you go about doing that?

I have an older Snap-On that I'd like to verify accuracy - but it's an older one that I was told they wouldn't recalibrate(!?)

[rohrt]

The older I get the more anti seize and torque wrenches I use. I have a Craftsman a Kobalt an Icon, a few others in various sizes and one beam style inch/lb for setting the preload on a steering box.
I checked my craftsman against my 100ft/lb torq stick and it was right on the money.

As long as you always set them back 0 after your done with them they should last a lifetime.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by rohrt

... As long as you always set them back 0 after your done with them they should last a lifetime.

Well, I'm screwed then!
I leave my SO torque wrench set to 110ft/lbs - because I am always using it to torque lug nuts.

[ANDYA]

CDI torque wrenches are high quality and made in the USA. They are a subsidiary of Snap-On, so you get the same quality as Snap-On but cheaper. I have a Craftsman 1/2” click-type that I’ve been using for general purpose work for 38 years. Never abuse it and always turn it back to zero when not in use. Also have. Proto dial torque wrench that I got at an estate sale. It is still in the original box but I’ve never used it. I also have two torque wrenches I use only for engine assembly or other precise work. One is 1/2” and the other is 3/8”. The are called deflecting beam torque wrenches and are made by Warren Brown in Australia. They are a very unique design and super accurate. They never need calibration as long as they are not abused. They are considered among the best torque wrenches world wide.

[RocktimusPryme]

I dont know that I have any of those specifically, but I have a wide variety of tq wrenches.

I would tell you that if it were me, I would buy one that audibly beeps rather than clicks. Especially on the cheaper units, I have found the click ones are easier to miss.

As far as calibration, Ive watched a bunch of testing that generally says its hard to get a bad one these days. There are better and worse ones, but generally speaking it will be fine for the type of stuff we use them for.

[SRGN]

I'd buy a used snap on and get it recalibrated. I have 5 of them, 2 are digital and have the ability to do degrees for TTY applications. They all live in their cases, I'm really OCD about my torque instruments and measuring tools. Torque wrenches are not somewhere to save money in my humble opinion. They never get lent out, either.

[Schurkey]

1. Micrometer-adjusting torque wrenches do not get "turned back to 0". They get turned down to the LOWEST READING ON THE SCALE. For example, a 20--100 3/8" drive torque wrench would be turned down to 20 for storage. A 50--250 1/2" drive torque wrench would be turned down to 50. Leaving them turned "up" causes the compression spring to relax, and destroys accuracy.

2. "Split Beam" torque wrenches don't need to be turned-down after use. But nearly all of them are only usable in one direction--the ratchet head probably does not have a "reverse" lever.

3. "Electronic" torque wrenches may cost more to check/recalibrate. Verify with whoever you trust to do your torque wrench service. I use Team Torque now, but I have used Angle Repair in the past. I recommend both companies.

[67Lemons]

Yep, always turn your torque wrench down to its lowest reading, think of a spring in there and leaving it at a set torque value higher in the scale stretches the spring and ruins accuracy.

[AG]

Originally Posted by ANDYA

CDI torque wrenches are high quality and made in the USA. They are a subsidiary of Snap-On, so you get the same quality as Snap-On but cheaper. I have a Craftsman 1/2” click-type that I’ve been using for general purpose work for 38 years. Never abuse it and always turn it back to zero when not in use. Also have. Proto dial torque wrench that I got at an estate sale. It is still in the original box but I’ve never used it. I also have two torque wrenches I use only for engine assembly or other precise work. One is 1/2” and the other is 3/8”. The are called deflecting beam torque wrenches and are made by Warren Brown in Australia. They are a very unique design and super accurate. They never need calibration as long as they are not abused. They are considered among the best torque wrenches world wide.

I'd go with the CDI, their 20-150 ft-lb is about $175 and is good quality from my perspective. I only use mine for engine building and have a Protorque for everything else.

[Dragncar]

The 150lb max torque wrenches are kind of a problem for us.............. Pontiac balancer bolts (160lbs)
Thing is torque wrenches are the most accurate in the middle ranges of their scales. So, its best to torque that bolt with a far higher range than 160 lbs, I use a 3/4" drive torque wrench for that one anyway..
I doubt it even matters that much in the end though, ran them at 150lbs when thats all I had.
Heck, I put several engines together when I was young with a 10$ Craftsman pointer type and never had a issue. I have tightened enough nuts and bolts I am sure I could build a stock engine with no torque wrench of any kind and not have a issue.
And this stuff about constantly recalibrating your torque wrench...................................... MAYBE if you use them everyday for a living. If you take care of your torque wrench, keep it in its case, do not drop it and don't leave it spun up, its 5.000 clicks between recalibrations. For the average guy, that is a lifetime of use. And I could not find anyone around here to recalibrate mine if I wanted too.

I recently bought a MAC 1/2" torque wrench, 250lb model for 20$ at a pawn shop. It was that price because the head was worn out, stripped. I bough a rebuild kit on E Bay for 20$ and put it together. Checked it with a known good torque wrench and it was the same. Used enough to wear out the head, kinda beat on and still in spec.
Note, a good cheap way to get a 250lb capable TQ wrench is buy one of those 1/2" digital blocks from Harbor Freight that give you a reading using a breaker bar if you like. I bought one for 60$ and keep it around, new in the package just because.

[jwcfbd]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

How do you go about doing that?

I have an older Snap-On that I'd like to verify accuracy - but it's an older one that I was told they wouldn't recalibrate(!?)

We had a digital scale that you attached the torque wrench to. You would than "torque" the machine and it would read the max which should match what you have the wrench set at. I did a couple and I can't remember for sure but on my 3/8 drive it's the allen head on the handle that you would adjust but I'm not sure on the 1/2. I can't remember if its the nut you turn or if that is to remove the handle and the adjustment is made there. On one I did you pull the handle and there is a stack of washers that position the handle to the correct reading.