[IMG]ok guys .. here another tool question for you all ... im in the market for a torque wrench and i want to know yout opinions on them ... any particulat kind that are good???? how much should i be looking to spend on a decent quality one????

i found this one here at sears for $100.... its a craftsman i guess.... is supposed to be acurate to +/- 4% .... is that good or bad???? tell me whats up u tool ******!!!

 

4% is the normal.. 2% is better but is more $$.
also you should see if it measures in reverse and how accurate that is.. also see what range it goes to. 100% is an alright price i think ive seen craftsman for alittle cheaper tho.

 

here is the description of the craftsman site.....

"Craftsman Torque Wrench, 1/2 in. Drive

1/2 in. square drive Wrench with digital readout. Our easiest to set and most accurate. Measures 25 to 250 ft. lb. in 2 ft. lb. increments.

Superior internal mechanisms reduce friction and provide accurate and consistent measurements. Readout gives precise torque settings in both English and metric units. Accurate to 3 percent on clockwise or right-handed reading greater than or equal to 20 percent of capacity. Handle designed for easy setting. Internal mechanisms reduce friction and provide accurate, consistent measurements. "

y would i need to measure in reverse???? and also, $100 is the price for the 1/2" drive ... im thinking about getting the 1/2" for the beefier feel cause im about to do some head torqueing........ do u think i will be unhappy with this wrench since it doesnt read anything lighter that 25lbs???? on the other hand it reads all the way to 250lbs..... whats your opinion????

 

i have had nothing but good luck with my Great Neck torque wrench that i paid 25 bux for at Auto Zone.

 

if your lookin for a great torque wrench, i suggest get a snap-on. not only one of the best imo but there are pricey.

 

id love to own a snap-on if the price tag wasnt $250

 

125 fo me

 

you dont really need one that goes up to 250 lbs for doing a head. thats kinda overkill. get one more suited to what you plan on using it for and it will be more accurate.
like me. i have 10-50,
5-75
etc.

if i was you id get something LIKE this. i know snap on isnt what your looking for.. but id try and matchthe specs.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog...talog

 

I use a Sealey torque wrench for 20-180ft-lb
and a Draper Expert precision torque wrench for internal engine work, I had the snapon one but the warranty doesnt cover them if you drop them and they bust.

heres a pic of my new draper anyhow.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dirtyd463 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have had nothing but good luck with my Great Neck torque wrench that i paid 25 bux for at Auto Zone.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm in the exact same boat, however I am budgeting for a Snap-On in the very near future.

 

I have two snap-on torque wrenches
3/8" drive 20-100ft lbs
1/4" drive 40-200 in lbs

I have no problem with anything except for axle nuts and crank pully bolts, but I willl soon get the 1/2" snap-on torque wrench.

The whole reason of actually using a torque wrench is to achieve accurate and repeatable results. with my experience that I have had with some of the cheaper torque wrenches is that they are not always accurate or repeatable. This is one area that you should spend as much as you can afford to if you are going to be using it for critical applications such as engine internals.

 

Go for the digital Snap-on Torque wrenches they vibrate mmmmmmmmmm

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Kendall &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'm in the exact same boat, however I am budgeting for a Snap-On in the very near future.</TD></TR></TABLE>

do not just budjet, get it thru me i can get a substantial discount

 

we use the snap-on 3/8 and 1/2 digital torque wrenches... they're great but for the everyday person who wont use one daily any of the other snap-on torque wrenches i would reccomend. watch out for the cheaper stuff cuz u do get what u pay for and they end up not being that accurate

 

that one is kinda expensive 100, I have the same one for 65 dollar. Maybe because of the location of where you are at.

It is a great item for the price if you are not planning to use it every day, If you are using it every day Snap-on, Mac, or something like that will be a longer lasting and more accurate.

 

you can get a s-k torque wrench for about $71 at http://www.mytoolchest.com
s-k would be better than craftman's, but not quite mac tools or snap on.

 

Craftsman has always been a reliable name in the tool ondustry and have a waranty to back it up. I would suggest buying the craftsman. I've had mine for 2 years and still works like brand new.

 

and also torque wreches are recommeded to be recalbratied every year or so after a set amount of uses.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ms1motorsports &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Craftsman has always been a reliable name in the tool ondustry and have a waranty to back it up. I would suggest buying the craftsman. I've had mine for 2 years and still works like brand new. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Have you taken you craftsman torque wrench in for calibration yet? I know that the one that I had would go out of cal within 3-4 months. Both of My Snap-on wrenches are over 3 years old and everytime that they have been checked I am still within 2-3% on both. You can't tell if a torque wrench is working properly just because it still clicks, it need to be checked with the proper equipment. BTW the warranty on a craftsman and a Snap-on torque wrench is only 1 year I believe.

Andy

 

i get mine done every so often when i get time and yes you are correct that snap on is usually always still in spec. But the Craftsmans one is about 5% off from using it once a week for a year. That is not bad for a 60 dollar tool. It all depends on what it is going to be used for. Snap-on if you really want to be safe and it is used a lot. For 200+ dollar more I cant justify getting a Snap-on because I dont use it that often.

 

another good brand that the company that I work for has very good results with is Proto. I am pretty sure that they run between $100-$140. They are used and abused by all of us mechaincs in a very demanding aerospace industry and always seem to test good

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vtecrx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">another good brand that the company that I work for has very good results with is Proto. I am pretty sure that they run between $100-$140. They are used and abused by all of us mechaincs in a very demanding aerospace industry and always seem to test good</TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree with you, proto tools are one of the best out there, we have many things from proto at the shop and they take quite a good beating, same as Snap-On, Matco and Usag

 

Where can you get off brands like Proto, sealey, or draper calibrated?

I'm in the market in the next few weeks for a good torque wrench, and I want to consider everything before I buy.

 

I check my Craftmans againt the Snapon at work which is calibrated every 3 months. The Craftmans is still pretty darn close to the Snapon. The key is to never store any torque wrench with it adjusted, always back it off to zero before storing.