How Much Should I Pay For A Decent Torque Wrench

[Bingster]

I saw a torque wrench at a Napa store for a couple hundred dollars and a few on ebay for $30, $60, and the like.  What should one pay for a decent one?

[HotRodTractor]

Unless you need it ASAP - you can pick up a used 1/2" drive Snap-On for under $200 pretty easily and then send it in to be calibrated to make sure that it is in spec. I use them just enough that I justified buying Snap-On pieces (I have a couple of different ones with different torque ranges).

 

Snap-On (or any professional level tool) holds value too - so if you decide you don't really need it or use it enough - you can get most of your money back out of it.

 

Also - check pawn shops - I have picked up some great nearly new or never used professional tools on occasion, but its totally luck of the draw.

[Young Ed]

Just now, HotRodTractor said:

Unless you need it ASAP - you can pick up a used 1/2" drive Snap-On for under $200 pretty easily and then send it in to be calibrated to make sure that it is in spec. I use them just enough that I justified buying Snap-On pieces (I have a couple of different ones with different torque ranges).

 

Snap-On (or any professional level tool) holds value too - so if you decide you don't really need it or use it enough - you can get most of your money back out of it.

 

Also - check pawn shops - I have picked up some great nearly new or never used professional tools on occasion, but its totally luck of the draw.

Yup watch ebay. I picked up a greasy snap on with case for under $50

[YukonJack]

Harbor Freight has them all the time for about 12.00 but I've heard that after being used once or twice they become inaccurate.  I always bought Snap-On tools in the past. But if you aren't using them everyday I find it hard to justify the cost. 

[Don Coatney]

I never owned a torque wrench until about 20 years ago. Did it all by feel. Never had an engine rebuilt failure except one and that was because I did not  mike the rod bearings correctly and ran it like a race car out of the box.

[thebeebe5]

4 minutes ago, Don Coatney said:

I never owned a torque wrench until about 20 years ago. Did it all by feel. Never had an engine rebuilt failure except one and that was because I did not  mike the rod bearings correctly and ran it like a race car out of the box.

Why does this not surprise me....

[thebeebe5]

Craftsman makes good wrenches if you're on a budget.  I have several Snap On here at home and that's all that is used at the shop.  I've really gotten to like the dial variety....  Click wrenches are all fine too.  Whatever you get used have calibrated (as mentioned already).  I have all my wrenches calibrated at Washington Calibration in Tempe, AZ.  Great outfit to work with.

[kencombs]

Nobody has mentioned the bending beam type yet

, but they are worth discussing.

 

Very accurate, almost impossible to go out of tolerance, as long as the scale and pointer are at zero at rest.  Cheaper than other types.  But, are difficult to use in all positions. 

 

I use an old one to check my click types.  Anchor it in the vise link it to the clicker using a square to square adapter I made and read the scale while waiting for the click. 

 

I used to work for a major airline and we had a huge certification lab that had to periodically verify all the measurement tools used by over 5000 mechanics.   The techs that worked there told me they had never seen a bending beam wrench fail the accuracy test.

Edited November 24, 2018 by kencombs

[Andydodge]

Ken...........I assembled the 318 Poly using a bending beam torque wrench, this was in 1974 and the engines still holding together.......lol............still got the wrench which has a scale on both sides so it can do left or right hand threaded bolts and it gets used........andyd   

[pflaming]

I've found that I've never paid too much for a tool I have used a LOT, 

[TodFitch]

21 hours ago, Don Coatney said:

I never owned a torque wrench until about 20 years ago. Did it all by feel. Never had an engine rebuilt failure except one and that was because I did not  mike the rod bearings correctly and ran it like a race car out of the box.

 

I pretty much learned my mechanic skills working on my '33 Plymouth using the "Instruction Manual" that came with the car as a guide. There are absolutely no torque specifications published for that era car. Without torque specs who needs a torque wrench?

 

When I got to the engine, I decided to follow the torque specs given for slightly newer versions of the engine. And that is about all I've ever used my torque wrench for.

 

8 hours ago, kencombs said:

Nobody has mentioned the bending beam type yet

, but they are worth discussing.

 

Very accurate, almost impossible to go out of tolerance, as long as the scale and pointer are at zero at rest.  Cheaper than other types.  But, are difficult to use in all positions. 

 

I use an old one to check my click types.  Anchor it in the vise link it to the clicker using a square to square adapter I made and read the scale while waiting for the click. 

 

I used to work for a major airline and we had a huge certification lab that had to periodically verify all the measurement tools used by over 5000 mechanics.   The techs that worked there told me they had never seen a bending beam wrench fail the accuracy test.

 

Any "click type" torque wrench can get out of spec but the bending beam type is by its very design going to stay calibrated forever barring some horrible abuse (cutting, filing or torching the beam). And they are also cheaper. So, of course, that is what I got those many years ago and still have.

[Dave72dt]

I stayed away from the beam type simply because getting accurate readings require a straight down look at the beam.  Compare it to sitting in the passenger seat and glancing at the speedometer compared to behind the wheel reading.  Spring type aren't that bad as long as you take the tension off after using it.  Even if it's off a bit, at least all the nuts/bolts just tightened are at the same torque which is a reason why a torque wrench should be used in the first place.    When I was in the business professionally,  tightening head bolts that were at shoulder height or higher, pulling torques that were closer to 200 ft.lbs than 100, looking down on a beam style or from a step ladder were not good choices. I'm not sure you can do real accurate readings with a beam style bent over a fender either.   

 

You probably don't need the 200 $ plus wrenches for your occasional usage.  The 40-50 $ spring type that you can set would be my choice.

[Bingster]

Thanks for all the info. That helps a lot.

[maok]

I have noticed in our local autoparts store an adaptor for your typical 1/2" wrench;

 

Never used one before.

Edited November 25, 2018 by maok

[rallyace]

If you are using a spring 'clicker' torque wrench, you have to release the spring after use. The spring will take a set and really screw up your calibration.

[Ricky Luke]

Just a heads up if you use a click type wrench with the settings on the bar - my dad had one which started to undo at the point arrowed. It meant his settings were about 20 lbs out. Blew 3 head gaskets before we figured out the problem.

 

Rick

[TodFitch]

On 11/24/2018 at 5:31 PM, maok said:

I have noticed in our local autoparts store an adaptor for your typical 1/2" wrench;

 

Never used one before.

 

This looks like an interesting device. I assume it is using an electronic strain gauge on the shaft between the input and output. If so, then with decent electronics, it should be pretty accurate and probably stay accurate. I should to look into those a bit more.

[Andydodge]

That electronic gizmo would be interesting attached to a bending beam torque wrench, I'd think you'd be able to check your accuracy............lol...........or maybe not.......andyd 

[greg g]

When I was a kid futzing around with go carts and mini bikes, I bought a K Mart beam scale and pointer wrench for working on single cylinder engines, I think I paid $12.47 for it. When cars came along it got a lot of use by me and the neighborhood. I got a Craftsman click style to about $30.00.  Just did some valve work on my snow blower so I pulled the old k mart wrench to reinstall the head. Then I ran the click style wrench over the bolts and found 2 bolts a hair loose, probably due to aforementioned viewing angle error.

Edited November 26, 2018 by greg g

[TodFitch]

14 hours ago, Andydodge said:

That electronic gizmo would be interesting attached to a bending beam torque wrench, I'd think you'd be able to check your accuracy............lol...........or maybe not.......andyd 

 

Maybe. The HF version apparently has a peak read function so that should show what you applied through the bending beam torque wrench. Of course you'd have to trust the value given by the gizmo.

 

FWIW, the HF version looks the same as the one posted earlier in this thread other than having a "Quinn" name on it. It wouldn't surprise me if they all come from the same Chinese factory.

 

Now I am thinking how I could rig a test setup to see how accurate a torque read you get. Got to be simple and fool proof as I am getting to be more of a fool and simpleton as I get older.

[Dartgame]

Beam types would be the most reliable. I have both types: click and beam in craftsman. I also bought a cheap o beam type years ago that has the socket head on both sides of the business end of the wrench, so if you are torquing something upside down you can read the scale as well - pretty handy... I still use the click and then recheck with the beam on critical items. For high torques my buddy has a big snap on wrench I’ll borrow on the rare occasion. Important to reset the click type to zero when not being used.