Torque wrenches

I remember an article in Grassroots Motorsports magazine probably around 2008, which compared the HF, Snap-On, Craftsman, etc., wrenches. It may be the same comparison mentioned above. Their comparison came to the same conclusion but actually found that the Snap-on torque wrench was out of calibration from the initial use. The HF wrench was among the most accurate upon initial use and held consistent throughout a certain period of use. I have a HF torque wrench and trust it. I keep it stored with the setting near zero ft-lbs and in the original case for the past 8 years or so.

 

Yep this is Low Range Off-Road. We trying to become a vendor. For now we are just a member.

 

Cool, I'd have a chat with @tcBob if your trying to achieve vendor status. Love your guys' products and free shipping on heavy products.

 

Cornwell is great stuff, I'm having trouble finding a rep near me though. The Matco and SnapOn guys are the only ones near me.

 

I just broke a brand new Cornwell Torque Wrench. Steer away. I suggest the Harbor Freight one. I have used it for years now. Not sure on Accuracy though. Snap On is the Best.

 

Thanks, guys. It's all clear to me now. I'll just by the set.

 

CDI http://www.cditorque.com

Awesome wrenches. Division of snap on I believe. USA made too.

 

First torque wrench I bought was a Husky I think. Never did me wrong but I wanted something a bit more quality, so I requisitioned a SK from work. Absolutely supurb.

Also have a few of the CDI torque screwdrivers. Very pleased with them.

 

Can't believe my preset 4, 5, and 6Nm CDIs cost more than a 10-150ft/lb wrench.

 

Yeah buddy, but they're worth it.

 

Need to send mine in for recalibration. Or replace them. They're 3.5yrs old and spent 3yrs getting used multiple times daily b

I've got a pivoting head, digital one at work. Hate it. Pivoting heads are such a bad idea.

 

Whatever brand torque wrench you buy, it is one tool I would never lend out. I did it once. Also, it's true you get what you pay for.

 

A good way to keep your torque wrench in good condition is to make sure you excersise it at 60% aprox 6 times before use. This will assure you will get the most acurate torque. Also make sure you are unloading the wrench while you stow it. Failure to do so will slowly throw your wrench out calibration.

 

Excellent advice. I have a Tekton 10-80 and have been very happy with it. But I need the ability to go up to 150 now. I borrowed a wrench from Oreilly and it was set on ~100 ft/lbs when I took it out of the box. I went ahead and torqued my steering rack bushing bolts, but felt a bit uneasy about the calibration of it. I'm going to go ahead and purchase a larger Tekton. Hard part is decided to get the 10-150 or 25-250. What the heck would I need over 150ft/lbs for?

 

I like the HF wrenches too, but I just hear this today from another member:

 

Awe your not just a member, don't sell yourself short!

 

i have the "Pittsburgh" Harbor Freight torque wrench. it works ok, bought it because it's hard to argue with $10 for a torque wrench. i have used it a decent amount but only for lug nuts. i don't know if i would trust it for anything like suspension or engine work but from what i've heard plenty of people have used it for that without issue. it does everything that i need it to do so it's hard to complain. my one major gripe about it though is that the adjustment mechanism absolutely sucks. it's stiff and doesnt turn smoothly at all, makes it damn near impossible to get a good reading on it. having compared it to a snap on torque wrench at a friend's shop, i'd say that it's worth spending more money if you can swing it. Still, hard to argue with a torque wrench that you can buy for $9.99 with coupon.

 

I've got three Craftsman & 1 H/F. I typically pick up the H/F when checking lug-nuts, etc. I've checked them all against each other, and they've all read reasonably the same.