Torque wrench

[xb-60]

I need to buy a torque wrench (1/2" drive)
Any advice on which brands to consider and also which ones to avoid?
Cheers,
Glen

[mikeinatlanta]

Suggest a quality used one. Snapon or Craftsman are good.

[Thor maine]

I have a 1/2 Craftsman and have been very satisfied with it, but it is an older model when they were still made in America. I have had a 3/8 Husky from Home Depot for a few years now and it seems to work very well.

[Jerry Clayton]

If you are going to be torqueing any new torque to yield fasteners go for the Snap on Teck wrenches--if I did it right this is link to 1/2 inch flex head 25-250 ft lb


atech3fr250

25-250 ft lbs plus angle

[LMH]

I have a Harbor Frieght 1/2" drive rachet type and it's been great. I've checked it against a friends Proto wrench and its spot on. I paid about $20 for it new.
Whatever you buy, make sure you store it set back to zero.
Larry

[lippy]

Get a CDI or a Precision Instruments. They make the wrenches for Snap-On but they are cheaper and you can get them from Amazon. Life is too short for Harbor Freight tools, unless it's something like a bucket.

[bobcowan]

One of the magazines did a recent test on HF torque wrenches, and found them to be spot on and just as accurate as the more expensive wrenches. Of course, HF was their new sponsor, so that might have had something to do with it.

[joyridin']

What are you going to be using the wrench for? If you are just torquing lug nuts, find a good used one or buy a cheaper new one. If you are going to be building engines and torquing head bolts etc, I would not touch a cheap version or even a used one unless you want to have it calibrated.

[blykins]

I have 3-4 different types. If you're using it to do engine work, a Snap-On, Craftsman, or similar will be sufficient. I have two that I use most of the time...a CDI 1/2" drive, and a Snap-On electronic piece. The Snap-On cost me around $450 if I remember right, but it's necessary for fasteners that use ° measurements....i.e. 30 lb-ft + 44°, etc. When it reaches torque, it beeps and vibrates, and you can cycle between the different units of measurement.

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by joyridin'

What are you going to be using the wrench for?....

Minor engine work, flywheel/clutch/gearbox etc

Thanks for the opinions so far

Cheers,
Glen

[LMH]

My thoughts are that if you're not doing production work professionally, the $400-$600 a a high end torque wrench costs is money wasted. The bolts/nuts don't know the difference, so long as it's right.
That said, I do have a smaller inch/pound Snap On torque wrench that I've had for years. Good for the smaller stuff.
Larry

[xb-60]

Update....
I bought a Teng Tools torque wrench. It has an angle gauge, and comes with calibration certification. Its range is 30 lb-ft to 160 lb-ft.
Thanks for the advice!
Cheers,
Glen

[Detroit Bill]

If you don't mind me asking. How much was that?

[xb-60]

It was AUD 84.70 (eBay), which is around USD 65 these days.

Cheers,
Glen

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Originally Posted by LMH

I have a Harbor Frieght 1/2" drive rachet type and it's been great. I've checked it against a friends Proto wrench and its spot on. I paid about $20 for it new.
Whatever you buy, make sure you store it set back to zero.
Larry

Bought the same torque wrench a few years ago ($19.99) just to torque lug nuts on my race car and such,have used it a lot and abused it a lot,had a buddy at a shop calibrate it just for the heck of it and he said it was dead on,he couldn't believe it.......

I have a good Craftsman I used on engines.......

David

[Sawdust]

I have an Ultrpro 1/2" drive from Napa. Full warranty and have never had any problems with it. Comes in a nice case too.