Need a torque wrench

[Balog]

So I've been building up my tools but one thing I still lack is a good torque wrench. Can't really pony up several hundred for a mechanic grade model right now, but I need something. Just looking around on Amazon this model is well reviewed and for the light duty I'll be giving it seems like it would work well. Thoughts?

http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-16250-2-inch-Torque-Wrench/dp/B000JFL89I/ref=sr_1_4?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1375806979&sr=1-4&keywords=torque+wrench

[charby]

That is similar to one I picked up on clearance at a auto parts store many years ago. I like mine and it stays calibrated.

[AZRedhawk44]

I got a half inch torque wrench at Harbor Freight when I needed to rebuild my bike clutch.

Clutch center nut hasn't fallen off yet, so it seems to have done its job.

Cost me about $20.

If I more frequently needed a torque wrench, I would go out and buy a good one from Snap-On or some other mechanics vendor, but for my anticipated uses, this is adequate.

[Balog]

My only prolem is I think one of the fittings on my bike only needs like 17ft/lbs so this would be overkill for that. But the smaller version of this wrench has a lot worse reviews.

[charby]

My only prolem is I think one of the fittings on my bike only needs like 17ft/lbs so this would be overkill for that. But the smaller version of this wrench has a lot worse reviews.

You can get a beam type one for smaller #.

Google "Craftsman Beam-style Torque Wrench 944690"

[BobR]

Can I get one calibrated in Nm, damn British bikes!!!!


Sears has a 3/8 inch click type wrench that goes from 5-80 ft lbs for a little over 30 dollars. They have a very large selection of torque wrenches, I just keep a conversion chart handy.

http://www.sears.com/schwaben-3-8inch-drive-torque-wrench/p-00932513000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

bob

[Nick1911]

I have several different torque tools around, a 1/4 and 3/8 harbor freight cheaply, a decent-ish 1/2" Husky and a Klein torque screwdriver.

The only one that's actually has an up to date NIST traceable cert is the screwdriver.  That said, even the cheap harbor freight stuff seems to work fine, I've never broken off a fastener, and nothing has ever come loose.  Does anyone know a good, fairly inexpensive place to send torque wrenches for calibration?

[charby]

I have several different torque tools around, a 1/4 and 3/8 harbor freight cheaply, a decent-ish 1/2" Husky and a Klein torque screwdriver.

The only one that's actually has an up to date NIST traceable cert is the screwdriver.  That said, even the cheap harbor freight stuff seems to work fine, I've never broken off a fastener, and nothing has ever come loose.  Does anyone know a good, fairly inexpensive place to send torque wrenches for calibration?

$50 and do it yourself.

http://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-940759-Powerbuilt-Digital-Adaptor/dp/B0031QPJZG

[K Frame]

Can I get one calibrated in Nm, damn British bikes!!!!


Sears has a 3/8 inch click type wrench that goes from 5-80 ft lbs for a little over 30 dollars. They have a very large selection of torque wrenches, I just keep a conversion chart handy.

http://www.sears.com/schwaben-3-8inch-drive-torque-wrench/p-00932513000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

bob

That's the one I've got. It's never let me down.

[zahc]

Harbor freight has a strain-guage "torque extension" that is battery powered and outputs a tone when the correct torque is reached. I saw some online tests that showed it was very accurate, which stands to reason given it's not dependent on precision machining. The downside is it won't fit in tight spaces.

[Hawkmoon]

The $20 Harbor Freight click-release torque wrench is more than adequate for any home mechanic. The accuracy is supposed to be +/- 3 percent, I think. If you read the specs in most repair books, the range of acceptable torque is usually wider than that. What you want a torque wrench for, typically, isn't so much to tighten one nut or bolt to EXACTLY a specified value, but to ensure that all the like fasteners in a set are tightened to the same value. The $20 HF wrench will do that just fine.

One caveat, though -- the $20 HF torque wrenches only go to 150 foot-pounds. That's good for most things the average home mechanic will encounter. If you work on trucks or conventional axles and differentials, though, you'll find that pinion nuts typically need to be cranked to around 240 foot-pounds. Before buying, assess what range you really need.