Harbor Freight Torque Wrench?

[Ben]

Anyone have one of these Harbor Freight Pittsburgh torque wrenches? They are 12 bucks with the current coupon. I already have a really nice Craftsman (older) 3/8" wrench, but I have a lot of larger 1/2" drive sockets and wouldn't mind a second torque wrench in 1/2". Just wondering if they are at all accurate.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNDA0NTAwMjMiLCJza3UiOiIyMzkiLCJpcyI6IjExLjk5IiwicHJvZHVjdF9pZCI6%0D%0AIjgifQ%3D%3D%0D%0A&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2618a1&utm_source=1011&cid=mEmail_s1011_c2618a1&sfid=

[Hawkmoon]

I have several. I have one in my tool box, and I carry one in each of my vehicles. (Because I think unequal torque can cause warped brake rotors, so I want to be able to properly torque the lug nuts if I have to change a tire on the road or in the woods.) I have no idea how well they are calibrated, but since most torques for automotive purposes are given with about a 10% range I decided that "all the same" is better than "accurate to 1/10th of a gnat's eyelash."

[dogmush]

They aren't bad. They tend to test out as pretty accurate in online tests.

It's important to store them with the internal spring relaxed (torque set to zero) or it'll lose significant accuracy.

[Ben]

Thanks guys. While I can of course put an adapter on my 3/8" for the big sockets, I was actually looking at a beefy 1/2" wrench for stuff like Hawkmoon alluded to - lug nuts and such. For the 12 bucks,  I think I might get it and who cares if it breaks. Also puts less strain on the expensive wrench.

Thanks for the storage tip Dogmush. Does that apply to all click type torque wrenches? I never knew about it and perhaps should check how my Craftsman is stored. Though my most common torque settings on that one are <20lbs, so maybe it's already stored okay. :)

[brimic]

They are good enough for most things.

[just Warren]

Why is there a U and E at the end of torque? What are they bringing to the party? Torque should just end at the Q. Also the word queue is just a q followed by four silent letters.

[dogmush]

Thanks for the storage tip Dogmush. Does that apply to all click type torque wrenches? I never knew about it and perhaps should check how my Craftsman is stored. Though my most common torque settings on that one are <20lbs, so maybe it's already stored okay. :)

It does apply to them all.  The HF ones are just known for being less forgiving about it.

[Brad Johnson]

I wouldn't trust one to hold up under everyday use but for the occasional driveway mechanic it'll do fine, especially at that price.

Brad

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for the storage tip Dogmush. Does that apply to all click type torque wrenches?

Yes, it does.

[Ben]

Well, picked it up. Yeah, you can tell it was made by the hands of Chinese children, but for $12  I guess I can't complain. About the only gripe I have right now is that the etched numbers are a bit hard for me to see. Another damn task where I have to have my reading glasses handy.

On a side note, their machetes were on sale for $5, so I figured, what the heck. :)  The blade is bendy like a saw blade, and I already completely ripped the sheath because the serrated side of the blade shredded it the first time I drew the machete, but it might be fun for whacking brush around the house. Looks like it will saw small branches just fine too.

[Hawkmoon]

On a side note, their machetes were on sale for $5, so I figured, what the heck. :)  The blade is bendy like a saw blade, and I already completely ripped the sheath because the serrated side of the blade shredded it the first time I drew the machete, but it might be fun for whacking brush around the house. Looks like it will saw small branches just fine too.

If you took it out of the sheath, the warranty is voided. 

[BobR]

If you took it out of the sheath, the warranty is voided. 

When I was a teenager I worked as a sort of mechanic at a couple of shady used car lots in Lawton, OK. Had to sell to those newly minted GIs out at Ft Sill either coming or going somewhere. Our warranty was essentially the same, front wheels off the lot, it's your problem now buddy.

bob