I've always used my trusty dial-indicator torque wrench and never had a problem but lately it's starting to show signs of terminal wear. So tell me what your opinion/experience is--do clickers beat dials? Are they worth the extra bucks?
I like the click,, sometimes you're torquing in spots you can't see the dial too well,,, makes things a little easier,,,and the ratcheting effect is handy too,, but i think overall the dial is more accurate,, the clicker is more durable,,,of course the micrometer is a more accurate clicker,,, it all depends on the application,,, what do you want,, xoxox miss hootch
I have clickers, the ratcheting is a big plus. If you get one just remember that after id clicks you can still tighten things so once clicked STOP! Lent one to a mate who threaded out some head bolts as he kept going thinking it wouldn't do anything...... Dumb ass.
Have heard reports that if you want total accuracy a beam or dial is the way to go, but then again clickers are used successfully everyday and I'm not building nascar engines. Honestly, even though they're "less accurate" I think functionally a clicker is more accurate. Not all torquing is done on top of a workbench, most is in confined spaces and odd positions. And it becomes a matter of ergonomics.....since you don't have to watch a scale, you've got freer choice of stance and position. And end up using a clicker with much better form, which gains accuracy.
On the subject of clickers, I learned from a Snap On dealer that you should reset the wrench back to zero each time after use to keep the spring relaxed and the wrench accurate. Anyone else ever heard of this?
Yes To clarify, when I said less accurate, I mean by miniscule amounts that only a testing laboratory or ultimate-nitpicker would care about. Probably more variation thrown in by any extension than the type of wrench.
YES!!! this is actually pretty important,, kinda goes along with the ONE CLICK IS ENOUGH rule,,, allows for accuracy each time you use it and prolongs the tool's lifespan,,, xoxoxo miss hootch
I have used the "Click" type for many years and never had a problem . But as said from someone else , STOP at first click ! Just remember to get the best torque , pre load 2 times for best torque . The dial is also a great tool and if you like it then stick with it . I wonder how accurate is the new electronic ones ? Anyone use them yet and what are your opinions of them besides costing a ton more money .
Yeah, I do too, never even thought it could affect the tool! Glad I was taught to leave things as I found them!
Before retirement, I was the torque inspector at a Ford assembly plant. I had access to the machine that ckecks torque wrenches, and I checked mine and any others who wanted theirs checked. The average is + or - 10%. The old Craftsman beam wrench was always + or - 2% accross the scale from 20 to 130 FT. Lbs. My Craftsman clicker was + or - 2% up to 75 FT. Lbs, then 5% to 120, and 10 % above that. The old standard beam wrenches are the most reliable, but I still like my clicker. The trick is to store them always turned down to zero, and store them in a place where they dont get banged around. I hung a kitchen cabinet for my special tools.
Apparently clickers have at least the POTENTIAL to move off calibration, especially if improperly stored or otherwise mistreated, and for critical uses they are supposed to return to their native land for recalibration occasionally. I read an article in "Circle Track" a long while ago when they were a super tech publication, one involving a detailed interview of some highly regarded NASCAR engine guy, who commented on this. His balance came out so: Though drifting to inaccuracy was rare and unlikely, it remained possible, and the thing could not be recalibrated for every use...so as a paranoid perfectionist who stood to lose reputation if one of his products blew up in the last lap at daytona, he used the bulletproof simple beam wrench for the most critical use, connecting rods. That was it. For other uses like cylinder heads where torque could vary a tad without killing the engine, the convenience of the clicker won out. This reinforced my paranoia too, and I have both beam and clicker. There are situations also where the clicker is almost vital...I can remember torquing heads on the '48 with droopy stock hood and having a LOT of difficulty finding ways to both apply enough force and see the scale on the wrench on some of the more shrouded nuts. A Model A engine rebuilder posted an interesting calibration device...he had a nut welded to a post in his shop and a bucket full of rocks with a known weight. He put his wrenches onto the nut with bucket hung from handle, and observed results. Someday a mouse id going to hide a pound of seeds in the bucket, but it is an interesting idea...
Also remember that you need a wrench with proper range for what you are doing...none of them should be used in the top or bottom 10% or so of their ranges.
usually if ur really involved with mechanical repairs, a dial torque wrench is normal used to check rotating torque{such has differential pinion brg preload,strg gear preload etc etc.so in my opinion u would need both to become a fully functional,well equiped automotive tech
the micrometers or digital torque wrenches are sposed to me more accurate and have longer lifespan than the traditional clickers,,, I would keep in mind that you will want to have your wrench re-calibrated at some point,,, also note that torque wrenches generally aren't covered by LIFETIME warrantees,, I know for a fact that is the case with craftsman,,, so i guess another way to figure out if the added cost is worth it iss to determine how hard you are on your tools,,, what the cost to re-calibrate with be and if you need the added convenience and accuracy,, xoxox miss hootch
I had one of the Snap On Electronic types. It was not very reliable but when it was working the "Beep" was fairly convenient and you could see when you were getting close, unlike a clicker. It just failed to operate too often so eventually i made them take it back. As many have said here, the old bending beam are actually about the most accurate and you don't have to worry about remembering to back them off after use to keep them accurate. I use clicker's mostly and send them in every year or two for calibration.
A lot of the problems with the Techwrench series torque wrenches that guys have stem from the tail cap that holds the batteries in. Even the slightest pressure on that cap while you are using the wrench will freak it out. I don't really understand why, but it does. Of course, there are some that are just screwy from the beginning, and if yours stopped making the beep sound, it probably had bigger issues. Also, with the "clicker" type wrenches, it is a good idea to click them on something, a big ass bolt or whatever you can find, after you set the torque, to "warm up" the wrench. I have a torque wrench tester on my truck, and have seen the first click on some wrenches as far as 20lbs off of the desired torque, when the second, third, etc were only a couple pounds off. I don't know why. -Bart Snapon Dealer
I work on helicopters in the army. We mainly use ratchet/click type torque wrenches. We don't even have the beam type, we use the dial indicator type to check if lock nuts and inserts still have the required torque to hold. The inportant thing to remember about torque wrenches is to never drop them and always set them to zero. We have our torque wrenches calibrated every few months. We don't use the ratchet part of the torque wrench for tightening. its a torque not a tightening wrench. take special care of your torque wrenches.
Thanks, I was too embarrassed to admit that when I bought mine, dials and clickers which were available but they were way out of my price range for a backyard builder. My old time hod rod will just have to be torqued with an old time beam.
Sort of related, we had torque wrenches that were 15 foot long when I was a medic in an artillery unit. They were for torquing on the wheel nuts to the gun carriage, it took 4-5 guys lightly 'jumping' on them to get them to click. They were set to the correct poundage and when clicked they simply opened up so that you couldn't over torque them (Would bend freely and fold in half). Huge things. Watched a wheel come off a gun in an intersection on the way home from an exercise, they were turning right and the outside wheel came off and the 155mm M198 Howitzer. The gun rolled across the intersection (Side over side) and onto a car waiting at the lights. Make sure you torque things up RIGHT! Doc.
I use all three types, but trust the click-type the least, and it's not used on main or rod fasteners of any type. As someone mentioned, the beam types have the least POSSIBLE variance of the three types (but whether a wrench is inaccurate or not is unknown unless you have it calibrated). When it's possible, which isn't often, I prefer to measure bolt stretch. To be honest, it's more about your technique and your build practices than about the wrench. I've seen guys use torque wrenches like they were pull-starting a cranky lawnmower. Even more so, I see guys use fasteners without the proper thread lubricant, rusty fasteners, gallled or clogged threads...the list goes on. If a specification calls for 75 ft.-lbs., and you are using a rusty head bolt in a block with damaged threads, it makes no difference whatsoever if your wrench is "dead-nuts accurate".
I like the clickers. I have three. Used to have a digi-tork but it died. The little numbers on the beam type are sometimes hard for me to see clearly, but I can hear the clicks.
A tool reading trick I use: Get a bottle of white correction fluid, the stuff for painting over typing errors. It has a built-in brush and comes in a tough little bottle that can survive life in the toolbox. Find the correct mark on the torque wrench (or caliper, ruler, etc.), put a dab of white under or over it, make a clear line on the white with a Sharpie. Good for bad eyes or dark corners... When done, scratch off the white stuff with your fingernail or blast it with a shot of spray carb cleaner...gone without damage.
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