What's the best torque wrench for the money?

I love my 40's era snap-on dial type's i have 'em in foot and inch lbs

 

i only use snap on tools,look for a used one if you cant afford new,snap will cailbrate it for you for free or a small fee (my snap on dealer does it free)

 

I have all kinds of torque wrenches, brands and styles. When the application is critical, I use a dial type or bending beam wrench, because it allows me to follow the fastener around as it stretches and I know it's at max torque. The alternative is to use a micrometer type and click it a hundred times (exaggeration) on each fastener as it stretches. Micrometer click type are faster when you are in a hurry and the tolerance is loose, and they look higher tech. I'd recommend a good brand of bending beam type, maybe an old Sturtevant which were sold under many names but say Sturtevant underneath the spec plate. It will not go out of calibration in your drawer like a coil spring will in a micrometer type, and it's dirt cheap, and it gives you the feel I'm talking about.

 

Snappys are the best - but you need to buy them used from someone that needs the money. Off the truck brand new they're three times as expensive as they should be.

I have a twenty-five year old Craftsman that's still tight and accurate-also have a SnapOn - a bit older...still tight and accurate.

Most of my tools are older Craftsman, and I just refuse to buy new from them -the quality of the tools has just gone in the toilet over the past twenty years. But then again...so has Sears....

Now I just shop sales, Ebray and Craigslist. In reality, I've been in this hobby for so long, that unless somebody invents something that's SO cool I can't live without it, I have so many tools, that I only buy when something breaks beyond repair.

dj

 

I found a Snap-on wrench on CL for $150 and I love it! Thanks for the help. I'm using it now to put together a '67 327

 

Used Chraftsman beam type I bought in 1966 till a year ago when it was damaged by tool box falling on it. Sears gave me a new one free of charge.

 

Harbor Freight. They may be on sale for $15.00 now.

Put my new engine together with one, using a steel shim, and it's running perfect
with almost 2000 miles and ZERO leaks of any kind.

But to be truthful, my friend came over with his Snap-On and we hooked the two
torque wrenches together and got the same reading, then I used mine for assembly.

 

I have 8 or 10 torque wrenches around here but I usually use the snap-on click type,I bought about 40 years ago. Just remember to turn the dial back to 0 when you are done , leaving it set will cause it to lose accuracy according to snap-on.

 

Used to work on industrial machinery manufactured in Switzerland. Their factory technicians used clicker-type torque wrenches made by Britool company from England. Always wondered why due to Swiss-made equipment being precision items and thoroughly well designed, they used a British-made torque wrench. Asked them why. Their reply... it's the best one. Just saying. Not sure if available in US.

 

I have one that is 45 years old and is accurate also,,back when I bought mine the average guy that wasn't a professional Mechanic couldn't afford Snap On tools. HRP

 

There was a test done in one of the magazines and believe it or not, HF proved to be very accurate and ranked higher than most. The digital one that goes on any ratchet was the closest. Again made by HF. They used a precision calibration tool that is used to calibrate them . It was not made by HF.

 

Yep,if you believe the magazines Harbor Freight wins. Interesting.
I love my 1/2" Snappy Techwrench but it goes through batteries
like crazy...

Torque wrench shootout: http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_1304_torque_wrench_testing/

 

For the money? Beam type, definitely. More accurate than a click, cheap as hell, doesn't need calibration.

That said, I find them a pain to use so I have three Snap-On click types - 40-200 in-lb; 15-75 ft-lb; and 50-250 ft-lb. I checked them at work on a calibrator and they checked out fine.

We use hundreds of Tohnichi preset click-types on the assembly line at work, they make adjustable ones as well. The repair guys use adjustable Snap-Ons though.

 

I have a OLD Craftsman beam type. Owned it for over 40 years. Still works great but a GOOD friend gave me a Snap-0n clik type recently and I love it.

Just built a 4 bolt main SBC and checked one against the other
Close ... very close

.

 

I have a Snap-on click type torgue wrench that I have
had for about 27 years & its the Best I ever had
& when your done with using Always turn it
down

just my 3.5 cents

 

I have a question about calibrating one. Although I have 4 or 5 various torque wrenches already, I picked up one at a swap meet a while back because it looked very professional and heavy duty. It has a dial that you can rotate to set it at different starting points and generally looks to be very industrial and expensive, even came in a special wooden case. But I think it is not accurate.

I torqued a bolt with my good clicker torque wrench and when I redid it with the new one it was off about 20 pounds or so. I would like to have it calibrated but when I went on line it looks like the companies who do it charge a couple hundred bucks or more. Is that correct or am I looking in the wrong places ?

Don

 

I've spent my whole life in the aviation industry. The military has been using Proto and Snap On tools forever for a reason. They are also the tools of choice for aircraft mechanics. More money then Craftsman and worth every penny. Harbor Freight is garbage, wouldn't waste my money. The worlds greatest truism is you get what you pay for.

 

I have a Craftsman beam type that I've had for over 40 years. It's had plenty of use and still works fine.

 

Found few guides on torque wrenches like this one but im still not really sure which one i should go for...To be honest i just need it in case i need to do some of the smaller task around garage as im not really good with tools ...Any advice from you guys ???

 

Another vote for Proto; that's all I ever saw on industrial jobs where accuracy was paramount. Expensive like SnapOn (but sturdier IMO), if you watch eBay you can get freshly calibrated, lightly used ones for good prices. A lot of contractors (particularly for military/government contracts) buy these for specific jobs then dump them to the calibration outfits when the job is over.

 

Old thread, I know, but this bears repeating.

Craftsman torque wrenches now have a 90-day warranty, not lifetime.

I recently brought a broken one in and my local outlet would not replace it.

 

Because they are made in China now and not in the USA. Craftsman would go broke putting warranties on all their tools they have to send back and forth to China for repairs.

 

I've had the same Craftsman beam wrench for almost 50 years. I've never had a torque related failure

 

Sure, but if you weren't lucky enough to have a 50-year-old model, you might have gotten one with a plastic handle and locking collar.

When they were sold, they had a lifetime warranty. Now, they won't honor it.

 

Hell. I'm 68 years old. I got a lifetime's work out of it. Just used it last week when I put head gaskets in my grand daughters Buick

 

I've actually posted this before. I bought a Craftsman clicker torque wrench in about 1970, and it served me well for what seemed like forever. Then the ratchet mechanism broke about 20 years ago, and Sears repaired it FOC. This last year, I went to use it, and it was "locked up"; the twist handle could not be turned to adjust for the torque pound level, either way. And Sears no longer repaired them. I sent it to a company that could't get parts for it, and therefore could't repair it. I wound up buying TWO of the same torque wrenches off that auction site we all know and love; that's how much I liked this particular torque wrench. Plus, I bought a Proto, that is very similar to the Craftsman, but has a wider range, and longer handle. Too bad about Sears and Craftsman, but it looks like Proto is gaining a few followers Sears is losing. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I know it's an old thread, but I have to throw my hat in the ring for SK. I've been using SK Wayne tools for years and bought two click typed torque wrenches of theirs two years ago. They are an excellent tool and were competitively priced as well.

 

Where can I get my old (it's at least 35 years old) craftsman clicker type calibrated?

 

A borrowed torque wrench works for me. I borrowed a pair of new SK ones from my neighbor, used both the inch-lb and the ft-lb one to do my engine assembly.

We checked the SK ft-lb one against my brother's old Craftsman.. both produced the same torque readings.

 

When Sears started advertising dubious quality/utility 'do-all' homeowners tools on TV some years ago (you know the stuff; 'This fits all sizes!', etc), it should have been obvious that it was over for them in terms of being a serious tool player...

As far as calibrating a vintage Craftsman torque wrench, I suspect finding somebody may be rather difficult.