Recommend me a good Torque Wrench
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 0
From: Tuscaloosa, AL.
Recommend me a good Torque Wrench I am trying to build a workable tool collection and currently in the market for a good electronic torque wrench.
I am a beginner DIY'er and just will mainly be working on my Trans-am.
I was thinking about this one.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00945286000P
Also, If there is a compelling reason not to go with an electronic one... I am all ears.
Thanks in advance.
I am a beginner DIY'er and just will mainly be working on my Trans-am.
I was thinking about this one.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00945286000P
Also, If there is a compelling reason not to go with an electronic one... I am all ears.
Thanks in advance.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...4594000P?mv=rr
just got this one about a month or two ago. got it on sale for $60. so far i've used it a ton and it works great.
never used an electric one, but i would imagine it'd be pretty sweet.
just got this one about a month or two ago. got it on sale for $60. so far i've used it a ton and it works great.
never used an electric one, but i would imagine it'd be pretty sweet.
On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, Kansas
Ideally I would like to have 2. When I replaced the heads on my car I borrowed 2 torque wrenches from my boss. One was a clicking style snap on good to 250 ft lbs and the other one was a 3/8ths drive snap on tech wrench. This combo was great bc the big clicking one was great for torquing the head bolts and the 3/8ths drive electronic one let me torque everything else perfect. I bought a 1/2 inch drive clicking style torque wrench from sears a while ago when they were on sale but I wish I would have gone for the one that is good for 250 ft lbs. They are longer and are nice for doing suspension stuff.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 0
From: Tuscaloosa, AL.
Ideally I would like to have 2. When I replaced the heads on my car I borrowed 2 torque wrenches from my boss. One was a clicking style snap on good to 250 ft lbs and the other one was a 3/8ths drive snap on tech wrench. This combo was great bc the big clicking one was great for torquing the head bolts and the 3/8ths drive electronic one let me torque everything else perfect. I bought a 1/2 inch drive clicking style torque wrench from sears a while ago when they were on sale but I wish I would have gone for the one that is good for 250 ft lbs. They are longer and are nice for doing suspension stuff.
I have a digital torque wrench and I love it. Mine is a Snap-on one, which is really only worth the price if you're a professional mechanic. The Craftsman ones are more than suitable for a home DIY'er. Mine essentially took the place of 3 torque wrenches. I do recommned going with a smaller one though. The big 1/2" drive is good when you need to torque down things over 100ft/lb but honestly you won't be going over 40 or 50 ft/lb for 95% of your work. The size of the big one makes it difficult to work with. My digital is a 3/8" drive and works from 60 in/lb to 100 ft/lb (it also does angles, but you'll be paying ALOT for one with that feature) and I usually have no problems getting it into tight spots. I have a separate click-type in 1/2" drive that goes from 50-250 ft/lbs for the bigger torques.
TECH Regular
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 425
Likes: 1
From: Scottsdale, Arizona
Snap-On.....PERIOD. they can be calibrated if you drop them. But always remember no matter which one you purchase ALWAYS! back off the torque to the lowest setting. It will keep the spring inside in good condition and is less likely to lose it's calibration.
On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, Kansas
This is the techwrench. It would be a lot like the one from sears you linked to but 3/8ths drive.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
this is the big 250 ft lb clicking style wrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
And then this is what I bought. I like it but like i said I wish I would have bought the 250 ft lb one. And after I bought it i read about how craftsman doesnt stand behind their torque wrenches very well.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...=torque+wrench
I cant find a link to the craftsman wrench I wish I would have bought. It seems like they replaced it with a digitork name one that didnt get good reviews. When I bought mine they offered a 250 ft lb version and that is what I wish I would have got.
Since snap on stuff is very expensive I would still go with a craftsman torque wrench if all you are going to use it for is just in your garage. The digital ones are cool, really cool. But if I was going to spend that much I would just get a snap on techwrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
this is the big 250 ft lb clicking style wrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
And then this is what I bought. I like it but like i said I wish I would have bought the 250 ft lb one. And after I bought it i read about how craftsman doesnt stand behind their torque wrenches very well.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...=torque+wrench
I cant find a link to the craftsman wrench I wish I would have bought. It seems like they replaced it with a digitork name one that didnt get good reviews. When I bought mine they offered a 250 ft lb version and that is what I wish I would have got.
Since snap on stuff is very expensive I would still go with a craftsman torque wrench if all you are going to use it for is just in your garage. The digital ones are cool, really cool. But if I was going to spend that much I would just get a snap on techwrench.
Trending Topics
I own the above snap-on 250 ft/lb torque wrench and this tech wrench:
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
The only difference between that one and the one posted above is the ability to do angles, which is very useful, but like I said before, the cost is just not justified unless you're a professional.
I also own the Digitork series Craftsman one that MikeMoss mentioned above. As he said, it got bad reviews, and I would have to agree. The torque settings on them are displayed in a very small window that is usually pretty difficult to read. The etched markings in the Microtork series are much easier to read.
Last edited by Skinny; Apr 29, 2009 at 08:08 PM.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 0
From: Tuscaloosa, AL.
This is the techwrench. It would be a lot like the one from sears you linked to but 3/8ths drive.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
this is the big 250 ft lb clicking style wrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
And then this is what I bought. I like it but like i said I wish I would have bought the 250 ft lb one. And after I bought it i read about how craftsman doesnt stand behind their torque wrenches very well.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...=torque+wrench
I cant find a link to the craftsman wrench I wish I would have bought. It seems like they replaced it with a digitork name one that didnt get good reviews. When I bought mine they offered a 250 ft lb version and that is what I wish I would have got.
Since snap on stuff is very expensive I would still go with a craftsman torque wrench if all you are going to use it for is just in your garage. The digital ones are cool, really cool. But if I was going to spend that much I would just get a snap on techwrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
this is the big 250 ft lb clicking style wrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
And then this is what I bought. I like it but like i said I wish I would have bought the 250 ft lb one. And after I bought it i read about how craftsman doesnt stand behind their torque wrenches very well.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...=torque+wrench
I cant find a link to the craftsman wrench I wish I would have bought. It seems like they replaced it with a digitork name one that didnt get good reviews. When I bought mine they offered a 250 ft lb version and that is what I wish I would have got.
Since snap on stuff is very expensive I would still go with a craftsman torque wrench if all you are going to use it for is just in your garage. The digital ones are cool, really cool. But if I was going to spend that much I would just get a snap on techwrench.
As far as calibration or accuracy, they're all pretty much the same. As long as you take care of it and don't toss it around (ie: keep it in a hard case!) and, as stated, always back it down to the lowest setting when not in use, you shouldn't have any issues with any name brand. Of course with the digital ones, there's no need to set it down to the lowest setting when it's not in use.
I own the above snap-on 250 ft/lb torque wrench and this tech wrench:
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
The only difference between that one and the one posted above is the ability to do angles, which is very useful, but like I said before, the cost is just not justified unless you're a professional.
I also own the Digitork series Craftsman one that MikeMoss mentioned above. As he said, it got bad reviews, and I would have to agree. The torque settings on them are displayed in a very small window that is usually pretty difficult to read. The etched markings in the Microtork series are much easier to read.
I own the above snap-on 250 ft/lb torque wrench and this tech wrench:
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog
The only difference between that one and the one posted above is the ability to do angles, which is very useful, but like I said before, the cost is just not justified unless you're a professional.
I also own the Digitork series Craftsman one that MikeMoss mentioned above. As he said, it got bad reviews, and I would have to agree. The torque settings on them are displayed in a very small window that is usually pretty difficult to read. The etched markings in the Microtork series are much easier to read.
it is unlikely that I will splurge on the snap-on. Aside from their ratchets (very nice indeed), I think they are a bit overkill for my purposes.
Thanks guys. I might just go with the clicktype torque wrench instead of the electronic one. I wouldn't use it a whole lot, but when I do I would rather not have to worry about batteries.
it is unlikely that I will splurge on the snap-on. Aside from their ratchets (very nice indeed), I think they are a bit overkill for my purposes.
it is unlikely that I will splurge on the snap-on. Aside from their ratchets (very nice indeed), I think they are a bit overkill for my purposes.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 0
From: Tuscaloosa, AL.
The digital ones are very nice, and like I said, mine took the place of 3 other tools. As for batteries, it's not as bad as you would think. I used mine professionally (several times EVERY DAY) for over 2 years and only had to replace the batteries twice. I would assume that the Craftsman ones are similar in battery usage. If you're only getting one, I would strongly recommend the Craftsman digital 3/8" drive. Don't be discouraged by the 100 ft/lb limit. Trust me, that will do for over 95% of your work. Later down the road, pick up a large click-type that goes to 250 ft/lbs and hang on to it for the rare occasions that you need that much torque.
Thanks skinny. What I really needed to hear was that the craftsmen model was ok for a DIY who wanted quality tools at a reasonable price.
