Torque Wrench

[Geezer]

I bought the 3/8" Craftsman torsion/beam (good to 75ftlbs) wrench when it went on sale and couple it through adapters to calibrate cheap clickers to the desired torque before using them.
Beam style wrenches are accurate and do not require recalibration unless they are abused or bent.

I have been using the same inexpensive Craftsman beam style torque wrench for 30 years. Not quite as convenient as a clicker because you have to be able to see the scale on the wrench while you turn the bolt, but it has served me well and never stripped or broken a bolt.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I have an Armstrong. Bought it through MSC. Click here

I've been very happy with it. Craftsman is not what it used to be, which was o.k. at best.

 

[otrfjr]

I have a beam style wrench for larger values, and a cheapo AmPro inch-lbs wrench (also with metric conversion/numbers) for smaller values. The AmPro had to "wear in" (read: me using a crescent wrench on it repeatedly to get it to click) before I could get it to correspond with the beam wrench. Don't go cheap on the "micrometer adjustable" wrench if you get one.

 

[v65]

v65 - it was a Snap-on 3/8 inch set at 9 lbft (8.7 was called for).

Jim, torque wrenches are usually only good from 20% of their maximum reading up to their maximum rating. If you have a 3/8" drive wrench that reads that low (most 3/8" wrenches are 20ft/lb to 100ft/lb) then I would guess you have a 0-600 in.lb wrench. On the bottom end that means that your wrench is accurate from 120in.lb up to 600 in.lb, in other words from 10ft. lbs to 50 ft. lbs. Even thought the scale reads to zero it's no good in the range you were using it in.

FWIW, I personally would never put a 3/8" wrench on a bolt that has a torque value less than 15 ft. lbs. Your mileage will vary here, but 15ft. lbs comes very easily with a 3/8 wrench, it's just to easy to strip the bolt. 1/4" drive ratchets generally have shorter handles, so you will be less likely to strip the bolt; in the range you are looking for you really want a 1/4" drive wrench.

Aside: Ok where's my backup here. It appears WebBikeWorld is using the same wrench as me:Clicky. :lol:

 

[JimLor]

Thanks for all of your posts and recommendations. Tried Sears and of course their shelves were void of what I was looking for. Gotta say that I'm no longer a big Sears fan. Just spent 10 days and $32 buying a cable for my self-propelled mower - of course they don't carry stuff like that in their stores anymore and you have to order parts over the internet. Yes, they do have "Service Centers," but apparently they don't carry many parts for sale. Another institution headed down the crapper.

Oh yeah, torque wrenches...I'm looking at this one:

S&K 1/4" Drive

Anyone have any experience with these tools?

 

[v65]

I don't have any experience with that particular tool but I can relate my S&K experience. I have one S&K tool, a 1/2" breaker bar from my grandad. Now grandad apparently had to get into a tight spot with that tool at some point because he had ground the end of the bar near the swivel (quite a bit). Sure enough I was removing the axle on the FJR and that joint broke.

I was going to toss the bar, but my dad took it to an S&K salesman and he warrantied it! As my dad related the story, the guy looked at the bar, noted the grinding, and said "yup, it's broke" and gave him a new one. Now that's a warranty! :clapping: IIRC S&K is one of the few manufacturers with a lifetime warranty on their torque wrenches. If I didn't already have a drawer full of craftsman tools I would be buying S&K.

 

[JimLor]

Ordered it!

 

[JimLor]

Great service, ordered it Tue AM and it was on the front porch Wed afternoon!

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I have an Armstrong. Bought it through MSC. Click hereI've been very happy with it. Craftsman is not what it used to be, which was o.k. at best.

I know this issue has been put to bed. JimLor ordered what he needed and the Craftsman club is not likely to convert, but...

If anyone is looking for a quality torque wrench, I saw a great deal in this month's MSC flier.

Here's the link: October Super Savers There is quite a variety and this is a much better price than I paid (even with a substantial discount).

 

[v65]

I know this issue has been put to bed.

Never! :lol:

Thanks for the tip, I am still looking at 1/4" drive wrenches. Trying to find a way to sneak it past the S.O. h34r:

 

[FuzzyRider]

As was mentioned, proper technique in using the clicker torque wrench goes a long way to getting better accuracy. Grab the wrench by the handle (duh) and do not grab by the socket head. Swing the wrench around in a smooth circle. Try not to tighten an 1/8th of a turn, ratchet the wrench back the other way, tighten another 1/8th, etc. Just used a full smooth swing until you hear/feel it click. When it clicks you're done (duh again). That means DO NOT put the socket back on the nut/bolt and "tighten it again just to be sure"...unless of course you want to overtighten things.

 

[Harald]

Since we're adding tips, here's mine:

Don't store your torque wrench dialed up to a torque value. Always turn it back to the lowest setting for storage.

This ones obvious: don't drop it or throw it into the toolbox.