epricedright Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 I'm looking to get a good 1/2 torque wrench at a fair price. Besides ebay, are there any other places to look? Need it range from say 30-50/200-250 ft. lbs. I already have a 3/8 drive that goes to 75 ft. lbs. What brands would you recommend besides Snap-on? Brands to avoid? The click types seem nice. Would you recommend digital? Would this Craftsman be a good way to go maybe: http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?...tab=des#tablink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 I have that one and have been completely satisfied. It's rebuilt a few engines with me. A buddy of mine borrowed it and broke it. He took it to Sears and they have him (me) a new one, no questions asked. I understand all the big-box home improvement stores have lifetime warranted tools nowadays, but all my stuff is Craftsman, and I've never had a bad experience with them if I ever had to exchange a tool, so they've got me as a customer for life. I'd definitely buy something local as opposed to eBay for something like this. Regards, Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Sears / Craftsman torque wrenches are more than adequate for DIY work. Do remember to crank the torque setting back to zero before you hang it up after each use. The 200+ lb. wrenches are longer than a 100 lb wrench and getting into tight spaces (such as caliper bracket installation) can be a problem. I have been enjoying my Craftsman click and release wrench for years. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 I am so glad you confirmed my thinking about turning it back to zero, I do it everytime as I felt that if I don't I will change the calibration! Thanks I got mine at Home Depot, its only a Husky brand (don't laugh), but its well made, it was on sale and it's WAY better than my old fashion BEAM type with the manual pointer that was pretty inaccurate and hard to use. Mine is the clicker type, that once it hits the Ft lbs, it clicks, are there any other types of torque wrenches that have different ways to indicate the setting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Lifetime warranty......most Sears torque wrenches do not come with the lifetime warranty.....12 months is the warranty. Sounds like your bud was able to sneak one in. Logan Diagnostic LLC www.airbagcrash.com www.logandieselusa.com www.ledfix.com www.ledfix.com/yukontaillightrepair.html www.ledfix.com/ledreplacements.html www.ledfix.com/j42385toolrental.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Scotty I've purchased a couple Husky brand pieces as well. 95% of my tools are craftsman and in my opinion my husky pieces are better than comparable craftsman. Does that mean I'm going to start replacing with Husky? Well not exactly. Sears has been around a long time and they've replaced many of my "defective" pieces no questions asked. That history of customer service (in the tools department) is hard to walk away from..... even for something that might be slightly better. However, I refuse to buy anything else from Sears. Aside from their tools policy, I've experienced the worst customer service time and time again at Sears. With that said, you should have seen the 15" husky crescent wrench I gave my friend for his birthday. It was the hit amoung all the guys at the party. Each in turn holding it as if he were Thor wielding his mystic hammer Mjollnir. Now I just need to find some 90lbs turn buckles for him to use it on. "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJPut Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Lifetime warranty......most Sears torque wrenches do not come with the lifetime warranty.....12 months is the warranty. Sounds like your bud was able to sneak one in. I too have returned a torque wrench, over 1 year old, and was given a new one. Some one gave it too me that didn't use it any more, I am estimating it was over 5yrs old. I told Sears it lost its calibration and that was good enough for a new one with out any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Sears is great on customer service, in my experience. Even if it was only a 12 month warranty, mine was at least 2-3 years old when he broke it. No questions asked. By the way, for epricedright, I think this wrench is a better deal, $40 cheaper than the one you were looking at. And it's still good up to 250 lbs. it says. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?...944597000&cs=e5 Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Scotty I've purchased a couple Husky brand pieces as well. 95% of my tools are craftsman and in my opinion my husky pieces are better than comparable craftsman. Does that mean I'm going to start replacing with Husky? Well not exactly. Sears has been around a long time and they've replaced many of my "defective" pieces no questions asked. That history of customer service (in the tools department) is hard to walk away from..... even for something that might be slightly better. However, I refuse to buy anything else from Sears. Aside from their tools policy, I've experienced the worst customer service time and time again at Sears. With that said, you should have seen the 15" husky crescent wrench I gave my friend for his birthday. It was the hit amoung all the guys at the party. Each in turn holding it as if he were Thor wielding his mystic hammer Mjollnir. Now I just need to find some 90lbs turn buckles for him to use it on. You know its funny, if you are a tool person, when you hold a good tool in your hands its a think of beauty! I know exactly what you mean, I used to feel that way about Snap-on, as a result of their nice finishes, ergonomics and smoothness, but a few others have caught up, including Husky ! While I have lots of Craftsman tools, I never liked the sharp edges they have. I asked SANTA for a set of metric ratcheting wrenches for XMAS I think those ratcheting wrenches are great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted October 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Sears / Craftsman torque wrenches are more than adequate for DIY work. Do remember to crank the torque setting back to zero before you hang it up after each use. The 200+ lb. wrenches are longer than a 100 lb wrench and getting into tight spaces (such as caliper bracket installation) can be a problem. I have been enjoying my Craftsman click and release wrench for years. My 3/8 drive Craftsmen's range is 10-75 ft. lbs. Doesn't go to zero. Do you mean keep it at say 10 or 20, right at zero, as opposed to 11 or 21 lbs? I was wanting a 1/2 wrench for my lug nuts primarily. My lugs need to be 100#, so one up to 150-200 would probably be ok I imagine. I was leaning towards Craftsmen also, but I will check out the Husky as well. I would never buy another electrical tool from Craftsmen though...i.e. their drills, saws, and cordless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted October 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Sears is great on customer service, in my experience. Even if it was only a 12 month warranty, mine was at least 2-3 years old when he broke it. No questions asked. By the way, for epricedright, I think this wrench is a better deal, $40 cheaper than the one you were looking at. And it's still good up to 250 lbs. it says. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?...944597000&cs=e5 Yeh, I saw that. How does that digital work though? Does the knob on the end adjust the lbs. or does it just give a digital read out of the torque you're applying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 I guess so. On mine, there's a "ring" at the top of the handle that I twist to set the increments...and it clicks when I get to the right torque. I'm not sure on the digital either. I don't know if there's actually a digital readout (like on a clock), or by "digital" they mean click vs. beam. Best to check with your local store I guess. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Sears is great on customer service, in my experience. Even if it was only a 12 month warranty, mine was at least 2-3 years old when he broke it. No questions asked. By the way, for epricedright, I think this wrench is a better deal, $40 cheaper than the one you were looking at. And it's still good up to 250 lbs. it says. http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?...944597000&cs=e5 Yeh, I saw that. How does that digital work though? Does the knob on the end adjust the lbs. or does it just give a digital read out of the torque you're applying? Digital refers to the setting. Instead of the micrometer-type scale, it has scrolling digits - sort of like the early digital clocks. The wrench will still click when the desired torque setting is reached in use. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted October 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 So you scroll up and down for the desired torque? That would be nice, esp. if reliable. That would be so much faster. Kind of like my Digital Dremel tool. It gives a digital readout of the RPM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Rockwilder Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Auto Zone will loan you one for a refundable deposit. You can keep it for a short or as long a time as you wish, then get a full refund when you return it... broken ir not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 So you scroll up and down for the desired torque? That would be nice, esp. if reliable. That would be so much faster. Kind of like my Digital Dremel tool. It gives a digital readout of the RPM. When setting the torque value on the wrench, the mechanical, digital readout will change as you adjust the setting. Once you have the wrench set, the display remains constant and it functions just like any other "clicker" torque wrench. The only thing that bothers me about that particular digital wrench is that it is only adjustable in 2 ft-lb. increments. The micrometer styles are adjustable to 1 ft-lb increments. I have a Craftsman 20-150 ft-lb 1/2" drive clicker torque wrench and have been very happy with it. I also have the 3/8" drive in-lb. version as well. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 The "clicker" type is the only way to go. My 1/2" is Proto. I think I bought it when I was 17 and wanted to be a mechanic for $25. It has a nice knurled steel micrometer handle that doesn't slip when greasy (A nice feature). I never had a 3/8" inch/pound wrench and since so many specs are now inch/pounds Santa brought me one last year. Off the top of my head I can't recall if it was K-D or S-K. I think I (I mean Santa) got it at The Tool Warehouse http://thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/TTW355.html They seem to have some pretty good prices. The micrometer reads inch/pounds and Newton/meters. The only thing I don't like is the slick plastic handle. I have been thinking about making a nice knurled one (there I go again) The zero setting refured to means back it off as far as you can when you store it so as to take all pressure off the spring during storage so the spring doesn't take a set and loose accuracy. Torque wrenches are actually considered acurate measuring devices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 The "clicker" type is the only way to go. My 1/2" is Proto. I think I bought it when I was 17 and wanted to be a mechanic for $25. It has a nice knurled steel micrometer handle that doesn't slip when greasy (A nice feature). I never had a 3/8" inch/pound wrench and since so many specs are now inch/pounds Santa brought me one last year. Off the top of my head I can't recall if it was K-D or S-K. I think I (I mean Santa) got it at The Tool Warehouse http://thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/TTW355.html They seem to have some pretty good prices. The micrometer reads inch/pounds and Newton/meters. The only thing I don't like is the slick plastic handle. I have been thinking about making a nice knurled one (there I go again) The zero setting refured to means back it off as far as you can when you store it so as to take all pressure off the spring during storage so the spring doesn't take a set and loose accuracy. Torque wrenches are actually considered acurate measuring devices. Thanks Ranger! I'll check them out. Have you ever tried the digital click type? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Nope. Mine are both micrometer clickers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navion Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Ranger, I work in aircraft maintenance. In this field all torque wrenches, gages, scales, micrometers, multimeters etc. must be calibrated before use on a certificated aircraft. In my experience, I have had the most problems with the cheaper Craftsman torque wrenches than the top of the line Craftsman wrenches. These cheaper wrenches were purchashed new and were checked on my torque wrench tester (yes, the tester was in calibration). These wrenches had problems ranging from being more than 10% off a given reading to non repeatability and non linerarity. Meaning that for a preset torque, the wrench would click at different actual torques when checked three or four times in a row. Or that over the range of the wrench, it would read for instance, torque setting +12% to -8%. One mechanic returned his wrench to the store and they gave him a replacement. (He had it for only a couple of days.) The replacement wrench was only marginally better. But it was not consistent enough to be used on the aircraft. If you are going to use the wrench for items such as wheel torque, it should work just fine. But if you were to be reinstalling heads or main bearings on a Northstar, I would want something that positively was giving me the correct torque readings. This being said, the Craftsman wrenches are still better than the no name bargain bin torque wrenches. Those bargain bin wrenches are better suited for door stops or trot line weights. Definately not to be used on something critical. The old saying "you get what you pay for" certainly applies to torque wrenches. Craftsman top of the line wrenches are very good, but they cost double what the others cost. Now for the disclaimer: I was refering above to three wrenches that would not pass calibration. These were new wrenches and had not been abused. Possibly they were from the same lot. Our specifications for aircraft use are tighter than for automotive use. This could have been a fluke. I have seen several older Craftsman wrenches that were quite good. If you check the link that you supplied, you will find that only the $229.00 wrench is listed as having it's calibration traceable to NIST and a two year warranty. The $139.99 and the $99.00 wrenchs have a 90 day warranty and no mention of calibration tracibility (that I saw). On returning the wrench to "O", on micrometer type wrenches that do not go to "zero", the established procedure is to set the wrench at it's lowest setting when it is not in use. Leaving a wrench set at a higer setting will eventually cause the calibration to change. Going below the lowest setting can cause the tension mechanisim to un-mesh or unscrew off the end of it's threads. When the wrench is used again, the user has no way to know if the wrench is giving the torque asked for or not. Also, it is tempting to use a torque wrench as a "breaker bar" because they usually have a relatively long handle. This is a definate no-no. Good torque wrenches should only be used to bring fastners up to torque or check torque. Using them to break fasteners loose causes unnecessecary wear and can damage them. Also when using a torque wrench, you should always apply an smooth even pressure to the handle. Never jerk a torque wrench. Sears and others have literature on purchaseing a torque wrench that is correct for the job. Read up on the subject and then aquire a wrench that is right for you. Good Luck Britt Britt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Hey Thanks Britt...Great info! So what brand and model and type do you like? And where to get them? Need to stay under $200.00 tops. $150.00 sounds better...I wouldn't use it enough to justify the expense of spending more. Don't see myself rebuilding motors either anytime soon...unless I get a real wild hair up me butt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jschunke Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Not sure if you folks know about the Craftsman tool club. You get first grabs at their sales, plus another 10% off. There are many good deals to be had at Sears. Just a few months back their torque wrenches were a steal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.