Which torque wrench should I buy?

[fin_676]

I used to zero mine, but some of them have instructions to put them at 10 percent of the range (usually like 16 ft lbs), so I do that now.
Oh and one thing I forgot to add in my first post, a good rail (Beam as Brian correctly called it) wrench is a good backup checker for checking the clickers on a test.

Remember my version of english may be different from yours so your name for a tool may be correct in your part of the world and mine correct for me :bigsmiley12:

Brian

 

[R_W_B]

Remember my version of english may be different from yours so your name for a tool may be correct in your part of the world and mine correct for me :bigsmiley12: Brian

Actually I think I've heard yours (Beam) more times than not. Some call it a Beam and rail. Anyhow as long as the pointer sets on zero it's always good to go.

 

[ProF]

You can always do it the way I learned:

Tighten it until you hear/feel it crack, then back out half a turn.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Craftsman is a lot of bang for your buck get inch pound and foot lbs. Kobalts are good they are made by Snap On of Canada, remember to always wind them down to zero and dont drop them:s

 

[Train Man]

Wow! You all gave me a ton of information....most of which I didn't consider. I appreciate all of the responses. Cheers

 

[glider]

I found these to be a good wrench...

Torque Wrench Suggestions - Harley Davidson Community

 

[nrs2420]

I like CDI. I have 3 of them. They are pretty much a snap on torque wrench. I have the clicker types. So far some of the best money I've spent.

 

[R_W_B]

You might wonder why I say check them as soon as you buy them. Admittedly I had a H.F. one that was bad right off the shelf. But when I went to buy my Sears one (which I really like a lot) they were locked on the shelf. I would think they were locked because of their price (theft) and possibly to prevent young kids from dropping them.

But while I was standing there looking at the different price and torque ranges offered, the salesman accidentally dropped one he had gotten out to show another customer. It fell a good 2 -1/2 feet on concrete. He put it right back on the shelf. You just never know without checking one.

By the way I made sure I did not get the one I saw dropped.

 

[flh canuck]

I prefer "click" type torque wrenches. They are especially nice when working in tight areas or where lighting is not so good.

I have a couple of snap-on torque wrenches in 1/2 inch and 3/8 drive which have given good service for many years.

I recently purchased a nice little inch-pound torque wrench for use when I installed the Stage 2 kit in my engine.

The brand is Gearwrench and it is a micrometer adjustable "click" type in 1/4 inch drive. Although it was not cheap, it is American made and was much less than comparable snap-on model. Quality appears to be very good and it worked very nicely for me.

Although you don't necessarily need snap-on quality for occasional home use, I would suggest buying the best torque wrench you can afford as accuracy is critical, especially when dealing with small fasteners in the inch-pound category.

 

[BigBore56]

I have used Proto torque wrenches for 40 years...but always return the setting to 0 after each use. They have held calibration fine by doing this.