Torque wrench

I want to get a new torque wrench, any suggestions on brand name & type most welcome

Snapon, wright tool (snapon industrial), CDI, some craftsman. What range? Digital is nice but replacing the batteries is a pain in the butt. I prefer the click type. Tim

Oh about 150 - 200 lbs range

Have seen the digital type

What about the dial type?

Warren & Brown?

When I was working we had to have all our torque
wrenches calibrated every year or so (no more than
every other year).. I use to bring mine in to have
them checked also.. I have 4 torque wrenches..most
are clicker type.. and 1 beam.. at the moment I cant
recall what brand names they all are(too many beers
I guess.. or CRS).. any torque wrench should be calibrated
to verify what you have... that includes new ones.. the
last time mine were done was 5 years ago now.. I should
have them checked again

Get the digital, vibrating Snap-on. Once you use it and compare to a click type wrench you will see why. They are way more repeatable, for one thing.

I have 3 assigned to me at work, I am constantly changing batt. inconsistent readings when the batteries get low. Not prone to failures with a mechanical click if they are taken of.

Matco here. I'm quite frugal, but that's one place I won't cut corners.

Why are the batteries always dying? My shop stays between 60-75 degrees and I have not had an issue. Same goes for my machine shop. I'll have to check this out.

I remove the batteries from my Snap-on wrench after every use too. It only takes a second.

Cheapo from Kragens and compared it to my friends big bucks Snap on and was within 2-3 ft. lbs. so good enuff for me and have built a few motors including mine.............And I also don`t use stretch gauges on rod bolts either..........

Warren & Brown are a premium quality tool that will last a life time. I've had mine since 1974.
Cheers
Tony

I just bought one at Sears
craftsman
they had a huge sale on them recently

My Coworkers and I share the Tq wrenches, I have a hard time having them put it back in the tool box let alone take out the batteries. I go through a set every couple of months but its a pain if the tool crib is closed, I work nights making it more of a challenge. THe craftsman wrench I own, is digital, my shop is only heated when I am in it, so the fancy watch batteries only last a year. The snapon ones are at least AA batteries. I prefer just a clicker, sometimes when its noisy in the shop, you may not feel the buzzing or hear the beep that the snapon ones use. For me simple is good.

As for dial wrenches, the only thing I use them for is determining the run-on torque, beam torque wrenches are fairly accurate, just not as nice as a clicker that you just set and turn. I use torque wrenches a lot, from aircraft to machine maintenance, ease of use is something I cherish. Tim

I have a Craftsman that is giving a n error message, the problem is most Sears stores don't know anything about how to send them off to get them fixed. Even then it $60 to $80 up front to send one in then to find out that it's not repairable. In the Air Force we had them recalibrated every 90 days or if one was dropped.

3rd shift? Cold shop?

You aint living right!

All kidding aside, my new routine is to yank the batteries. Thanks again for heads up.

A couple of years ago I went manic and bought a number of Snap-On dial torque wrenches in various sizes. They work in a manner that is repeatable. You twist a steel torsion member and an arm moves a dial indicator. Nothing to change.
Two things I don't like them for:
1. Quick work. They can't be rushed. Plus no ratchet.
2. Odd places or work arrangements. They require one to be able to spot the dial from the top and are kind of bulky.

For those jobs I use my trusty Montgomery Ward click type.

The beam type is very accurate if it is built correctly.

R.

I had mine checked at ARP's display in Dallas. I found my craftsman click style was low by about 8 ft lbs at 80. My Harbor digital electronic torque meter was dead nuts on the money. The ARP guy didn't say much.Go figure.

I have 7 or 8 in the box, all Snap-On, 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 drive, some dial, some click. Nothing with batteries. Some are 30 plus years old. Right tool for the job. I use a torque wrench on most fasteners on the engine, trans and rear. Some other critical places too, brakes, etc. I like the dial type for smaller stuff, trans band adjustment, checking bearing preloads, etc. Click style for the heavier fasteners. Get the tool serviced every few years, use the right lube, torque sequence and number of steps.

eBay is your friend for finding new or mint top shelf tools at affordable prices.

My 'thrifty' clicker from HF matches my beam...

Don't buy a cheap one, unless your really feeling lucky that day I have several early 1/2 inch drive beam types, a 1/2 inch drive Proto clicker, a newer Snap On 1/2 inch clicker that failed early last year, Several inch lbs wrenches, a small Proto 3/8 drive clicker that goes up to 150 inc lbs, another better brand 3/8 drive clicker that goes up to 700 inch lbs and a Proto 1/4 drive beam type 0 to 150 inch lbs for checking rotational torque when setting up rear ends for bearing preload.
I should compare my clicker Snap On to the Proto clicker to see how close they are now that I had to pay to have the Snap On calibrated after the repairs to fx it and then compare both of my 1/2 inch beam types to see if there close to the clickers or not

Used snap on off craigslist. I scored one supposedly never used for less than half the money. It looked the part. Dont think it was hot, guy seemed legit. Just have it checked and youre all set.

I looked at mine today.. 3 Proto clickers of different
sizes and values and a old Craftsman beam

As a kid, I was told that any torque wrench was at it's most accurate in the center 2/3rd of its range. This has never let me down so I have a beam and a clicker in each size. The click type I take to school for checking every year. No difference between the $350 Snap-on and the $20 HF. I like the ability to calibrate the beam type on the fly.

I would never trust a HF as a stand alone torque wrench. I found it interesting that the accuracy of the HF was as close as it was.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-digital-torque-adapter-68283.html i bought the pittsburhg torque adaptor from harbor freight to test my new torque wrench and it was off abit. so i grab my old craftsmen and check it. its dead on at most settings. so i adjusted the new wrench according to the adaptor. check out you tube, seems to be very accurate. $30 and you may be able to recalibrate your old wrench and save a few bucks.

Thanks for all of the replies, very helpful, yes the digital adaptor has me interested, might get that & a new clicker type, I don't buy cheap, buying again later isn't saving money