Torque wrenches

Can somebody recommend a good middle of the road torque wrench? Been looking at the Sears catalog and they have a few but I know little about these. I have a LOT of tools but never had the need for one of these before. Been able to get around it fiddling with carbs and distributors but the time has come that I need one. Current project requires 150 ft lbs on one of the nuts and 45 on another. This is not a tool I will use more than a few times a year but it seems that when you need one, nothin' else will do! Would appreciate any recommendations.

> This is not a tool I will use more than a few
> times a year but it seems that when you need
> one, nothin" else will do!

Well, a ratchet, a piece of pipe, a spring scale, and a tape measure will do, but a torque wrench is more convenient.

A beam type torque wrench is a fine tool, and usually cheaper than a click type. Pawn shops have many of them. Craftsman or Strautavent (SP)
Or any brand name will do. When using it just keep the pivot ahndle in the middle of its pivot range to be accurate. If using an extension, hold the top of the extension to avoid false reading. If using an offset crows foot or other offset from the axis of the socket square on the wrench, use math to account for the change in the lever. JimN

I have an AMPRO 0 to 150 click type I like you did not want to spend for craftsman, snapon or mac. I purchaced it at eather Autozone or Advance Auto Parts for $55.00 I had the dial type for years and a guy I lent it to somehow bent the pointer to the gauge. Now that I have the click type I like it just set it and wait for the click.

Already tried wiring a 150 lb tractor weight to the top of my boot and pushing on the end of my 3/4 drive socket wrench...couldn't lift my durn leg. I'm not sure that's what they mean by "foot pounds" anyway.

ROLMAO
A one foot lever with a one pound weight attached. The weight must be at right angles to the lever, and the lever must be parallel to the ground. A one foot wrench with a force of one pound is the same, and can be used at any angle. Wrenches are made to account for differing lengths. JimN

Here is my thinking on this , This is a tool that yes you as a hobbest will only use a few times BUT you are doing work that requiers being wright on . Yes the good one cost more but there is a reason for this . As they are better made and most dead on then the cheap junk that you buy in a blister pac. I have had mine since july of 1968 and it has been sent in to be checked and recalibrated many times over all the years and yes even back then i paid a 150 dollars for a 250 Ft. Lbs. Snap On it is as good today as it was then , maybe not as shinny but i can count on it each and everytime . Plus if i should break it the next one is you guessed it FREE . So after 41 years of good service to me what did this one really cost me ???

I own several torque wrenches. The ones that are acurate on the upper end of the scale are not as acurate on the lower end. Like someone else here said investing in a good one is well worth it. Before you say your will only need a torque wrench a coulpe of times a year you should consider that every piece of hardware has a torque and should be tightened accordingly. I find more things are over tightened than under tightened. Things that cover a large plane like oil pans and manifolds have less tendancy to seep oil or warp if tightened evenly. On clicker torque wrenches that have a screw type grip to ajust the settings be sure to back it off to zero when you get done to relive presure on the internal tortion bar and maintain its accuacy

Buy the beam type they work better and last longer and do not need to be calibrated much if any plus they are cheap. The clicker type are good but need to be calibrated about once a year or more and that in turn will make it a tool that cost you every year of so, so you never really own it if you want it to do the job as it should. I own 2 beam types so I can make sure they both read the same when doing a job and have less then $50 in the pair of them

Morning, Dave.

I have three, all Craftsmans. In 3/8" drive, I've got one in 25-250 in-lbs, and another in 5-80 ft-lbs. The third is a 1/2 drive for 25-250 ft-lb.

The big one I acquired last spring for winding the front axle bearing on the Ram back down, but would be the same range I'd recommend for your 150 ft-lb job. They make 3/8" drive with a top limit of 150 ft-lbs for $40 less, but I'm more comfortable working in the middle of the range than pushing to the max. (That said that wheel bearing called for 262 ft-lbs, and what with all the gruntin' that went into gettin' the wrench to click over at 250, I figgered the last little bit more to get the cotter pin to line up put it close enough for gubmint work.)

TV mentioned the warranty. Craftsman's torque wrenches don't fall under the lifetime deal like the rest of their hand tools -- I think it's a two year warranty. That said, I use mine about like you would use yours, and the older two have served well for ten years or so, coming out of the case four or five times a year. I'm not, and you likely wouldn't be workin' 'em enough to break 'em.

If you read the online reviews of the Craftsmans, some guys don't like the Digitorks. They do seem a little gimicky but, bottom line the only difference is where you read the setting for the clicker. Digitorks are in a little window in the handle, Microtorks are a more traditional design, and read more like a micrometer along two scales, one on the beam and the other around the collar on the handle.

For the use you'd give them, I'd call the Craftsmans a good buy.

For all that, a thread came up on ToolTalk the other day, and it's probably time to send mine out to be checked. I'm not that worried about the smaller two, but where I pushed the big one right to it's upper limit, it's got me more curious. If winding them back down as recommended to low torque when you're done is what makes the difference, I should be okay.

HTH

Hi Scotty! I was just about to buy one of the Microtorks when I read the online reviews. 45 responses and the vast majority negative. I guess there is a plastic locking ring which can break in a heartbeat. All negative responses were regarding that ring. Wouldn't mind a beam type like Jim and Rich mentioned but the only one in the catalog has a max 75 fp rating and I need 150. So I am currently looking at their professional torque wrenches. No on-line reviews for these so I guess I use my own judgement. As much as I respect the opinion of TV, and I have immense respect for the opinion of TV, I cannot afford the $400 price tag on a new Snap-On. Looks like the 30-150 fp range of the one half inch drive (haven't seen it yet but I am pretty sure the one nut will want a half inch socket) Craftsman pro model will fit my needs. But at $180 plus tax I feel the need to consult the missus before I head into town. She may require me to visit the rental center. :-(

I have two spots to torque. One is a 3 pt lift arm that is dripping oil and has to be tightened on the inside of the axle trumpet to 150 fp. The other is the axle trumpet bolts which require 45 fp. Don't care to buy two wrenches today so I am looking to cover the spread. Be glad when this little tractor is out of the shop! Like to see if I can get the Loboy running before the weather and work put me out of the tractor repair biz. I thought this would be a quick one so I pulled it inside the door and put it up on stands. Five weeks later, mostly thanks to lousy health, it is still sitting there while the MTA, B, and my '76 Chevy are still sitting outside in the weather waiting to get in. I am inching closer but have to leave for Chicago in two days so thinking it will be another week before I wrap it. Did get it to start consistently, though, and now that the brakes and the leaks are repaired I should be able to fine-tune the carb and get a blade on her for winter...hopefully. She owes me a little work in return for all this TLC. Sure appreciate everybody's replies!

The lock ring on my Craftsman broke, also. All it does is prevent the setting from changing. I just check it after torqueing each bolt, if you are careful it doesn't move enough to make any difference -- I'm not going to buy a new wrench because of that. To me the most important torque values are the head, rods, and mains; the rest don't matter that much, unless the 20-40 ft lb ones are overtightened.

I guess I am going to ante up the extra C note and get the pro model. Just got the approval from the war department...I can have it if I take her out for a burger after. So we are on our way out now and tomorrow a trip to Steiner again to get some gaskets and what not. My tire is done down at the shop so I should be good to go.

Dave start looking on crags list as there has been a lot of good name brand tolls showing up with the reduction of mechanic due to dealer closings and the guys are selling off there tools to pay bills . I have seen several on and area of a 100 miles around me with some really good deals . Myself i have reached a point that I have all the tools that one person could ever want in the mechanic's trade and the only thing now is a upper end scan tool to get and that one will have to be such a sweatheart deal before i buy one . Also check out fea markets . Don't just settle on a 150 ft.lbs. one and then try and do something that takes all it has to do it . settle for nothing less then a 200 ft. lbs. one
Check Wright tools also and S&K . YEa Snap On is really proud of there stuff and if they did not have all them race cars to support then the pice would be back to ground level . Mac should be a lot less but vary good Quality . Also Matco . . when i bought mine it was the fact that i needed it wright then and there and the Snap On guy just happened to walk thru the door and i told him that what i needed and i needed it NOW and Damn the price . As My old trust Beam one was not getting the job done when torquing upside down where you could not see the scale , and that Hemi had to run that night

Thanks, I'll check that out. Just got back from Sears and all they had was the cheapo model on the shelf with a lock like it was solid gold. Someone else suggested Craigs...I'll head over there tonight and see what's up!

I have been using 3 Proto clicker types for several years and been very pleased with them.

I watched E-Bay for several weeks and finally snagged a well-loved 250 ft-lb Snap-On 1/2" Click-type for a little over $100. Now I am prospecting for a 3/8" for smaller fasteners.