Don't Buy a Torque Wrench With Out Hearing This First!

Don't Buy a Torque Wrench With Out Hearing This First!
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[dereka]

"We're not building space shuttles here." 💯 Well said!

[Kermeous]

Just a simple dad and amateur homeowner. I'm looking to get the HF click style, all i need it right now is to change oil, spark plugs, rotate tires, teach my kids they're way around some tools. Just need to be more accurate than good-n-tight

[bro.weaver]

The clickers have advantages. 1. they are like a ratchet and can get into tight places where that huge box can't fit. 2. no batteries for something that I only use maybe once every two months, same with tire pressure gauges. That torque adapter would be GREAT for a transmission rebuild.

[georgeellison]

Super interesting! I used to be an industrial salesman for Snap-on, they made the best torque wrenches available at the time, as far as I'm aware. I had one nuclear power plant that I called on that used Snap-on wrenches exclusively. They had hundreds on site, but they also had their own metrology lab and torque measuring standards that were traceable to NIST, and the wrenches were calibrated every 90 days, so it was a tight operation. They used exclusively Snap-on because Snap-on were the best, though they didn't use our most accurate wrenches, which were dial wrenches. Instead they used click wrenches which were generally 4% accurate. The dial wrenches were 2%, though Snap-on had some (very expensive) precision wrenches that were 1%. Actually, they were all expensive, let's face it. But the fact that the MOST expensive wrenches from the best maker out there are now bettered in a lab by these new electronic adapters that sell for tens of dollars rather than hundreds or even thousands really is a testament to the quality of these new tools. Pretty amazing.

BTW, users of click wrenches should know that the biggest impediment to accuracy is the user's (often poor) technique. We could illustrate this with a torque tester - hide the display, tell the user to pull the wrench to 100 ft lbs or whatever it was set at, then watch their surprise when the display revealed they'd actually over-torqued by 40% or whatever. People have different ideas: they have to jerk the wrench, or it has to click three times (pop, pop, pop), you name it. I saw all sorts of bad technique. For anyone reading this that has that style of wrench, you pull steadily, and the instant you feel the click you stop.

FYI, Snap-on at least advised that on any click wrench that adjusted at the handle micrometer-style, ALWAYS reset to the lowest setting after using the wrench. It would be a definite no-no to have wrenches set for a particular application and then left that way for convenience. It's just a spring in there that's being preloaded, the steel of the spring can take a set over time if it's left under load, destroying the accuracy of the wrench.

I'm buying a couple of these new gadgets, glad I saw your video!

[thatguy-fuig]

Just to add too this I work as a mechanic in the airforce and we only have snapon tools in my shop. Our torque wrenches come FROM THE TOOL TRUCK off by more than 5% as per our dedicated testing shops. We rarely have a testing tool from the "top brands" pass our testers. Maybe 1 in 12 and that's being generous. I'll have to look into these so thank you bear!

[MikeBrown-iipt]

I've used many torque wrenches of different styles over the years. Lately though, I've "fallen in love" with my 3/8" and 1/2" drive digitals. I also have one of the torque adapters and they're very nice as long as there's room to use them. As far as warranty on the Pittsburgh clicker torque wrenches, the way I read it in the user manual, the lifetime warranty only covers breakage. If you link at the manual, it tells you how often and where to send it for recalibration.

[kevinmahoney]

Back before Harbor Freight had stores everywhere, I mail ordered a bunch of stuff from them, a click-type 1/2 inch torque wrench being one of them. Years later when I was working at CarMax, we had a torque wrench calibration machine, so I tested out my torque wrench and it was within a couple foot pounds (I don't remember exactly anymore, but it was really close!). I ended up giving that one to my dad a few years after that and bought another one from Harbor Freight.

[ohmwrecker]

Yep, I got all 3 of the HF ones back when they were $9.99 each👍 all I do is spark plugs, lug nuts, etc so works great! And all for $30😳 can't beat it🤷‍♂️

[johnmott]

I bought a cheap flex shaft torque wrench from Sears in the early seventies, I took it to work and checked it on our torque wrench calibration station which was certified recently. My cheap torque wrench was within 1 ft/lb across the scale up to 120 ft/lb.

[happyrootsfamily]

I've been using my granddads Montgomery ward beam style torque wrench for years and never ever had any problems

[chipb]

Batteries. For an infrequent use item that does factor into the equation. That said the HF Quinn uses either AA or AAA so most people probably have some in a drawer.

[ronaldjohnson]

Started with beam-type, drooled on expensive click-type, finally got them, THEN got the 1st gen Pittsburgh adapter. Never looked back.

[artpowell]

Have used my beam type torque wrench since the early eighties. Haven’t had to change the batteries yet.

[arthurharvey]

Love my Quinn digital. Takes no space and quite easy to use. Jeff I also appreciate you comment on working for yourself. When I was starting my first company my dad (a small business owner) told me the bad news news and the good news. The boss is still an idiot but at least you are related to him.

[redvision]

I have a Snap On click type torque wrench, use it everyday in the shop. I am the only one that uses a torque wrench regularly. The long time mechanics only use theirs on engine components. They are uncannily accurate in a “feel” of how much torque to apply. I have personally seen mechanics get exactly on or within a few ft-lbs.

[mandytuning]

I worked at Disney as ride tech and they have torque testers in every corner, i bring the old version of quin for test at every 50 lbs and blows my mind was better than the snapon clicker we had at shop. Around 1%. That was brand new, have to test now after a couple years of use

[kousakasan]

My dad's torque wrench has an extra rod coming back to a dial on the handle. Old school.

[jewllake]

I have one of the old Harbor Freight torque adaptors for precise torque or checking my clicker type CDI torque wrenches. The digital torque adaptors burn through batteries very quickly!!!! I store mine with the battery out.

[Burn_pits]

I love harbor, freight, and let me tell you something. Not all of us grew up with fathers, or men who could help us work on the cars, house, and so on. The men that work at most harbor freight‘s are the reason why I go there. Because a lot of these guys have got 30 to 40 years in the industry and just will flat out tell you that with what you’re doing this tool will be able to do it for you Without breaking the bank. Not to mention, the lifetime warranty, where you just walk in hand, your tool to them they give you a high five and you walk out it’s pretty nice. I have a big boy money now and I still shop at Harbor freight because they burned it. I’ve been going to Harbor freight for 20 years and I’m 35 now. I still have tools that I first got from them it worked just fine and I’ve gotten tools that I’ve had to take back a few times but the thing I like about harbor freight is that they cycle through their stuff and the stuff that’s good stays in the stuff it’s not so good they have quality control that moves it out of there store.

[joedowling]

Jeff, your old eyes comment really hit home. I have the HF click wrenches and my biggest gripe with them is how difficult they are to read even with glasses. The numbers and lines look to be stamped and the whole piece is chromed with nothing to highlight the settings. I even tried filling in with a paint pen but the depth is too little and the paint wiped away when I cleaned the paint from the top surface.

Those digital adapters are tempting but as other commenters have pointed out they move you away from the work piece which can be an issue in high torque situations. I primarily use my 1/2" wrench for lug nuts so I'd end up with the adapter, a socket and then a spline or lock key on the end putting the head of my wrench way out in space.