Torque Wrench suggestions

[doughboy17]

I am looking for a solid torque wrench that is reasonably accurate and would go as low as 22 ft. lbs. (spark plugs). Certainly, I would use it for projects but it would not receive heavy use.

Two questions:
1) If I have an adapter set (1/2" to 3/8", 3/8" to 1/2", etc.), is there a significant reason to purchase one size wrench (i.e. 1/2") over another (i.e. 3/8")? and
2) Can anyone recommend a wrench they are happy with?

I do not want to lay out money for a Snap On and am trying to decide whether going with another brand (i.e. Amazon search) is worth the savings vs. spending $ (3.5 times more) on a CDI -- Snap On's off brand. The entire point of a torque wrench is precision but can live with a reasonable amount of imprecision. What I don't want to live with is, for example, a wrench reading 20 ft. lbs. torquing a bolt to 30 ft. lbs. Thanks!

[MSq5]

Honestly, despite the high percentage of junk they sell, Harbor Freight's torque wrenches have been independently tested by reputable publications and found to be quite accurate and durable. With the ever-present 20% off coupons they are quite affordable. So much so you can get all three sizes for less than $50.

I have the 1/4" drive inch pound one and the mid-sized 3/8" drive foot pound version (up to 80 ft.lbs). Had them for years. They are the "click" type and work just fine.

Were I using them every day, I might step up to Snap On or such, but for basic personal vehicle maintenance no need to spend more.

Caveat: For any "click" type torque wrench, regardless of brand or price, you must return the dial back to zero when putting it away to release tension on the internal spring. If you leave the spring compressed, over time the spring will fatigue and it will click before reaching proper torque, under torquing the fastener.
This is a basic requirement to maintain long-term accuracy of this type tool.

[killer_s4]

+1. ^^

Always reset them to 0 after you’re done

[doughboy17]

Honestly, despite the high percentage of junk they sell, Harbor Freight's torque wrenches have been independently tested by reputable publications and found to be quite accurate and durable. With the ever-present 20% off coupons they are quite affordable. So much so you can get all three sizes for less than $50.

I have the 1/4" drive inch pound one and the mid-sized 3/8" drive foot pound version (up to 80 ft.lbs). Had them for years. They are the "click" type and work just fine.

Were I using them every day, I might step up to Snap On or such, but for basic personal vehicle maintenance no need to spend more.

Caveat: For any "click" type torque wrench, regardless of brand or price, you must return the dial back to zero when putting it away to release tension on the internal spring. If you leave the spring compressed, over time the spring will fatigue and it will click before reaching proper torque, under torquing the fastener.
This is a basic requirement to maintain long-term accuracy of this type tool.

Wow! Thanks for the advice. I'll check those out!

[whts4]

3/8 work for almost any task that you'd run up against. Like you I want quality/accuracy. I usually buy high end used torque wrenches. You can find really nice onseeing for $50-75.

[bhvrdr]

Agree 3/8 is good for most things. Get a husky from home depot. Lifetime warranty is worth it. Ive had to use it and no questions asked they just had me grab a new one off the shelf.

[Jk79]

I also have a Husky and 2 from Harbor Freight. The Husky is a 3/8s 50-250 foot lbs. Chose the higher quality for that one due to the higher torque level. Don’t want a cheap wrench when trying to apply 100+ lbs of pressure. The Harbor Freight are the 1/4 and 3/8’s 20-80inch lbs. Between the 3 I have a wide range of torque options for in, fp and nm’s. The husky is of course better quality from a design/comfort perspective but all 3 seem to do a great job and are rated to be extremely accurate. $50 for the husky and $15 for the HF’s.

Technically adaptors or extensions should not be used with torque wrenches but as long as you are ok with the possibility of minor overtightening it will certainly work.

[ModItNow]

I just bought one off Amazon and it works just fine. Have done my spark plugs several times with it. If I did it again I'd pick one up from Harbor Frieght, a little better quality I think. That's usually where I get my tools from. No need to spend on name brands in my opinion

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[hilmar2k]

I have both a 3/8" and 1/2" Tekton and they seem to be good quality units.

[Jayz691]

I bought the 3/8" and 1/2" from harbor freight also. Seem decent, think I paid like $25 for the set, on sale. Good enough for me, cuz really never torqued stuff before. But thought I'd be a little more accurate when working on the Audi.

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[thaifoodninja]

I have a fancy digital Craftsman torque wrench. its good, but uses 3 little button cell batteries. the auto-off doesn't always work, and I have to replace batteries every 6 months or so. I regret buy it sometimes, but the digital readout with a backlight DOES come in handy in dark places. you never have to second guess what its set to.

[JPhi1618]

Not sure if anyone directly answered your what size question (sorry if I missed it), but size (3/8 or 1/2) determines the range of the wrench. So you can use adapters for different sockets that you might have, but you’re usually going to end up buying both a 3/8 and a 1/2 to cover all the ranges.

One exception: this weekend I picked up an electronic torque adapter from HF. It has a male 1/2 on one end and female on the other so you can use it like an extension on a normal wrench. It has a digital torque readout and a beeper instead of a click. It was like $25 with an online coupon, and seems to be accurate (tester with my clicker wrenches). It won’t fit into tight spaces, but it’ll do a lot.


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[rtl5009]

Gear wrench 1/2” full digital with angle. Have built several motors with it and it’s never let me down

[doughboy17]

Technically adaptors or extensions should not be used with torque wrenches but as long as you are ok with the possibility of minor overtightening it will certainly work.

Thanks to everyone for your prompt feedback. I decided upon the Harbor Freight wrenches after checking out the reviews, including numerous testaments to accuracy. I was able to pick up three wrenches for $39, including tax! Now, I just need to do an internet search for torque variations when using a 6" extension for tightening my spark plugs.

[RatBustard]

Technically adaptors or extensions should not be used with torque wrenches but as long as you are ok with the possibility of minor overtightening it will certainly work.

if you're extending the length of the moment arm (using a crows foot, for example), you need to adjust the torque spec. if you're simply using an extension to get into a hard hard to reach area (spark plug hole, for example), you don't need to adjust the torque at all.

[hilmar2k]

[doughboy17]

if you're extending the length of the moment arm (using a crows foot, for example), you need to adjust the torque spec. if you're simply using an extension to get into a hard hard to reach area (spark plug hole, for example), you don't need to adjust the torque at all.

Cool. Thanks for advising and saving me time!

[esfyve]

I've tried Harbor Freight wrenches twice, they broke both times and the click isn't very audible. I like Tekton wrenches found on amazon, great customer services as well. They seem to be built a bit better than the HF ones.

[ellwood]

i have three from CDI for varying torque ranges that i bought off of amazon

[RatBustard]

i have three from CDI for varying torque ranges that i bought off of amazon

same - been really happy with their quality.

CDI is a Snap-On industrial brand, and way more reasonable in price compared to a standard Snap-on tool. each come with a nice hard case and calibration certificate, which is nice.

[cspcrx]

I have CDI also, had harbor freight and an autozone wrench for years and switched. These CDIs are great torque wrenches.

[doughboy17]

I have CDI also, had harbor freight and an autozone wrench for years and switched. These CDIs are great torque wrenches.

Thanks for the feedback. Can you comment re: the accuracy or your experiences with the harbor freight wrenches?