Good torque wrenches
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 287
Likes: 2
We used Utica Tool torque wrenches and screwdrivers at GE Aerospace. Nicest pieces I have ever seen. I did a search on the web, found an industrial supply house with prices -- $360 for a 1/2in 30-150ft/lb unit. Damm -- you get what you pay for. I wonder what those 600ft/lb units go for? When torqueing O-ring seals on jet engine fuel equipment, go for the best. I just use mine alot on the track car. I got to find a betterr wrench that Craftsman. I keep breaking them. Craftsman warranty is not lifetime on these
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: southern Md
I was under the impression that all Craftsman hand tools are warrantied for life. I have never had a problem although I have never exchanged a torque wrench either. I have returned quite a few stick rulers and tapes when I was working Construction!! Learn something new ever day!!
Last edited by snyiper; Dec 11, 2004 at 07:02 AM.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 475
Likes: 1
From: La Habra, CA
After reading this thread, I've been playing with checking calibration at home. 50 lb weight at the end of a 1ft bar welded to a junk socket. I attached the wrench to a beam in my garage and lowered the weight. It didn't click when set to 50. I added 2 lbs and it clicked. At 100lbs it took 3 extra lbs (103) to click. This is assuming my weights and scales are accurate. Probably close enough for what I use if for. Craftsmen clicker that's never been used. Bought it at a yard sale with the shrink wrap still on the case. It's old though, the greas in the head was all dried up.
The warranty is different on Craftsmen clickers. I think the beam type still carries a liftetime against breakage.
Eric
The warranty is different on Craftsmen clickers. I think the beam type still carries a liftetime against breakage.
Eric
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
From: Layton UT
Originally Posted by etcetera
After reading this thread, I've been playing with checking calibration at home. 50 lb weight at the end of a 1ft bar welded to a junk socket. I attached the wrench to a beam in my garage and lowered the weight. It didn't click when set to 50. I added 2 lbs and it clicked. At 100lbs it took 3 extra lbs (103) to click. This is assuming my weights and scales are accurate. Probably close enough for what I use if for. Craftsmen clicker that's never been used. Bought it at a yard sale with the shrink wrap still on the case. It's old though, the greas in the head was all dried up.
The warranty is different on Craftsmen clickers. I think the beam type still carries a liftetime against breakage.
Eric
The warranty is different on Craftsmen clickers. I think the beam type still carries a liftetime against breakage.
Eric
Our (Air Force) torque wrenches are calibrated to within + or - 5%.
Sounds like your Craftsman is within 3% at 100 lbs.
Another thing to remember is that the lower 20% of a torque wrench range will be considerably more than 5% though.
For example, lets say you have a 100 to 1000 inch lb wrench. It should be accurate to within 5% above 200 inch lbs, but between 100 and 200 it could be off by as much as 10-20%. Thats why if you have a set of torque wrenches, they should overlap in ranges so that you only use the upper 80% of the range of each wrench.
Clear as mud or what?
I looked into the Craftsman torque wrenches a couple years back. Their beam style has a lifetime warranty, but the clickers are like 90 days. For most things, I think a beam style is adequate, or at least as good as my calibrated elbow
Last edited by Big Dave; Dec 12, 2004 at 02:44 AM.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,301
Likes: 1
From: Dededo, Guam
I agree with many here. DON'T BUY A CHEAP WRENCH !!! I bought a cheap clicker torque wrench, measures in ft-lbs. I was installing some new banjo bolts on my truck and The max torque reccomended is 18 ft-lbs. So I set the wrench for 16 ft-lbs. As I was turning the wrench and waiting for the click, I felt a *snap* . Pulled the wrench off and the head of the bolt was still in the socket and the rest was nowhere to be found. I found the rest of the bolt still lodged in my injection pump. 
Found out that it was very much out of cal. It was never dropped, always stored in the case and bought new.
Found out that it was very much out of cal. It was never dropped, always stored in the case and bought new.
New User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
My Utica is cal. to 1/10 of 1% @ maximum. This is factory setting and is guaranteed by Utica for life. If in doubt, you pay postage, they will test and re-cal no charge. Had mine for 25 yrs.+ before the boy broke it. Don't know how, but he did it. Used to build motors for MBZ, & those rascals are to expensive to take chances.
Lazyboy
Lazyboy
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 952
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte, NC
I know in auto tech in high school, we used snap on torque wrenches, the clickers. I loved using that thing and am looking for one of my own, trying to talk the parents into getting me one for christmas, don't think that's gonna go over too well, so i'll talk to the grandparents. I don't think I'm gonna get the most expensive, best one on the market, I don't work on my truck as much as I used to, off at college, no room to work, no money to work with, so I just need something to use every now and then when I work on her.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 458
Likes: 0
From: Rolla USA
I use 3/8 1/2 and 3/4 torque wrenchs allday Snap-on has served me well Because when it comes to warranty I want those big ole Cat and Mack motors done right, don't want to see them in shop for same problem WE Call It REDO
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Brett Foote
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 0
From: Jackassville
I use the harbor frieght tq wrenches. It works great I built my motor with them. I do however, take very good care of them, I loosen them all the way before storing them, I keep them in there cases and I keep em out of the weather, and I dont drop them. I have had them for more then a year with flawless peformacne, it shows, you dont always get what you pay for.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
From: Southwest Montana
I bought a Snap on TQ250 flex head is 1983 when the series was new. Used daily for 21 years now. Its been thru the calibration dudes 3 times and has never had to be adjusted. It originally had a reversible ratchet head but early on it was proved that if you reversed and loosend something it would ruin the torqe mechanisim. (no LH torqe) Now the newer ones dont have the reversing lever. I knocked the lever off of mine a long time ago so that if anyone else borrowed it they could not easily reverse it. Incidently, the tq series was discontinued by Snap on and is now marketed by the original manufacture in a Blue case by the MAC dealer of all people. You dont have to zero the TQ every time as it doesn't have a spring to stretch.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,591
Likes: 14
From: Pflugerville, tx
When I worked for VW, I bought my tools from the SnapON truck that came every week. The last one I bought was a 3/8 clicker TQ wrench. This is over 30 years ago. It broke 2 years ago, and they couldn't fix it, only replace.
Wanted $90.
I've since gone to HF and for $18 I have bought both 1/2 and 3/8 wrenches. They are 3-4% calibrated and tested ok. I can buy 5 sets for this price.
Sam
Wanted $90.
I've since gone to HF and for $18 I have bought both 1/2 and 3/8 wrenches. They are 3-4% calibrated and tested ok. I can buy 5 sets for this price.
Sam
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