I would like to buy a new torque wrench and I am not to familiar with them.It seems like almost everything says to torque to specific pounds?Anyway, if someone could make suggestions/recommendations I sure would appreciate it.Thank You!

 

I have a friend that runs a Metrology lab. He says the Cheapo Harbor Freight and Cummins units are just as accurate as the Snap-on etc. He recommends that you just buy the cheapo units and throw them away every few years depending on the amount you use them. This also helps if you drop a wrench which requires re-calibration which is more expensive than the cost of a brand new cheapo wrench, -just buy a new one.

 

The bending beam is the most rugged of them all. It will never get out of calibration and if the pointer should ever get bent you can easily bend it back so it points to zero again. It is also the cheapest too. The only drawback is when using at higher torque values it is hard to see the pointer.

 

Torque1st and fixnair, I will keep your infomation in mind.Thank You both for sharing your knowledge.

 

ARE the chick type good?

 

The Chick Type are the BEST, but can be really high maintenance!

Just kidding...click-types are easiest to use (you don't have to watch the dial), but they're typically prone to needing re-calibration periodically...especially if dropped.

 

clickers are the best for 99% of anything you ever do. beam types are really required if you are testing a part for breakaway torque or rotating drag.

buy the cheap stuff and replace it every few years.

 

Fat fingered the keyboard again!

 

I personally went to school for torque wrench calibration/repair and later became the manager for nearly 20 years. I don't recommend the cheapie Harbour Freight tools for anything that requires accuracy....unless you have a way to verify the accuracy (like getting it tested). I do have some air inflators from H. Freight, but I took them and had them tested.
I prefer the clicker type, but not any Craftsman junk. Avoid any clicker type with a plastic cap on the end of the handle, get one with a metal end.

 

Ned69, If not Craftsman, what brand do you recommend?Thanks

 

My Craftsman "junk" works just fine for my needs. 1/2" drive, 24" long clicker with the ratchet head. Just set the ****, and torque till it clicks. Plastic end cap hasn't been a problem so far, just take care of it.

 

My reason for trash-mouthing Craftsman is their life time guarantee replacement on hand tools isn't worth it to me....in the middle of a rebuild on a '73 360 a few years ago, I broke a straight-slot screwdriver - I wasn't going back to Sears in the Mall with greasy hands and coveralls, so I just went up to the local AutoZone parts store and bought a "made in China" cheapie and finished the job.
I imagine they have some great stuff, but believe it's made by someone else and just has their name on it (some Craftsman lawnmowers made by Ariens).
As someone pointed out, their Craftsman torque wrench has a plastic ****. That was the biggest problem with torque wrenches when I was in the calibration business. Also, someone else pointed out, the beam indicator is rugged, but you can't see it easily while on high torque fittings.
Get the longest handle available - never ever put a cheater bar on a torque wrench, might as well use a socket wrench and guess at how much torque you're applying. Cheater bars multiply the torque and the setting you have on the wrench becomes inaccurate. In the lab, there are devices that electrically pull on the handle, so the tech doesn't have to use strength to pull on high torque settings when they test them.
Get what you can afford, but a metal cap on a clicker is a sign of quality and ruggedness.

 

ALL Sears stuff is made by someone else and ALWAYS has been. Try and find a Sears factory somewhere. There is nothing wrong with this. They have products made to their specs and beat on the mfr for price. WalMart did not invent this tactic. My dad worked for Sears in the late '40's & early '50's and it was thay way then, was not new then, and hasn't changed. The only recent change is Sears now carries other brands.

 

I'd say go with the Snap On if you have to do it right!

 

Same-same, they bought them out this week.