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Posted: 10/5/2013 1:49:21 PM EDT
| Looking for a good torque wrench any suggestions? |
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Guys that work with torque wrenches on a daily bases and annual calibration tend to use snap-on/Mac/Matco over craftsman/harbor freight etc. But someone will be along shortly and tell me their $20 special torques just fine (without doing annual calibrations...) That's just my $0.02 |
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I just finger tight, then torque to next hole. Torquing to the next hole after that has always been really hard.
Granted, hand tightening stops between two holes, then I go to the 2nd notch rather than the first. I always pre-stretch 3 times , not at 35 ft lbs, but at where it's going to stay. |
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I picked up one of these
http://www.brownlinemetalworks.com/ for $100 shipped as a special offer to members of a jeep website I'm a member of, it has worked great for the couple of years I've had it. I also have a 3/8 snap on I use & an old craftsman 1/2 in that I inherited from an uncle, they work great but the digital brownline is easier to use. good luck. |
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Seekonk dial indicator torque wrenches are awesome. I have a few different torque ranges.
http://www.seekonk.com/Cat-22-1-29/torque-gauges.htm |
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Quoted:
Guys that work with torque wrenches on a daily bases and annual calibration tend to use snap-on/Mac/Matco over craftsman/harbor freight etc. But someone will be along shortly and tell me their $20 special torques just fine (without doing annual calibrations...) That's just my $0.02 thanks Monkey, my mechanics at work pretty much all use snap-on so that's what i've been looking at. To be honest i could just use theirs (as i have in the past) but i've been needing one for some time. |
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If you are going to make your living using a torque wrench then buy Snap-on. They have a digital model that will do torque angle, etc. If you are just building some ARs and the occasional auto job at home buy Craftsman. Sears stands behind their stuff and unless you have a regular Snap-on guy Sears will be easier for warranty etc.
I have made my living working on cars since 1985. Now I am a field engineer for a major manufacturer so my tools just sit. I have both Snap-on and Sears models. Both do the job. Snap-on charges a fortune because you are paying for the warranty and the weekly convenience of the tool man visiting you. I usually use the click type for things like this. The beam or dial type are good when you need to measure turning torque for things like transmissions or differentials. The electronic digital ones are good for all thing but are more fragile and crazy expensive. Stay away from Harbor Freight. I have almost never bought anything there that was not junk. I did buy some clamps that are good but otherwise garbage. |
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If the wrench is for "production work," get a professional-grade wrench from Proto, Snap-On, Matco, etc. and pay to have it calibrated regularly. On the other hand, if you build an upper "now and then," an inexpensive wrench whose accuracy you check regularly will work fine. That kind of straddles the fence, doesn't it?
Here's the thing: it really does make a difference to get at least 30 ft/lb on the barrel nut, so having an accurate measurement of the initial torque is important. In a production or "AR gunsmith shop" setting, you won't have time to verify the accuracy of your wrench; it has to be accurate when you pick it up. Contrast that with a once-in-a-while AR builder who can take the time to check his wrench before putting on that barrel nut. It takes probably 10 minutes to check a click-type wrench at 25, 30 and 35 ft/lb, which will tell you what you need to know about the wrench's accuracy (if it's off, you can compensate: "it clicked on 30 with an actual 33 ft/lb, so it's reading high...") and you proceed accordingly. Of course having a gold-plated, just calibrated, super precise wrench won't make any difference if you don't assemble the barrel nut appropriately, with a good quality grease that's thoroughly distributed, with the upper or barrel held securely, with the index pin properly centered, etc. If you're going to the trouble of getting ANY torque wrench, go ahead and do the rest of the procedure correctly too. |
| Purely for working on my AR's the occasional motor and my little tractor. I've been using snap on because we run a big fleet of trucks at work so that's what my guys use but I just wanted something good quality but that isn't going to break the bank for home use :) thanks for the recommendations guys. |
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The Local Lowes Store Has A 100 ft/lb 3/8 Drive Wrench for 40 Bucks - My 15 Year Old Daughter can Torque That -
A Cheap Measurement Is Better Than A Good Guess - A 1/2in Breaker Bar Is Asking For Damage - You Would Be Surprised At How Much Force It Does Not Take |
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The BrownLine digital is the nicest I have seen for the money...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brown-Line-0-5-Drive-Digital-Torque-Wrench-/400546193143?pt=US_Hand_Tools&hash=item5d4269def7 Just under $100 with free shipping... |
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Quoted:
If you are going to make your living using a torque wrench then buy Snap-on. They have a digital model that will do torque angle, etc. If you are just building some ARs and the occasional auto job at home buy Craftsman. Sears stands behind their stuff and unless you have a regular Snap-on guy Sears will be easier for warranty etc. I have made my living working on cars since 1985. Now I am a field engineer for a major manufacturer so my tools just sit. I have both Snap-on and Sears models. Both do the job. Snap-on charges a fortune because you are paying for the warranty and the weekly convenience of the tool man visiting you. I usually use the click type for things like this. The beam or dial type are good when you need to measure turning torque for things like transmissions or differentials. The electronic digital ones are good for all thing but are more fragile and crazy expensive. Stay away from Harbor Freight. I have almost never bought anything there that was not junk. I did buy some clamps that are good but otherwise garbage. Sears doesn't stand behind their craftsman torque wrenches. No warranty on those. I broke a 1/2" drive $90 craftsman torque wrench almost thirty years ago and tried to have it replaced several times, no go. |
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Quoted:
This -- the CDI has a different head but they're functionally identical. I got my CDI model from amazon.com. Quoted:
Quoted:
FYI: CDI Torque Products is a Snap-On company. I bought one with CDI on the label instead of Snap-On and saved serious money. This -- the CDI has a different head but they're functionally identical. I got my CDI model from amazon.com. I just wanted to say thanks for pointing out the CDI Torque wrenches. I have been looking for something above Harbor Freight, but below Matco/Snap-on. These look like they will fit my needs and quality expectations nicely. |
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Quoted:
Seekonk dial indicator torque wrenches are awesome. I have a few different torque ranges. http://www.seekonk.com/Cat-22-1-29/torque-gauges.htm Seekonks are very nice. |
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IMO, it is best to choose one that could be recalibrated. I wrench for a living, I only have Snap On Tools torque wrenches in my tool boxes.
I used to have a Crapsman torque wrench when I first started wrenching. The ratcheting head basically failed. I went to Sears to see about having it replaced, they just gave me a hard time. I had to raise a ruckus and demand to see the manager. After exchanging a few choice words with the manager and actually grabing a new torque wrench and showing the fine print on the package, "Lifetime Garauntee", his attitude changed. Funny how when other customers are around, managers tend to lighten up all for customer service, I was handed the new torque wrench with a smile. It was one of those fake, I will pee in your cheerios type smile. I never used it ever again. I ended up trading it for a drill. |
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