What kind of torque wrench should I buy?

[legaleli]

I will be doing general maintenance on my 1982 GS850G - which means I will be, at some point or another, doing pretty much everything.

I have no idea what a "good" torque wrench is vs. a "bad" one.

Who uses what?

[gane]

I will be doing general maintenance on my 1982 GS850G - which means I will be, at some point or another, doing pretty much everything.

I have no idea what a "good" torque wrench is vs. a "bad" one.

Who uses what?

L, I rec, two. an Inch pound, either in 1/4 inch or 3/8 drive reading up to @ 200 inch lbs, & a 3/8ths drive, going up to @ 150 ft lbs. spend what you can afford. Proto, craftsman, mac,matco,snap-on et;all. buy a "click type". & if old or used have calibration checked. shop E bay, There are lots of starving mechanics lately. I would guess you could get a pair for @ $150 bucks. Personally, I have 5, proto inch & ft lbs at home, & Snap-on inch , ft.lb 3/8ths, & 1/2in ft/lb s at work. with the "snap-on's costing around $200.00 + each. well beyond the needs of the "hobbyest" But then, This is how I make my living & use all on a daily basis. this is one of the few areas in which I would eschew "harbor freight" or chinese "knock-offs".. One of the "skills" learned by experiance is the "feel" of somthing "not right" in torquing ...well everything... & in the hands of a "neophite" a crappy torque wrench could instill enough confidence to cause expensive damage. P.S. whenever things "feel vague" or just "wrong".. stop & evaluate. chances are, they are... luck g

[rapidray]

I have 4 Snap-Ons. One is a 3/8 drive inch pound, 2 are 3/8 drive up to 75 ft lbs, & the third is a 1/2 inch drive 250 ft lb. All are click type & the only type I will EVER buy. I use mine everyday & NEED the best. If you are only using it once in awhile I would say to go look at Craftsman but I would still stay with a "click" type & get one of each, inch lb, & ft lb that goes to at LEAST 75 ft lbs. Ray.

[almarconi]

Both of my torque wrenches came from Harbor Freight. I've got a 3/8 inch drive click type in Ft/lbs and a 1/4 inch drive click type in inch/lbs. I don't use them that often so I have not had any issues with either of the wrenches. Are they 100% accurate to 1/1000's of a ft/lb, no they are not, but for my needs they suffice.

If you plan on using it everyday or are doing mission critical measurements, I would get the best quality wrench I could afford.

[legaleli]

& in the hands of a "neophite" a crappy torque wrench could instill enough confidence to cause expensive damage.

THAT sounds like me - and thank you for your descriptions!

If you are only using it once in awhile I would say to go look at Craftsman but I would still stay with a "click" type & get one of each, inch lb, & ft lb that goes to at LEAST 75 ft lbs. Ray.

Between you (Rapidray) and Gane I am going to definitely get a click type and it sounds like Craftsman might be enough for me... but...

If you plan on using it everyday or are doing mission critical measurements, I would get the best quality wrench I could afford.

Almarconi makes a good point that quality is an awesome thing - and come to think of it, I love my Milwaukee drill, and my DeWalt table saw, but I"ve never really had a connection with my craftsman circular saw...

That settles it - I'm going to buy two torque wrenches - a 3/8th and a 1/4. I will look for the ratings for pressure to go as high as they can but it will have to go to at least 75 lbs and ideally 150 and 200 (3/8th and 1/4). I will get Craftsman or better. I will buy new.

Thanks to everyone who helped here - could not have done it without you!

[bwringer]

Park tools also makes excellent beam-type 1/4 and 3/8 drive torque wrenches intended for bicycle work. They're reasonably priced, as well.

I know I'm going against the crowd here, but I prefer the simplicity and foolproof nature of beam type wrenches. There's nothing to go wrong, unless the laws of physics get repealed. The clickers are too easy to damage, IMHO.

[legaleli]

I just realized that there are INCH Pounds and FOOT pounds - glad a figured that out before I went shopping!

[gs road racer]

Snap-on (one 5-75ftlbs Click type and another 0-175 guage type) and as someone else posted they are expensive for someone not using them regularly.But I've always gone by get the right tool for the job...once you have a good one you'll probably find more things it should be used on!

[bakalorz]

I will look for the ratings for pressure to go as high as they can but it will have to go to at least 75 lbs and ideally 150 and 200 (3/8th and 1/4).

Don't look for the torque ratings to go as high as they can ... higher is NOT better. using a lower rated wrench near the top of its range gives more accurate results than a high rated wrench near the bottom of its range. (other things equal)

[Nessism]

From Wikipedia...

Click type torque wrenches are precise when properly calibrated—however the more complex mechanism can result in loss of calibration sooner than the beam type, where there is little to malfunction. Beam type torque wrenches are impossible to use in situations where the scale cannot be directly read—and these situations are common in automotive applications. The scale on a beam type wrench is prone to parallax error, as a result of the large distance between indicator arm and scale (on some older designs). There is also the issue of increased user error with the beam type—the torque has to be read at every use and the operator must use caution to apply loads only at the floating handle's pivot point. However, for inherent accuracy, the beam (P.A. Sturtevant / Chrysler Engineering) type wins hands-down[citation needed]: As long as the pointer is free to move, and rests at zero (or is bent to achieve this), 100% accuracy is inherent -- no matter how shoddy, rusty, dinged, etc., the tool may appear. Dual-beam or "flat" beam versions reduce the tendency for the pointer to rub, as do low-friction pointers.

For the click type, when not in use, the force acting on the spring should be removed by setting the scale to 20% of full scale in order to maintain the spring's strength. Never set a micrometer style torque wrench to zero as the internal mechanism requires a small amount of tension in order to prevent tool failure due to unwarranted tip block rotation. If a micrometer tool has been stored with the setting above 20% the tool should be set to 50% of full scale and exercised at least 5 times before being used. In the case of the beam type, there is no strain on the component that provides the reference force except when it is in use, therefore, accuracy is inherent.

[legaleli]

Don't look for the torque ratings to go as high as they can ... higher is NOT better. using a lower rated wrench near the top of its range gives more accurate results than a high rated wrench near the bottom of its range. (other things equal)

Funny thing you should mention that - I just had a client come in to the office for a routine update of his file - I remembered he was taking a mechanics course in school - I should him this post and he told me about the differences in wrenches and the how to select the right wrenches for me and he said EXACTLY what you just posted...

You know... without this site - I would have got the wrong wrench... again - thanks to everyone!

[legaleli]

From Wikipedia...

Click type torque wrenches are precise when properly calibrated—however the more complex mechanism can result in loss of calibration sooner than the beam type, where there is little to malfunction. Beam type torque wrenches are impossible to use in situations where the scale cannot be directly read—and these situations are common in automotive applications. The scale on a beam type wrench is prone to parallax error, as a result of the large distance between indicator arm and scale (on some older designs). There is also the issue of increased user error with the beam type—the torque has to be read at every use and the operator must use caution to apply loads only at the floating handle's pivot point. However, for inherent accuracy, the beam (P.A. Sturtevant / Chrysler Engineering) type wins hands-down[citation needed]: As long as the pointer is free to move, and rests at zero (or is bent to achieve this), 100% accuracy is inherent -- no matter how shoddy, rusty, dinged, etc., the tool may appear. Dual-beam or "flat" beam versions reduce the tendency for the pointer to rub, as do low-friction pointers.

For the click type, when not in use, the force acting on the spring should be removed by setting the scale to 20% of full scale in order to maintain the spring's strength. Never set a micrometer style torque wrench to zero as the internal mechanism requires a small amount of tension in order to prevent tool failure due to unwarranted tip block rotation. If a micrometer tool has been stored with the setting above 20% the tool should be set to 50% of full scale and exercised at least 5 times before being used. In the case of the beam type, there is no strain on the component that provides the reference force except when it is in use, therefore, accuracy is inherent.

VERY interesting - and yet more good information. Tool storage is so important. Maybe I'll get BOTH types!

[Steven Conlan]

Dont loan it out.

And get it calibrated.
I used to be in automotive testing and was resonsible for sending out the equipment (each year) to get it recalibrated.
I was always amazed at either how far out of cal a torque wrench was, and how many times I would get contacted back that the wrench was uncalibratable. These were all Snap On clicker style.
Because of this I started following a wrench around the lab to see how the tech treated it. Since the company owned the tool......well...you can guess how it was treated.
So I stashed a couple of wrenchs just for my use. These would still need yearly recal, but none came back uncalibratable.

Dont loan it to freinds - instead, go over and do the torquing yourself (as a favor).
Keep kids and the wife away, as they will think its a rachet wrench - that doent rachet, so is broke and needs a good couple of wacks on the tool bench to get working.
Dont even loan it to good friends (or family).

So my question to all that have responded: How often do you get your torque wrench recalibrated? My lab was ISO QS registered so it was a one year requirement.

I say all this yet I do not own one. I borrow my friends (Snap On clicker) - I am the only one (besides the owner) that is allowed to use them - but he knows how I will treat it.

[DPage]

In the Sunday ads today (4/25/10), I noticed they have several Craftsman Microtork wrenches on sale for $60. I have the 3/8" drive model that goes from 5 to 80 foot lbs, and have been plenty happy with it. Sears puts these on sale fairly regularly.

[themess]

I have a 1/4" clicker and a 1/2" beam type. Their useful ranges overlap. I can't justify the more expensive wrenches now, or the calibration. I rarely have cause to use them.

The wrenches are expected to be accurate in the range between 10% and 90% of full scale. Outside of those limits, a different wrench should be used.

Technique matters. There have been threads on this in the tech forums, but I don't remember the consensus. Everyone agrees that threads much be in good condition and clean. I think that anti-seize compound is recommended to lubricate the threads, but not oil or grease. For some work, I think that final torque is supposed to be reached in stages.

The torque reading should be reached while the fastener is turning. Hearing the "click" is nice. With the beam wrench, you have to follow the pointer while the handle is following a circle 2' in diameter. Very difficult sometimes to read the scale accurately.

Almost nothing to go wrong with a beam wrench.