Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

I apologize if the information is out there and I'm not finding it, but didn't we have a link to a digital torque wrench supplier? My old 1/2" bit the dust.

If anyone can share the link or other recommendations for good but not ridiculously expensive torque wrenches, I would appreciate it.

TIA

ACE Hardware carries Craftsman. They may be in stock. Of course, after Christmas, all bets are off...

I know this is blasphemy, but the Harbor Freight torque wrenches get pretty good reviews. I have one that replaced my old Snap On that died.

Using a setting somewhere in the middle of the spec allows for any slight deviation in accuracy.

I will never give up my Craftsman clicker torque wrench. Turn it up to what you want and wait for the click. However I was not able to get the crank pulley up to the 145 ft/lbs it states in the tech wiki. Ugh, gave up after a hundred plus pounds.

Tools at home are mostly Craftsman and a bag of HF in the car so if someone steals it I won't care much.

Harbor Freight has really been improving the quality of their offerings lately. I would expect the Quinn brand to be reasonably good quality. Personally I like the beam type. The click and electronic are supposed to be tested regularly, but virtually no one does it.

I've been buying from Harbor Freight since 1991. I've restored 4 cars and siding on a house using their tools. Sockets, box wrenches, air tools, compressor, sliding compound miter saw, etc. I've hardly had to replace any of them. I've replaced a grinder, a recip saw and a socket wrench. When my HF Pittsburg 3/8" drive socket wrench broke in 2015, I went to replace and they didn't charge me for it, even though it was 24 years old!

I had 3 HF torque wrenches (they are the ones that used to be in my race trailer and travel tool kits as they were cheap and no biggie if lost) checked when I had my good torque wrenches calibrated. They were all three off by + or - 30%, was able to get one close to accurate and to hold some consistency but the other two were all over the place and could near get the same reading twice. Just depends on how critical you feel torque settings are.

On Amazon there is a dizzying amount of Torque wrenches to choose from. There are a few 1/2 inch rated 30 - 150 pounds that are in the $32-40 range. Many are manufactured in Taiwan, I guess a step up from China and look like potential keepers.

I'm not opposed to HF, but have had bad luck with the three torque wrenches I've bought from them. Assuming they were relatively accurate when new, they didn't stay that way for too long and no longer trust them. All three have gone pretty far out of calibration in a short time so now they get used as breaker bars!

How are folks checking/getting the wrenches calibrated?

Recently opted for HF 1/2” after my Craftsman locked up and they would not warranty it.