I know you can spend a great deal of $$$ on torque wrenches. I have cheapies. I never caused any damage using them. Recently bought $14 on sale torque wrench. 20~200 in lbs. I used it to do a 90 lb torque today. I had previously used my beam 0~75 ft lb torque wrench to do a 5 ft lb pre torque. That should be the same as 60 in lbs. WHen I checked my 5 ft lb torque with the new torque wrench, none of the bolts moved until 90 in lbs. That is 33% more torque than my beam tq wrench was indicating.

I know torque wrenches are always most accurate closer to the middle of their range but could they really be off by that much?

Which wrench should I believe? Not like they are both in the same ballpark.

* Last updated by: Rook on 10/26/2011 @ 8:08 PM *

The advantage of getting a brand name torque wrench is it can be calibrated. I use a Snap-On, and get it calibrated whenever I can catch the snap-on guy. One tool I don't think you should go cheap on.

I haven't seen a Snap-On truck since I had my own machine shop. Still have some tools though. I remember paying "on credit" when I first got started, a little bit each time he came by the shop. Some things were way better back in the day. Actually, a lot of things.

I have a little beam torque wrench, that I use on things like pan bolts etc. The dial plate will rotate so you can look at it from the other side.

I have a medium ratchet torque wrench, and a large one. I really should calibrate them, but don't use them enough anymore to remember to do it.

I have a buddy that's a car mechanic. He calls me when the Snap-On guy shows up. If I can get there fast enough he'll do it.
here's a video to check your wrench's accuracy.

you can try here to see if someone locally can calibrate.

calibration search

* Last updated by: alg8er on 10/27/2011 @ 10:22 PM *

I can calibrate my own, I just don't ever seem to find a reason to do it. I hardly ever wrench anything anymore.

privateer; I'm with you. In fact the bike is in the shop, torn down as I type. Every once in a while either an emergency, or something simple comes up that I can handle. Nice to have a calibrated torque wrench, especially with my ham fists.

thanks alg8er. I do not think my TWs can be calibrated as shown in the vid. They each cost much less than what a pro calibration would cost anyway. The video shows a great, simple way to check your tprque wrenches so you will at least know if and how much they are off.

Thanks for the video, I'll call the snap on guy....

I have a Craftsman deflecting beam, and two click-type Craftsman torque wrenches, one inch-lbs and the other foot-lbs. I just bought a half-inch drive foot-lb click-type wrench at Harbor Freight on the cheap. Plan to only use that one for checking big torques like axle nuts, etc. I think that in general, click-type/break-away torque wrenches are more accurate than deflecting beam ones. I set the lug nut torque on my wife's truck with the deflecting beam wrench, and plan to try the new half-inch drive wrench on her lugs to see how close it is to the deflecting beam wrench.

I have a Craftsman deflecting beam

I purchased mine back in the mid 70's, still working great. I always loved Craftman tools.

The advantage of getting a brand name torque wrench is it can be calibrated. I use a Snap-On, and get it calibrated whenever I can catch the snap-on guy. One tool I don't think you should go cheap on.

That is the reason why I purchased my first Snap-On torque wrench. The Snap-On guy was also a customer, owned one the first 1987 CBR-600's, he also visited the shop once a week so if there was a problem he was always accessible to exchange our tools.

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