torque wrench
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 26
From: Florida
Probably better ones out there than the ones I got but they seem to do pretty good for me. I got the Craftsman ones that they carry right in their store. Not the digital ones but the other type. They run around $80 each but I got mine on sale for $60 each. I got three sizes. The largest is 1/2 drive with a range of 20-150 ft/lbs., a 3/8 drive with a range of 10-75 ft/lbs (with half lbs. increments) and a 3/8 drive with range of 25-250 inch/lbs. I first got the 1/2 inch one with the 150 ft/lbs range because that is what I need at the moment. Once I took it home, tried it and realized that I was pretty comfortable using it, I went out and bought the other two. I am sure that many will say these wrenches are garbage and that you should go out and spend hundreds of dollars per wrench in order to get something good and I would partly agree...if I was a full time mechanic and I used them every day. But even though I do all my own service and most of my own mods, I still only break these out once every two to three months and they get used to tighten a handful of bolts and back in their case they go. If this is the sort of wrenching you plan on doing then these or something like these should work out for you, I think.
Here are the model numbers in order as I described them above:
Mfr. model #44595
Mfr. model #44594
Mfr. model #44593
Good luck!
Here are the model numbers in order as I described them above:
Mfr. model #44595
Mfr. model #44594
Mfr. model #44593
Good luck!
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,382
Likes: 0
From: Southern Maryland
I use the Craftsman 3/8 and 1/2 inch drives. Both have served me well. As stated previously they are good for the weekend backyard mechanic.
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Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 892
Likes: 11
From: Northern NY
A freind of mine gave me a 1/2 inch drive bar and needle. He had three laying around. Don't use a torque wrench as often as a pro so I guess this one suffices.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 63
From: Eastern Washington State
I had a Husky from Home Depot and was using it to torque flange bolts on a metric bike. I kept tightening and my instinct began to tell me I was overdoing it. Sure enough the flange started to bend. There was no place in town to calibrate it so I checked against a couple other wrenches and sure enough the torque values on mine were way off. Home Depot readily replaced the wrench but I'm a little skittish about it now. I also have a Sears inch pound wrench. Be careful buying cheap.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 3,886
Likes: 3
An appropriately scaled Craftsman beam style torque wrench will do the job nicely. A beam torque wrench is much more rugged and less subject to drift from misuse or neglect than either a digital or spring detent style system, though it can harder to read in certain positions. Fastener thread condition, cleanliness, and lubrication have a big impact on proper torque wrench application.