Mostly use a torque wrench when called for......except into aluminum, then less about 10 lbs.... ........the calibrated elbow isn't that accurate!
And the round one still showing his intelligence and reading compression...........Im at peace......he's on ignore!!!

 

Maybe he is going to buy one, or maybe he wants people to say they don't use one either. I played along to say I think they are a good idea.

 

My vote is, to always use a torque wrench when you can, unless using screwdriver and even then most would do better if they used one, even in that case.😬

Previously a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force for 6 years, and having to use a torque wrench on everything, it truly will give you the so called calibrated elbow, but reliability is key.

The clickers have come a long way, but my prefererence 90% of the time, is the old beam type (pointer @ handle), unless of course I can't read the scale (bad position).
I really like my very tiny beam type for derby cover bolts and such.

Have witnessed the results of clickers not clicking or truth be known "probably" not felt too many times and the result is never good and in some cases horible!

I do have beam and clickers in all ranges and check them against each other for calibration and of course the beams are always correct.

One thing as Uncle Larry started (sneak up on the torque, great for warm up as in lubrication).
Should always cycle torque wrench in both directions in a low setting prior to use, to lubricate it, as you may possibly over torque on 1st use.

Another important tip for clicker, is always store @ it's lowest calibrated setting. If not stored @ the low setting it can weaken the spring and therefore throw off the calibration.
If torque wrench is ever found not returned to lowest calibrated setting in Air Force, it is red tagged and sent to calibration.

Also, I use proper grade loctite on just about everything! No not everything on my Toyota 4Runner and such, but YES on all my Harleys! I use the very low grade purple @ a minimum on just about everything that I would not normally do on my other vehicles. Even blinker and headlight screws and have been successful using the purple on small stuff for years, as most I ride with now keep a bottle with them @ all times. This may come from the fact, that I didn't graduate up from 30+ years on Shovels until 2016. 🤦🤷

Ride Safe and keep it together ✌️

 

I have 3 torque wrench I use. Depends on what I’m doing. I recently bought a Quinn from Harbor freight that’s a 1/2” I use to torque my lug nuts. I have smaller ones I’ve used when changing my cams. Other than that it’s usually been by feel.

 

A distinction between perhaps what constitutes normal usage and storage but Norbar say it isn't necessary mostly. They also have torque wrenches used on production lines that cannot be altered by the user so are set and left.

The important thing you mentioned though is don't go lower than the stated lowest setting.

 

I bet most people calibrated elbow is way off. I know mine is. I usually snug drain plugs than throw a tqq wrench on for a few of my vehicles. It is usually over tightened.

Tell someone 150 , 50, or 100, and they making a wild *** guess..

Mine are the old craftsman clicker. I am looking for another and just have not decideed. I hear the craftsman clickers don't click like they used too. And the expensive ones are expensive.

I started to use a tq wrench on plugs once, and it freaked me out and I stopped. I did have one come out once, but it was over 10k miles. Wobbled the hole.

 

Don't know about now, but back in the day, you could have a torque wrench that for example was 60 ftlbs to 120ftlbs but yet the scale would go lower than 60, and this was when the ugly would happen as someone would try to drive it to lowest on scale.

 

My Norbar wrenches will go lower than stated lowest setting so have be careful to watch as I unwind them.

 

Something I have seen mentioned is some folk think a torque wrench is not accurate at its min or max value. I asked Norbar before purchasing if that were the case and it isn't.

They send out a test sheet showing accuracy at min, max and mid point settings. The spec gives a +/- 3 or 4% depending on product range but the test sheet I got was well within 3%.

 

I hadn't heard that. If you go on their web page under the service tab is says "Mechanical torque tools and electronic torque equipment are designed, built and serviced in our City of Industry, California facility".

http://www.cditorque.com/service-sup...nia%20facility.

It doesn't really say anywhere that CDI makes the wrenches for Snap-On, but I guess it is safe to believe that if Snap-On owns CDI they likely make the wrenches Snap-On sells, especially since they are about identical except the tags.

After seeing your reply I did a few Google searches and I found several internet references to parts of the wrenches being made in Taiwan, but what I found was message board posts and I didn't see anything that linked back to an official source. Still, who knows for sure. It is very hard to tell anymore where things are truly made. Manufacturers play the "Made in USA with globally sourced parts (in small print) Sometimes they don't say at all, dare I say I think some of them outright lie to us. Williams is a Snap-On brand and always made excellent tools too, but I notice more and more the Williams stuff is outsourced.