Tool Time
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 428
From: Northern NY
Tekton makes a nice little low inch pound range TQ wrench. I torque just about everything and have for years on my bikes. All threads are cleaned every time, holes cleaned and chased with thread chaser. Never had an issue in 38 years.
You can divide by 12 for conversion of inch lbs to ft lbs if you don't have a inch pound tq wrench. (ex: 90 inch lbs divided by 12 = 7.5 ft lbs).
You can divide by 12 for conversion of inch lbs to ft lbs if you don't have a inch pound tq wrench. (ex: 90 inch lbs divided by 12 = 7.5 ft lbs).
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,561
Likes: 443
From: PNW
You can use this too. Very handy.
Maryland Metrics Online Torque Conversion
If you choose "Save As" in the File menu you can actually download the few files necessary to run it locally on your phone.
Maryland Metrics Online Torque Conversion
If you choose "Save As" in the File menu you can actually download the few files necessary to run it locally on your phone.
Last edited by iHodor; Sep 16, 2019 at 01:03 PM.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 638
Likes: 127
From: Kentucky
I have this one in 3/8, and it's big brother in 1/2". Awesome stuff.
https://shop.snapon.com/product/ATECH2FR100B
https://shop.snapon.com/product/ATECH2FR100B
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 11,185
Likes: 7,961
From: In my head
I wonder how metal compares now to 80s. How much is nostalgia?
Look at guns, for 300 you can get 1moa out of the box.
Sure the cheap stuff was cheap then, and maybe needed top notch. But I wonder now. I could probably see a ratchet for a pro. But I wonder about socket sizes and strength now for mid level stuff.
Stuff with moving parts I suspect is where money comes into play more.
Look at guns, for 300 you can get 1moa out of the box.
Sure the cheap stuff was cheap then, and maybe needed top notch. But I wonder now. I could probably see a ratchet for a pro. But I wonder about socket sizes and strength now for mid level stuff.
Stuff with moving parts I suspect is where money comes into play more.
Back in the 50-60's Craftsmen was top quality, American Made and you could walk into any Sears and give them your broken whatever and they'd hand you a new one. Now Craftsmen is made by Apex in China, it's junk. I'd say anything you buy from harbor freight is complete junk. If you use their torx bit set you have about a 50% chance of stripping out your bolt head because they are not presion made.
Snap-on has a line "Blue Point" about half the price but beware, a lot of Blue Point are made in Asia so you gotta ask or do the research. If you work on your seld and you treasure it like I do all my bikes then use the best tools for the job. I'd bet there are 60 different styles of ratchets from Snap-on because some bolts are impossible to get to without a micro pivot head or whatever the application calls for.
just my 2 cents
Banned
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 7,406
Likes: 834
From: Straight Jacket Memories and Sedative Highs
Those different angle heads for the ratchets I am sure would be great to have. What takes us 15 minutes with 1/16 turns a pro would do in 1, plus the skill to know when to grab it. I do make notes in my manual about how to get at bolts, wrench , extension , deep well, ECT.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,315
Likes: 1,663
From: Tampa
There's a time and a place for quality, expensive items. In my opinion, wrenches isn't it. I bought most of my whole garage from Harbor Freight (Mill from Grizzly and TIG from Thermal Arc though). Yea, 10 years ago all they sold was cheap crap from China. What's changed lately is that China has realized if they want to compete with the world's largest consumers, the USA, they need to quit making crap and start making quality. Look at the sockets and wrenches you get there now. Substantially better than the cheese-metal crap from a decade ago. Same goes for their welders (Vulcan) and air compressors, and a few other select items they hawk.
Granted, I could have cut the beams on my 20T press with a butter knife though.
Those apparently never wrapped up in the quality improvements of recent. Where else can you get a 20T press for $160 though?
Granted, I could have cut the beams on my 20T press with a butter knife though.
Those apparently never wrapped up in the quality improvements of recent. Where else can you get a 20T press for $160 though?
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 270
Likes: 226
From: DFW Area
Well this is exactly what I hoped when I posted this thread. I just put a couple of CDIs on my Amazon wish list for purchase after I get off this trip. 466 reviews with 83% five star for the 3/8” ft lb one. Good enough for me when complimented by the recommendation from a few on this forum.
I have been a Craftsman person since I can remember but I lost (cough cough divorce) all my tools 15 years ago and have rebuilt my garage with pretty much all Craftsman BUT I have noticed the quality isn’t what it used to be. It is still a instinctive favorable brand reaction for me but I’m working on it.
This forum sure is a wealth of knowledge.
I have been a Craftsman person since I can remember but I lost (cough cough divorce) all my tools 15 years ago and have rebuilt my garage with pretty much all Craftsman BUT I have noticed the quality isn’t what it used to be. It is still a instinctive favorable brand reaction for me but I’m working on it.
This forum sure is a wealth of knowledge.
Last edited by TexasScott; Sep 16, 2019 at 06:44 PM.
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 467
Likes: 203
I have to disagree about Harbour Freight -- it's a crapshoot as to if you will get an accurate one or not. A poster on here (newbie) bought his torque wrenches at HF to do an oil change. When he used the torque wrench to tighten his oil drain plug he actually twisted the drain plug off and cracked his oil pan -- it was a very expensive mistake to save a few bucks on a torque wrench.
Last edited by hdrider1; Sep 16, 2019 at 06:54 PM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 5,063
Likes: 2,582
From: On my bike!
I have to disagree about Harbour Freight -- it's a crapshoot as to if you will get an accurate one or not. A poster on here (newbie) bought his torque wrenches at HF to do an oil change. When he used the torque wrench to tighten his oil drain plug he actually twisted the drain plug off and cracked his oil pan -- it was a very expensive mistake to save a few bucks on a torque wrench.
Any mechanical experience and the old "calibrated elbow" should kick in before anything like that happens, especially when working with softer metals.