What torque wrench to choose?

[RockyJodr124]

Looking for a new torque wrench...need some ideas/feedback.

 

[POS VETT]

I use a Sears brand that has a max torque rating of 150 ft-lbs and it has a 1/2" drive. It clicks when reaching a set limit. I also have a smaller one with a 3/8" drive and it has a more accurate in-lb increment.

What is your intended usage of this torque wrench?

 

[RockyJodr124]

I use a Sears brand that has a max torque rating of 150 ft-lbs and it has a 1/2" drive. It clicks when reaching a set limit. I also have a smaller one with a 3/8" drive and it has a more accurate in-lb increment.

What is your intended usage of this torque wrench?

Mainly for wheels.

 

[POS VETT]

Mainly for wheels.

One with a 150 ft-lb rating would suffice and because it's only for lug nuts, there is no need to pay extra for very high accuracy.

 

[CKeeler]

Harbor freight. Got mine from there, it’s pretty awesome. I love it

 

[kezzer]

Craftsman makes really good wrench.

 

[BlindAssassin111]

Harbor freight. Got mine from there, it’s pretty awesome. I love it

To add to this the harbor freight ones are actually really good(especially for the price) and they have been tested against snapon torque wrenches and torque nearly identical(within 0.1 ft-lb, at least from memory may have been a tad higher).

Just make sure to always unset(too tired to think of a better term lol) after use so as to prevent loss of accuracy due to storing a spring in compression for long periods. Doing do will prolong the life of the wrench (keep it within spec).

 

[oddball]

+2 on Harbor Freight, especially if you're just using it for wheels and such. The more expensive ones are a bit nicer to use - whoever designed HF's locking mechanism should be banned from tool design - but that doesn't particularly matter for occasional use. The current Craftsman wrenches have a terrible handle design too.
I use my 14 yr old Craftsman for engine assembly (details are a bit more important there) but I still set it using a digital strain gauge which are hilariously cheap and accurate.

 

[RockyJodr124]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I just picked one up from Harbor freight. $20 was just too good of a deal.

 

[Crayola Grey]

+2 on Harbor Freight, whoever designed HF's locking mechanism should be banned from tool design - but that doesn't particularly matter for occasional use.

I ran out and bought the Harbor Freight, because it was only $20, but turned right around and returned it (I didn't open the box to check it out before buying it). That little screw to lock the setting kept binding and tightening by itself and I could foresee it being annoying.

I ordered a Precision Instruments PREC3FR250F that you can leave at its setting - you don't have to zero it out after every use. It's a good one and the price wasn't too bad. P.I. is who makes the them for Snap-On. Made in USA. https://thetorquehub.com/precision-instruments-prec3fr250f-torque-wrench/

 

[Hapa88]

I have the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh 1/2" Drive torque wrench. Actually I own 3 of them since they're so inexpensive and keep one in the car.

You can find coupons to get them for $10 fairly often and they come with a plastic protective case. They're excellent for mild to moderate use, and especially for torquing down lug nuts.