[Camdino225]

My dad and I have both broken 3 torque wrenches doing various jobs, and the one that I broke most recently was doing the wheel hubs. A guy down the street is a mechanic who has a shop nearby, so I borrowed his to finish the job.

My question is, what is the best torque wrench I can buy? I am sick of shotty tools and I will never buy another 35 dollar torque wrench. I have heard good ones are hundreds of dollars... what should I buy?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

What are you doing to have broken three torque wrenches? Heck my torque wrenches cost $10-20 at Harbor Freight Tools and they work well... better than I expected actually. One had a problem maybe ten years ago but they replaced it.

 

[TravisHeim]

My dad and I have both broken 3 torque wrenches doing various jobs, and the one that I broke most recently was doing the wheel hubs. A guy down the street is a mechanic who has a shop nearby, so I borrowed his to finish the job.

My question is, what is the best torque wrench I can buy? I am sick of shotty tools and I will never buy another 35 dollar torque wrench. I have heard good ones are hundreds of dollars... what should I buy?

What are you doing to break them? What type are you using? My Harbor Freight torque wrenches have lasted longer than my snap-on so far and I have done some pretty stupid things like using a cheater bar and they are still working well. Even with the abuse, the torque reading is within a few percent of accurate.

 

[Shark_13]

I use one of these for work, very nice.

http://www.amazon.com/CDI-1503MFRMH-2-Inch-Handle-Torque/dp/B000I1WMAW

Harbor freight is fine for things like socket adapters etc. I've used the torque wrenches, not a fan.

 

[Leffnasty]

My step dad has a snap-on from an old jobsite he did once. Man that thing is the rolls royce of torque wrenches, I use it every chance I get. Don't wanna know how much one costs though.

Personally, I had my eyes set on this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C5ZL0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_J-r9ub0VA4GG3

 

[05LJTampa]

Good news is..HF torque wrenches just walk right in without a receipt and exchange for another one. I have 2, one for smaller bolts up to 50-60 lbs and other bigger wrench for lug nuts 100lbs etc. last few years a piece so far

 

[NumbSkull]

Another vote for harbor freight torque wrenches. I've had one for some time and its worked great. It started to act up on me a while back, and I took it in and walked out with another. I had used it countless times (100s +) before it started acting up.

I also have a Husky brand from home depot (bought it in a time of need when I didn't have access to my HF and the closest HF is a 45 minute drive). It cost a lot more than the HF, and I cant say it works any better or worse. I've only used it a few times so I cant say how it holds up over time... It is longer, so it has better leverage, but the HF is still my go-to.

 

[geroux]

If you're breaking torque wrenches they are maybe cheap crap. I have four of various ratings, all Craftsman. Oldest one is 23 years old.
Thanks for reminding me that I should get them calibrated soon.

 

[freeskier93]

My step dad has a snap-on from an old jobsite he did once. Man that thing is the rolls royce of torque wrenches, I use it every chance I get. Don't wanna know how much one costs though.

Personally, I had my eyes set on this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C5ZL0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_J-r9ub0VA4GG3

I have the bigger 25-250 ft/lb Tekton and never had an issue, I can't imagine breaking it since the thing is stout. It's what I used for gears and have used it multiple times for the big axle nuts. I've accidentally left it sitting while still set a couple times for a long time so after 4 years the scale is about 50 ft/lbs off. Still fine though for vast majority of things and if anything a great breaker bar. If I was doing gears again or engine work I'd probably pick a new one up since they're cheap enough.

 

[scot68]

I bought my click-type Snap-on in '86 and it's still working flawlessly. I checked it against a new one on a tool truck a few years ago and it was still dead on.

 

[mdm]

I've used torque wrenches for decades on everything from airplanes to lawn mowers. I can count on one hand the number of them I've broken and still have a couple of fingers left over for nose picking. For the last 15-20 years I've use Harbor Freight wrenches with no problems. I've had them checked periodically and they are all well within allowable tolerances.

 

[dayriesw]

Since torque wrenches are required for torquing things to specific settings, I usually trust a more trusted brand. After breaking the first one (HF), I replaced it for free and both a craftsman. Cost some more, same replacement and it handles everything.

 

[05LJTampa]

My dad and I have both broken 3 torque wrenches doing various jobs, and the one that I broke most recently was doing the wheel hubs. A guy down the street is a mechanic who has a shop nearby, so I borrowed his to finish the job. My question is, what is the best torque wrench I can buy? I am sick of shotty tools and I will never buy another 35 dollar torque wrench. I have heard good ones are hundreds of dollars... what should I buy?

so back to Jerry's question...how have you broke 3 torque wrenches?

 

[Jeepsr4me]

so back to Jerry's question...how have you broke 3 torque wrenches?

Yeah since the OP has not responded...

I do a lot of stupid things with cheater pipes and such and not broke a TQ wrench..

so...... Is the OP using a inch pound wrench when he should be using foot pound
or is your arms like thing///.......

 

[Camdino225]

Its not like I'm using them then they snap, I really don't know what happened... I bought a 30 dollar craftsman and it has a twisting handle that adjusts the torque setting, it also has a locking ring that prevents the handle from moving during use. That one I broke, somehow, and the handle slides freely up and down the shaft with no clicking of any kind. The one my dad broke I do not know how it broke, but I looked at it and it sure is broken. The third was an old one we had for some years, the ratcheting became weaker and weaker until it turned freely.

 

[Jeepsr4me]

Well llllll I got a cheap OL Harbor freight one for 9.99 and I have taken it way past the max at times and it is just fine.

I check the cal on it too.... Still within a 1-2... So good there.

As much as I hate china crap, that wrench has held up to me putting pinion nuts on and they can be a pill
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html

 

[Camdino225]

Well llllll I got a cheap OL Harbor freight one for 9.99 and I have taken it way past the max at times and it is just fine.

I check the cal on it too.... Still within a 1-2... So good there.

As much as I hate china crap, that wrench has held up to me putting pinion nuts on and they can be a pill
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html

That wrench right there is the second one we broke...

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That wrench right there is the second one we broke...

Unusual to read that, owners of that particular torque wrench generally report nothing but good results with them. I've been using that same torque wrench for nearly 15 years. Something else is going on causing you to have broken three torque wrenches.

 

[Dave02TJ]

That linked torque wrench is 20 - 150 ft lbs, if I remember right the minimum torque for the crush sleeve on a Dana 35 is 200 ft lbs. That wrench wouldn't be of much use for a pinion nut application, for me anyways. I'm sure you can work around it but, eh I'd rather have a bigger torque wrench.

 

[Jeepsr4me]

That linked torque wrench is 20 - 150 ft lbs, if I remember right the minimum torque for the crush sleeve on a Dana 35 is 200 ft lbs. That wrench wouldn't be of much use for a pinion nut application, for me anyways. I'm sure you can work around it but, eh I'd rather have a bigger torque wrench.

NS...... Thats why I said I went WAY past what its rated at...
Mine is 250

Check out the harbor freight pic... the guy is going the opposite way to tighten...

This how I get lug nuts off...