recommend me a torque wrench

[Dead Rats]

Reasonable price and quality torque wrench recommendations anyone? I think I have most sizes of sockets in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" so bear that in mind.

Cheers, Al

 

[silverclaws]

A beam wrench in quarter drive, Park tools do one with a range of 0-60 inch pounds, and another with a higher range.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=8071

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=8072


Failing that, the bog standard Draper or Franklin variety beam wrench, but they are a higher scale and in half drive.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Franklin-Torq...t=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2eaf241316

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DRAPER-BEAM-T...986?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4151bf518a

I recommend a beam wrench, because the click stop type can be unreliable in the lower ranges and they need to be calibrated from time to time.

 

[mikee]

williams superslim

http://www.smithfrancistools.co.uk/slimtorque.htm

had mine for years top bit of kit
had it re-calibrated last year (we had the kit at work)
bang on even after the abuse i've heaped on it over the years

 

[dbmtb]

For home use, one with screw type adjustment is OK. But remember to remove spring tension after use.

 

[silverclaws]

williams superslim

http://www.smithfrancistools.co.uk/slimtorque.htm

had mine for years top bit of kit
had it re-calibrated last year (we had the kit at work)
bang on even after the abuse i've heaped on it over the years

You had it calibrated, may I ask was it out ?
As my undertanding of the click stop screw variety is if you don't have the calibrator which has to be calibrated itself, you have to find somewhere that calibrates torque wrenches and certificates them, which costs.

But as regarding a recently calibrated device, just dropping it can render it out of cal, that is why I recommend beam wrenches, for one can see at a glance if the thing is reading right or not, and there is very little that can happen to the steel that it is made of, so torsional forces are usually ok. But I believe the calibration standard is, the thing is only in cal at 20 degree celcius, variations in temperature affect the calibration.

To use an uncalibrated measuring device like a click stop, it is a guide only and by no means a guarantee that the correct torque was applied, one could be under or worse, over the required torque value leading to the possibility of fatigued components that might fail at any point, temperature again is one, a rise expands metal and increases the torque.

Without a known measurement device one may as well just guess, even apply what you consider to be what poundage of force a foot away from the the centre of the fixing that is being driven, otherwise get a spanner and give it a gronk.

Interestingly, mechanics spanners are usually made to a length that it would prove hard, but not impossible to break a fixing by normal use. So correct application spanners should be used. Look at a normal say 8mm combination wrench compared to a 16mm combination wrench, should give you an indication of what torque can be applied to that fixing.

I used to be an aircraft mechanic and I have also worked in a calibration cell.

 

[dbmtb]

Beam wrenches. LOTS more expensive.

But for sure the right choice.

Can now see I've been in Denmark too long as I only knew what they were called in danish....

 

[Rich Aitch]

I've always used adjustable click type ones, rather than beam ones. I've always had an idea that you have to keep you eye on the handle/ gauge with beam ones so you may not notice if the socket is working loose.
Norbar make good ones, I've had a 5-20Nm one for years [http://www.norbar.com/SL0-TorqueWrenches-54-1-12-range.aspx], it's my favourite tool and made in Britain not China.
Britool are or were very well regarded, my mate who used to be a Jaguar mechanic pointed out that even mechanics who obsessivley used Snap-on tools always had a Britool torque wrench.

 

[mikee]

williams superslim

http://www.smithfrancistools.co.uk/slimtorque.htm

had mine for years top bit of kit
had it re-calibrated last year (we had the kit at work)
bang on even after the abuse i've heaped on it over the years

You had it calibrated, may I ask was it out ?
As my undertanding of the click stop screw variety is if you don't have the calibrator which has to be calibrated itself, you have to find somewhere that calibrates torque wrenches and certificates them, which costs.

But as regarding a recently calibrated device, just dropping it can render it out of cal, that is why I recommend beam wrenches, for one can see at a glance if the thing is reading right or not, and there is very little that can happen to the steel that it is made of, so torsional forces are usually ok. But I believe the calibration standard is, the thing is only in cal at 20 degree celcius, variations in temperature affect the calibration.

To use an uncalibrated measuring device like a click stop, it is a guide only and by no means a guarantee that the correct torque was applied, one could be under or worse, over the required torque value leading to the possibility of fatigued components that might fail at any point, temperature again is one, a rise expands metal and increases the torque.

Without a known measurement device one may as well just guess, even apply what you consider to be what poundage of force a foot away from the the centre of the fixing that is being driven, otherwise get a spanner and give it a gronk.

Interestingly, mechanics spanners are usually made to a length that it would prove hard, but not impossible to break a fixing by normal use. So correct application spanners should be used. Look at a normal say 8mm combination wrench compared to a 16mm combination wrench, should give you an indication of what torque can be applied to that fixing.

I used to be an aircraft mechanic and I have also worked in a calibration cell.

we had several hundred torque tools going to various entities within
our organisation for this various devices were hired in to calibrate
these tools , i took the opportunity to check my wrench ,it was near bang on for me using it ,therein lies the issue
in the production equipment's case calibration is required for qualification
of the process
for me near enough is good enough

 

[silverclaws]

Beam wrenches. LOTS more expensive.

But for sure the right choice.

Can now see I've been in Denmark too long as I only knew what they were called in danish....

Ah that is good then, you are starting to think in Danish, not English then convert it to Danish.

My Ex step son started doing that when he lived a few years in Scanderborg. He once made the mistake of translating his Danish into English when he was with us, he was forced to speak in his native language for the first time in a year, I thought it was funny, his mother didn't.

 

[1988_Ben]

Reasonable price and quality torque wrench recommendations anyone? I think I have most sizes of sockets in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" so bear that in mind.

Cheers, Al

What exactly do you have that tightens up with sockets and needs accurate torque? Surely everything is allen key or torx ?

Unless you're saying you've already got some 1/4" sockets like these:

then I guess you do want a small torque wrench.

But I've been really pleased so far with this:
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... ils/cht604
As dbmtb says, make sure you don't leave it 'tensioned' when not in use.