While I do use some Harbor Freight tools as seldom used, or throw aways, I saw an add of theirs for a 1/2 in. drive Quinn 250lb. Torque Wrench. Seems my old Craftsman Digi-torque has gotten just too far out of calibration. Ordinarily I wouldn't consider anything from HF for such sensitive use as applying torque, but it has seemed to get a bunch of good reviews generally on the web, and Youtube. Seems its the same item as sold by Lowes, whatever their home brand is, Kobalt maybe? Does anyone have any input on this wrench? Priced at 169.00 and after discounts will probably be around 135.00 Thanks

Have you looked into getting your old one recalibrated?

I picked up a 1/2”, 3/8” and 1/2” torque wrench at HF for about $20 each with a coupon. I have used each of them a few times for vehicle maintenance like checking torque on lug nuts after a rotation or an oil change. I’m happy with them and suspect these are rebranded for other retailers.

If your Craftsman is American-made, not Chinese, and is not actually broken, it ought to be able to be recalibrated. This needs to be done every so often with any torque wrench anyway. Angle Repair in Beckley, WV does this, but surely you can find somebody closer. I'll occasionally buy tools from Hazard Fraught, but not any kind of precision instrument.

My torque wrench is from harbor freight. I don't use it enough to justify buying a quality one.

I wouldn't consider using a harbor freight torque wrench for anything but tightening a bolt. I would never use it to set or measure torque on anything. Ever.

You can pick up another Craftsman, or a Mac or Snap-on wrench on ebay for very little. I just looked at all three brands on ebay for well under a hundred.

Whether you buy new or used, it should be sent out for calibration.

Unless your digitorque has been damaged, I'd get it calibrated, if it were me.

A lot of auto racers use Harbor Freight torque wrenches as this item is used/abused and lost a lot at the track. Harbor Freight torque wrenches are virtually a "throw away" item that gives good results and if lost or damaged you don't feel so badly. I use mine almost every time I do anything to my car.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
I wouldn't consider using a harbor freight torque wrench for anything but tightening a bolt. I would never use it to set or measure torque on anything. Ever.

You can pick up another Craftsman, or a Mac or Snapon wrenc on ebay for very little. I just looked at all three brands on ebay for well under a hundred.

Whether you buy new or used, it should be sent out for calibration.

Unless your digitorque has been damaged, I'd get it calibrated, if it were me.

I agree. You definitely don’t want to torque a cylinder head, etc. with one. Wheels and the like are ok though. We aren’t allowed to use HF torque wrenches when torquing electrical switchgear, etc. Too much variation.

Regular Harbor Freight is different than the Icon Harbor Freight. Look at the Icon line.

Lipstick on a pig. It's still chinese shit. Harbor freight is okay for something that doesn't require precision, but whether it's the newer "icon" brand or not, it's still cheap chinese shit.

Like those Blue Point tools that SnapOn is selling on its website that are being produced in Taiwan, probably by the same supplier making Icon. Lipstick on a pig indeed.

Hold onto your religion, SnapOn now has a factory in Kunshan, China that produces tools for the Asian market. Its just a matter of time...

Perhaps the OP doesn't need a $400 torque wrench, but could do with a $100 Icon that seems to outperform that $400 wrench.

Look into Wright Tool. American-made, but won't break the bank. Discovered them completely by accident at a local tool store when I was looking for a new torque wrench. Mine is their model 4477. Wright torque wrenchs, and their other tools, appear to get good reviews. Note: I haven't used my new torque wrench much, so far. It does appear and feel to be well-made.

Got a really nice Matco 1/2” drive off ebay a couple of years ago. Way cheaper than Snap On...

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
Like those Blue Point tools that SnapOn is selling on its website that are being produced in Taiwan, probably by the same supplier making Icon. Lipstick on a pig indeed.

Hold onto your religion, SnapOn now has a factory in Kunshan, China that produces tools for the Asian market. Its just a matter of time...

Perhaps the OP doesn't need a $400 torque wrench, but could do with a $100 Icon that seems to outperform that $400 wrench.

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ck_O5U1Tyz8" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

The Snap-on in the repeatability test kept closer to the chosen torque spec of 74 ft pds. The HF Icon overtorqued. For his tests to be legit he should’ve used multiple figures and more than the one torque figure of 74 ft pds. He also didn’t test durability and longer term accuracy.

The only thing I will buy or use are CDI Torque Wrenches.
Quality stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
My torque wrench is from harbor freight. I don't use it enough to justify buying a quality one.

Ditto. Mine's mainly used when reinstalling lawnmower blades.

I think I paid like $9 total for it when I bought it about a decade ago.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
My torque wrench is from harbor freight. I don't use it enough to justify buying a quality one.

Ditto.

Are you a pro or a home gamer?

I got an HF one after researching it a few years ago. Multiple reviews from third parties rated them extremely good/accurate compared to the name brand ones. Just relieve the spring loading between uses. Mine has served me for personal use very well.

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Just relieve the spring loading between uses. Mine has served me for personal use very well.

When you say "relieve the spring loading between uses," do you mean reset the torque wrench to zero or take it past zero (to a value less than zero)?

If you're thinking of reducing spring tension by unscrewing the wrench to a value below zero, know that other than dropping the wrench, it's the surest way to take it out of calibration and ruin the wrench.

Every torque wrench should be reset to zero after every use.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
My torque wrench is from harbor freight. I don't use it enough to justify buying a quality one.

Ditto. Mine's mainly used when reinstalling lawnmower blades.

I think I paid like $9 total for it when I bought it about a decade ago.

Sounds like you trust that torque wrench for jobs that don't really require a torque wrench.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Just relieve the spring loading between uses.

When you say "relieve the spring loading between uses," do you mean reset the torque wrench to zero or take it past zero (to a value less than zero)?

Every torque wrench should be reset to zero after every use.

Yea, just reset to ~zero. That relieves the compression on the main spring... per the instructions... Leaving it compressed can over time weaken the spring, throwing the calibration off.