I'm a big fan of using torque wrenches. I have little tiny drivers that I use for guns up to big ones that go up to a couple hundred ft lbs. I understand why you don't want to just get "close enough" in many cases.

OTOH: There are things like lug nuts. My big trailer has 32 lugs that need to be torqued to 150 ft lbs. That's a lot of cranking and clicking. It sure would be nice to use a torque stick on the impact wrench and zip them on. I doubt that +- 5 or 10 pounds would ever make a difference.

Are there any reliable impact rated torque sticks that are decent, or are they just a gimmick?

I use a lower rated one to get it close and then finish with a torque wrench.

They work, but not how you describe. They are also not guaranteed to any +/-, so you are taking a fairly big risk for little to no reward to use them alone.
They give you the chance to zip them down with a normal impact without overtightening, but if you hammer on them, they will absolutely go past. The torque stick will limit how much torque is applied, but only to a point, basically they are floppy 1/2" extensions that flex when the hammer hits.

Hand start, then impact them down stopping once it starts to impact. Set it on the ground & use torque wrench.
If you're careful, you can do it just fine w/o a torque stick. If you are doing it fast all day, a stick keeps you from overtightening that 1 or 2 lug nuts a day. When I consistently used the same gun & torque sticks daily, it was more consistent to easily hit them with a torque wrench for <1/4 turn. I don't do it enough now to keep the muscle memory up to date and I don't have torque sticks.

You could also run them down with your 'little' impact and then use a torque wrench. I've hammered the hell out of lug nuts with my 12v 1/4" and never got to 115ftlb, maybe 80. About 4-5 of 6 per wheel need 1/8-1/4 turn with the torque wrench, but that 1 or 2 always need 1/2+. My 1/2" battery has a 'stop on hammer' setting that doesn't get them tight enough to set on the ground. The next setting will overtighten if you don't get off the trigger fast enough, but is usually easy to stop. If my 1/4" and a shallow socket is handy, I might be tempted to use that rather than hand starting lugs....

Torque-limiting impact guns exist, but probably out of the price range for occasional use.

Get the milwaukee 3/8 drive impact. 2 ugga duggas for small cars. 3 ugga duggas for truck and trailers.

I use my torque stick only for emergency flat tire replacement. I think it is critical to think about situations, not equipment. When you're on the side of the road, you need a 24v impact, and a torque stick to prevent overtorque. When you have time, have a wrench, etc., then use that.

quote:

Originally posted by eyrich:
I use a lower rated one to get it close and then finish with a torque wrench.

This is how I do it, torque sticks have their place if used correctly.

At work I run them down as tight as my 3/4" gun will go, then torque them to 500 ft lbs.
10 for each wheel.

Not garbage, but not torque wrench accurate, either. They will however suffice - i.e., be close enough - for your trailer; at least the lug nuts will be tight enough and not come loose. More even torque is desirable for brakes with "hat" rotors, which are relatively thin and lightweight and can otherwise warp, but your trailer most likely has drum brakes.

quote:

Originally posted by eyrich:
I use a lower rated one to get it close and then finish with a torque wrench.

This. When I use one, i start out by hand about forearm tight, then use the limiter stick to 2/3 of the spec torq, then use my torque wrench to finish off the last 1/3 to final torque. So my stick is rated at 2/3 of the torque spec of the wheel. I painted some white lines on the shaft, and can sort of gauge how it's going by watching the white lines slowing down and sort of stop rotating, which is when you pull the gun off the nut. They you're roughly at 2/3 to final.

Three passes per wheel, but the only real work is the last pass with my big torque wrench to 150 ft lb. So the torque stick saves me time and muscle.

If you buy a good quality stick it should be good. I would not buy any chinesium or harbor freight etc.

I only have the one for my light duty truck. My other cars are less than 150, and not worth using a stick since getting to final torque spec on smaller vehicles by hand is not much work.