Trying to learn about a particular type and brand of torque wrench. Its made for Snapon by Precision Instruments. Called Torqometer. 3/4" Drive and 0 to 600 foot pounds. Its in its red plastic case, red Snapon dial face, has a extension handle. It can be calibrated by its owner. Comes with its manual. Its a beautiful, almost new condition tool. I understand these can be a shy expensive. If you've used a Torqometer, do they click at the set torque?

Yes , I have a 3/4" Snapon that I've had for 35 years. I get it calibration checked every 5 and the deviation has never exceeded 2 ft. lbs. in all that time.

If yours is the dial type does it click when you get to the torque it is set for?

I have used this before. It is meant to go on the end of a breaker bar - and a long one at that - when something needs to be tightened that exceeds my normal 50-250 ft. lb. torque wrench, which is rare in auto and light truck work. (A couple of examples are the front axle shaft nuts on an AWD BMW and the flywheel nut on a Mazda rotary, in the neighborhood of 325 ft. lbs.) It is not a click-type. Dials can be difficult to read when you're straining on the end of the bar to torque 500 ft.lbs., are in a tight space or some other position where viewing it is difficult. If you regularly need such a large torque wrench, spend the extra $$$ and get a click or electronic one.

There are two types of Snap-On Torqometer wrenches. One has a tell-tale / follow-up pointer that indicates the max torque. With the follow-up pointer style there is NO setting....You watch the dial and stop 'wrenching' once the desired torque is indicated on the dial. The other type is the signal model that will beep and light up when when the desired torque setting is reached. Pretty sure the signal type takes batteries.

Unless you're working on REALLY Big Equipment, a 3/4" Drive 0-600 ft. lbs. Torque Wrench is WAY more wrench than ANYONE Needs!

Ugh, I use a 3/4" Snap On torque wrench all the time but it's a click type.
You'd need 3 people to use a dial type, one to swing, one to hold it and another to say stop.

I have a 3/8" inlb Snap On Torqometer that I use to set up gears and such.
Add or remove shims to get 6 inlb rolling resistance.
All other applications are with Snap On Torque angle digital wrenches.
I have a drawer full of regular ones but everything is torque angle these days.
Head bolts I just use an impact for angle tightening though.

I was hoping you would weigh in egregore. Much like a needle torque, one needs to view its dial while wrenching. It comes with a extension handle. Looks just about like a new tool. Its $80.00. Not sure if I should get it. I feel like its a great deal considering it costs a lot more to buy new.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
There are two types of Snap-On Torqometer wrenches. One has a tell-tale / follow-up pointer that indicates the max torque. With the follow-up pointer style there is NO setting....You watch the dial and stop 'wrenching' once the desired torque is indicated on the dial. The other type is the signal model that will beep and light up when when the desired torque setting is reached. Pretty sure the signal type takes batteries.

Unless you're working on REALLY Big Equipment, a 3/4" Drive 0-600 ft. lbs. Torque Wrench is WAY more wrench than ANYONE Needs!

I believe this is the follow up type.

Another aspect of the 600 ft lb wrench is it seems to be in 20 lb increments. I dont feel this would be useable.

quote:

Unless you're working on REALLY Big Equipment, a 3/4" Drive 0-600 ft. lbs. Torque Wrench is WAY more wrench than ANYONE Needs

Agreed. ¾" drive is used more on medium and heavy duty trucks, large construction equipment, etc., only rarely in automotive. The cost of such tools put me off of getting into that.

My 3/8" drive one.

Yup, very similar wrench powermad. I remember years back I bought a 40" TRW tap handle.. . It was as tall as my computer desk. I felt I would never need a bigger tap handle. Ended up selling it to a Forum Member in Florida. Guess I will pass on the Snapon. Appreciate the help guys.

Think I will go look at the previous torque wrench topics as there was a American made, perhaps CDI wrench which would be much more useful.

For regular torque wrenches I have this type in 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4"
la-884317096469&abcId=1141016&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjw17n1BRDEARIsAFDHFeyGdCp6A7W6jfSbHwR6rU2pbJZWNkM7DapgZOOpmYkf7C72TH6YmlQaAvejEALw_wcB" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.com/p/1711860...TH6YmlQaAvejEALw_wcB
I have the twist handle style also but prefer this type as it's faster to use and change settings.

The newer electronic ones have memory's for different settings.
The next one of mine that goes down will just get replaced with a newer one instead of being repaired.

ETA: bad link

I love my Snap-on TechAngle torque wrenches. I balked at the price of my first one until I did Subaru head gaskets with the engine in the car. (You can do this on pre-2012 SOHC engines.) Now I don't know how I did without it. Besides the angle feature, you can instantly switch measuring units between foot-pounds, inch-pounds, newton-meters and (I've never used or even heard of this) kilograms per centimeter. This is handy sometimes. So now I have them in quarter, three-eighths and half-inch drive.

quote:

Originally posted by powermad:
For regular torque wrenches I have this type in 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4"
la-884317096469&abcId=1141016&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjw17n1BRDEARIsAFDHFeyGdCp6A7W6jfSbHwR6rU2pbJZWNkM7DapgZOOpmYkf7C72TH6YmlQaAvejEALw_wcB" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.com/p/1711860...TH6YmlQaAvejEALw_wcB
I have the twist handle style also but prefer this type as it's faster to use and change settings.

The newer electronic ones have memory's for different settings.
The next one of mine that goes down will just get replaced with a newer one instead of being repaired.

ETA: bad link

Yup. Same company, Precision Instruments.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
I love my Snap-on TechAngle torque wrenches. I balked at the price of my first one until I did Subaru head gaskets with the engine in the car. (You can do this on pre-2012 SOHC engines.) Now I don't know how I did without it. Besides the angle feature, you can instantly switch measuring units between foot-pounds, inch-pounds, newton-meters and (I've never used or even heard of this) kilograms per centimeter. This is handy sometimes. So now I have them in quarter, three-eighths and half-inch drive.

They sound really versitle but I will get just a 1/2". Hopefully a click type of pretty good quality.

I use this. https://sep.snapon.com/webclie...ref=Student%20Search
It has been mint. I have several and they never have an issue in the annual testing. I have a mechanic friend with the same thing but he uses his 100 times more often than me and the same result.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
I use this. https://sep.snapon.com/webclie...ref=Student%20Search
It has been mint. I have several and they never have an issue in the annual testing. I have a mechanic friend with the same thing but he uses his 100 times more often than me and the same result.

Precision or CDI makes Snapon. I also like Wright Tools as its Made in the USA. Price is not bad.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
I use this. https://sep.snapon.com/webclie...ref=Student%20Search
It has been mint. I have several and they never have an issue in the annual testing. I have a mechanic friend with the same thing but he uses his 100 times more often than me and the same result.

Whenever this subject comes up, I always recommend the Precision Instruments dual split-beam torque wrenches. The make the ones for Snap-On, but Snap-On makes the ratchet mechanism and charges a lot more.

The PI's hold calibration much better then twist-type micrometer wrenches. As hrcjon posted, they take a beating. They don't have to be babied or reset to zero when not in use. PI's are also more accurate at the high & low of their ranges than twist-types. You can recalibrate them yourself if you want.

About the only drawback is that they only work in clockwise motion. If you have something reverse threaded, then you're out of luck. Most ppl are so set in their ways w/ twist-type click wrenches, they don't know what they're missing out on.

On the flip side, what's good about that is you can often find used PI's for well under $100 on eBay and at pawn shops.