Best Torque Wrench

[unixxx]

I've heard that SK torque wrenches are more durable than Snap-On, is this true? I have Craftsman screw drivers, wrenches, etc, but I know their ratchets suck.

[MikeW]

I will not however buy a craftsman torque wrench, been through one and it has conked out twice, I have one new the box I want to sell to get a S&K,
The S&K appears to be the same as the MAC torque wrench.

Craftsman isnt lifetime warranty, but S&K is.

[Kartracer55]

Im pretty sure Mac and Sk are not the same, but I could be mistaken.

"JS Technology Torque Tools" is a subsidary of Danaher and makes both SK and Craftsman torque wrenches. Id imagine they make them for Danahers other brands as well. Craftsman Professional torqe wrenches are made for the craftsman name by sturtevant Richmont, a very good name in torque tools.

SK torque wrenches are good for the money, however the weak point in the design is the plastic handle on them. Drop it once and its likely to be fawked. Then again, if you drop most any torque wrench it is likely to be fawked as well. Moral of the story? Dont drop your torque wrenches. hahaha

SK makes a decent torque wrench, Mechanically speaking hte SK and Craftsman seem tof unction the same but the SK has some nicer visual features to it. You can probably get the craftmans on sale much cheaper through the club fliers though.

I would Also look at Proto torque wrenches. I got mine for about 110$ shipped from MSC while it was on sale. Snap on/CDI makes a good tool as well. Never used one branded CDI but Snap On's are excellet. Snap On owns CDI, who in turn makes thier torque wrenches.

Thats all Ive got

Jim

[MikeW]

Im pretty sure Mac and Sk are not the same, but I could be mistaken.

"JS Technology Torque Tools" is a subsidary of Danaher and makes both SK and Craftsman torque wrenches. Id imagine they make them for Danahers other brands as well. Craftsman Professional torqe wrenches are made for the craftsman name by sturtevant Richmont, a very good name in torque tools.

SK torque wrenches are good for the money, however the weak point in the design is the plastic handle on them. Drop it once and its likely to be fawked. Then again, if you drop most any torque wrench it is likely to be fawked as well. Moral of the story? Dont drop your torque wrenches. hahaha

SK makes a decent torque wrench, Mechanically speaking hte SK and Craftsman seem tof unction the same but the SK has some nicer visual features to it. You can probably get the craftmans on sale much cheaper through the club fliers though.

I would Also look at Proto torque wrenches. I got mine for about 110$ shipped from MSC while it was on sale. Snap on/CDI makes a good tool as well. Never used one branded CDI but Snap On's are excellet. Snap On owns CDI, who in turn makes thier torque wrenches.

Thats all Ive got

Jim

I am not talking about the plastic handled version being similiar to Mac, but I am talking about the flex head torque wrench which S&K offers with an knurled metal handle. This is the model that seems similiar.

[loveshackle]

Have had a Craftsman 1/2" & Snap On 3/8" for over 6 years. The Craftsman was one of the first 'Professional' line & cost me about $160, and the Snap On was more than that.

I can tell you that I've had both cal tested twice & sent one of them in for recal twice, and it wasn't the Craftsman...

Love them both, but care is very important. Clean, drawered, not dropped, not used to loosen, and always left unloaded, but not twisted all the way down.

Just my .02, but it's worked for me, both as an LR tech & out on my own...

[speedo]

I've got 7 torque wrenches, 6 of them are Snap-ons and 1 is a Mac. They are all checked/calibrated once a year and the only repair ever done to any of them is a ratchet kit in the TQR600, 120-600 ft. lb. 3/4" sq. dr. torque wrench.

I know that others will have good things or bad things to say about many different brands but I'm happy with the reliability of mine.

Gus

[Todd W]

I use the $10 cheapy non-ratchet from NAPA, works great for the little usage it gets :)

[Hackfabricaton]

I've got three Craftsman's and one Husky. They all work fine for what I use them for. The one Craftsman 1/2" ratchet's head seems a bit 'loose' but other than that it functions fine. The other two 3/8" Craftsmans are fine. The Husky is also a decent tool for the price. All are the 'click' type. And I agree that you gotta take care of them, don't drop 'em, store 'em 'unloaded', and be careful who you lend them to.

Oh, and the regular Craftsman ratchets do suck. So you gotta order the fine tooth models from the catalog. The stores do not stock them. (I think it had something to do with a lawsuit won by the original designer of the fine tooth wrench. Sear's has to pay him some sort of royalty per wrench, so instead of selling a bunch of them at the stores, they sell them catalog only. Still have the lifetime guarantee, but you've gotta wait to get the new one.)

[DarkEternal]

Anyone used the matco or snap on electric ones? I know they are more, however you dont have to "unload" them which I hate doing and often forget to do.

[rocknbronco]

Anyone used the matco or snap on electric ones? I know they are more, however you dont have to "unload" them which I hate doing and often forget to do.
I have used a snap in once I really liked and found not having to unload it great since I get side tracked often and easily when I am working.

[EMG7895]

The electric ones are really nice. I have the snapon torqueometer style and the click type ones with out the springs that you dont have to unload. Never had a problem at all.

[tacoma73]

I've got a dial-type Craftsman that has been used well in the last 10years. Haven't had any trouble with it.

[Mike C2]

Mac and Proto tools are both made by the Stanley Company to the best of my knowledge. Home Depot's Husky tools are as well. I had the Crapsman Clicker with plastic lock ring, and the lock ring broke. Sears won't do more than 1 year on torque wrenches, but I took it to Home Depot and they cheerfully replaced it with a Husky with the metal lock ring. :smokin: The Husky seems like a great value IMO.

[unixxx]

The Craftsman Professional have a two year warranty.

[Mike C2]

Cool for new purchasers. I got my Craftsman clicker in '84 and swapped it at HD in '98, so the warranty wasn't going to be much use. :-)

[dimichele]

Anyone used the matco or snap on electric ones? I know they are more, however you dont have to "unload" them which I hate doing and often forget to do.

I have a snap on 3/8 drive. I love it. It displays the torque as it increases, and can be set to NM, ft-lb, and in-lb. The end point (beeps and vibrates) is more noticable at the low end of its range than a standard clicker or at least my Mac 1/2" clicker type.

[nissancrawler]

Hmm, old thread.

This will piss off some people I'm sure, but fawk it.:flipoff2:

My $200 snap-on torque wrench had to be recaled once, and that took 3 weeks.
My two $12 ones I bought off a cummins tool truck never have been recaled.:eek: They have to get tested every 6 months at work, and I've been there 5 years. Guess which one I think wasn't worth the money? Hint: It isn't the $12 ones. :laughing: