Good consistent Torque wrench?

Djstorm100 · Dec 19, 2020

Hey everyone, I'm needing a torque wrench that will cover 15, 30 and 55 ft/lbs. mainly for 5th axis rockloc system and tightening Orange vise. If I can I rather have one wrench do it all. What do you guys recommend.

Strostkovy · Dec 19, 2020

What application? Are you periodically tightening bolts on a car or putting in hundreds of bolts on a product.

Nerdlinger · Dec 19, 2020

Disclosure - I am third-generation owner of a U.S. torque wrench company; Precision Instruments. So I MIGHT be a little biased towards that company without even realizing it.

Soooo if you want a click-type torque wrench there are two suitable options: 1) M2R100FX (15-100 lb ft range). This is a standard “micrometer style” torque wrench where you wind the handle up and down. It has a 3/8” drive. 2) C2FR100F (20-100 lb ft range.) This is a better tool in that it is faster to change settings and you can leave it at whatever setting you want forever without affecting the tool’s calibration. Micrometer-style click wrenches need to be wound down when not in use. The only drawback here is the bottom scale is 20 lb ft so that may not work. It’s what we call our “split-beam” click type torque wrench and it also has a 3/8” drive.

If you want a dial-type (not the “deflecting beam” type) we have a D3F100F. This has a 1/2” square drive and is certified from 20-100 lb ft but it’ll work at 15 just fine. Unless you abuse it it will last virtually forever without loosing calibration.

You can google any of those part numbers to at least see what I’m talking about. Expect to pay about $150-200 for those tools or “comparable” ones from other companies. Cheaper tools can have “okay” calibration but really tend to lack in general durability....they fall apart.

PM me or call in and ask for Todd, our sales manager, if you are interested.

Good luck!

Street · Dec 19, 2020

I have a proto one it lasted a lot of years and is in good condition still, i always put it in its case when i put it down so it is not marked in any way.
Its one where you pull back the sleeve and wind the handle to set the desired limit.
All steel no plastic in it.
IT has a plastic case specifically made for it, easy to open and use. Good storage container.
I don't seem to like the snap on ones they look fragile.
Norbar is also one to look at but they have some plastic in it.

just4grins · Dec 19, 2020

I’ve had very good luck with snap-on torque wrenches. They make a 5 to 75 lb-ft 3/8 drive model that covers the range you specified. It’s model QD2FR75B.

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dian · Dec 20, 2020

vice: before i spend $200 on a torque wrench to use on a vice idd get a hydraulic one.

Street · Dec 20, 2020

Yes hydraulic vices are nice to use and much better than tightening up a manual vice all the time.....

Onessy jobs i suppose you run with what you got.

Mtndew · Dec 21, 2020

Nerdlinger said:
Micrometer-style click wrenches need to be wound down when not in use.

Why is that?
I've never heard of that before.

Mike1974 · Dec 21, 2020

Mtndew said:
Why is that?
I've never heard of that before.

Doesn't sound right to me either. Much lower forces (in-lbs) but when I worked at an electronics manufacturer, they calibrated theri torque wrenches and screwdrivers daily or weekly, or maybe at job changeover Anyways, I doubt they were wound down when not in use. Probably moved up and down both for calibration purposes, but not every day or shift, or hours, whatever.

ShaunM · Dec 21, 2020

Mike1974 said:
Doesn't sound right to me either. Much lower forces (in-lbs) but when I worked at an electronics manufacturer, they calibrated theri torque wrenches and screwdrivers daily or weekly, or maybe at job changeover Anyways, I doubt they were wound down when not in use. Probably moved up and down both for calibration purposes, but not every day or shift, or hours, whatever.

I've always heard to wind down micrometer-style torque wrenches, and I've always done it to mine when not in use. From what I've read, leaving them set leaves the torque-setting mechanism in tension and over time that mechanism can weaken and the wrench loses accuracy. Could be totally off-base, though.

J Gilles · Dec 21, 2020

Nerdlinger said:
Disclosure - I am third-generation owner of a U.S. torque wrench company; Precision Instruments. So I MIGHT be a little biased towards that company without even realizing it.

That's awesome! You guys make great stuff. I have used a couple of the split beams and they are the bee's knees. I've got both the 3/8" and 1/2" on my wish list.

My understanding of the micrometer style is the spring can creep over time if it is left at a higher torque setting. The last time I looked into the studies on it there was some movement, but it was very small.

Mtndew · Dec 21, 2020

Mike1974 said:
Doesn't sound right to me either. Much lower forces (in-lbs) but when I worked at an electronics manufacturer, they calibrated theri torque wrenches and screwdrivers daily or weekly, or maybe at job changeover Anyways, I doubt they were wound down when not in use. Probably moved up and down both for calibration purposes, but not every day or shift, or hours, whatever.

I wasn't questioning whether it was true or not, I've just never heard of doing that before.
Granted, I have very limited experience with a torque wrench other than the usual mechanic stuff growing up, but we do have a 5 axis vise that requires a max torque value.

Nerdlinger · Dec 21, 2020

Shaun and Gilles are right: they all have coils springs on the inside compressing the release (click) mechanism. Winding the handle up and down simply compresses the spring more or less to apply a corresponding greater or lesser amount of force on the release mechanism, making it require more (or less) force to "click." If the spring is kept compressed (i.e. "handle wound up") the spring will take a set over time and result in a DROP in calibration (so when the tool is set at, say, 50 units, it may click at, say, 45 units.) Of course it is all relative based on how anal you are on your tool's calibration accuracy.

Years ago the military did a test on click-type torque wrenches where the tools needed to stay stored for like six months and set at the torque value they would need to be used at. All of the micrometer-style (including ours) were not in calibration but the split-beam click wrench was so they put those in their tanks.

tdmidget · Dec 21, 2020

Nerdlinger said:
Shaun and Gilles are right: they all have coils springs on the inside compressing the release (click) mechanism. Winding the handle up and down simply compresses the spring more or less to apply a corresponding greater or lesser amount of force on the release mechanism, making it require more (or less) force to "click." If the spring is kept compressed (i.e. "handle wound up") the spring will take a set over time and result in a DROP in calibration (so when the tool is set at, say, 50 units, it may click at, say, 45 units.) Of course it is all relative based on how anal you are on your tool's calibration accuracy.

Years ago the military did a test on click-type torque wrenches where the tools needed to stay stored for like six months and set at the torque value they would need to be used at. All of the micrometer-style (including ours) were not in calibration but the split-beam click wrench was so they put those in their tanks.

I am reliably informed (I think) that to pass calibration a torque wrench only has to be within 15%. My primary employer on nuclear jobs send a calibration rig and if someone comes to the tool crib for a torque wrench the attendant asks How much?". If , for instance he says 250, the attendant takes the wrench to the cal rig and determines exactly what reading gives 250. Then he issues the wrench and tells him to go to 255, 260, or whar=t ever gives exactly 250. Torque and torque wrenches are the crudest way of tensioning a fastener.

country_boy · Dec 21, 2020

Mtndew said:
I wasn't questioning whether it was true or not, I've just never heard of doing that before.
Granted, I have very limited experience with a torque wrench other than the usual mechanic stuff growing up, but we do have a 5 axis vise that requires a max torque value.

I heard of it, but ever seen a reliable reference. We calibrate a boatload of micrometer type torque wrenches, some of which are touched Only every two years. A few are used frequently by dedicated crews are are calibrated just because they see so much use. Almost all of the calibrated ones are micrometer click type, usually CDI or Proto. We never have a problem with the ones that sit in cases. We have some CDI torque screwdrivers that we’re used for thousands of cycles and not moved, even when calibrated ( they were calibrated a 7 or 15 in*oz)

We’ve randomly checked some snap on dial type wrenches after years of storage or use and they calibrated good also.

Just kind of interesting, I’ve got torque wrenches going from single digit in-oz to 600 ft. LBs. Theta a huge ratio in ranges. I’ve personally got the whole range covered but barely in the l-5 ft lb range.

Tony Quiring · Dec 21, 2020

We have preset units used for specific task, simple and no user adjustment.

Buy one for each specific need and be done.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Djstorm100 · Dec 22, 2020

Tony Quiring said:
We have preset units used for specific task, simple and no user adjustment.

Buy one for each specific need and be done.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

Have a suggest on a preset unit?

Djstorm100 · Dec 22, 2020

Nerdlinger said:
Disclosure - I am third-generation owner of a U.S. torque wrench company; Precision Instruments. So I MIGHT be a little biased towards that company without even realizing it.

Soooo if you want a click-type torque wrench there are two suitable options: 1) M2R100FX (15-100 lb ft range). This is a standard “micrometer style” torque wrench where you wind the handle up and down. It has a 3/8” drive. 2) C2FR100F (20-100 lb ft range.) This is a better tool in that it is faster to change settings and you can leave it at whatever setting you want forever without affecting the tool’s calibration. Micrometer-style click wrenches need to be wound down when not in use. The only drawback here is the bottom scale is 20 lb ft so that may not work. It’s what we call our “split-beam” click type torque wrench and it also has a 3/8” drive.

If you want a dial-type (not the “deflecting beam” type) we have a D3F100F. This has a 1/2” square drive and is certified from 20-100 lb ft but it’ll work at 15 just fine. Unless you abuse it it will last virtually forever without loosing calibration.

You can google any of those part numbers to at least see what I’m talking about. Expect to pay about $150-200 for those tools or “comparable” ones from other companies. Cheaper tools can have “okay” calibration but really tend to lack in general durability....they fall apart.

PM me or call in and ask for Todd, our sales manager, if you are interested.

Good luck!

Thank you! Sending you a PM

Danny VanVoorn · Dec 22, 2020

I feel pretty well informed having bought several new and reading the instruction with each. Snap On click type are accurate to around 3 percent on clock wise and about 5 percent counter clock wise new and only in the upper 80 percent of their respective range. To my understanding that suggests say a 0-100 foot pound wrench would hold that accuracy only from about 20 foot pounds up to the maximum 100 foot pounds. I believe the dial type are slightly more accurate.
Micrometer style should not be stored without winding down the setting or calibration can change, split beam and dial type doesn’t matter.

tonymor · Dec 22, 2020

We use Teng Tools in assembly and can often torque hundreds of times a day. They do eventually wear out but with the lifetime warranty they will send you spares free of charge. They're probably cheap enough you could buy one for each torque setting a leave them set.
https://www.amazon.com/Teng-Tools-Torque-Wrench-10-150ft-lb/dp/B072M8DPLG?ref_=ast_sto_dp

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