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Just realized those cheap torque wrenches from Harbor Freight are a total trap
Bought one for like $40 thinking it was fine for light work. Used it on a Cessna 172's wheel bolts last spring. Found out it was off by almost 15 foot-pounds when I cross-checked with a calibrated Snap-on. Had to re-torque every single bolt on three planes I'd worked on. Wasted a whole Saturday and probably $200 in my own time fixing my mistake. What's a decent mid-range torque wrench brand you guys actually trust?
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martin.andrew7mo ago
My old Craftsman clicker from 2008 was my go-to for years... figured it was plenty good. Had a similar scare last fall on my truck's lug nuts. Borrowed a friend's Precision Instruments to check and mine was reading 10 pounds low. That was the wake-up call for me. Now I keep a CDI, they're made by Snap-on but without the truck price, and check it every year. It just isn't worth the risk on anything that matters.
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robin4896mo ago
Good point, but CDI is actually its own company, @martin.andrew.
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haydenc107mo ago
Totally feel that pain, had the same shock with a cheap one on my bike's crank. Martin.andrew is right about CDI, solid middle ground without the crazy cost.
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