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?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.andrew20d 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.

robin4896d ago

Good point, but CDI is actually its own company, @martin.andrew.

haydenc1019d 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.