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Torque Wrench Suggestions

5K views 29 replies 20 participants last post by  Evpjr 
#1 ·
Looking for a quality torque wrench that is accurate and durable to work on the TJ.
 
#4 ·
I have 2 CDI wrenches. A high torque model with the turning handle and a lower torque model with the dial needle indicator. Both work great.
 
#5 ·
If you make your living turning wrenches, buy quality. That said, the best torque wrench in the world will be out of calibrated specs if you leave tension on it....

If you need one as a hobbiest, get one from harbor freight.

I had an ex years ago that worked at a place that made some kind of high tech computer silicon chip polishing machines (SpeedFam), they had some sort of calibration test thing they used to verify torque wrenches... apparently that stuff mattered on these multi million dollar machines... She took my my 1/2" and my 3/8" harbor freight wrenches to test and calibrate them, and when she got home she said they were fine without messing with them.

My .02
 
#6 ·
Wasn't aware about leaving them on tension setting during storage would cause damage or off calibration. Good to know. I had a Craftsman passed down from my father, but it won't twist into settings anymore. It's locked in lowest torque setting.
Harbor freight has some great deals. I will take them into consideration and also look at some of the other recommendations.
I don't wrench for a living, but tend to research and purchase quality for durability. I enjoy working on the TJ and I get a sense of pride and peace of mind knowing things are done correctly. This forum is always a great help.
 
#8 ·
id never trust harbor freight torque wrenches, if you need something accurate its worth spending the money, I work at a bmw dealership and i think i have 1200$ in snapon digital torque wrenches and i use them daily worth every penny. have basic craftsman click types at home when i need them and forget to bring my snapon ones home
 
#12 ·
Tried taking my torque wrench to Sears and they said they no longer have lifetime on the torque wrench. They now are only 1 year warranty on the torque wrench.
I'll be checking out some of the options listed and maybe even a digital type.
 
#16 ·
I am a fan of CDI, but I only use it for wrenching on my Jeep, so it doesn't see a high level of use. I ended up buying from the link below. Shipping was ~$12-$13, but total price was about $30-$40 cheaper than the same tool an Amazon. It is a good deal as long as you are not in a rush. It took about a week to get to me as opposed to using Amazon Prime.

CDI Torque 2503MFRMH Micrometer Adjustable Torque Wrenches
 
#18 ·
Thanks for all the responses. I ended up going with the Harbor Freight after reading all the reviews provided. I couldn't get myself to shell out the big bucks for the digital torque wrench. I'll be giving the HF wrench a try this weekend.
 
#22 ·
But they'll give you the 1 year warranty wrench as the replacement.. and next time you'll be SOL. I had craftsman torque wrenches but the plastic lock collars all broke, the numbers wore off so it couldn't be read, and then the ratchet broke on one only a few months old. When I took the ratchet head apart you wouldn't believe how cheap the mechanism is. I've since replaced all of them with Kobalt which still have a lifetime warranty.
 
#23 ·
I've had mostly good luck with my 1/2" HF torque wrench, though mine quit clicking this Spring. (I'm fairly certain my abuse was to blame.) The HF counter jockey pleasantly replaced it.

If you remember to store it untensioned, exercise it before using, and avoid using it as a breaker bar, it should meet the needs of any weekend Jeep tinkerer who's not a space shuttle technician.
 
#24 ·
If you remember to store it untensioned, exercise it before using, and avoid using it as a breaker bar, it should meet the needs of any weekend Jeep tinkerer who's not a space shuttle technician.

You got me thinking and I read the instructions for my CDI torque wrench and there was no mention of storing it untensioned. Is this just common knowledge? What do you mean my exercising it before using? Thanks for your help.
 
#29 ·
I must be getting older than I think. I just remembered that one of my Harbor Freight torque wrenches broke on me s couple months ago and I returned it since it was supposedly "for life." They did replace it for free but the manager told me they discontinued the lifetime warranty. Anyone else have this experience?
 
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