Torque Wrench

Chopper_Read

Stooby2 wrote: »

Whatever one you buy, make sure you wind the setting gauge fully back in or the springs will stretch and go out of calibration.

I have a 20 year old Draper one that still works fine.

Back as to zero?

Because if it's not I've been doing wrong.

headpin

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Have you ever seen their torque wrenches for real? They're cheaper quality than the Halfords trash. Halfords TWs at least have a proper easy to read scale so you can see exactly what you've set it at but even then they are utter crap.

I wouldn't touch the LIDL ones with a bargepole. I had a cheap draper one too and that wasn't great - first one had to go back as the handle / adjustment mechanism fell apart :eek:

Don't buy cheap torque wrenches for precision work.

I agree with Westwood68, most Lidl tools are made from Chrome Vanadium and are made in Germany. They are not the cheap far eastern pressed or forged steel rubbish that you often find in other tool stockists on the high street or retail park.

cyclonebri1

Stooby2 wrote: »

So would you mind writing to Draper, Sealy, Halfords, et al and telling them they're wrong please. As they all supply them with the adjusters wound in with instructions to store them that way

Read what the chaps have said, you wind the adjuster anti clockwise, ie OFF to free the spring.

I suggest you write and ask for info that can be understood by less mechanically able persons, and I'm being very forgiving. Where is the bangs head against the wall emoticon?

Wig

Don't buy a 210 Nm TW

Buy a 110 - 120 Nm & a smaller 30Nm

Crabman

Wig wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4146805

Don't buy a 210 Nm TW

Buy a 110 - 120 Nm & a smaller 30Nm

I've merged the two threads together to keep the info in one place

londonTiger

I've ordered a draper one from amazon for £19.99 - almost all torque wrenches are inaccurate on the low end. The more expensive brands would start the reading a little higher up so it's within an accurate range. So if you need to use 25nm it's best to use one with 10nm as the lowest settings. i.e. never use the lowest settign on a torque wrench to do work with - use a smaller torque wrench to get more accurate torques.

In any case - I guess a torque wrench that's been in transit to our beloved postal system has been chucked around at the sorting office, maybe even dropped etc. So I got cold feet and tried to cancel but amazon said they already posted it and asked me to reject the post.

I found that machine mart do a clarke torque wrench for £22. I think that would be a better buy and you can discount the knocks and vibrations caused by sending the wrench through the postal system.

londonTiger

this is the one I would have gone for iof I didn't get the amazon one http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht204-38in-drive-reversible-torque-wre#reviews

n.b it doesnt seem to provide readings in nm. Sure you can work out equivalents. But it's would be handing to have the readings in nm as most cars set measures in nms and will make the job a little easier.

TrickyWicky

It'll do for things like wheel nuts but anything that needs total accuracy (engine heads for example) you should never use a cheap TW on.

Come to think of it, for wheel nuts, you don't need a TW. Just the old fashioned knowledge of "ruddy tight" is enough for most folks.

londonTiger

UPDATE 24/02/2013: TW not faulty, it works pretty well read post 61.

Hi I've ran into a problem with my torque wrench purchase - I've been sent a faulty one i think.

I ordered this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-34570-88-5-708-Inch-Pounds-Ratchet/dp/B0001K9T2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361557901&sr=8-1

But i purchased an "open box" one - basically a goods return from another customer for 19.99 a bargain - I thought at the time.

It's become apparent that I've been passed on a faulty one - amazon have just taken a good return that was indicated as being faulty by a previous customer and just resold it onto me.

I will be returning it of course.

I've followed this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUD81N_TlS8

length 8 inches, hung a 15kg barbell plate (33lbs) on the 8 inch mark - completely lifted it off the ground and the torque wrench didn't budge at all.

I tested it with the lowest setting 88.5 in/lbs or 10nm.

Doing the math I applied 8 x 33 = 264 in/lb of force and it didn't make the wrench budge at all.

I didn't hear a click and the wrench stayed solid without releasing at all. Have I got this right? I've never used a torque wrench before - I'm assuming there's no lock or any other feature preventing it from behaving as it should. Normally it should click and release pressure right?

Thanks

TrickyWicky

londonTiger wrote: »

But i purchased an "open box" one

For what are supposed to be precision instruments, it's shocking just how many of these are sold unsealed. My halfords one had no plastic wrapping around it at all - just a plastic tube that could be unscrewed by anyone and a worthless certificate of calibration that could be printed in the managers office (heck judging by the damage it did it probably was).

You were warned not to get a cheap TW, I said it wouldn't work out happily and now you're here telling us you've been had :T

Can't comment about the test you've done but if you've followed a guide online about testing it and its not doing as expected then its knackered.

Do yourself a favour, get it refunded, save some money up and buy a proper TW like a digital one.