I need a Torque Wrench, recommend me one guys

Keith

I want to do more home servicing but I lack a torque wrench, every tool I own is from Halfords Professional range.

Is it worth just buying their torque wrench at £49 or is there a better one available for the money?

Thanks
Keith

Mods - I know technically should go in I wanna, but I want it to be seen by people like Conor, anewman, goldspanners, Wig, etc who know their stuff. Please don't move the thread. Thanks.

thescouselander

I got one of these - http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=25546

I bought mine a while back and it came with a calibration certificate (I dont know if they still come with one or not. Either way, its been pretty good and the price is good too.

epninety

For general purpose use, the Clarke CHT141 is good value from Machine Mart at £15. It won't come with a cal cert (I think), but you'll notice the design is the same as most of the 'cheaper' torque wrenches out there, so probably made in the same factory in China:rolleyes: Clarke tools are generally sound, if not very bling. (IMHO, the opposite of Halfords 'pro' range;))

If you want a quality tool, Cromwell Tools have a Norbar 1/2" Torque Wrench on special at £67 inclusive. http://www.cromwell.co.uk/NBD5551003C
It doesn't say what the torque range is though, so check before buying.

Ask yourself what you want a torque wrench for... with practice and familiarity you probably wont use it too often on run of the mill nuts and bolts. Depending on what you intend to use it for, sometimes the low range setting limit can be as important as the high limit.

Cylinder head bolts on modern engines are often stretch bolts, where torque plus angle is used - tighten to a torque, then turn by a further xxx degrees. I wouldn't bother buying an angular gauge though - by eye is more than accurate enough.

For setting timing belts and the like, you really want an older style 'bending beam' type wrench, not a ratchet type - so you can keep pressure on at a certain torque.

And remember, it's a torque wrench - so keep it only for setting torque, not as a handy spare cheater bar :eek:

anewman

This one comes up in various branding, I think Clarke and Argos's Challenge brand.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18289/Hand-Tools/Spanners-Wrenches/Wrenches/Torque-Wrench £12.49

Here it is reviewed http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/59653/challenge.html

It's a good cheapie and it will get you by so long as you don't need 100% precise torques, which I doubt most automotive purposes do need such precision. I have the Argos version and have used it for torqueing my wheel bolts, torqueing my sump bolt, and torqueing suspension strut bolts. I think it's the same as the Clarke CHT141 epninety recommends.

Wig

I use 50 year old ones, which have been calibrated and found to be +7% out, so I have to adjust the setting accordingly.

If I was buying new, I would start with one which was 1/2 drive
capable of 30 - 100nm
And then get a small one 3/8 drive, 6 - 30Nm

You won't need more than 100Nm unless you plan to do a crankshaft -and that really isn't going to happen.

The one mentioned by scouselander is virtually the same as the Draper one on the same website i.e. this one, which is cheaper
http://www.tooled-up.com
and it is found even cheaper here (dunno about shipping didn't check)
http://www.atsite.co.uk

The range is very large, compared with a 30 - 100, a smaller range means the tool will be more accurate at any given setting IMHO. The more expensive ones are accurate +- 4% (thus complies with ISO 6789), the cheap ones do not comply with ISO6789 . It is for sure going to be more than 4%

I checked the Halfords ones too and they do not claim to be ISO 6789 and neither do they list their accuracy. - for £50 you can do better.

I think out of all the ones which are not ISO 6789 I would go for the clarke tools one from machine mart, £15 can't be beaten and they are obviously all made in the same factory. (and it is 1/2")
http://www.machinemart

If you want one which is ISO 6789 +- 4% accurate

There's this one but You won't need all the torque range, I wonder if this is the one scouselander bought and he made a mistake?
http://www.tooled-up.com

This is a "Buy British",
http://www.tooled-up.com
It has the advantage of a lower low end (15Nm - 70Nm)
A pity the top end isn't slightly more like 80 - 100, but you won't need more than 70, most headbolts are about 65Nm + angles, Brake caliper mounting bolts will be about 95Nm + angle, and crankshaft 130Nm,
And if you consider that one you might aswell pay a couple of quid more and get this one which is better but otherwise the same range/manufacturer
It is shorter (375mm) which will be of benefit in tight spaces eg wheel arches.
http://www.tooled-up.com
Available cheaper elsewhere (just google WSS06315DC )
http://www.pvrdirect.co.uk £62 inc VAT and delivery
http://www.tool-up.co.uk £60 inc VAT and delivery


Or the norber one mentioned above, which is probably a 30 - 150Nm £67

Or the Draper equiv which would be this one (the same tool for 3 very different prices)
http://www.tooled-up.com £101
http://www.atsite.co.uk £80 free delivery
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk £50 free delivery


Regarding angles, You will only need angles for head bolts and other fairly severe jobs, if you don't get one that comes with an angle guage then this can be bought at a later time when you need it. Or you can do angles by eye, but when they happen to be 30 or 45 deg it's more difficult than 90.
http://www.tooled-up.com
http://www.machinemart.co.uk


Or the cheaper version
http://www.atsite.co.uk
Which is really cheap and nasty (I got one) you need two people to use it accurately, and it doesn't work accurately anyway, because there is so much "play" between the black angle disc and the centre metal disc. ...... You could definately make your own one to be more accurate than this.

How accurate do you need to be? IMO it's not that important, I have been using 50 year old ones, and I think only 1 out 3 (possibly 2) definately the big one, is calibrated, even when calibrated it becomes a bit of a guessing game as to what setting to use. So I reckon the cheap ones will be fine

Conclusion
If I were you I'd get the Machine Mart one for £15 it's effectively the same as the cheap Sealey, Draper, Seigen ones.

But if you want ISO 6789
I'd go for the Williams slimline (£60) which has a good lower end setting and you won't need more than 70Nm, and in the event you do (assuming it's caliper bolts) just torque it to 70, then add a bit more.
There's a used one here make sure to ask what the range is.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Torque-Wrench

In the event that you don't want the Williams
I'd get the Draper expert 30 - 100 from ebay for £50


Sorry for long post and all the links. and remember to shop around, inc Ebay.

Keith

Wig wrote: »

You won't need more than 100Nm unless you plan to do a crankshaft -and that really isn't going to happen.

Never say never, the last nut I had a problem with has to be torqued to 260Nm (hub nuts)

I'm currently doing an engine swap so want to torque any bolts back up when I put everything back together, but the main use is for the oil filter on my cars and bike and also for tightening the rear wheel all which are under 100Nm.

So far I think it'll be the £15 one unless someone comes up with a great reason to buy the Halfords version.

And I've a huge breaker bar and scaffold pipe so my other tools are safe

And thanks for the links guys

goldspanners

try to get a halfords trade card and get a discount on it.
with it being in the pro range you get a lifetime garauntee

read the thread on here about the trade cards.

Wig

goldspanners wrote: »

you get a lifetime garauntee.

Only if you keep the reciept for a lifetime. I wonder how they expect you to do that when the reciepts they use fade to nothing after a year or so.

Keith

I photocopy the reciept and staple it to the original, that way if it fades then I have a copy.

I'm going to try and get a tradecard when I collect a few parts this weekend and will have 5 different motorfactor invoices

goldspanners

not at all,as long as the tool is marked with the halfords professional stamp then they should replace it at any store.

epninety

A couple of years ago, I found myself 30 miles from my tools, and needing two 9/16" spanners. To save the time and fuel, I went to Halfords and bought two from the Halfords Professional range. The open end of the spanner (the only end that can be used for the job in hand) instantly rounded off the first two nuts I tried, before I gave up - not because they are too wide, but because the jaws spring apart too much under load.

The next day I tried again with my trusty Facoms, and undid all the nuts without drama, even the two that had their corners rounded by the Halfords kit.

Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I won't buy another.

I know theres a few other LR owners on here - you probably know what a PITA the propshaft nuts can be.