Digital torque wrenches that are easy to use?

A couple of years ago I bought a Gearwrench digital torque wrench.  1/2" and I spent about $150 on it. I've tried to like it, but I think it's maybe the worst tool I've ever bought.  Let me describe why and you can tell me if all digital torque wrenches are like this, or this one is just terrible.

First: it's absolutely impossible to set.  If you hold down the up or down arrow button to set it, it beeps and moves the setting up at a stupid-slow speed and then, without warning, switches to a stupid-fast speed.  So if you're trying to go from 80 ft-lbs to 100, it takes about 5 seconds to get up to 85 ft-lbs, then one second later, it'll be at 120 ft-lbs.  Then when you try to scale it back down it does exactly the same thing.  I thought squinting at the handle on the click-type ones was bad until I tried this.

I find it impossible to train myself to get used to the beeping/vibrating cues.  It's dead-simple to use a click-type torque wrench without looking at it, but I seem to constantly over or undershoot using this one.  Applying steadily increasing torque, it's giving beeping feedback that I'm way under-torque and then next thing I know it's buzzing that I'm over, and when I pull it off and look at it, it'll report I'll have overshot by 30%.  It's vaguely usable if you're in a position you can read the gauge while you're using it, but if I have to do that, I'd just prefer an analog dial gauge that's easy to read.  When using it for lug nuts (probably the most common thing I'm going to use it for), I don't want to have to get in an awkward position to look at it. 

Finally, the ball detent that holds the sockets on fell out.  I've had it for a couple of years now, so it's not under warranty and I can't return it, but I really regret buying it.  Just... junk.

Are there digital torque wrenches that are easy to set and easy to use (without looking at the readout?)  One of the things I was looking forward to with a digital wrench is not having to crank it back down to its lowest setting every time I used it, but that's a minor inconvenience compared to my experience thus far.  Should I just buy a nice analog CDI and be done with it, or is there something else new and fancy worth trying?

I have a SnapOn that I love, but it wasnt cheap. 

I also have a bunch of CDI analog ones which work really well. 

Only picture I have:

So, how does it compare to my complaints about the gearwrench?  How does it communicate that you've reached the torque setting?  Looks like setting it is just an up/down arrow like the Gearwrench--does it do something that makes it easy to move up/down large values?

I have an AC Delco 1/2".

It buzzes and beeps and does NOT click.  I like that it doesn't click.

I like that it tells you the torque after you stop pulling.  You can use it like a beam type wrench if you want, just reading the numbers.  Sometimes you WANT this, like re-using stretch bolts.  Tighten until the torque stops going up and then stop going!

What I don't like is that the angle feature doesn't accommodate for extension twist, so the angle feature is not accurate.  I still go by the Sharpied lines on the bolt head method.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

How long did it take you to get used to the beeping/buzzing such that you can hit the desired torque value without looking?  Why do you like that it doesn't click?    How hard is it to set?

In reply to Berck :

I don't worry about going a little over.  It's really not that big of a deal, generally speaking, when you figure that the torque value is just an educated guess based off of assumptions about the quality of threads on both the bolt and the component, the surface friction between the bolt head and the component, and what lube if any is used anywhere.

Click type wrenches take away the feel at the most critical time. You can't feel if the bolt snaps back, for starters.  The torque wrench clicking/breaking free takes that from you.

Click type torque wrenches are usually wildly inaccurate anyway, so if you go to 60 instead of 50, well that may have happened anyway.

I work with someone who will exclusively use a digital torque wrench for cam caps.  That is one place where going over is Very Bad.  But we're also talking like where the spec is like 60 inch pounds.  Even so, a click type is better than guessing.  When I put my EJ205 together I guessed at the cam caps and the cams wouldn't turn.  Oops.  Bought a 1/4 torque wrench and did it right.

A little over would be fine.  I find that I just don't have the motor control to get the gearwrench to anything close.  On 100ft-lb lug nuts, the "close" beep/buzz happens at like 20% of the value.  Then it buzzes harder when you go over, and it'll read 130ft-lb.

And setting it is insane.  0.1 ft-lb increments for about 5 seconds, then it zooms to about 20ft-lb increments per second.   So I can either click at 0.1 ft-lb increments (so press it 400 times to get from 60ft-lbs to 100ft-lbs), or hold it down and watch it blow past whatever I was trying to set it at.

If you guys don't have these problems with other digital wrenches, I'm trying to find out if the gearwrench is just terrible, or I'm incapable of using a digital torque wrench.  I've only found one other review of someone else complaining about the things that drive me crazy about it, which makes me wonder if this is just how these things are and the problem is that a very small subset of us can't use it.

I use a matco digital for my half inch and snap on for three eights and quarter.  The matco one doesn't have the hyper speed and the snap on will jump in tens.  

Oh, I only use my digital for internal engine work.  I have a dial type click wrench for things like lug nuts/axle nuts but its dial setting is not the most accurate, so I don't do anything that requires that deep of precision with it.

It's like, you wouldn't cut carrots with a steak knife and you wouldn't use a chainsaw to cut 2×4s for a home project, every tool has its place.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Oh, I only use my digital for internal engine work.  I have a dial type click wrench for things like lug nuts/axle nuts but its dial setting is not the most accurate, so I don't do anything that requires that deep of precision with it.

 

It's like, you wouldn't cut carrots with a steak knife and you wouldn't use a chainsaw to cut 2×4s for a home project, every tool has its place.

Ditto.  I have a snap on clicker that stays on my bench for wheels and stuff.  Don't want to beat up the nice wrenches.   I'll even use the clicker on suspension stuff with simple angles.   Sat like 80 lbft + 90 degrees, that's easy enough to mark and not need a digital.   Dampner, torque converter, and head bolts are mainly what I use the digital ones for.

Hah!  So, this started because I chucked my crappy Craftsman torque wrench into the box that goes to the track.  I've found that if I don't have dedicated tools to go to the track, then they don't make it to the track with me.  (I also just leave it set at 60ft-lbs now because I'm lazy, and how precise do FV lug bolts need to be anyway?)  So when I went to replace it, I naturally thought I'd get something nicer. 

Little did I know I needed to buy 2 torque wrenches... what you're saying makes sense: fancy digital gauge for head studs, cheap clicker for lug nuts.

I have the 3/8ths quinn from HF and it's fine. No issues with following the audible beeps or setting the torque.

My only complaint is that it turns off after a set amount of time. I stripped the threads on an aluminum sub frame because i set the torque, put the wrench down, came back a minute later and torqued the bolt after the wrench had turned off.

If digital isn't your friend why not get an icon or similar?

I really really like digital torque wrenches for torque by angle. And absolutely hate them for anything else. Personally I'd just keep one of each around. Use the clicker for most normal stuff and break out the digital one when it's specifically needed.

I have the same Snapon wrench as Slippery so I can elaborate. I use mine daily (at work) and love it. You can torque both lefty loosey and righty tighty. The head tilts back and forth a bit which comes in handy more than I'd like to admit. 

when tightening something the real time torque is displayed so it's easy to sneak up on critical measurements. There's also 3 green lights that progressively light up as you get closer to the target torque. They flash when you hit the set value and turn red when it's overtorqued. It also beeps when you hit the set value and the handle vibrates. 
 

Overall, I like it more than my Tekton mechanical wrenches I have at home. Is it worth 5x the price, I'm not sure.

edit: The "U" button on Slipery's picture above toggles between the various units. There's maybe 4 or 5. To set the torque you push the up or down arrow. If you hold either button it will slowly count 4. 5, 6, 7 etc. Then eventually turn to 10, 20, 30 etc. It's counts slow enough to be easy to control but fast enough to not be annoying. But the speed is probably a personal preference thing. 

I've got a 1/2" Kobalt one that seems pretty good for my uses. Rated for 12.5-250 ft-lbs. The buttons can jump the numbers pretty quick sometimes but I'll only overshoot by less than 1. As you get close to the torque setting it rapidly beeps and a green light comes on, then "flatlines" with a red light when you hit the spec. The readout will also display how much torque is being applied as you go up. It may have a setting to show the final number but I don't think it's necessary