Help me find a TQ wrench

I'm looking for a new 1/2" drive 20(aprox)-150FT/LB click type TQ wrench. I will mostly just use it for wheel changes at home. Nothing crazy like a Snap-On, just not a total P.O.S.

Target price is $50-100. Recomendations? HF has one on sale for $25

There was a pretty exhaustive thread on these a couple months ago. Google time as the "SEARCH ENGINE" on this site can be frustrating, though I've heard a work is in the progress......

So the search basicly came up with HF units are OK for work like this...

Yup.

There was a test in GRM in recent years the HF turned out to be as or more accurate than the big boys. The most important thing to remember is to always set it back to "0" when you are done, that will kill any clicker no matter how much it cost.

HF it is then. I know care and feeding for clickers, I had a craftsmen clicker for 8 years. Always reset it, kept it in a protective case, but this past fall is fell apart at the handle

I have three craftsman Torque wrenches.. two clickers, one half inch and one 3/8s

and an OLD needle type that I got from my father that still seems to be pretty accurate when compared to the clickers

Let me take this in a little bit of a different direction. As the weather starts to get warmer, I'm planning to finally teach myself how to work on cars. I've got a basic 70 (or whatever the number) piece tool set from Craftsman and some other assorted tools. I don't own a torque wrench. The prices at HF for the 1/2 vs. 3/8 are pretty similar. Which one should I start out with?

I have a Craftsman that I got about 20 years ago. Any time it's not being used, it is stored inside a hard plastic tube (with an eyebolt on top so I can hang it up). I always carefully set it to zero before storage.

I realize Craftsman torque wrenches are hated by some folks here, but mine has been well-cared for, and it has been a great tool.

SupraWes wrote: There was a test in GRM in recent years the HF turned out to be as or more accurate than the big boys. The most important thing to remember is to always set it back to "0" when you are done, that will kill any clicker no matter how much it cost.

I didn't know that! I don't think I've changed the setting on mine in over a year (still seems to work fine though?) What's the reasoning for that?

Autozone sells a 1/2" click type for $19 that works fine for wheels. When compared to my 'spensive one head-to-head - it matches and I've had it for 3yrs, never bother to unload the spring or really take any special care of it at all.

Question on unloading the spring - set to "0" or unload all the way? My HF 1/2" clicker will go well "under" 0.

Klayfish wrote: Let me take this in a little bit of a different direction. As the weather starts to get warmer, I'm planning to finally teach myself how to work on cars. I've got a basic 70 (or whatever the number) piece tool set from Craftsman and some other assorted tools. I don't own a torque wrench. The prices at HF for the 1/2 vs. 3/8 are pretty similar. Which one should I start out with?

Check the units between the two. A lot of 3/8" drive torque wrenches are in inch-pounds. Most car related torquing is done in foot-pounds. Also, see how low the 1/2" drive wrench goes. Some are 25-250 foot-pounds - lots of stuff under 25 foot-pounds on a car.

Of the HF stuff I just looked at and their 3/8" is in foot pounds and goes up to 80 - which is not enough for wheel nuts, but will do for most everything else.

Their 1/2" only goes down to 20...

You'll eventually need both.

Yeah, if you want to do both lug nuts AND fiddle-y little stuff like valve cover bolts/nuts you are going to need both a 3/8 for inch-pound stuff and a 1/2 for foot pound stuff. IIRC, my 3/8 goes to 250 in./lb. and my 1/2 starts at 20 ft./lb., so I'm covered for basically every possible automotive torque spec.

My 1/2" is HF and my 3/8 is craftsman and I'm happy with them both.