Looking for a good quality 1/2" drive torque wrench.

[JulesMaximus]

Any recommendations?

I only have a 3/8" drive torque wrench which is pretty much useless for working on my motorcycle so I want to pick up a 1/2" drive wrench.

 

[Vette73]

I have used many and for general work get the Harbor Freight one.

 

[PottedMeat]

I have used many and for general work get the Harbor Freight one.

i've got this one - came in a plastic hardcase:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-stop-torque-wrench-239.html

here's a coupon:

yeah yeah it says 'no printouts' but they take 'em anyway

 

[JulesMaximus]

$16 for a torque wrench? That seems ridiculously cheap...

 

[kevman]

$16 for a torque wrench? That seems ridiculously cheap...

It is cheap, I have one, it was ok when it worked but the clicker doesn't "click" any more . Spend some good money and get a nicer one.

 

[radioouman]

$16 for a torque wrench? That seems ridiculously cheap...

It is cheap, but it does the job. I've owned this one for 6 years or so and it still works fine. I use it every so often for car work.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Honestly, don't get a Craftsman one. The locking rings on them have a tendency to break and they do NOT have a lifetime warranty, only one year.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Honestly, don't get a Craftsman one. The locking rings on them have a tendency to break and they do NOT have a lifetime warranty, only one year.

What then? I have a 3/8" drive Craftsman now but I really need 1/2" drive. I have one of those with the needle that bends but those are difficult to read while you're using it. I want one that you dial in the torque setting and then stop when you hear the click. I also want one that works, one that lasts, and is accurate.

 

[halik]

I got a metric one off ebay for ~25 bucks. Made in USA if you need it accurate.

 

[fbrdphreak]

I picked up a 1/2" Craftsman on clearance a while back, with the little twist ring. I pretty much only use it for lugnuts - it's too big to really get in to the brakes easily and there's nothing really torque-critical in the engine bay that I work on.

I have no concrete information to back this up, but I would trust a cheap Harbor Freight torque wrench on my lugnuts as much as the Craftsman. You wouldn't want to use either when building an engine of course.

You can always drop the big coin on SnapOn or similar high end brands. I'm not sure there's anything really between Craftsman and those brands.

What do you need to torque on a bike that is so critical?

 

[PottedMeat]

Anyone ever use one of these digital torque adapters - seems interesting for $50?

http://www.google.com/products?q=Po...tor&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hl=en&scoring=p

Popular Mechanics short description:

http://toolsmithonline.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/pm.pdf

youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EeQeH5YAcA

 

[JulesMaximus]

I picked up a 1/2" Craftsman on clearance a while back, with the little twist ring. I pretty much only use it for lugnuts - it's too big to really get in to the brakes easily and there's nothing really torque-critical in the engine bay that I work on.

I have no concrete information to back this up, but I would trust a cheap Harbor Freight torque wrench on my lugnuts as much as the Craftsman. You wouldn't want to use either when building an engine of course.

You can always drop the big coin on SnapOn or similar high end brands. I'm not sure there's anything really between Craftsman and those brands.

What do you need to torque on a bike that is so critical?

Everything is critical on a bike. I've had the forks off, the brake calipers off, replaced the handlebars, and the wheels of course. All of those are absolutely critical on a motorcycle and all of those parts have specific torque settings. It is always a good idea to re-torque all the major bolts at every service. Since just a basic oil change costs $125 at the dealer even a top of the line torque wrench would pay for itself in only a few thousand miles.

The rear wheel is held on by a 22mm nut so 1/2" drive is a must.

 

[kami333]

It is cheap, I have one, it was ok when it worked but the clicker doesn't "click" any more . Spend some good money and get a nicer one.

Take it in and get it exchanged, they come with a lifetime warranty. (You don't even need the receipt, from my experience)

 

[compman25]

One of the few tools Gearwrench sells that is US made is their torque wrenches. For around $100 you can get a 1/2". Or you can go for the Precision Instruments split beam models for around $175, very easy to set and use and US made also.

 

[kevman]

Take it in and get it exchanged, they come with a lifetime warranty. (You don't even need the receipt, from my experience)

Great to know, Thx! gonna have to do that.

 

[CraigRT]

One of the last things you ever want to skimp on, quality wise, is a torque wrench.

I'd recommend something like SK or Matco.. Dunno what is available in the U.S. but those are good brands that I know of.

 

[exdeath]

Only really need precision for things like aluminum threads or engine internals (which won't have high enough torque to require 1/2"). A $16 torque wrench is fine for 99% of the large crude things you need a 1/2" wrench for (eg: lug and axle nut type stuff). Get one that is 20% or so higher capacity than your max torque value you need. The difference in cost is how long it stays calibrated. If you're not using it every day, it should last a while.

Tested my harbor freight cheapo 1/2" against a certified calibrated SnapOn beam wrench at 100 lb-ft and it was spot on. I only really needed it for lug nuts, everything else is small enough for 3/8" and my rear axle nuts are 250 ft lbs so those just get an impact (only seen beam wrenches go that high in 1/2" and good luck with that!)

If you still want a good one, expect to spend $200-300.

 

[jlee]

Everything is critical on a bike. I've had the forks off, the brake calipers off, replaced the handlebars, and the wheels of course. All of those are absolutely critical on a motorcycle and all of those parts have specific torque settings. It is always a good idea to re-torque all the major bolts at every service. Since just a basic oil change costs $125 at the dealer even a top of the line torque wrench would pay for itself in only a few thousand miles.

The rear wheel is held on by a 22mm nut so 1/2" drive is a must.

$125!? Holy cow...I'm glad I can do mine at home without removing any body panels..

 

[halik]

Only really need precision for things like aluminum threads or engine internals (which won't have high enough torque to require 1/2"). A $16 torque wrench is fine for 99% of the large crude things you need a 1/2" wrench for (eg: lug and axle nut type stuff). Get one that is 20% or so higher capacity than your max torque value you need. The difference in cost is how long it stays calibrated. If you're not using it every day, it should last a while.

Tested my harbor freight cheapo 1/2" against a certified calibrated SnapOn beam wrench at 100 lb-ft and it was spot on. I only really needed it for lug nuts, everything else is small enough for 3/8" and my rear axle nuts are 250 ft lbs so those just get an impact (only seen beam wrenches go that high in 1/2" and good luck with that!)

If you still want a good one, expect to spend $200-300.

The cam bolts on the 4.2L im working on are torqued to 60nm, you def need 1/2 drive for that.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Only really need precision for things like aluminum threads or engine internals (which won't have high enough torque to require 1/2"). A $16 torque wrench is fine for 99% of the large crude things you need a 1/2" wrench for (eg: lug and axle nut type stuff). Get one that is 20% or so higher capacity than your max torque value you need. The difference in cost is how long it stays calibrated. If you're not using it every day, it should last a while.

Tested my harbor freight cheapo 1/2" against a certified calibrated SnapOn beam wrench at 100 lb-ft and it was spot on. I only really needed it for lug nuts, everything else is small enough for 3/8" and my rear axle nuts are 250 ft lbs so those just get an impact (only seen beam wrenches go that high in 1/2" and good luck with that!)

If you still want a good one, expect to spend $200-300.

The torque setting for the rear axle nut on my bike is 72.5 lb ft (100 N-m) and it requires a 24mm socket. All my large sockets are 1/2" drive as are all my impact sockets. I guess I could buy a step up adapter. My 3/8" torque wrench is rated up to 80 lb ft which covers pretty much all the bolts I'd ever tighten on my bike...not sure about the cage.

 

[JulesMaximus]

$125!? Holy cow...I'm glad I can do mine at home without removing any body panels..

Hey, I have a naked bike too so there are no plastics to remove. It's not just an oil change, they check all the chassis bolts to make sure they haven't loosened up (29 bolts according to the service manual) they also adjust the clutch, clean and adjust the chain, and check the steering for play and adjust if necessary.

That's the problem with most DIY bike mechanics. They just change the oil and forget about all the other stuff you need to check as part of routine maintenance.

Honestly, $125 seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

[Kaervak]

Harbor Freight. I know, that sounds insane but over at the garagejournal.com forums there's a thread with what you should buy from HF and what you shouldn't and their torque wrenches get a huge BUY. And if that's not enough there are several posts from members there that say the HF wrenches calibrate more accurately/reliably than Snap-On wrenches. One guy there has had his Snap-On wrench fail to calibrate while the HF one never has. I own their 1/4" drive wrench and will be picking up the 1/2" drive one for lug nut torquing.

Oh: http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/MagazineLanders/1-automotive/images/15.jpg

 

[JulesMaximus]

Harbor Freight. I know, that sounds insane but over at the garagejournal.com forums there's a thread with what you should buy from HF and what you shouldn't and their torque wrenches get a huge BUY. And if that's not enough there are several posts from members there that say the HF wrenches calibrate more accurately/reliably than Snap-On wrenches. One guy there has had his Snap-On wrench fail to calibrate while the HF one never has. I own their 1/4" drive wrench and will be picking up the 1/2" drive one for lug nut torquing.

Oh: http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/MagazineLanders/1-automotive/images/15.jpg

You know, I just have a real hard time believing that a $10 torque wrench is going to be high quality, accurate, and long lasting.

 

[Kaervak]

You know, I just have a real hard time believing that a $10 torque wrench is going to be high quality, accurate, and long lasting.

Yeah, same here. Even though I own the 1/4" drive one, it's seen little use so I can't comment on the long term reliability. However $10 for the 1/2" drive one, using it just for lug nuts it's hard to pass up. I have to finish reading the garagejournal.com thread to see if there are any failures reported for their torque wrenches.

 

[alkemyst]

Everything is critical on a bike. I've had the forks off, the brake calipers off, replaced the handlebars, and the wheels of course. All of those are absolutely critical on a motorcycle and all of those parts have specific torque settings. It is always a good idea to re-torque all the major bolts at every service. Since just a basic oil change costs $125 at the dealer even a top of the line torque wrench would pay for itself in only a few thousand miles.

The rear wheel is held on by a 22mm nut so 1/2" drive is a must.

you do live in fear don't you?

Craftsman torque's are good bang for buck.

I own 3.