Digital Torque - which one?

Anyone using a digital torque wrench 3/8 of 1/2 have a recommendation?

 

Snap On but honestly don't need digital for home use.

 

This is actually something I want to buy one day. Any feedback is appreciated, am sure Amazon has all kinds of examples for us to buy but would like to hear members here what they use. Thanks.

 

I have a Snap On 3/8 and 1/2 never had any issues with it.

Never bothered with digital because its not a daily or weekly use thing.

Just buy a Craftsman or something. Unless you need it for precision which 99% here won't it be fine.

 

I did some research on digital and non-digital torque wrenches. My Harbor Freight (Pittsburg, I think) is fine for higher torque amounts (lug nuts etc), but for lower torque amounts, I'd like there to be a more positive "click". Not sure what I'll go with yet but I do seem to be doing more car stuff lately.

From the reviews, there were names I'd never heard of that did well: Quinn (Harbor Freight) and Sata were a couple.

 

Tekton is a good “middle of the road” tool. Great return policy, great quality and value.

I’m not sure if they have digital or not.

 

I got that digital torque adapter from Harbor Freight. I think it's Quinn. It's fairly accurate for all jobs that don't require mm precision. So unless you rebuilding an engine, it should serve well.
Have a Tekton 3/8 micrometer Torque wrench too.

 

I bought a Husky (Home Depot) 3/8" digital. Used it extensively when I changed the timing belt in my 2003 Tundra. The reason I went digital on the 3/8" is because of the smaller bolts and nuts can either be in ft. lbs. or in. lbs. With the digital it's easy to switch between the two. Also, it was really hard to feel the "click" on the clicker type 3/8" wrenches at lower torque settings, very possibly over torqued or even shearing bolts. I have a 1/2" click type wrench for the bigger stuff, which seems to work just fine.

 

I have the Quinn 1/2". It works well. Does what it's supposed to do, and not ridiculously expensive. Also not as cheap as the Pittsburg, which is a total POS.

 

Not digital, but I’m happy with CDI torque wrenches. Good quality, no plastic, reasonably priced. They are available on Amazon.

CDI Torque Products A Snap-On Company 1/2" Drive 30-250 Ft Lbs / 47-332 NM Dual Scale Micrometer Adjustable Metal Handle Torque Wrench Individually Serialized with Matching Certificate of Calibration

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N67FT2S?smid=A1EAJVR1MCOQ1B

CDI Torque Products A Snap-On Company 1/2" Drive 30-250 Ft

 

You found a wrench that can do both ft/lbs and in/lbs and go low enough? Doesn't the Husky still only go down to the equivalent of 20 ft/lbs.

 

Snap0n 1/4"drive 30-200 in.lbs click, used professionally for decades.
I can't remember Lowe's brand 3/8" I bought for home use. TQ wrenches in professional biz need cal.yearly.
Used 1/4 majority on helicopters.The 3/8 &1/2 drives I used were Co. provided.

 

I have Snap On 3/8” & 1/4” drive. Both are inch/lbs for aviation use.
Never use the 1/4 drive but the 3/8” drive is good to around mid 70 ft/lbs. just have to convert. Definitely prefer click type, feels more accurate. Purchased a 1/2” drive digital from harbor freight for wheel lugs and suspension work. It’s ok but very glitchy.
Don’t forget to get your torque wrenches calibrated periodically.

 

I have analog Snap on 1/2, 3/8 and 1/4". Have had no issues with them in the past.
I have probably used my 20 year old Craftsman more than anything since getting out of the wrench turning business, I would like to have the Craftsman calibrated at some point (Still fairly close when checking against the snap On).

 

Can you still get Craftsman tools?

I thought all the Sears stores closed.

 

Good stuff. What do y’all think about used snap ons from eBay?

 

Lowe's & either,Ace or True Value

 

That's always a crap shoot

 

10 ft./lbs. or 120 in./lbs.

 

This is my opinion only.... Being that E-Bay is E-Bay in 2024, I may have to take a pass. Only reason being, you do not know how this precision tool was treated during its life before you would obtain it. i have seen people use a "Shop Torque wrench from a hammer to additional leverage". Tools that techs have no skin in get treated pretty poorly.

If you did purchase, I would want to send it off for calibration/testing if the seller had no prior proof of this being performed. At this point based off the amount you used it, A new Kobalt/Craftsman or even Pittsburgh would fit the bill.

 

Wanted to throw in there that you can never have enough tools.

 

Nevermind for some reason I thought you had found a 3/8" that could get down to real low in/lbs for precision stuffs. But still could get up to the 120/130 ft lbs.

 

At this point, with both Toyotas, I don't have a reason for low in./lbs. I would buy a 1/4" if that were the case. Might be an excuse for another tool though...

 

Then you just gotta have a torque angle wrench so you can get torque to yield stuff.

 

Digital torque adapter is lighter and cheaper, so you don't have to carry both a torque wrench and a breaker bar on the trail:

 

Thats the one I got. It works but it’s not as user friendly. One of its quirks is the auto shutoff, which gives you merely seconds to apply the torque. If you take too long to get setup, it shuts down and you have to reset it. It’s better than nothing for the money but if I was a professional, there are better choices.