What are you guys using in the way of torque wrenches?

[Outlaw75]

I'm looking at picking one up to use with an AR Armorers tool for tightening castle nuts and the like. Can anybody suggest a budget-friendly wrench with a reasonable amount of quality?

And to clarify; I'm talking about one of these, not a torque driver like the Wheeler FAT Wrench (already got one of those).

 

[jak67429]

All 3 of mine are snapon. I have 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 in drive.

 

[Outlaw75]

All 3 of mine are snapon. I have 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 in drive.

Definitely not looking to spend that much. I can't justify it for something I'd probably only use a couple of times a year.

 

[1KPerDay]

Craftsman works for me. I have a husky 1/2” also.

 

[Reeferman]

 

[Hartkopf]

There’s not much to go wrong with an old school beam torque wrench. I assembled several race engines 100s of times over 20 years with the same torque wrench. Of course it was American made. I don’t know what quality is available for a beam torque wrench these days.

 

[doubleh]

I have the Craftsman version but never use it on guns. Also have a Craftsman beam wrench and I have never used it on guns. When i do use one on a gun it's the fat wrench.

 

[Bronco72]

There are a lot of inch pound torque wrenches on amazon. All kinds of prices from low to high!

 

[BigBlue 94]

Had a brand new Craftsman, circa 2017. Set it to 50 ft/lbs and it broke on the first use... Bought a $200 gearwrench and it hasnt failed me yet. I use it on automotive stuff mostly.

 

[mcb]

For most of my gun stuff I am using Fix-it Stick torque limiters.

 

[Mauser fan]

OP
A half inch drive foot pound measurement scale torque wrench is what I recommend that you acquire. It can be a beam style or a click style. It is mostly dependent upon how much you are willing to spend. One can be had for under $50 and a variety of places. Your local auto parts store, hardware store, home depot, lowes etc.
Check out this link.
PITTSBURGH PRO3/8 in. Drive Click Type Torque Wrench (4072)
TOP PICKPITTSBURGH1/2 in. Drive Click Type Torque Wrench (6184)
I think that it would be more than sufficient for your needs.

 

[Mauser fan]

What I have is far more expensive than what I've recommended to the OP. I have been fortunate enough to have many of the tools for what I use to hobby gunsmith back when I was a Mechanic so the transition was very easy and not all that costly for me.

Now keep in mind it has taken me years to acquire what I have. Even more important than having the tools you may desire is to know your limitations not just financially but mechanically as well. It w

Don't get caught up in the brand war game. If you do you'll have a tool bill that could be as much as a monthly mortgage payment.

I'll post some pictures of my torque wrenches later on.

 

[a5werkes]

98% of the time I use the in-lb torque wrenches for gunsmith fasteners. When ft-lb range is needed I use this trusty Craftsman "digital" wrench that I have used for 25 years.

 

[BigBlue 94]

trusty Craftsman "digital" wrench that I have used for 25 years.

25 years is the key here... All my tools went through a fire in 2015. I replaced Craftsman with Crapsman. I think 3 ratcheting wrenches broke, one 3/8" ratchet, and the 1/2" click style torque wrench. All within the first few times of using it. Ive also broke sockets, though i use em with impacts so i cant blame the socket fully. They went to crap when Stanley/B&D took over imho.

Granted this was all on automotive applications where forces are much greater. One pair of bolts on my suspension has a 300+ ft/lbs torque requirement.

 

[eddiememphis]

German precision Gutentight

 

[Mauser fan]

Here are the 4 torque wrenches that I have had for more than 20 years.



The top one is a 1/2 in drive 45 ft lb to 250 ft lb made by Snap on.
The one in the middle is a 3/8 in dr 0 to 750 in lb made by CDI.
The one on bottom is a 1/4 in dr 0 to 200 in lb also made by CDI.
The T handle is a fixed 1/4 in dr and is set for 65 in lbs.

As A5werkes has mentioned in his post 98% of the time an inch pound torque wrench is used and as you should be able to tell that is true by the display of my torque wrenches.

 

[eddiememphis]

Here are the 4 torque wrenches that I have had for more than 20 years.

The T handle is a fixed 1/4 in dr and is set for 6 in lbs.

As A5werkes has mentioned in his post 98% of the time an inch pound torque wrench is used and as you should be able to tell that is true by the display of my torque wrenches.

How often have you had them calibrated?

And what do you use a fixed 6 inch wrench for?

 

[Mauser fan]

Once every 5 years now and the fixed 65in pound I used for setting the overhead valves on the Cummins NTC 400 engines and pre loading the fuel injectors back in the day. I use it primarily now to torque scope mount screws.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Once every 5 years now and the fixed 6in pound I used for setting the overhead valves on the Cummins NTC 400 engines back in the day. I use it primarily now to torque scope mount screws.

You may know this but CDI is part of a subsidiary of Snap-On called Snap-On Specialty Tools. It doesn’t mean much other than Snap-On just acquired them. Snap-On still manufactures the torque wrenches that bear the Snap-On name. CDI provides torque tools for the US Gov and they are also sold by many industrial suppliers. I acquired my CDI torque tools from McMaster-Carr.

More on topic, for guns, I actually use a cheapy beam 1/4 drive Performance Tool wrench I got at Advance Auto Parts. I use the Fat Wrench for scopes but sometimes action screws require a bit more than the fat wrench goes to. Such as the front screw on a Ruger M77 series rifle.

 

[sparkyv]

HF for me.
But for more delicate work, I use Fat Wrench and Fix It Stix.

 

[mcb]

How often have you had them calibrated?

And what do you use a fixed 6 inch wrench for?

I would be willing to bet that is a typo and that is a fixed 65 in-lb T-handle and is used for the bolt on many scope mounts, on the clamp that grabs the picatinny rail. Many of those types of rings call for 65 in-lb on that cross bolt.

 

[Mauser fan]

I would be willing to bet that is a typo and that is a fixed 65 in-lb T-handle and is used for the bolt on many scope mounts, on the clamp that grabs the picatinny rail. Many of those types of rings call for 65 in-lb on that cross bolt.

It is thanks for catching that mistake.

 

[eddiememphis]

I would be willing to bet that is a typo and that is a fixed 65 in-lb T-handle and is used for the bolt on many scope mounts, on the clamp that grabs the picatinny rail. Many of those types of rings call for 65 in-lb on that cross bolt.

That makes a lot more sense. 6 inch pounds is very little torque. I couldn't think of a common application for something that low.

 

[Reeferman]

Once every 5 years now and the fixed 65in pound I used for setting the overhead valves on the Cummins NTC 400 engines and pre loading the fuel injectors back in the day. I use it primarily now to torque scope mount screws.

The beige grenade.

 

[Mauser fan]

I haven't heard that term used in years. The beige grenade. For those that don't know when running perfectly the Cummins NTC 400 is a beast. But are famous for running backwards when not perfectly tuned and ultimately running away then exploding like a grenade.