I am looking to buy a torque wrench so that I can carry out my own regular wheel nut checks, but unsure of type as the costs vary so much.
Do I need an expensive one or would a cheaper one do the same job?
Bought mine from Amazon for about £34 all in, it's a Kamasa and supposedly a good make. There are cheaper ones and more expensive ones so maybe in the middle somewhere is a good idea.
Hope that helps.
This came out top in a Practical Caravan assessment the other year. It's the one I use
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Providing that you only use it for the odd job now and again, there is no reason why the Lidl one should not last you years, providing that you fully release the tension every time after you have used it and that you keep it somewhere that is dry and not damp
------------- Regards
Terry Birch
Our tourer days are over and we have moved on to a Hobby Motorhome
Having been responsible for the calculation and laboratory testing of bolt torquing I can confidently say that the achieved tension results can vary wildly. Important factors affecting this are bolt/nut quality, steel/material spec, plating types and condition, whether pre tightened, virgin, or with even mirco corrosion and very critically if lubricated and with what lubricant.
In respect to our caravan and car wheel bolting where the innate quality and wide ranging in use conditions set the parameters that we are coping with I can also confidently say:
The variations in achieved tension, are of a level that is far wider than I would expect the precision of all but bargain basement torque wrenches to be. So I would suggest that if this is the job you have in mind for your torque wrench, then there is little to be gained spending a lot. Certainly use one don't simply guess it, the safe torque might be a lot lower than you think!
A big mistake to make is to lubricate these bolts where the quoted torque values are not specifically for lubricated assembly; this massively increases the achieved tension in what is a highly stressed item; very very unwise and ill informed.
If the wrench is also for use on high precision components then the quality needs to reflect this, but most of our DIY type usage is with dry, low spec, initially plated, multi use, non precision stuff.
A big mistake to make is to lubricate these bolts where the quoted torque values are not specifically for lubricated assembly; this massively increases the achieved tension in what is a highly stressed item; very very unwise and ill informed.
If the wrench is also for use on high precision components then the quality needs to reflect this, but most of our DIY type usage is with dry, low spec, initially plated, multi use, non precision stuff. ________________________________________________________________________
Really interesting facts - thanks JTQU.
I got a fairly cheap one from I think it was Scewfix for about £15.
The spring type is by far the cheapest but it does have the advantage of you being able to see how close you are getting to your proposed torque setting.
The twist handle type are the most popular, but unless you go for an expensive one, they can be difficult to tell the exact moment that you hit the torque setting.
Quote: Originally posted by oxter on 30/11/2011
Remember to slacken it off after each use
A little explanation of what to slacken and why it needs to be after each use please?
If you are using the twist grip type Torque Wrench, then you must slacken it off after you have finished using it.
Otherwise it will knacker the spring torsion parts inside the wrench.
Okay thanks but it greatly surprises me that they would sell tools where the springs are being worked at anywhere near their elastic limit even on max rating.
My nice old [30 +] ones still kept in the original boxes came I am quite sure with no such warning instructions.
I recently bought a Lidl one and think it is OK.
I have just changed my caravan and thought on the advice of the mechanic at my caravan dealer that this was the best thing to do. Having said that my two previous caravans were only ever checked by tightening manually and I never experienced any problems!
I just grabbed one from Halfords when I got a few camping type accessories. Cant even recall the make, but it does the job for the few tim*es a year I need to use it.
For the benefit of anyone wondering whats going on here, if you have alloy wheels and dont have a torque check now and again you might well lose a wheel while you are driving. IF the nuts arent properly tight they can come undone as the wheel rotates.
------------- Veni Vidi Velcro.... I came, I saw, I stuck around!
yes my expensive snap on twisty one that i use daily on the box said afteer each use to release the pressure so to speak cant remember words but basically unwind it
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Topic: Torque wrench
