# What Torque Wrench



## Markyt001 (Mar 23, 2007)

Hi,

After some advice on a Torque Wrench. I won't be taking the alloys of that much but am after a decent wrench that doesn't cost a mint. Just want to ensure wheels are torqued correctly.

Have seen the Halfords Pro model for £49.99

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_180255_langId_-1_categoryId_165469

Any comments or advice greatly received.

Regards

Mark


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Wont be much help, but find a place local to you that can test and recalibrate torque wrenchs.

Ask them if they have any for sale, if not how much do they charge to recalibrate them.

Most (if not all) torque wrenchs read wrong.

I am saving up for a Teng Tools.

But your only doing the wheels? So might not make that much difference, I will be using mine to do an engine/cyclinder head.

this one:

http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/product_pages/product_details.asp?ProductID=21684


----------



## BIG BAVARIAN (May 7, 2006)

I have this one,german TUV approved  http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18289...nch?cm_re=SEARCHPROMO-_-TORQUE WRENCH-_-18289


----------



## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

I have one of these for my wheels. Only £20 squid from argos.

Okay for that money its not going to be accurate near the edge of its operating range, but if its just for putting your wheels back on there is no point in spending more money.

It has an operating range from 28 to 210 Nms and most wheel torque will be near the middle of that range where it will be pretty accurate.

EDIT - just realised this is the same wrench as the one in the screwfix link above. so its £20 from argos if u have one close or 15 + delivery from screwfix. Either way you're getting a great product at a good price.


----------



## trenchfoot (Jan 11, 2007)

I'm in the aviation industry and it's well known among us that the Halfords 'Pro' range of tools are highly regarded and used on aircraft so you can't go far wrong with them... and all without paying the inflated prices of Facom or Snap-On. 
The only thing with Torque wrenches in the aviation industry is that they have the calibration periodically tested for accuracy and given a label.
Other than that my choice would be Norbar.
Always leave the wrench at its 'park' position - usually its lowest possible setting


----------



## John-R- (Feb 4, 2007)

trenchfoot said:


> I'm in the aviation industry and it's well known among us that the Halfords 'Pro' range of tools are highly regarded and used on aircraft so you can't go far wrong with them... and all without paying the inflated prices of Facom or Snap-On.
> The only thing with Torque wrenches in the aviation industry is that they have the calibration periodically tested for accuracy and given a label.
> Other than that my choice would be Norbar.
> *Always leave the wrench at its 'park' position - usually its lowest possible* setting


Probably the best piece of advice here, otherwise your torque wrench might end up suffering from creepage.

For doing wheels; Draper/Screwfix one etc etc will be fine, if you were doing engine work I'd go to Teng / Halfords Pro

John


----------



## BIG BAVARIAN (May 7, 2006)

Funnily enough i bought a dedicated halfords pro, 1/2" drive , deep socket for the wheels,as i don't like extension bars and adaptors(which broke after first use anyway)


----------



## rapidseven (Apr 26, 2007)

If you want a 1/2" torque wrench, then find yourself a snap-on rep and buy one.

All the cheapies are not accurate enough, including halfrods, there crap.

Snap-on or Mac Tools brand new, or if second hand get it calibrated.

If not, you might has well have a watch that doesnt keep time properly.


----------



## Malcy (Oct 14, 2008)

I have one of the ones from Halfords. I bought it after seeing a group test in a magazine. It came out best overall and was recommended for it's accuracy and repeatability.


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

I didnt know about the halfords ones, but since its same price as the teng ones..............

Cant you get specific alloy wheel sockets which are rated for the torque?


----------



## Malcy (Oct 14, 2008)

rapidseven said:


> If you want a 1/2" torque wrench, then find yourself a snap-on rep and buy one.
> 
> All the cheapies are not accurate enough, including halfrods, there crap.
> 
> ...


When I was rebuilding an engine and doing the bigend bolts, I took my halfords torque wrench to work to use one of our calibrators. I just wanted to mark the actual setting I wanted, it was actually very accurate and didn't have to put any marks on it.

Expensive doesn't always mean better


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Halfords or Teng it is then!

I need it to rebuild the engine so needs to be accurate.

Would you recommend the Halfords over the Teng?

(£5 price difference)


----------



## rapidseven (Apr 26, 2007)

Malcy said:


> When I was rebuilding an engine and doing the bigend bolts, I took my halfords torque wrench to work to use one of our calibrators. I just wanted to mark the actual setting I wanted, it was actually very accurate and didn't have to put any marks on it.
> 
> Expensive doesn't always mean better


Snap-on tools are _always_ better, and with all due respect I dont care what you say in defense.

Hence why I have several thousand pounds worth over the last 15 years.

I would NEVER put myself in a position to put my work in question or tarnish my reputation by using cheap tools.

I want the best, so I buy the best, as there is no substitute for using cheap tools.


----------



## LukeA (Oct 6, 2008)

BIG BAVARIAN said:


> I have this one,german TUV approved  http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18289...nch?cm_re=SEARCHPROMO-_-TORQUE WRENCH-_-18289


I also have this one, bought it a couple years ago and it's never let me down.


----------



## dazzlers82 (May 8, 2007)

rapidseven said:


> Snap-on tools are _always_ better, and with all due respect I dont care what you say in defense.
> 
> Hence why I have several thousand pounds worth over the last 15 years.
> 
> ...


i am the same here i always do buy snapon n as yourself have thousands of pounds worth but the snap on torque wrenches to be honest are crap mine is checked every 12 months an nearly every time it has to be sent back to snap on to be fixed an its the same as some of the other blokes there the halfords ones do seem to stay in calibration better an teng ones i find break as they are a bit cheaply made norbar would be the one to go for if you wanted the best :thumb:


----------



## Malcy (Oct 14, 2008)

rapidseven said:


> Snap-on tools are _always_ better, and with all due respect I dont care what you say in defense.
> 
> Hence why I have several thousand pounds worth over the last 15 years.
> 
> ...


Don't get me wrong, I love Snap-on tools (the boxes are a bit crappy though, Tool Marque do the best imo) but you can't just dismiss every other tool because they're not as expensive!

I have various makes of tools, Halfords, Teng, Britool, Beta. I'm not a mechanic by profession but I use my tools alot, I've never broken or damaged them and other than already damaged fastners, I've never had a problem getting the job done.

Perhaps a Snap-on torque wrench is more robust than a Halfords one, but I look after my tools and don't mistreat them. I keep my tools clean, dry and well stored when not in use, they're as good as the day I got them.


----------



## rapidseven (Apr 26, 2007)

My 3 have never gone wrong or broken, and are still as good as the day I bought them in the 90's.

I made a self calibration checker, which is basically a 21mm breaker-bolt, which lets go at 100Nm, and everytime I use the torque wrenches I do the test, and if the wrench clicks before I then get it calibrated.

Mine are perfect, and deadly accurate.

Infact ive never known anyone have a problem with a snap-on torque wrench until ive just read your post.

Have you got one of those new digital ones ?


----------



## rapidseven (Apr 26, 2007)

Malcy said:


> Don't get me wrong, I love Snap-on tools (the boxes are a bit crappy though, Tool Marque do the best imo)


Are you serious :lol:

Snap-On roller bearing tools boxes are without doubt the best form of storage out there.


----------



## Malcy (Oct 14, 2008)

rapidseven said:


> Are you serious :lol:
> 
> Snap-On roller bearing tools boxes are without doubt the best form of storage out there.


Ohh right...but they're still held together by spot welds. Tool Marque seam weld theirs and as far as I know they're the people that do. I'd bet any money that a seam weld will hold together a lot longer than a spot weld!


----------



## MV Owner (Nov 5, 2008)

Britool Torque wrenches seem to be competitively priced on flea bay. Williams Autotorque might also be work consideration


----------



## Markyt001 (Mar 23, 2007)

Thanks for the replies folks. 

Anyone gotta free Snap-on wrench going?hehehe cheeky or what!!!!:thumb::thumb:


Thanks again


----------



## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

lol @ snap on.

The guy wants a wrench to put his wheels back on every now an then. If he was a pro mechanic and wanted a wrench to last several years of hard daily use, then yes splashing cash on a snap on might be i good idea. But for what the OP wants - its totally over the top.

Horses for courses and all that.


----------



## trenchfoot (Jan 11, 2007)

The company I work for buy mainly Snap-On tools so I'm very familiar with them, but some of these are extremely disliked by those of use having to use them and alternative brand equivelants are sought. 

Notably the best Snap-On tools are their screwdrivers - you really can't beat them, but when it comes to their ratchet-wrenches and Torque wrenches there are other brands that are better and for far less cost. IMO the only really good thing about Snap-On is their guarantee and nothing else, and that's why they generate brand loyalty, but being blinkered by that is foolhardy and doesn't make any economic sense.

If you just need a half-decent wrench for setting wheel bolt torque you don't need to spend vast sums of money


----------



## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

My dad bought that torque wrench recently for his bike and said it was superb


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Snap-on may be the best but the 5x price increase compared to the next best equivilant is certainly not justifiable to the home user!

I have the halfords pro torque wrenches and they are excellent, easy to read, and they are known for being very accurate (infact, they won auto express accuracy and value test).


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

btw - the halfords torque wrench costs £39.99 with a trade card - making it excellent value.


----------



## Malcy (Oct 14, 2008)

G220 said:


> Snap-on may be the best but the 5x price increase compared to the next best equivilant is certainly not justifiable to the home user!
> 
> I have the halfords pro torque wrenches and they are excellent, easy to read, and they are known for being very accurate (infact, they won auto express accuracy and value test).


Do the Pro Torque Wrenches have the lifetime guarantee like the professional tools?


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

MV Owner said:


> Britool Torque wrenches seem to be competitively priced on flea bay. Williams Autotorque might also be work consideration


The problem is with getting off eBay is you don't know neccesarily if you are getting 2nds which might be, say 7% off calibration rather than the <5% they are supposed to be, or may have been dropped etc. It won't really matter for wheel torque I suppose (might be wise to set the torque a few Nm higher on wheels to err on the side of caution). What I did was get my 1/2" 60-200Nm halfords one off eBay, and the 3/8" 6-80Nm from the store.


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Malcy said:


> Do the Pro Torque Wrenches have the lifetime guarantee like the professional tools?


The professional tools lifetime guarantee has caveats, i.e., the ratchet mechanism isn't covered by the guarantee on tools, only if the tool actually snapped in half or the square drive rounded would it be covered.

So when you buy their ratchet spanners with the lifetime guarantee, the most likely thing to fail (which is the tiny ratchet), isn't actually covered 

You shouldn't have a problem with them breaking providing you are only using it within its range, though they might loose calibration so you are supposed to have them checked every year or so (applies to all torque wrenches), calibration loss isn't covered by the warranty, and the trouble is you don't really know if its out of calibration slightly yourself anyway unless you have a machine to check. If the torque mechanism suddenly packed in though the store would probably replace it out of courtesy


----------



## philworrall (Nov 17, 2006)

In a recent test on auto car the worst torque wrence was only 6.5% out at one end of its range. As this device was only £15 then it not only represent really good value for money but it will meet the requirements of 99% of people on this site. Thats the screwfix model and i believe sold under other names also. Unless you are rebuilding exotic engines then this is more than the average joe motorist needs to work on his car. IMO.


----------



## dazzlers82 (May 8, 2007)

rapidseven said:


> My 3 have never gone wrong or broken, and are still as good as the day I bought them in the 90's.
> 
> I made a self calibration checker, which is basically a 21mm breaker-bolt, which lets go at 100Nm, and everytime I use the torque wrenches I do the test, and if the wrench clicks before I then get it calibrated.
> 
> ...


no mate i dont have a digital one there apparently worse lol but the ones i have they tend to go out of cal at one end of the scale which fails the test by our examiner he also said he fails loads of snap on ones :thumb:

an i agree snap on boxes are the best :thumb:


----------



## dazzlers82 (May 8, 2007)

G220 said:


> The professional tools lifetime guarantee has caveats, i.e., the ratchet mechanism isn't covered by the guarantee on tools, only if the tool actually snapped in half or the square drive rounded would it be covered.
> 
> So when you buy their ratchet spanners with the lifetime guarantee, the most likely thing to fail (which is the tiny ratchet), isn't actually covered
> 
> You shouldn't have a problem with them breaking providing you are only using it within its range, though they might loose calibration so you are supposed to have them checked every year or so (applies to all torque wrenches), calibration loss isn't covered by the warranty, and the trouble is you don't really know if its out of calibration slightly yourself anyway unless you have a machine to check. If the torque mechanism suddenly packed in though the store would probably replace it out of courtesy


first of all i dont think the op should buy a snap on wrench as price is to high for what he wants, but snapon has had mine a couple of times for faulty calibration an that is done free also my ratchet spanners have always been replaced free its more air and electrical tools that are not covered by the lifetime guarantee:thumb:


----------



## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

haha it is true that the halfords pro life time guarantee doesn't cover the ratchet mechanism, and that is pants. However, there is nothing to stop you snapping the handle in a vice if the ratchet breaks and then the whole thing will be replaced.


----------



## dazzlers82 (May 8, 2007)

HalfordsShopper said:


> haha it is true that the halfords pro life time guarantee doesn't cover the ratchet mechanism, and that is pants. However, there is nothing to stop you snapping the handle in a vice if the ratchet breaks and then the whole thing will be replaced.


lol i read your post wrong nthought you meant snap on dont guarantee mechanism :wall:


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

HalfordsShopper said:


> haha it is true that the halfords pro life time guarantee doesn't cover the ratchet mechanism, and that is pants. However, there is nothing to stop you snapping the handle in a vice if the ratchet breaks and then the whole thing will be replaced.


yep - i thought of exacly that too, but we don't talk about it


----------



## little john (Jun 10, 2007)

Ive been looking at buying one to keep the wheel nuts to the correct torque as in the past ive had problems with them being over torqued and dificult to remove, I also want somthing beter to remove the nuts than the standard vauxhall pos it is too loose on the nuts and can mark the wheels.

A little investigateing it looks like the halfords pro wrenches are made by and calibrated by norbar. im thinking abut getting one of the of socket sets and the 40-200nm I have a britool socket set my grandad has given me but its a hex drive and all the sockets are on the large size, it has a hex to square convertor in there so i may just buy new sockets.


----------



## dazzlers82 (May 8, 2007)

little john said:


> Ive been looking at buying one to keep the wheel nuts to the correct torque as in the past ive had problems with them being over torqued and dificult to remove, I also want somthing beter to remove the nuts than the standard vauxhall pos it is too loose on the nuts and can mark the wheels.
> 
> A little investigateing it looks like the halfords pro wrenches are made by and calibrated by norbar. im thinking abut getting one of the of socket sets and the 40-200nm I have a britool socket set my grandad has given me but its a hex drive and all the sockets are on the large size, it has a hex to square convertor in there so i may just buy new sockets.


you can buy proper alloy wheel sockets which have a plastic coating :thumb:


----------



## Guest (Apr 10, 2009)

Can highly reccomend the halfords torque wrench. To undo the lug nuts initially what you need is a 24" 1/2" drive breaker bar, you can then use your little finger to undo them, or a 16" would be fine and a little cheaper.

If you are doing this a lot a 6pt deep socket would be preferable to a 12pt one too (less damage to lug nut)


----------



## little john (Jun 10, 2007)

dazzlers82 said:


> you can buy proper alloy wheel sockets which have a plastic coating :thumb:


Ive seen those and am planning on getting one


----------



## M4D YN (Nov 24, 2007)

i have one that i could sell you,pm me :thumb:


----------



## dezzy (Apr 13, 2007)

I've also got that Halfords one and it does the job perfectly. :thumb:


----------



## gsd2000 (Jul 25, 2006)

i've got a machine mart torque wrench and a big 1/2" break bar with an alloy socket for removing


----------



## neilneilorange (Oct 9, 2007)

I have both the small and intermediate Halfords torque wrenches and both came with certificates of calibration. Tested mine at work after a year or so's worth of use and still spot on. Highly recommended!


----------



## Puntoboy (Jun 30, 2007)

I bought one from Screwfix last year. Only cost £13 and works perfectly. Good quality too.


----------

