What exactly would I be paying for in a $200 dollar torque wrench?

Question

I've always tightened my drain bolt by feel, but have now decided to invest in a torque wrench. I would never spend 200 dollars on something like this but is there any reason I should spend more than $30? As I've seen wrenches that appear similar to each other ranging that price gap. I understand some higher end models are digital, but many 200 dollar wrenches seem to be exaclty like the 30 dollar ones except for the "Snap-On" label.

Answer 1

generally, the cheaper it is, the less accurate it is (regardless of calibration). buying a cheap torque wrench is a waste of money

Answer 2

If your not going to be using it but for something like tighten the oil drain pan bolt,  you should'nt spend that kind of money,The only reason would be that some of the really cheap one's can be off and be reading the wrong torque.Other wise you can do like dodge man said ,Go to sears and buy it for 1/2 the price and have a life time warrant on it.

Answer 3

you,ll be buying a better built one,sears has some real good ones for about half the price,it doesnt have to have the name snap on ,sears ones work just as good,and they have a lifetime warranty on them also,check out their site they have some real good ones to chose from,good luck.http://searstools.com

Answer 4

Lowe's also has 3/8" and 1/2" torque wrenches for about the same price a Sears under their Kobalt brand name. These have a lifetime warrantee also, like Craftsman, but, unless you live in a metro area, Lowe's may be easier to get to. The closest Sears store to me is about 50 miles. The closest Lowe's is less than 5.

Answer 5

Buy any quality name brand beam-type torque wrench, and don't store it laying on it's side. It will be more accurate than the most expensive "clicker" type you can find.

Answer 6

A high-dollar torque wrench will be more precise, which is a good idea if you're building an engine, but unnecessary for tightening the drain bolt.

If you've had a problem with over-tightening the drain bolt, the torque wrench will solve that, once you find out how tight it should be. If you haven't had a problem with over-tightening the drain bolt, the torque wrench isn't necessary.

If you decide to get a torque wrench, cheap is fine - the reading will be close enough. I just checked HarborFrieght.com, and they had one for 20 bucks.

Answer 7

Expensive torque wrenches will obviously give you more precision, but unless you're tightening the cylinder head bolts on a Porsche engine, the cheaper wrench will get you close enough to do a good job.  The key is to apply a little oil to the threads of the bolt or nut you're tightening to prevent binding, and use a fluid motion, (not jerky) until you get your "click" or reading on the pointer.