[noob-city]

Hello all,

I'm pretty new to DIY when it comes to my car (1996 Camry LE 4 cyl, 102k miles).

I've been buying a lot of tools for different maintenance jobs on my car and the next tool that I'm eyeing is a torque wrench to set the bolts to the recommended level of torque, which I've never used before.

I've noticed that there are different types of torque wrenches (electronic, digital, clicking) that vary widely in price range.

Can anyone recommend me a torque wrench that will get me the job done every time without breaking the bank?

 

[Splicer]

I'll probably get hammered for this, but for basic use I have a 1/2" drive clicker from Harbor Freight. It's cheap enough (especially on sale) and has worked well for several years. Main thing I got it for is torquing the lug nuts, but I've used it for a few other things too. If it's off by a few pounds, well, even the best can be off and should be calibrated for critical work.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-stop-torque-wrench-239.html

 

[MD1032]

I use the Gorilla and Tekton click ones from Amazon. I don't know how accurate they are (not nearly as good as the beam kind for sure), but they were cheap, and the click ones are super easy to use and very convenient.

 

[got-rice]

+1 for the HF one...if you're doing just your car, it'll do fine for the money. You won't care if it gets stolen. I was more mad when my small Craftsman set was taken from my car (for $20, I really liked it).

 

[Bitter]

Beam or digital for engine work, clicker for anything else. Even a small calibrated clicker is fine for simple stuff like bearing caps.

 

[gooser]

It honestly just depends on what you want to do. If you're building engines, I have a saying - Cheap tools aren't good and good tools aren't cheap. At work I have 3 sizes 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch all snap-on digital with built in torque to yield feature. They can also be used like a beam style to check for bearing pre-load. They're awesome and expensive, but I use them a lot.

 

[grandpapa]

I too got mine at Harbor Freight 1/2"

Harbor Freight carry some cool stuffs and their hand tools has life time warranty

 

[CincoSenoro]

My local Sears has a 44690 and 44642 torque wrench on sale. I decided to buy both of them because the 44690, a 3/8" 0-75ft/lb wrench, offers more precision than the 44642, a 1/2" 0-150ft/lb wrench. Both of the wrenches also measure Nm to if you're wondering.

I look forward to using the 44690 once my replacement valve cover screws come in at the dealer. I learned the hard way that you DON'T want to use a clicker wrench on those.....

 

[andrewrmunro]

Unfortunately I cannot get a good torque wrench locally so need to resort to online. I have doing some research and I am looking either the Brownline digital or this one...

CDI 1002MFRMH 3/8" Drive, 10-100 ft .lbs Metal Handle Torque Wrench


Is CDI a reputable brand? Is the 10-100 ft.lbs range good for most repairs? My first job is replacing the intake manifold gasket which requires 22 ft.lbs.

I agree with what others have said, if I am going to start working under the hood of my car I would rather spend a few extra bucks to ensure the torques are done correctly.


Any other recommendations on torque wrenches for a weekend fixer are welcome.

 

[BLUEMEANIE]

HF torque wrenches are fine. I have both a large Husky brand and a smaller HF brand both do what they're made to do.

 

[sweeneyp]

I have a craftsman 3/8" beam torque wrench that works great. I use it for anything from engine work to torquing lugs.