Decided between a used torque wrench and a cheap new one for compressor work

Tbh I went with the used Snap-on from a pawn shop for $40 instead of a $20 Amazon special, and my bolt torques have been way more consistent since. Has anyone else had luck with older pro tools over budget replacements?

2 comments

2 Comments

finley_flores289d ago

Did you check if the pawn shop torque wrench was actually calibrated still? I grabbed a Proto from a garage sale for $15 once and it ended up being more accurate than my buddy's brand new Husky. The old stuff was built to last and often has better internal mechanisms than the budget replacements. The cheap ones tend to drift after a few uses, especially if you're not gentle with them. If the used tool has a smooth click and no slop in the head, you're usually golden. Just double check it against a beam style wrench once in a while to be sure.

lewis.drew9d ago

Buddy of mine snagged a Snap-on from a flea market for twenty bucks, looked like it had been through a war but the click was crisp as anything. He tested it against a beam style his dad had for decades and it was dead on at every setting from 20 to 150 foot pounds. That thing is still his go-to five years later, never had to touch the calibration on it.