Tried a cheap torque wrench vs my Snap-on and wow what a difference

So I grabbed a $25 torque wrench from Harbor Freight last weekend to compare with my Snap-on that cost me like $350. First thing I noticed was the cheap one felt loose and the clicks were totally inconsistent. I tested it on a lug nut at 80 ft-lbs and then checked with the Snap-on and it was actually reading 65. Could have ruined a whole brake job if I trusted that thing. Anyone else had bad luck with the budget torque wrenches?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlescraig1mo ago

Man, I once borrowed my neighbor's cheap torque wrench to do my spark plugs and it snapped right off in the hole. Had to use an easy-out to get it out. Never again.

keith9001mo ago

Well, to be fair, most torque wrenches aren't meant to handle spark plugs anyway. The threads on those plugs are tiny and you barely need any force, usually around 15 foot pounds or less. Sounds more like the guy didn't have his wrench set right than a tool quality issue.

hannah4001mo ago

Cheap tools always bite you back.