Vent: Bought a $30 torque wrench from Harbor Freight last year

Snapped a bolt clean off on my truck's control arm last Saturday because it was off by 15 ft-lbs, so has anyone else had their cheap tools fail at the worst possible moment?

3 comments

3 Comments

thomas_torres1mo ago

Used to think the whole "buy once cry once" thing was just tool snobs being dramatic. Bought a Pittsburgh torque wrench from HF myself a few years back and it worked fine for basic stuff. But after it let a lug nut spin loose on a trail and I almost lost a wheel, I borrowed a buddies Snap-On and felt the difference immediately. Now I just borrow his for anything serious. Cheaper than buying a new control arm or worse.

hall.joel1mo ago

Ripping a whole torque wrench over one loose lug nut feels like blaming a hammer for a bent nail but I get why you'd be spooked after almost losing a wheel on the trail.

-2

riley_wood841mo ago

...and the thing nobody talks about is how much the temperature messes with cheap torque wrenches. I left my old Pittsburgh in the truck bed during a hot summer and it was reading 10 pounds high the next time I used it. The thermal expansion on the internal components just throws everything off. A Snap-On or even a decent digital unit has compensation for that, but a $30 wrench doesn't. So even if you click it right, you're still gambling if it's not at room temp.