1/4" drive torque wrench

I'd like to get one to use rather than my 3/8". Looked them up on the Snap-on site and I saw a price of $415. I want quality but that's a bit more than I wanted to pay. Any suggestions for something that would work well for bikes but not cost so much?

 

What are you using it for?
Building engines?

 

I got mine (an older model) from ebay and even with checking the calibration it was lots less than $415.

 

Had my Snap-On unit for 30 years. Had the calibration checked a couple times, as precaution. Works great today.

 

15 year old Craftsman clicker type. Check calibration every other year or so. Always spot on. And lots less than $415.

 

I have a Husqvarna 501 (KTM 500) and I stripped out a case bolt hole on the clutch slave. I was using my Craftsman 3/8" clicker set to 10 NM. The advice I got from the shop mechanic that installed inserts for me was to get a 1/4" torque wrench because it would be more accurate in the range.

 

30 years! I'm pretty sure I won't be around that long. I'll 68 in a few weeks.

 

I've heard for 10 lbs and under, a beam style is better than a click type.

Truth, or not.

 

Quitter.

 

I don't think so. Probably won't have much to say about it. But I do plan to keep riding as long as possible.

 

...and totally redeem yourself!

 

Or get a 3/8 drive, inch lb. torque wrench. That's what I did when an old torque wrenched fubared me one time.

 

My wrist is a calibrated instrument...

 

A friend I raced with asked me how I knew how tight I was tightening whatever I was currently working on, without a torque wrench. I looked at him and made a click sound as I got it to where I wanted it. He kept multiple torque wrenches at had for tire changes because he said otherwise, he'd strip everything out.

 

Wera Product finder
Not cheap, but not $400 either.

 

Snap-On farms out the manufacture of their torque wrench these days. Go to Amazon, look at the reviews and buy accordingly. A $400 dollar wrench is silly. Btw, store all your torque wrenches in a climate controlled environment.

 

I had like 2 dozen from when I had my FAA repair station. Sold a bunch on here, I still have a few left. I'm away from my shop but i can send specs Tuesday

 

I can’t seem to break, get it to go out of cal or find a good reason to replace my park tools 1/4”. I just take care of it and i was checking it every 3 months in the snap on truck. Told the guy every time if it was out of cal I would buy a new one on the spot. Definitely worth taking a look at. I think it’s discontinued now but I saw some on eBay for sub $150. And I was using it daily for years to build motors.

My 3/8ths craftsman was a pile of shit and I hated that thing. It went out of cal twice and it was off by over 60ftlbs.

 

On a click type torque wrench as long as you are in the range of the torque wrench's design it's (ie 200-1200 inch lbs) accurate. That's an old mechanics tale from deflection bar type torque wrenches.

 

Shameless plug. Great prices on WERA tools here.
I like my Snap-On inch pound torque wrench.
https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Search/Search?fctype=adc.falcon.search.SearchFormCtrl&cmd=Search&searchquery=1/4"+torque+wrench&categoryId=0&TxnNumber=-1&searchqty=10