1/4 inch Torque Wrench @ Princess Auto for $22.22

Just got the latest flyer.

From Feb 13 - 17

1/4 " torque wrench, 20-200 inch/pounds, are on sale for $22.22, normally $34.99.

I have no idea if they are any good at all.

Torque Wrench

I wouldn't recommend this torque wrench for the simple reason that it does not torque low enough.

IE your fork tube pinch bolts on your triple clamps require only 11 foot pounds of torque.

The smaller M6 bolts only require 7 foot pounds.

Marc

Hey Marc,

This one goes down to 20 inch-pounds, whic is about 1.7 foot-pounds.

No way I would trust the calibration of a $22 torque wrench. Not on my bikes, anyway!

Rob

Torque Wrench

Sorry, stupid assumption on my part, imagine the pipes (arms) you'd need to get the wrench to click at 200 foot pounds.

Marc

.

That must be a KTM thing, my DRZ requires about 21lbs IIRC.(don't have my spec sheet in front of me)

These wrenches work fine for the average guy. It's not like we're building rockets here . Torque specs generally allow you a bit of margin of error either way- like about 5-10%.
I bet if you checked the calibration on every torque wrench in every bike mechanics tool box, probably half of them would be out of calibration by a few % anyway.

BJ

At a shop I worked at, the boss had a electronic tester for torque wrenchs and if yours didn't pass, he would not let you us it on anything.

Son of a beach! I just bought the same one at full price @ a month ago from Princess.

Oh well, the cheap MX stand from their last flyer made up for it

Hey DM: who is manufacturer of the $22.00 torque wrench. Most click style wrenches are accuarte to 5% of value, dial type 3% of value. Thats the major manufacturers.

Its a Power Fist wrench I don't know who actually makes this wrench but think of it this way. After 2 years will you still trust this wrench torqin down your bolts on your bike just to save a few bucks? I would say this deal is one of those its too good to be true and stick with your instinct and treat yourself with some quality stuff.



:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Power Fist is ok, but once you start using quality stuff like Jobmate from CTC, you never go back. :wink:

The reason the torques are so different is that one is a conventional fork, and the other is an upside down fork. If you over torque the lower clamps on an upside down fork, you will add friction to the forks, which affect your handling adversly.

Jon

ps. I'd personally skip the chance to trust a cheap tool like these.

LOL, dont even get me started on JobMate....... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

HI guys,
new to the Forum but I thought I would put in my two cents worth of torque wrench knowledge.

A torque wrench is only as good as the guy/girl using it.

Most torque wrenches actually have an accuracy rating as well as a temperature window that they remain acurate in i.e. minus 20C to plus 30C. Outside of that they could be inaccurate. Most torque wrench instructions will tell you that they are again inaccurate in the top or bottom 10% of their range.

If you increase or decrease the length of a torque wrench by adding extensions etc the value dialed in changes. Very easy to over and under torque if you do this.

Also torque wrenches should be stored with the tension on the spring backed off. Consider leaving a 200ft/lb torque wrench cranked to 150 ft/lbs and left over the winter period. This eventually weakens the internal springs making the wrench inacurate.

Bottom line is a $200.00 dollar torque wrench could be equal to a $22.00 torque wrench in the wrong hands.

Thanks for letting me ramble.

I bought the $22 torque wrench from princess auto because I needed to check the valve clearances on my bike. I nearly stripped a screw waiting for the "click" that never happened. So before I did any damage with it I went to Canadian Tire and got a Mastercraft Maximum 3/4" torque wrench (which fortunately was, and still is, on sale). Way better quality and worked like a charm. The princess auto wrench I bought was dangerous - I wouldn't give it away.

J.

3/4" torque wrench ?

Are you a railroad mechanic or tightening those big bolts at Skydome ?

Alba...are you sure you bought the inch pound torque wrench and not the foot pound one???
I bought one of those inch pound wrenches and tested it next to my buddies snap-on wrench...it was extremely close, so close that you could hardly feel the difference. We put them both in a vise together and pulled them at the same time and they both clicked off at the same time give or take a mili second. I made the same mistake on my outer case housing bolts...I used a foot pound wrench and soon found that it felt way too tight to be correct, luckily I too didn't strip or snap anything.
I have used my cheapy torque wrench and am quite happy with it. So far...I do have a snap-on foot pound torgue wrench that I used while working in the industry but never needed an inch pounder before now and for the few times I need it...this will do...IMO

Big Doug:
oops...I meant 3/8 inch wrench not 3/4 inch!

Willys:
I was definitely using the princess auto inch/lb wrench. I checked it on other bolts and could never get it to click even at very low settings. It was my first time using a torque wrench so I guess I could have been doing something wrong (but I had no trouble with the mastercraft wrench). It also had some sort of rubber cap in the shaft that kept falling off - didn't inspire confidence.

LOL! Yeah, I figured...

Those Canadian Tire ones are nice units and good value when they're on sale.

I had to buy the 3/8" 'cheapie' first to finish a job I was working on last year and I coudn't wait around for a sale at CT. My dad bought me the 1/2" for Christmas (needed for my rotor bolt when doing the doohickey on my KLR) and I bought the 1/4 cheapie on a whim earlier this year when I ordered one of those $30 mx stands. I'll need the 1/4" for doing my valves.

Maybe we should have a torque wrench showdown over a few beers one day

Strap-on vs MasterCraft vs Craftsman vs PowerFist vs a calibration reference tool...Steel Cage Match LOL!

I don't think they would be all that different for a few dozen pulls...but after a few years.....or use at your job...buy the snap-on for sure.....no question!!! That's why I have the 1/2" snappy!!!

Hey Big Doug...any warmer yet????? lol It's frigg'in freezing down here today!!!