Four Imperative Torque Wrench Buying Tips
No matter how good of a mechanic you are, there are times that you will accidentally strip out bolts or damage an important auto component. A torque wrench provides you with the ability to tighten nuts and bolts on your vehicle back to the appropriate factory foot-pounds setting without the anxiety of the above-mentioned concerns.
As any serious home mechanic knows, a torque wrench is one of the most essential tools needed. It is imperative that you take time when purchasing one of these tools to ensure that you get the best of the best.
Here are a few buying tips to help you choose the perfect torque wrench:
1. Purchasing an Accurate Torque Wrench - Because a torque wrench is used to measure the appropriate amount of foot-pounds factory settings, it is necessary to purchase one that is accurate. Look for models that have lower than a +5% accuracy in foot-pounds setting. A number of the better quality torque wrenches have decent accuracy and are moderately low-priced.
2. Always Select Quality Over Extra Features - While we all love those extra bells and whistles every once in a while, additional features should not be a concern when purchasing a torque wrench for your automotive needs. Quality should always be the number one priority. Think about it do you really need that fancy LED screen? In all honesty, you do not. While these torque wrenches are indeed extremely nice, they can lack in quality whereas a well-made model without all the impressive extras are more affordable and are just as, if not more, accurate.
3. Consider Usage Rate - Another very important consideration when purchasing a quality and accurate torque wrench is how often you will actually be using it to perform mechanical duties. If you will only be using it sporadically on auto repairs then it is not necessary to spend a fortune even a small fortune on something you will hardly ever use except when absolutely necessary. Instead, you can spend under $100 for a heavy-duty torque wrench manufactured by Craftsman or Husky. Alternatively, a professional model is likely to cost around $300 for a high quality Snap On or Mac wrench and would be highly recommended if you will be using it on a daily or very frequent basis.
4. Purchase American-made - When it comes to vehicles, many will tell you that import vehicles such as Hondas and Toyotas are better vehicles that will last longer because they are not American-made. However, when it comes to purchasing that torque wrench to work on your vehicles, it is better to go American. While we cannot deny that there are international companies that produce high quality, heavy-duty torque wrenches, American-made torque wrenches exceed quality standards and come with warranties, with the best having lifetime warranties.
When a torque wrench is not used, a bolt may get stripped or a component may fail because the proper amount of torque was not applied. While a torque wrench may not be a tool that you use every day, it will save you both time and money on the days that you do put it to use! Visit Sears.com today for more information and to see our inventory of quality torque wrenches and other tools.
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