torque talk

BretLuter · **Posted:** Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:34 pm

Well, maybe not what you were thinking- but I wanted to share what I thought was a good deal I found recently on a torque wrench.

Stanley 78-386 3/8" torque wrench, good to 100 ft lbs, found at Big Lots on Glenwood (near WalMart at Pleasant Valley Rd)- $18.

I know there has been some discussion on this board about torque wrenches. I currently own no less than 5 torque wrenches, most of them broken, including a 1/2" drive Crapsman that has not been used more than 15 times. I also have a couple of those el-cheapo 1/2" drive clicker wrenches that they sell at Autozone, Advance Auto, Harbor Freight, etc for around $20. They seem to be as good as any, unless you decide to spring $100 or more for a "good" one.

This Stanley wrench just looks and feels nicer than any of the others I own (except the mack-daddy Blue Point/Snap On- which is probably a $300 tool if bought new).

The packaging says it's warrantied for life- and that you are not supposed to return the broken tool to the store- they provide a 1-800 number OR advise you to go to their website for return instructions. Better warranty than the Crapsman- which, as has been discussed, is NOT covered by their "Lifetime" hand tool warranty......

So, check your local Big Lots- I might even go buy another.

Bret

ps- here's a link to an Ebay listing showing this exact wrench:

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-8-DRIVE-RATCHET-T ... dZViewItem

(anyone else amazed that the Canadian Dollar is now worth more than the US Dollar???? :shock:

)

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:10 am

Guess I'll be stopping by Big Lots on the way home today. I was just telling Rebecca that I thought I needed a new torque wrench.

PhilFausz · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:58 am

That sounds like a great deal. I'm assuming all they had were 3/8"?

Last year I bought a torque wrench off ebay for $25 including shipping. The add didn't have a picture and it said it was new in box, never used. When it arrived, I was delighted to find out that not only was it never used, but it also turned out to be a Snap-On flex-head 3/8" torque wrench.

BretLuter · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:19 am

PhilFausz wrote:

That sounds like a great deal. I'm assuming all they had were 3/8"?

Last year I bought a torque wrench off ebay for $25 including shipping. The add didn't have a picture and it said it was new in box, never used. When it arrived, I was delighted to find out that not only was it never used, but it also turned out to be a Snap-On flex-head 3/8" torque wrench.

!!!!!!!!!

That's a screaming deal Phil!!!

And yes, all of the Stanley torque wrenches I saw at Big Lots were 3/8" drive. It may be worth a look at some other locations because each store seems to get a different assortment of items to put on their shelves.

They also had some Stanley gearwrench sets for $25-30, including the angled head reversible and the flex head versions. I almost bought a set of the flex head- might have to run back there today to get some if they have any left.

BTW, the Stanley tools were not in the regular tool section of the store, they were in a separate display towards the front of the store, a little to the right of the front customer service desk as you enter the store and head towards the back of the store. I almost did not see them, since the only things around this area were furniture and underwear..........

I'd be interested to hear if anyone finds any other good tool deals at their local Big Lots. I stocked up about a year ago on various Thorsen wrenches and sockets when they got a big load of them in- I went to every store in the triangle area and they all seemed to have different tools. I REALLY like the look and feel of some of the wrenches, and most of the other Thorsen tools are pretty decent quality- at least as good as Craftsman.

Bret

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:53 pm

I went by the Big Lots on Glenwood and got the last of the Stanley Torque Wrenches that they had on the shelf.

Thanks for the heads up Bret!!!

George Bright · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:00 pm

I got a Harbor Freight flyer today with a $15 torque wrench in it. 1/2 drive with a 20 - 150 lb. ft range. No cupon needed.

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:18 am

+1 for the Harbor Freight cheapie clicker wrench - though it's not really official, they'll replace them for free if you ask nicely. My first one lasted for about 4 years, and was usually within 3-4 # of my nice beam-type wrench. I checked it last fall, and it was about 10-12# off, so I took it back to HF and got a new one. Like the first one, it's usually within 3-4#.

Dustin Fredrickson · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:30 pm

TomFreeman wrote:

+1 for the Harbor Freight cheapie clicker wrench - though it's not really official, they'll replace them for free if you ask nicely. My first one lasted for about 4 years, and was usually within 3-4 # of my nice beam-type wrench. I checked it last fall, and it was about 10-12# off, so I took it back to HF and got a new one. Like the first one, it's usually within 3-4#.

-1 for the HF cheapie. Lasted through about 75% of a single suspension overhaul on the old CRX. Paid a couple bucks more for a Autozone (or AdvanceAuto?) cheapie that has lasted for years.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:51 pm

I guess I'm one of the few that have had a good experience with my Craftsman "twist and lock" torque wrenches. I've had mine for about 7 years now, and had them re-calibrated back about 2 years ago. It cost me nothing to have done too.

I am careful about after using them to turn it back to the lowest setting (but not beyond) when storing them. They test within 1-2 # of the beam one I have, so I think they've been worth it. I still plan to hit my local Big Lots here in Charlotte and see what they have. If they have anything of interest, including the torque wrenches, I'll post out here and take orders for those in the Triangle. - AB

Keith Quistorff · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:14 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

I guess I'm one of the few that have had a good experience with my Craftsman "twist and lock" torque wrenches. I've had mine for about 7 years now, and had them re-calibrated back about 2 years ago. It cost me nothing to have done too.

My Craftsman has also held up fine, no complaints, and I also always return the knob to 'STOP' when not in use. I've had it about 5 years and never had it calibrated, so I can't make any claims about accuracy.

So what's the deal with this free calibration? Is this something Sears does?

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:56 pm

Keith Quistorff wrote:

So what's the deal with this free calibration? Is this something Sears does?

After thinking about it some more, it's probably been about 4 years since I had it calibrated, not that it was off much. The only reason I remember was that I was living in Wake Forest at the time.

Yes, Sears did this at their "Service Centers" for free. There was a little one in a shopping center off of Rte. 98 in Wake Forest. I'm not sure if it was done in house or not, but even if they sent it off, it was only about 5 days to get it back. I'm unsure if they even do this anymore, but it might be worth looking into. I'll check it out down here in Charlotte. - AB

THSCC Forums

torque talk

Who is online