Take a look at all the jobs you need a torque wrench for and all the recommended torque specs, and then match those numbers up with the torque wrench you’re looking at. If you need a wide range of torque specs, there’s a good chance a single torque wrench won’t be able to handle it all. Now that you know a little more about what to look for in a torque wrench and how to care for one, now it’s time to learn a little bit about using them. Another perk this torque wrench offers is the outstanding torque range. At the low end of things, you can torque things down to as low as 25 ft/lbs, but for larger jobs, you can crank it up all the way to 250 ft/lbs. The good news is that keeping this from happening is easy. After you use the torque wrench simply lower the torque wrench to the lowest setting. You shouldn’t “bottom out” the torque wrench, put it on the lowest setting it has. In that case, you’ll need to invest in multiple torque wrenches to properly torque everything down. While that can be a little frustrating, if you’re trying to save a little money the Pittsburgh Pro torque wrench set we highlighted above comes with three different torque wrenches that should be able to handle just about any job you have. Drive Size

And it’s also why it takes quite a bit to earn our nod as the best ½” drive torque wrench. This ACDelco ARM601 torque wrench is an outstanding mix of price and quality. While it’s far from the most affordable option on our list, it’s a great value considering it should last a lifetime. Finally, if you’re torquing down a series of bolts to a higher torque spec, it’s almost always better to start a lower torque spec and work your way around. For instance, if you’re torquing down tire bolts to 100 ft/lbs, we recommend this.

Adjustment Type

Still, because torque wrenches lose their calibration over time, it’s extremely important that you take the time to calibrate them each year. That way when you go to use them, you know you’re getting the exact right torque spec on the bolt, which is the whole point of having a torque wrench in the first place. Using Your Torque Wrench This Capri Tools torque wrench is another ¼” drive torque wrench that you should consider for smaller jobs. It’s an outstanding mix of price and quality for a ¼” torque wrench. It’s not the most affordable option out there for a ¼” option, but since it’s a smaller torque wrench it’s still not all that expensive. Sometimes you need a torque wrench for a really big job. If that sounds like you, then you should consider this ¾” drive Neiko Pro torque wrench. With a ¾” drive and a minimum 100 ft/lb setting it’s not for smaller jobs, but you’re also not going to find another torque wrench on our list that can come anywhere near 700 ft/lbs.

Alright, the Lexivon Torque Wrench might not be the most affordable or the highest-quality torque wrench out there, but what it does offer is a great intermediate option. It’ll last longer than most of our budget choices, but it’s still not a lifetime quality tool like many of our premium options. Even better, since it’s a 3/8” torque wrench you don’t have to spend nearly as much compared to some of the other options on our list. But even for a typical 3/8” drive torque wrench this one by EPAuto is available for a great price, and that’s a big part of the reason it’s our top 3/8” drive option. Why? Because if you fail to adequately torque a bolt, it could work its way loose. Or, if you tighten it too much, you could cause costly damage. About torque wrenches from HalfordsFor instance, our top choice, the GearWrench Micrometer Torque Wrench, has a low-end torque setting of 30 ft/lbs. This is the setting you want to store the torque wrench at to keep the calibration correct for as long as possible. Storing Your Torque Wrench This is the most important thing you need to do after you finish using your torque wrench. Torque wrenches are extremely sensitive and leaving a load on the torque wrench for an extended amount of time will throw off the calibration. Even better, you know you’re not going to need to replace it any time soon, even if you use it quite a bit. It’s extremely accurate with measurements you can fine-tune to a single in/lb, but it does start at 50 in/lbs. While that’s not all that high, sometimes for very small bolts on sensitive equipment there will be a smaller torque spec. It’s not that we think the extension will affect the final torque spec, it’s just that all it takes is for you to get a little off-center to get an errant reading. If you use it properly there shouldn’t be a problem though.