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Inexpensive toque screwdriver?

1K views 14 replies 14 participants last post by  Sberry  
#1 ·
The klein one is like $300, I mean that's crazy. You're telling me I can get a 1/2" torque wrench at harbor freight to torque breaker lugs for like $20, but a screwdriver version is in the hundreds? Are there any inexpensive varieties?
 
#4 · (Edited)
Wera is a good brand and their made in Czech products are very well made, and the price is right, but the torque range on their products is small, so you might need two to do what you have to do.

Wiha is good too, for $99 this one made in Germany with a 15-80 inch-pound range looks hard to beat

Edited: @AndianaJones pointed out that one's in inch ounces not inch pounds, way too light duty.
 
#7 ·
Wera is a good brand and their made in Czech products are very well made, and the price is right, but the torque range on their products is small, so you might need two to do what you have to do.

Wiha is good too, for $99 this one made in Germany with a 15-80 inch-pound range looks hard to beat

Actually, I noticed that one is in inch/ounces.


Andy.
 
#5 ·
“A Man’s got to know his limitations”
A torque screw driver is handy for up to a #10 fastener or so, Ergonomically it’s simply not the right tool when needing to torque 1/4 inch fasteners or bigger.

Service conductors and main breakers are typically in the 200 inch-pound plus range, so a torque wrench is the tool of choice for those.
 
#10 ·
Testing of the torque applied by electricians using ordinary hand tools done at trade shows and similar venues revealed that over 90% of us under torque our connections. Using a torque measuring tool is cheap insurance that the connection is far less likely to creap open.
 
#11 ·
I bought a Wera pistol grip style when the mandate came out. Haven't used it in years. People may accuse me of a lot of things, but undertorquing lugs certainly isn't one of them. Overtorquing is more likely, but I haven't had any of my stuff burn up in the 20 years I have been wiring things. Most other stuff I end up working on that was done by other people, undertorquing is the norm. I can usually get at least a 1/2 turn easily on the terminals. Same with locknuts. The number of those things that I can spin off by hand is atrocious.