These are nice but no more accurate than less expensive Harbor Freight ones. Main advantages are rubber grip and easier to read scaling. Since a good torque wrench should last a life time and Craftsman stands behind their products (at least until Sears goes out of business) is worth spending a bit more for this. Just make sure you back it off to zero when not in use for best accuracy and max life.
There is no lifetime warranty on Craftsman torque wrench. It has a limited 1-year manufacturers warranty and a 90-day store return warranty.
It's a hand tool so I wonder why Craftsman doesn't back it like a hand tool. I notice some reviewers complain of repeatable failure while others say it works great.
Lowes has a Tekton brand for $41.73 that looks about the same as the one Harbor Freight sells for $17.50. The Kobalt brand is a step up in quality and a couple step ups in price.
There is no lifetime warranty on Craftsman torque wrench. It has a limited 1-year manufacturer's warranty and a 90-day store return warranty. It's a hand tool so I wonder why Craftsman doesn't back it like a hand tool. I notice some reviewers complain of repeatable failure while others say it works great.
Because all clickers require regular calibration. Sears probably got sick of mechanics regularly returning them for new.
Uh, the "Accurate to +-4% of load requirement" means zilch. Usually this is so inaccurate that it could mean a total variance of 6 '-ft. +/- (4% of full scale of 150 '-ft.) So, if U are putting in plugs in an alum. head that should never be done greater than 12 '-ft. U can easily strip the head. I'd never use a 1/2" torq. wr. to put in plugs for this reason.
Uh, the "Accurate to +-4% of load requirement" means zilch. Usually this is so inaccurate that it could mean a total variance of 6 '-ft. +/- (4% of full scale of 150 '-ft.) So, if U are putting in plugs in an alum. head that should never be done greater than 12 '-ft. U can easily strip the head. I'd never use a 1/2" torq. wr. to put in plugs for this reason.
It's not hard to use common sense when deciding enough is enough (torque). I have never used a torque wrench for plugs and never had a problem from not doing so.
Uh, the "Accurate to +-4% of load requirement" means zilch. Usually this is so inaccurate that it could mean a total variance of 6 '-ft. +/- (4% of full scale of 150 '-ft.) So, if U are putting in plugs in an alum. head that should never be done greater than 12 '-ft. U can easily strip the head. I'd never use a 1/2" torq. wr. to put in plugs for this reason.
It's not hard to use common sense when deciding enough is enough (torque). I have never used a torque wrench for plugs and never had a problem from not doing so.
^ Not really much of a risk. It's a larger risk to try to brute force something and thinking you stop when you see a number instead of based on the feel of how hard you're turning it, plus in a high % of spark plugs applications on remotely modern vehicles you can't even get a torque wrench into an area and if you can, odds of being able to see the indicator are low.
Heck, last plug job I did, I had to even pull the wheels, wheel well liners, and a few things bolted down in that area just to get to the plugs with a couple adapters and by feel instead of seeing what I was doing.
The main thing to keep in mind is to not use anti-seize compound on modern plated plugs because they then become overtorqued once the anti-seize effectiveness wears out which becomes a more common problem with today's Platinum and Iridium plugs which may be in for several years, up to 100K mi. (or more if neglected) between changes.
That can happen with or without a torque wrench so for long life plugs it is best to always get the plated type, though I'm not even sure if you can get non-plated long life plugs any longer.
I'm not suggesting to never use a torque wrench, especially on areas like brakes and suspension where a failure is far more dangerous and torque values can be much lower OR much higher than for spark plugs.
Comments & Reviews (12)
It's a hand tool so I wonder why Craftsman doesn't back it like a hand tool. I notice some reviewers complain of repeatable failure while others say it works great.
Because all clickers require regular calibration. Sears probably got sick of mechanics regularly returning them for new.
Calibration isn't covered under any warranty except indirectly by the store's 90-day satisfaction warranty.
It's not hard to use common sense when deciding enough is enough (torque). I have never used a torque wrench for plugs and never had a problem from not doing so.
Hence the reason they were returned as defective.
That is an incredibly costly risk.
Heck, last plug job I did, I had to even pull the wheels, wheel well liners, and a few things bolted down in that area just to get to the plugs with a couple adapters and by feel instead of seeing what I was doing.
The main thing to keep in mind is to not use anti-seize compound on modern plated plugs because they then become overtorqued once the anti-seize effectiveness wears out which becomes a more common problem with today's Platinum and Iridium plugs which may be in for several years, up to 100K mi. (or more if neglected) between changes.
That can happen with or without a torque wrench so for long life plugs it is best to always get the plated type, though I'm not even sure if you can get non-plated long life plugs any longer.
I'm not suggesting to never use a torque wrench, especially on areas like brakes and suspension where a failure is far more dangerous and torque values can be much lower OR much higher than for spark plugs.
Thank you!