A Couple of Nice Torque Wrenches

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Nov 20, 2006
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31,192
Location
MA, Mittelfranken.de
With more and more engines being made from all aluminum a good lower value and accurate torque wrench is almost a must have tool. We read about all the Icon and other brands that are in the $100 range, these tools have no replacement parts or service available for them. The first one here is a Norbar 10-50 Nm-7.5 -37.5 lb-ft.
For those that have never heard of them they are owned by Snap on, made in England and are very high quality, in fact they make torque wrenches for Gedore, Facom, Snap on, and quite a few others, regardless of brand they are never inexpensive. I found a screaming deal and bought one, I wanted to share the deal with the folks here, the company ships promptly and it arrives in about 10 days.

Every part is replaceable and available from Norbar USA or England every calibration service I know of has no issue doing them. This one is listed as "Industrial", they also have an "Automotive" model with reversible ratchet. I went with the industrial for a couple of reasons, the ratchet mechanism on the automotive version is by Facom which is fine but the selector is mounted on top and easy to knock. the plug style this one has is removable and when turned over also does left hand but there are other plugs available (without the mushroom" from Hazet, Gedore, etc that can fit 1/2 and 1/4 without increasing the depth of the tool which is a big plus in today's cramped engine compartments.

The certificate with this one is an "accredited calibration certificate" which is different from the ones normally found with others. Even the box has a sticker so it can be traced.

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Next up is the CDI 2502MRMH lb-in 30-250 lb-in or 4-27.7 Nm.
This one is really nice, made in USA a Snap on brand and SMALL, this thing is tiny, about 11" long and very thin with a small reversible ratchet head that gets into all sorts of tight places. I will link to info and prices below, for under $30 more than say the Icon you can get into real quality with the Norbar and under $20 for the CDI which is IMHO a no brainer. This one comes with a "normal" certificate which I already filed away but it was very accurate.

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Some links...



USA price for the Norbar.

Norbar info..



 
Napa carries the EverCraft brand. Setting them is similar to using a micrometer. They are low cost and I like them. If you can read a micrometer you can figure out how to use them. It is the kind that clicks once when you reach the set torque. Be sure to set them to 0 when you are not using them so they are stored with no tension on the spring.

When you use them be sure you are looking at the correct side when you set the torque. One side shows the calibration in Lb/Ft and the other side show it in N/m. The numbers on both sides look similar, so you really have to look to see what the units are for the side you are looking at when you calibrate it for the torque you want.
 
CDI wrenches are my choice. Plenty of them hit eBay.

I bought ¼, ⅜, and ½ drive wrenches with NM and in-lbs markings from the same seller. All had recent Army cal stickers and needed no adjustmet when I sent them off. Not bad for $300.
 
most all franchised auto parts stores sell cheap CHINESE with their brand on them!! bought a caliper on sale, looked good until furthus inspection at home, jaws NOT parallel. cheap wrenches are ok BUT critical measuring best be better made
 
Another post from Trav that will result in me spending more money on tools!

I just bought a CDI. I needed a good 1/4” wrench for light torque applications. It sits in a drawer with my 3/8” and 1/2”, which could really use replacement...

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I've had a Norbar 3/8 torque wrench for over 35 years...I got it to replace my Warren & Brown, which I prefer, but the ratchet head is nice. I think Norbar also made my Sykes Pickavant in/lb too/
 
I see the values were climbing during the 50 Nm check but the fifth one went back down. That’s reassuring.

I had one from a different manufacturer where the values on the test certificate kept climbing, if only by a small amount. They should not have passed it unless they finally had a reading that came back in the downward direction, then they could have posted that reading and the previous four.
 
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I've had a Norbar 3/8 torque wrench for over 35 years...I got it to replace my Warren & Brown, which I prefer, but the ratchet head is nice. I think Norbar also made my Sykes Pickavant in/lb too/

Yes they make them for Sykes, this is a 1/2 by Norbar. This is a great buy, they also as they ship to the USA minus the VAT.

 
I’ll have to give them a try maybe. I heard Precision Instruments were good and made the Torque Wrenches for Snap-on maybe that has changed. Norbar looks good I have never heard of them so I will give them a look for sure.
 
Both are Snap on owned companies. Norbar is an old company and very highly regarded in their own right for their torque wrenches, service and parts are available worldwide even for the old ones.
 
Both are Snap on owned companies. Norbar is an old company and very highly regarded in their own right for their torque wrenches, service and parts are available worldwide even for the old ones.
That’s great I will have to give them a try for sure.
 
I can vouch for the CDI 2502MRMH. Its a good one.

I have been using one for several years now given how many low torque fasteners there are on the newer cars I work on.
 
Never even heard of Norbar before but looks like a solid torque wrench. Man I really need to stop reading some of these threads and stop spending money on tools.
 
Very solid tools, still made in England. A little history, pretty impressive..

How Norbar was born – from wartime need to universal demand: Incorporated in 1943, the "North Bar Tool Company" became the first company in Britain to commercially manufacture torque wrenches. The initial demand was driven by the need for the gasket-less cylinder head of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine to be accurately tightened. Bill Brodey and his partner Ernest Thornitt obtained a licence from Britain's wartime Government to begin manufacture of torque wrenches and Norbar was born.
 
Thanks Trav! I have been thinking of upgrading my torque wrenches. I have a KD tools wide range torque wrench in 1/2 drive. I think the range is from 25 foot/pounds to 250 ft/lbs. Probably not that accurate at the low ranges.

As always, good timing on the post and yes, your posts tend to cause a spending reflex.
 
Thanks Trav! I have been thinking of upgrading my torque wrenches. I have a KD tools wide range torque wrench in 1/2 drive. I think the range is from 25 foot/pounds to 250 ft/lbs. Probably not that accurate at the low ranges.

As always, good timing on the post and yes, your posts tend to cause a spending reflex.

In that size unless you need an angle torque wrench this one is also a great buy. The split beam type has the advantage of not having to to set at zero after use. Precision also makes for Snap on and are very good quality.

 
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