Ever calibrate a torque wrench?

[SwedishRider]

Just as the subject says... ever calibrate a torque wrench? Did you send it out? Cost? Quality of result?

I may need to do so, but have no idea who does this (and who comes recommended for this). Thanks.

 

[Tegger]

You can find calibration outfits on Google.

The cost will probably be somewhere around $75-$100 (it's all labor!), so whether it's worth it or not will depend on the dollar-value of your specific wrench.

Unless you have a high-buck Snap-On, you may be best to just buy a new wrench and then take better care of it.

 

[Nukeman7]

These guys have a good reputation.

Angle Repair

And the prices look reasonable for just calibration or repair + calibration.

 

[CapitalTruck]

Good prices!

 

[SwedishRider]

Originally Posted By: Nukeman7
These guys have a good reputation.

Angle Repair

And the prices look reasonable for just calibration or repair + calibration.


Thanks! Those prices do look reasonable.

 

[Mr Nice]

In the past I've sent mine to Davis Calibration (now Tektronix) in Georgia for calibration.

 

[oilboy123]

I feel it's way overpriced when I had my 2 Snap On ones done. In fact the last time I bought a torque wrench adapter and calibrated my torque wrench using it as a guide. Though it was a 3/8 drive. My torque adapter only goes to 150 ft lbs, and my 1/2 drive torque wrench goes to 200 ft lbs. Have not got around to doing it yet.

I bought mine from Harbor freight.

Here is a video with the idea I speak of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiBbDWPNHiI

The specs for these electronic adapters seem pretty tight. This is off the Amazon site regarding the AC Delco Torque adapter.

http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-ARM602-4-M...M5S3SSWDCH5#Ask

I don't see in specs the accuracy percentage?

A:
Here is the ACDelco page for this Torque adapter: http://www.acdelco-tools.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=132 It says "Accuracy CW ± 2%; CCW ± 3%".
adam r bates answered on July 25, 2014

 

[ronbo]

Read that you should never leave a torque wrench at a setting, like 75 ft lbs or whatever, it stretches the spring and goofs up calibration.
After use set down to zero.

 

[oilboy123]

Another one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIkg94hDswY

 

[oilboy123]

That is what I have always done....
Originally Posted By: ronbo
Read that you should never leave a torque wrench at a setting, like 75 ft lbs or whatever, it stretches the spring and goofs up calibration.
After use set down to zero.

 

[Y_K]

some wrenches of the new crop don't need this anymore

 

[oilboy123]

Could you expound........
Originally Posted By: Y_K
some wrenches of the new crop don't need this anymore

 

[ZOMBIE]

If you have a HARBOR FREIGHT store near you or online they sell this neat torque gauge which fits 3/8 or 1/2 drives. You can put it on the end of your torque wrecch and it has a digital read out of the torque applied. You can use it as a gauge itself or measure the accuracy of your torque wrench. I have a beam and a click adjustable 1/2 drive wrenches. Both came out to within 1 foot lb of the read out. I was thinking about buying a new wrench before I saw this tool which is about $25.00. Now I can check my wrench a few times a year. Between postage and labor I would buy a new wrench if it was way out of spec. Even if mine becomes 5 lbs off I can just crank it up 5 lbs now that I have a reference.

 

[Dexters]

This?
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-digital-torque-adapter-68283.html

If not, can you post a link to it?

 

[Vikas]

yes that is the one but how do you know that it is accurate?

 

[spackard]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
yes that is the one but how do you know that it is accurate?


"A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure." - Segal's Law

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
yes that is the one but how do you know that it is accurate?


It comes with a calibration certificate and it's an incredibly simple mechanism.

How do you truly know anything is accurate?

How do you know a new torque wrench is accurate?

I've checked all my torque wrenches with my torque adapter. Either they're all accurate, or they're all inaccurate by the exact same amount in the exact same direction.

 

[Vikas]

I have it and have use it to check the calibration of my torque wrenches. I paid only $10 for each of them. It will cost more than that just to ship the wrench to get it calibrated! Besides, when it makes the round trip via UPS/Fedex/USPS, would you trust it to keep its calibration?

HOWEVER, the certificate is signed by some Chinese guy in China. Would a person who wants to calibrate his $700 torque wrench trust this device or its calibration certificate?

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: Vikas

HOWEVER, the certificate is signed by some Chinese guy in China. Would a person who wants to calibrate his $700 torque wrench trust this device or its calibration certificate?


They're made in Taiwan, not China, if memory serves.

In your imaginary scenario, I think it would be plenty fine for checking if your torque wrench is still in spec if you're curious.

It's a useful tool for a DIY'er to check torque wrenches. If you want to send your torque wrench off to a pro to be checked, go ahead and do it. I don't care.

Personally, my torque adapter has shown me that my torque wrenches are all still in spec and working fine.

 

[Vikas]

The point was that it serves perfectly for both of us but not to the folks who are using $700 Snap On torque wrench. When the HF torque block does not agree with their Snap On torque wrench, guess which one are they going to believe?