Harbor Freight Torque Wrench

[mobilnissan1991]

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-drive-5-to-80-ft-lb-click-torque-wrench-63880.html

Anyone use the above torque wrench? Ive read for a cheap one, its pretty accurate and works well. Always wanted to try one, only complaint I see is some say it does not click at lower settings such as 5-10 ft lbs but they arent aware that its only good from 20% to 100% of scale, which is 16 to 80 ft lbs. I have some older PI made Snap Ons from the early 90s they work great, I just need to send them out for calibration.

 

[tah8436]

Yep, it’s fine. It’s not like I’m using it to assemble engines, so I trust it for my use case. It’s true that the click on the 3/8in and 1/4in wrenches are quieter than the 1/2in, but it always clicks.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

There is nothing wrong with it

I have used it on spark plugs where the torque specs are in the teens. I used it last month for 15 lb ft spark plugs with no problem.

 

[GaryMX5]

Had one and it was great for lug nuts!

 

[daves87rs]

Should work just fine

 

[CarLuver]

i have one . it was off 5 pounds. but the good thing is they are easy to calibrate .

 

[DCDG]

I have mine for over 10 years and it works just fine never had a wheel come off or a drain pan bolt come loose. Now of course if you're a daily shop or mobile mechanic I would suggest a more reputable brand something worthy of daily torquing tasks.

 

[pudge]

i have had one for 5-6 years now has never failed use it every so often, mainly on tractors and lug nuts on vehicles

 

[NYEngineer]

My son has the 1/2" drive version of that wrench. I think it's very nice. We compared torque against my Snap On and it's just fine.

Edit: Correction... He has the Icon. Disregard my above statement.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

There is nothing wrong with it

I have used it on spark plugs where the torque specs are in the teens. I used it last month for 15 lb ft spark plugs with no problem.

I used them for spark plugs that are supposed to be 15 ... But I torqued them to 29

Ford 2v modular problems

 

[SC Maintenance]

I have the 1/2 inch Pittsburg for lug nuts. Seems fine.

I bought a tekton 3/8 for other stuff.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I used them for spark plugs that are supposed to be 15 ... But I torqued them to 29

Ford 2v modular problems

29 is the spec if you want to keep the in the head

 

[mobilnissan1991]

I used them for spark plugs that are supposed to be 15 ... But I torqued them to 29

Ford 2v modular problems

Thats what Ive heard is the trick is to torque them past the factory spec. If my 3.7 F150 ever fails in grand fashion Im buying a 97-03 F150 with either a 5.4 or 4.6 2V modular, great trucks

 

[tbm5690]

I used this for years up until very recently when I purchased a Craftsman digital. I'd always set the torque value 2/3 lbs above target just to be safe, but I also never used it on anything more sensitive than spark plugs. Mostly fluid drain bolts, etc.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Thats what Ive heard is the trick is to torque them past the factory spec. If my 3.7 F150 ever fails in grand fashion Im buying a 97-03 F150 with either a 5.4 or 4.6 2V modular, great trucks

I feel conflicted. My 2 valve 5.4 has 250K on it and still works, though it's tired. My 2 valve 4.6 has 160K on it and still gets me to and from work every day. For an out of the box powertrain, you'd be very hard pressed to find something domestiec more reliable than a 2 valve modular attached to a 4R70/75 transmission. Ford's own 6.2 with the 6R140 is extremely reliable as well.

However, I just hate working on Fords. The overhead cam engine just doesn't fit. A lot of other stuff is weirdly engineered.

 

[RyanY]

The Pittsburgh work fine. I had one for about 10 years and it was very accurate throughout that time. I checked calibration with a weight about every year and it never changed. Of course, I'm a DIYer so it didn't get used every day. Just be sure to set it to the lowest setting when you finish a job and store it, and it should last a long time.

That said, my only complaint is that the numbers are etched but not painted. As presbyopia set in around age 44, I decided to replace it with a Tekton wrench that I could read without wearing glasses. I then replaced all three of my Pittsburgh units with Tekton. Now, nearly 10 years later, I find that even these hard to read without glasses...

Edit: one more thing. The Pittsburgh wrenches are easy to adjust if the calibration is off. Lots of youtube vids on this.

 

[odie]

Have the 1/2" . Works well and can't go wrong for the price .

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I feel conflicted. My 2 valve 5.4 has 250K on it and still works, though it's tired. My 2 valve 4.6 has 160K on it and still gets me to and from work every day. For an out of the box powertrain, you'd be very hard pressed to find something domestiec more reliable than a 2 valve modular attached to a 4R70/75 transmission. Ford's own 6.2 with the 6R140 is extremely reliable as well.

However, I just hate working on Fords. The overhead cam engine just doesn't fit. A lot of other stuff is weirdly engineered.

I agree. I still drive my 5.4 2v almost daily. Has been both very reliable and miserable to work on. The early 5.4 head gaskets external leaking and Ford ignoring them is one of the most irritating issues. They should have done a recall.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I agree. I still drive my 5.4 2v almost daily. Has been both very reliable and miserable to work on. The early 5.4 head gaskets external leaking and Ford ignoring them is one of the most irritating issues. They should have done a recall.

I had to do the passenger side head gasket on my 5.4 a few years ago. It was hemorrhaging oil.

 

[Paco Pena]

I have one. Close enough for government work as the saying goes.

Paco