How long can you leave clicker torque wrenches on a torque setting?

[atikovi]

They all say to turn them back down to their lowest setting after use. Does that mean, after the end of the day, after each bolt, or something in between like if you're not going to use it for a half hour.

 

[MParr]

After you are done for the day.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I zero it out when I’m done for the day. Never had an issue that way.

 

[bdcardinal]

I zero it out as soon as I am done with the tool. Also I guess it is a weird habit but if I need to torque something else to a different value I wind it back to the low setting, then put to to the next value.

 

[Chris142]

I have only been using mine for lug nuts.after I tq the last one I turn it down and put it away

 

[Pelican]

It ought to be zeroed after each use. This is not a tool that one uses constantly unless you are in the tire changing business.

 

[demarpaint]

I zero it after each use. EG: if I am tightening 20 lug nuts, it is zeroed after the 20th lug nut is tightened. Or if I am torquing down a head as soon as the last head bolt is tightened I zero the tool.

 

[totegoat]

When I'm done for the day.

 

[tyman]

When I'm done using it, it gets put back on the storage setting.

 

[mightymousetech]

My wheel torque wrench has been sitting on its torque spec for 30 years. Still within 2# when I check it twice a year.

 

[SubLGT]

My clicker split beam T-wrench does not require resetting to a low value for storage.

 

[The Critic]

My wheel torque wrench has been sitting on its torque spec for 30 years. Still within 2# when I check it twice a year.

Is it a split-beam?

 

[mightymousetech]

Is it a split-beam?

LOL!

 

[Oliveoil2]

Answer: never

 

[Nyati]

The new Hazet ones say that you don’t ever have to turn them back to zero. I read that in the instructions- but I’m old school - going to turn it back.

 

[RyanY]

The OM should tell you if your particular model should be set to 0 (or in some cases, to the lowest value). As others said, I do this when I am finished with it (e.g., after the last wheel is on).

That said, I don't think leaving it set to torque value will have a huge effect on the performance, but why risk it?

 

[xgmad]

The OM should tell you if your particular model should be set to 0 (or in some cases, to the lowest value). As others said, I do this when I am finished with it (e.g., after the last wheel is on).

That said, I don't think leaving it set to torque value will have a huge effect on the performance, but why risk it?

It takes somewhat a long time to have an effect, there is a spring inside that if you leave it at a setting it can loose its ability to decompress which can affect accuracy.

 

[haggler]

I needed a cheap torque wrench from harbor freight to leave at my parents. I went through 3 of the 3/8 from Taiwan. What I noticed is that some of them out of the box were left on 10-20ft lb. When I used my digital torque wrench to check each one, the ones left on the setting were almost exactly 10ft/lb higher than whatever was set. So yeah, it does seem to affect the spring. Only 1/3 worked correctly, but this one was spot on very accurate.

 

[xgmad]

I needed a cheap torque wrench from harbor freight to leave at my parents. I went through 3 of the 3/8 from Taiwan. What I noticed is that some of them out of the box were left on 10-20ft lb. When I used my digital torque wrench to check each one, the ones left on the setting were almost exactly 10ft/lb higher than whatever was set. So yeah, it does seem to affect the spring. Only 1/3 worked correctly, but this one was spot on very accurate.

I have a cheap torque wrench from EPauto, it works very well and i only paid 40 bucks for it. I got it on amazon