digital torque wrench adapter?

was at harbor freight and saw this... seems like a good and compact "torque wrench" option

anyone try something like this out?... thoughts?... opinions?

Doesn't look very compact to me...

I saw those the other day and almost bought one. I probably would have if I didn't already have a normal wrench.

Ian F wrote: Doesn't look very compact to me...

it is compared to a 1/2" 3/8" and 1/4" set of torque wrenches with their plastic cases...

I just don't like digital E36 M3 when torquing down critical things. Might be why I have a drawer full of torque wrenches, both beam and clicker.

I have a craftsman version of that thing, only picked it up because it was in the bargain bin at a sears outlet store so I got it for 10 bux. Seems accurate comparing it to my clicker but 9 times out of 10 I just reach for the traditional clicker.

donalson wrote: it is compared to a 1/2" 3/8" and 1/4" set of torque wrenches with their plastic cases...

Most of the time what I'm tightening doesn't have enough room for such a contraption and normal wrenches would still be needed, so this would just add.to the clutter in my box.

I do get a kick out of folks who think the +/-6 percent of a clicker accuracy is as good as digital, but I also, for some reason doubt the calibration of these.

Modern manufacturing techniques and cheap, common load cells equal a pretty potent combo. How many of us decry the accuracy of a digital walmart bathroom scale. I am sure they are within the same 4-6% accuracy of a snapon clicker wrench.

If I had access to a lab load cell I would love to test this against a clicker wrench. I bet it would be closer. I also bet there would be one digital adapter in 50 that was off by a mile.

did some reading on the HF web page, few people tested them to properly calibrated wrench... was dead on

also they mention that it comes with a certification of calibration

I saw that Saturday. I wonder, is there a way to input the length of the ratchet and an extension? You NEED to know the length of the handle, but extension not as much.

http://www.mechanicstoolsupply.com/38-Inch-Digital-Torque-Adapter_p_24449.html

DrBoost wrote: I saw that Saturday. I wonder, is there a way to input the length of the ratchet and an extension? You NEED to know the length of the handle, but extension not as much.

No, you don't. Unless you need to know the force you are making to achieve the torque.

This is measuring the actual torque being applied. Nice little load cell.

44Dwarf wrote: http://www.mechanicstoolsupply.com/38-Inch-Digital-Torque-Adapter_p_24449.html

Still not very compact...

true not compact but nice and on sale to in both 3/8 and 1/2 drives. I just purchaced a matercool fliaring set from them on last monday... I hope its on my door tonight.

Hmm, the basis of a cheap DIY dynamometer?
HP = Torque x RPM
Get some big old disk brakes, gang 4 or 5 of them onto a common staft ....
The old Prony Brake, revisited. (Now! with Digital Readout!)

Maybe could even figure a way to make it work 'on board'?

I'm sure I could fangle a PIC board to multiply the torque value times the RPM value, and then scale/format the result for human consumption.