@@Tools-Tested I have seen so many negative comments about this torque wrench. However, I bought it based on your video, and it seems to work very well. I used it for a brake job, and I’m sure that it doesn’t have to be perfectly accurate for that.
"Exercise your torque wrench" is valuable advice. I've had to replace one due to lack of exercise. Worked fine when new, but failed to click after 2 years of non-use.
I do engine work, i have a snap-on torque wrench, but this video actually made me go the other way. Can't see how testing something so vigorously would lead to a conclusion of Not to use them.
That’s what I’m trying to figure out, what was the justification for that statement if they tested well. I know for the internals of engine rebuilds it would be best(Snap On Torque wrench) to get the most accurate torque but I can’t imagine being a hair off with the Pittsburgh that it would cause a issue. Maybe I’m wrong but that statement threw me off lol
I don't know who the hell would build engines with one of those for the last 10 years.... 👀 All jokes but mine has been good as far as I can tell. Cool test!
I remember you saying the other year that it would be neat to do this kinda test, cool to see it happen and I’m shocked again by how well these cheap HF torque wrenches perform.
Finally! It is super super super helpful to put several examples like this to the test. Lots of folks just do one and call it good and it's nowhere near conclusive. A sample size of 6 is a good start and starts to show some patterns.
I bought it for armorsmithing, which is pretty forgiving on a lot of guns. So this wrench is great for my applications. I really appreciate the info to know it's close to within spec. I also didn't even know exercising a torque wrench was a thing, so glad I watched this!
I used to be a chevy lubetech and used this HF 1/2 torque wrench for customer's lugnut all day long. 100ftlb - mostly 140ftlb on pickup truck lugnuts, every time they came for an oil change. Also I never put it back to zero after work. 1 year later, I checked with my torque adapter but applied torque was good enough. After 1 year of everyday use, ratcheting function broke down maybe because I used it close to the limit of 150ftlb every day. But lifetime warranting process was so easy. Now I have three 1/2 torque wrenches. 1 inside my garage, and others sitting inside the trunk of my cars. I like it too much I've bought twice and gave it to my non-carguy friends as a gift. I bought my first 1/4 3/8 1/2 set at $10 each long time ago, but current $12 price is still crazy cheap.
Honestly as a diy guy I've done alot with the 1/2 in Pittsburgh...all the suspension stuff that comes up and engine stuff also..now years later I've got a snap on for stuff I really want to be sure on but that Pittsburgh has been good..js..mine I bought prolly 7 years ago
Price != quality. Seems like whoever is making these for Harbor Freight has good people working a good process turning out a good product. What it really illustrates is how out-of-control, greedy, and/or careless so many other brands have become.
Just bought the 1/2 for $11.99. I’ve used the 3/8 for years but not very often. Hard to spend tons of money on a tool I don’t use much. I use my in pound torque wrench tons so I have a higher quality one. I’m glad too see they are that accurate.
Truly appreciate this. I see tests with just about every product and I always think about the consistency of products over time. Stuff can change especially with prices going up and your video demonstrates that.
I keep that exact model in my offroad toolkit. It's been rare that I've ever had to use it, but it helped ensure that I got off the trail and back to a place where the repair can be either redone properly or at least given a final check.
I played with mine with a torque adaptor. I found with practice I got much more consistant and accurate. Don't hit the click at full force and you won't add several more ft lbs.
That was a good video. Who would have thought those torque wrenches are accurate. I would like to see you do a video on the icon line of torque wrenches. Enjoy watching your videos. Keep them coming.
Thanks! Yeah would have laughed someone out of the shop before seeing these results, crazy. I have tested almost all of the Icons, but they are scattered in multiple videos.
I have the 1/2" and the 3/8" HF Pittsburgh. I test them on a digital meter that I can verify the accuracy with weights. Both are right on the money. I did have to replace one on warrantee, but that was because the locking nut locked. Anyway, good testing and thanks for a no BS video,
Thanks for the thorough testing! I just bought one a few days ago and was skeptical about it, but I'm not a mechanice so this should be sutiable for my needs :)
Thank you. I've wondered about that for a while now. Seeing several tested purchased covering more than one source over time is convincing. I agree, don't build an engine with it, but wheels and other general chassis work that requires a torque, go for it.
I don't understand the advice of not using this essentially if you are a mechanic. All 6 were accurate and cycled 1000 times. What else do you want from a torque wrench?
I agree. It doesn't make sense as he proved it was accurate. The Icon that he would do engine work with has the same +/-4% accuracy as the Pittsburgh. Yet he would rather use an untested torque wrench for engine work.
I actually have a complete set (1/2 - 1/4) of both these pittsburgh torque wrenches and Matco electric angling torque wrenches. One set cost me $1300, and the other set cost me $35. I got them because a master tech I work with told me that he uses the pittsburgh all the time on less particular bolts and to save his expensive torque wrenches from wear and tear. Your videos made me a lot more confident that all those lug nuts I've been using the pittsburgh on are at a good spec.😂😂
I work with a guy that used the 1/2" and 3/8" Pittsburgh to rebuild an engine. The only issue he had was a slight oil leak, but he admitted that he never exercised either of them.
The 1/2 worked great on first use and so far good for one year so far. The 3/8 failed to click right of the box. Don’t know if it was the Taiwan or Vietnam version. Returned it. After watching your review, maybe I’ll give it another try.
I work in an aerospace machine shop. We _had_ that exact model. We were using it in the 25-30ft-lb range. It would seem just fine, then suddenly work very improperly *(extra 15 or 20+ft-lbs of torque when set to 25!)* Then it would go back to seeming fine. The floor workers kept overtightening a part and wrecking it. My bosses didn't want to believe it was a problem. They sent it out with all our other torque wrenches, and calibration tested it as "good, calibrated." Then it did it again, 2 witnesses, and I showed my boss, grabbed another torque wrench and made him prove it was over torquing. Sidenote: I'm fine with the handgrip twist adjustment, but the locking screw knob on the end of this model is one of the most annoying mechanisms I've used. It doesn't reliably hold position (barely grips), but when you loosen it and try to set the torque, it will come tight/lock up and almost need vicegrip to loosen the locking knob. Our cheap craftsman and husky torque wrenches are far less annoying.
Each of vehicles has the 1/2" torque wrench from HF. Great for torturing the wheel nuts to specs. Too many times people over tighten wheel nuts either by hand or with an impact and it makes it difficult to remove the wheel. In one case the rental car i had got a flat and i couldnt get the wheel nut loose and even the road service had to use the impact for a couple of minutes to get the wheel off. Ive found the HF cheap torque wrench to be accurate enough for this type of use.
The first torque wrench I used 56 years ago was a beam type. Watch the pointer till you get to the torque you want. I would take this Pittsburg over that thing any day!
For anyone wondering hes done this with a few icon torque wrenches compared to others and one of the icons pretty much failed. i had the icon split beam but idk i dont like the dial on it or the latching mechanism went with a husky instead but also got a pittsburgh one too & still paid cheaper than the split beam lol
Got mine around 10 years ago. Pittsburgh Pro made in Taiwan with O-ring . One stretch of several year I didn’t use it . It was hard to turn the setting . End up spraying it with some very light dry lubricants spray . And exercise the heck out of it . Last year I bought a Quinn electronic digital torque adapter . It seems that after 10 year the Pittsburgh Pro click type torque wrench is still within the specs . So I didn’t touch anything .
Which is better for torqueing sparkplugs: QUINN 3/8 in. Drive 5.9-59 ft. lb. Digital Torque Adapter ~OR~ PITTSBURGH PRO 3/8 in. Drive 5-80 ft. lb. Click Torque Wrench?
I find it accurate for higher torque work, but terrible at low end torque. Mine kept wanting to tighten on a 13ft lbs application. I put it to a bolt already torqued at 100ft lbs and it kept wanting to torque.
Honestly, if you are a diy mechanic, meaning you work on your own car and know how, then this would be perfect. I wouldn't open a mechanic shop with it, but for as much as a normal person works on their own car, this would be the last one you bought (lifetime warranty also). I have all 4 sizes and they're flawless
Just buy multiple 1/2 torque wrench for each car you own. Put a socket for lugnuts and leave it in the trunk. So useful great $12 investment ever. Also it's a great birthday gift for your non-carguy friends
I have a 1/4” Pittsburgh torque wrench. I can’t really hear the click, caused me to break a small bolt on my transmission pan, still mostly my fault. Should have stopped torquing like a fool. Switched to a tekton.
I hate my HF 3/8 for the same reason. I always use a digital torque adapter or digital torque wrench (in the future) for that purpose. I stripped a few bolts because I couldn't hear the click. I was feeling that I was stripping but I couldn't stop. Maybe it stripped before the set torque but no way to know. With the digital one, I can confirm that it's slipping and I should stop. I love my 1/2 though. I never use it for engine work but I always use it for suspension work and lugnut. 1/4 one, I only use it for spark plugs.
Brand bias is keeping you from accepting empirical data. IMO unless I’m doing rod or bearing caps on a blueprinted engine these will work just fine. Torque specs were developed by manufacturers to ensure assembly-line workers would meet assembly criteria on mass-produced goods.
I've torn my truck down multiple times with these fellas, built turbos shamelessly. My 3/8 keeps snapping bolts when going into aluminum. Is that a torque wrench / lack of accuracy at the low end? Or twisted / damaged hardware? both?
Probably so cheap because of how long they have been produced. Mine is labeled Harbor Freight and Salvage. Was bought in the 1970's. Probably handed to me directly by the founder of the company. Still use it regularly.
The only Pittsburgh I've got is a 1/4. So far, it's done well, but I keep it clean, lubed, and set the torque back to 0 when I put it back in the case. I have been meaning to replace it with a better one, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I wish Icon would come out with smaller sizes of their split-beam.
Harbor Freight’s been upping their game, I’m not sure why people are are still so shocked by this. Sure, they still have some subpar products but overall they’ve come a long way. Now they just have to shake that old reputation.
If this was $100-150 you'd say it's the best wrench on the market. Your videos have shown consistently that it performs well. Even better than more high end wrenches. What's keeping you from trusting it? You've shown that even high end units can fall outside spec. Even if this one fails, I highly doubt it'd be worse than any other wrench you've tested.
Its great for diy and small engine work, but I would never use it to rebuild an engine. If I showed up to a customers shop and pulled this out to work on a 150K engine they would probably kick me out.
If you really did cycle them a thousand times and you really did pick them up separately over time then I would say that they're perfectly okay to use for engine work I mean your own snap-on tester has approved them
I found the 3/8" on sale for $12 the other day (along with the Vietnamese 1/4"). Looks to be made in China and was a little rough-looking out of the box (fingerprints in machine oil, etc). Did you ever test one like that?
Yeah I tested both the 3/8 and 1/4 in other videos. The 1/4 is tricky though at the low end, the click sound isn't present. IMO the range on the 1/4 is more then it should be, but on the high end it works well and is accurate.
@@Tools-Tested thanks for the reply - I actually did replace my MOC 3/8's with a Vietnamese one that I happen to notice at another HF, so thanks for pointing that out in terms of build quality differences. It's not scientific, but when I shook both the Chinese and Vietnamese ones, the construction of the Vietnamese one seemed so much better. I still might grab a 1/4" one if I can find a non-Chinese one while they have them on sale for $12, but thanks for the reminder about low torque accuracy 🙏🏻. Keep rockin' a great channel.
I have one had to buy it on a whim cause the Craftsman one i bought was out of calibration and literally tried returning it the same day i bought and was told precision tools are not covered under Craftsman warranty..... WTF to that but honestly that Pittsburgh is a tough little tool , would i build a engine with it no but you could .
I’m not sure which to use to calibrate my torque wrench as I’ve seen some adjusting by the thread which the sleeve screws on with the settings on, but also have a small hole with Allen wrench inside which some have said use this but doesn’t do a lot so why are both options on the torque wrench, thanks
Yeah you really should exercise it, defiantly if its been sitting a few months. I have exercised a few on the tester and found the accuracy around 10% before they were cycled a few times.
I have no idea why you were surprised, H.F. wouldn't be able to sell those for decades if they were trash. Mine are so old that they were only $10(!) back then. I have the 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2", all made in Taiwan, and they are all within specs...and yes, I do cycle them a few times first and store them at near zero.
They are an old, well proven design, so they should be accurate within their specification. I would have to ask why some wrenches you test fall outside of spec from new.
Thousands of accurate torques but DON'T DO ENGINE WORK WITH THESE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! Just buy a reliable torque wrench that costs 35 times as much as the Pgh Brand and get that piece of mind.
I've had my 1/4", 3/8" and 3/4" for years (I've got a Dewalt 1/2" for wheels) I trust them.. I have a Gearwrench 3/8" digital w/angle for engines..but pretty much anything else is Pittsburgh cheapies...🏁
I'm planning to buy a digital one for an engine rebuild. Do you think 3/8 will do the job or do I need 1/2? I think last time I torqued the head bolt it was like under 80ftlb so I can't figure out the need of long 1/2 one. I'm planning to buy split beam one for over 150ftlb applications
People forget that the reason you torque something with a torque wrench is to get a certain amount of tension into the bolt. Torquing something is an inherently inaccurate way to accomplish this compared to other methods. If you need an accurate amount of tension in the bolt, torque + angle, or measuring the change in bolt length is a much more accurate process.
Tested 6 different ones from different places bought at different times and all tested accurate, but states wouldnt use them. That's what I call a tool snob. Its accurate and works or it isnt. 🤷♂️
WTF. Testes multiple wrenches, after 1000 cycles. Still accurate +/- 4%….. the snap on tester itself is accurate +/- 5%…. The tool is more accurate than the snap on tester. 😂 But he still doesn’t trust it for engine work? 🤷🏾♂️ That makes no sense.
Well it doesn’t matter. Their swing arc is so wide, and the pin detent is so weak, their tool is all but useless to me. I was working in a very tight area. And the Quinn 3/8 digital, a tool more than twice the size from the Pittsburgh 1/4 drive, unit was more useful, due to the ability to retain its socket, and having a smaller swing arc.
swing arc doesn't matter much to people who are in the market for a $20 torque wrench. These would be used by people doing higher access simpler jobs. You aren't those people, your opinion is pretty much irrelevant. Either way the accuracy of the wrench matters more than its ability to swing in a tight spot or dropping sockets, because overtorquing and breaking bolts (somebody buying a $20 torque wrench is likely to be more inexperienced as well) in blind holes is a much larger cost of time and money than picking up a socket or fumbling to get a tooth to click.
I just purchased the 1/4 inch Pittsburgh T wrench and there is a sticker inside the case that says " Do not use as a pry bar or hammer"😃 and admittedly we as a society have arrived "there" A recent mop we purchased had a sticker on it that said " to learn how to use this product properly call 1-800-------" 🤣
Lol, at a gas station the other day on the pump handle it said "remove from vehicle and place back on pump when done" once we get robots 90% of the people will be zombies lol.
I’m glad you tested multiple torque wrenches of the same brand.
Several people have said that that’s the only way to confirm consistency.
Yep, I was really curious if I just got lucky. Wish I could test more like this but that’s way out of my budget.
@@Tools-Tested I have seen so many negative comments about this torque wrench.
However, I bought it based on your video, and it seems to work very well.
I used it for a brake job, and I’m sure that it doesn’t have to be perfectly accurate for that.
"Exercise your torque wrench" is valuable advice. I've had to replace one due to lack of exercise. Worked fine when new, but failed to click after 2 years of non-use.
Thanks for the review, just picked up one of these wrenches on sale for $12
No problem! Glad it helped!
I got both 3/8 and 1/2 for $12 each, an absolute steal.
Me too but what i noticed was the 3/8 is a pro and the 1/2 says household use only
@@lexi-conbywth are you gonna torque in your home? Lmao a wall screw?
I had a grand opening of a HF right near my house. They had all 3 size of Pittsburgh torque wrench for only $12 each!
Nice!
Buuuut, if you've proven it's accurate why wouldn't you use it on an engine? Accurate is accurate. Especially if you have a tester avail.
I'm wondering the same thing
@@caralrahe1 that his personal reference.
His statement makes me question his motivation. Also, his other suggestions.
I think it’s a peace of mind thing. I have a 1/4” in lb Pittsburgh that I quit trusting when it broke a screw.
I do engine work, i have a snap-on torque wrench, but this video actually made me go the other way.
Can't see how testing something so vigorously would lead to a conclusion of Not to use them.
That’s what I’m trying to figure out, what was the justification for that statement if they tested well. I know for the internals of engine rebuilds it would be best(Snap On Torque wrench) to get the most accurate torque but I can’t imagine being a hair off with the Pittsburgh that it would cause a issue. Maybe I’m wrong but that statement threw me off lol
I used to work at Snap On, so I'll never buy any of their tools for any kind of work...
I don't know who the hell would build engines with one of those for the last 10 years.... 👀 All jokes but mine has been good as far as I can tell. Cool test!
Because most of the bad reviews are people who hold them wrong. It's.not a top level tool, but the constant complaints partly stem from improper use.
I built a 7mgte for a Supra, 540 rwhp, 10 years later still ripping burnouts no problem 🎉 this torque wrench don't close enough
@@TerrenceLP With the Pittsburg ?
I remember you saying the other year that it would be neat to do this kinda test, cool to see it happen and I’m shocked again by how well these cheap HF torque wrenches perform.
Yep I was slowly collecting them lol, it really is crazy how well theses cheap torque wrenches perform.
Finally! It is super super super helpful to put several examples like this to the test. Lots of folks just do one and call it good and it's nowhere near conclusive. A sample size of 6 is a good start and starts to show some patterns.
Yep, hopefully someday I can do the same with other torque wrenches.
I really appreciate nice quick honest reviews. Thanks.
No problem! Glad you like them!
appreciate the efforts on this video. thank you!
Glad it was helpful! No problem!
Thank you for taking the time to test this!
No problem! glad you liked it!
I bought it for armorsmithing, which is pretty forgiving on a lot of guns. So this wrench is great for my applications. I really appreciate the info to know it's close to within spec. I also didn't even know exercising a torque wrench was a thing, so glad I watched this!
No problem, yeah all micrometer torque wrenches should be exercised before use.
I used to be a chevy lubetech and used this HF 1/2 torque wrench for customer's lugnut all day long.
100ftlb - mostly 140ftlb on pickup truck lugnuts, every time they came for an oil change.
Also I never put it back to zero after work. 1 year later, I checked with my torque adapter but applied torque was good enough. After 1 year of everyday use, ratcheting function broke down maybe because I used it close to the limit of 150ftlb every day. But lifetime warranting process was so easy.
Now I have three 1/2 torque wrenches. 1 inside my garage, and others sitting inside the trunk of my cars.
I like it too much I've bought twice and gave it to my non-carguy friends as a gift. I bought my first 1/4 3/8 1/2 set at $10 each long time ago, but current $12 price is still crazy cheap.
Honestly as a diy guy I've done alot with the 1/2 in Pittsburgh...all the suspension stuff that comes up and engine stuff also..now years later I've got a snap on for stuff I really want to be sure on but that Pittsburgh has been good..js..mine I bought prolly 7 years ago
Price != quality. Seems like whoever is making these for Harbor Freight has good people working a good process turning out a good product.
What it really illustrates is how out-of-control, greedy, and/or careless so many other brands have become.
Just bought the 1/2 for $11.99. I’ve used the 3/8 for years but not very often. Hard to spend tons of money on a tool I don’t use much. I use my in pound torque wrench tons so I have a higher quality one. I’m glad too see they are that accurate.
Awesome test! I like how you got torque wrenches from different 'batches' and did the 1000 use re-test!
Truly appreciate this. I see tests with just about every product and I always think about the consistency of products over time. Stuff can change especially with prices going up and your video demonstrates that.
I keep that exact model in my offroad toolkit. It's been rare that I've ever had to use it, but it helped ensure that I got off the trail and back to a place where the repair can be either redone properly or at least given a final check.
I played with mine with a torque adaptor. I found with practice I got much more consistant and accurate. Don't hit the click at full force and you won't add several more ft lbs.
That was a good video. Who would have thought those torque wrenches are accurate. I would like to see you do a video on the icon line of torque wrenches. Enjoy watching your videos. Keep them coming.
Thanks! Yeah would have laughed someone out of the shop before seeing these results, crazy.
I have tested almost all of the Icons, but they are scattered in multiple videos.
I tested my 3/8" Pittsburgh torque wrench. It was 100% accurate at 30 foot pounds. I was pleasantly surprised.
Good to hear you had some good results with it!
I have the 1/2" and the 3/8" HF Pittsburgh. I test them on a digital meter that I can verify the accuracy with weights. Both are right on the money. I did have to replace one on warrantee, but that was because the locking nut locked. Anyway, good testing and thanks for a no BS video,
Thanks for the info, good to hear you had similar results. No problem!
Thanks for the thorough testing! I just bought one a few days ago and was skeptical about it, but I'm not a mechanice so this should be sutiable for my needs :)
No problem! Glad you found it helpful!
Thank you. I've wondered about that for a while now. Seeing several tested purchased covering more than one source over time is convincing. I agree, don't build an engine with it, but wheels and other general chassis work that requires a torque, go for it.
No problem! Yep good for general torquing.
I don't understand the advice of not using this essentially if you are a mechanic. All 6 were accurate and cycled 1000 times. What else do you want from a torque wrench?
I agree. It doesn't make sense as he proved it was accurate. The Icon that he would do engine work with has the same +/-4% accuracy as the Pittsburgh. Yet he would rather use an untested torque wrench for engine work.
L😂🎉,😂v gz
How accurate are the harbor freight digital torque adapters? I didn’t like the 3/8 Pittsburg one so I got those to use and set myself
I have one in 1/2. The Quinn brand. I'd like to know as well. There are other videos out on this though
Another great episode!!
Thanks!
What a time to be alive
Thank you! This is perfect for my rare differential oil change task. Otherwise I'd be happy to spend more where it's far more crucial or needed.
No problem! Glad you found it useful!
I actually have a complete set (1/2 - 1/4) of both these pittsburgh torque wrenches and Matco electric angling torque wrenches. One set cost me $1300, and the other set cost me $35. I got them because a master tech I work with told me that he uses the pittsburgh all the time on less particular bolts and to save his expensive torque wrenches from wear and tear. Your videos made me a lot more confident that all those lug nuts I've been using the pittsburgh on are at a good spec.😂😂
Yeah its crazy, I will admit before actually testing the Pittsburgh I would have laughed and said no way that thing is accurate.
I work with a guy that used the 1/2" and 3/8" Pittsburgh to rebuild an engine. The only issue he had was a slight oil leak, but he admitted that he never exercised either of them.
Nice to see good products at great prices being sourced from countries other than China.
I just bought both the 3/8 and 1/2 today. My 1/2 is the newer one with o ring and made in Vietnam but my 3/8 is made in China with no O ring
Yeah really depends, I think they are still getting them from both countries but can’t confirm.
The 1/2 comes in either Taiwan or Vietnam. The 3/8 comes in either Vietnam or China.
Good enough for lug nuts. Looks like I found my first torque wrench.
The 1/2 worked great on first use and so far good for one year so far. The 3/8 failed to click right of the box. Don’t know if it was the Taiwan or Vietnam version. Returned it. After watching your review, maybe I’ll give it another try.
Interesting, yeah might be worth another shot.
I work in an aerospace machine shop. We _had_ that exact model. We were using it in the 25-30ft-lb range. It would seem just fine, then suddenly work very improperly *(extra 15 or 20+ft-lbs of torque when set to 25!)* Then it would go back to seeming fine.
The floor workers kept overtightening a part and wrecking it. My bosses didn't want to believe it was a problem. They sent it out with all our other torque wrenches, and calibration tested it as "good, calibrated."
Then it did it again, 2 witnesses, and I showed my boss, grabbed another torque wrench and made him prove it was over torquing.
Sidenote: I'm fine with the handgrip twist adjustment, but the locking screw knob on the end of this model is one of the most annoying mechanisms I've used. It doesn't reliably hold position (barely grips), but when you loosen it and try to set the torque, it will come tight/lock up and almost need vicegrip to loosen the locking knob.
Our cheap craftsman and husky torque wrenches are far less annoying.
Hmm, I wonder if something was worn out or broken internally.
That said I agree the Craftsman and Husky are a huge jump in quality.
Each of vehicles has the 1/2" torque wrench from HF. Great for torturing the wheel nuts to specs. Too many times people over tighten wheel nuts either by hand or with an impact and it makes it difficult to remove the wheel. In one case the rental car i had got a flat and i couldnt get the wheel nut loose and even the road service had to use the impact for a couple of minutes to get the wheel off. Ive found the HF cheap torque wrench to be accurate enough for this type of use.
Yep very good point, perfect torque wrench for lugs.
The first torque wrench I used 56 years ago was a beam type. Watch the pointer till you get to the torque you want. I would take this Pittsburg over that thing any day!
I got one free last weekend. Will put on our CDI at work.
Got both of mine for $12 years ago. Not complaining at all
For anyone wondering hes done this with a few icon torque wrenches compared to others and one of the icons pretty much failed. i had the icon split beam but idk i dont like the dial on it or the latching mechanism went with a husky instead but also got a pittsburgh one too & still paid cheaper than the split beam lol
I believe that the Tekton failed too.
Got mine around 10 years ago. Pittsburgh Pro made in Taiwan with O-ring .
One stretch of several year I didn’t use it .
It was hard to turn the setting .
End up spraying it with some very light dry lubricants spray . And exercise the heck out of it .
Last year I bought a Quinn electronic digital torque adapter .
It seems that after 10 year the Pittsburgh Pro click type torque wrench is still within the specs .
So I didn’t touch anything .
Nice! you really cant beat theses cheap torque wrenches.
Mine ended in 42 and is made in Taiwan with the o ring. I guess they make them where ever is convenient at the time
super useful man thanks
No problem!
Which is better for torqueing sparkplugs: QUINN 3/8 in. Drive 5.9-59 ft. lb. Digital Torque Adapter ~OR~ PITTSBURGH PRO 3/8 in. Drive 5-80 ft. lb. Click Torque Wrench?
I would go Quinn if you can afford it, but if not get this one. It’ll do.
@@dylanstephens4179Quinn or icon?
I find it accurate for higher torque work, but terrible at low end torque. Mine kept wanting to tighten on a 13ft lbs application. I put it to a bolt already torqued at 100ft lbs and it kept wanting to torque.
Yeah I can see that at the lower end.
What use cases would you actually recommend for these cheapie torque wrenches?
Honestly, if you are a diy mechanic, meaning you work on your own car and know how, then this would be perfect. I wouldn't open a mechanic shop with it, but for as much as a normal person works on their own car, this would be the last one you bought (lifetime warranty also). I have all 4 sizes and they're flawless
Lug nuts
Just buy multiple 1/2 torque wrench for each car you own. Put a socket for lugnuts and leave it in the trunk. So useful great $12 investment ever. Also it's a great birthday gift for your non-carguy friends
I have a 1/4” Pittsburgh torque wrench. I can’t really hear the click, caused me to break a small bolt on my transmission pan, still mostly my fault. Should have stopped torquing like a fool. Switched to a tekton.
The click isn't obvious on the Pittsburgh is it? I thought it was just me
@@simd510 If I have it set on a higher torque setting I can mostly hear it. Otherwise I can’t hear it.
Yeah the scale on the 1/4 goes to low IMO, hard to get a sound click from it,
I hate my HF 3/8 for the same reason. I always use a digital torque adapter or digital torque wrench (in the future) for that purpose. I stripped a few bolts because I couldn't hear the click. I was feeling that I was stripping but I couldn't stop. Maybe it stripped before the set torque but no way to know. With the digital one, I can confirm that it's slipping and I should stop.
I love my 1/2 though. I never use it for engine work but I always use it for suspension work and lugnut.
1/4 one, I only use it for spark plugs.
Brand bias is keeping you from accepting empirical data. IMO unless I’m doing rod or bearing caps on a blueprinted engine these will work just fine. Torque specs were developed by manufacturers to ensure assembly-line workers would meet assembly criteria on mass-produced goods.
Thank you for this
No problem!
thank you!
No problem! Glad you liked it.
0:56 "Cycle the wrench 5 times at the setting" - what does that mean?
With a micrometer torque wrench you should cycle it a few times before use allowing the mechanism to free up.
I've torn my truck down multiple times with these fellas, built turbos shamelessly. My 3/8 keeps snapping bolts when going into aluminum. Is that a torque wrench / lack of accuracy at the low end? Or twisted / damaged hardware? both?
Probably so cheap because of how long they have been produced. Mine is labeled Harbor Freight and Salvage. Was bought in the 1970's. Probably handed to me directly by the founder of the company. Still use it regularly.
Yep thats a good point, nothing to redesign or retool for.
The only Pittsburgh I've got is a 1/4. So far, it's done well, but I keep it clean, lubed, and set the torque back to 0 when I put it back in the case. I have been meaning to replace it with a better one, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I wish Icon would come out with smaller sizes of their split-beam.
Harbor Freight’s been upping their game, I’m not sure why people are are still so shocked by this. Sure, they still have some subpar products but overall they’ve come a long way. Now they just have to shake that old reputation.
Yep they keep upping the standards on products they offer.
If this was $100-150 you'd say it's the best wrench on the market. Your videos have shown consistently that it performs well. Even better than more high end wrenches. What's keeping you from trusting it? You've shown that even high end units can fall outside spec. Even if this one fails, I highly doubt it'd be worse than any other wrench you've tested.
Its great for diy and small engine work, but I would never use it to rebuild an engine. If I showed up to a customers shop and pulled this out to work on a 150K engine they would probably kick me out.
I did 1000 cycles. 😂 holy crap dude. Thank you.
yes sir, no problem!
They aren't bad for what they are, but they aren't very nice to use. The Icon is like 50x more enjoyable to operate.
How?
Why does it seem like all the split beam torque wrenches are flex heads?
I did find this useful!
Glad it helped!
Is icon torque wrench worth the extra money or just stick with Pittsburgh?
I would spend the extra money on an Icon split beam personally. Better quality and easier to use.
If you really did cycle them a thousand times and you really did pick them up separately over time then I would say that they're perfectly okay to use for engine work I mean your own snap-on tester has approved them
I agree, but personally I still wouldn't to it.
I found the 3/8" on sale for $12 the other day (along with the Vietnamese 1/4"). Looks to be made in China and was a little rough-looking out of the box (fingerprints in machine oil, etc). Did you ever test one like that?
Yeah I tested both the 3/8 and 1/4 in other videos. The 1/4 is tricky though at the low end, the click sound isn't present. IMO the range on the 1/4 is more then it should be, but on the high end it works well and is accurate.
@@Tools-Tested thanks for the reply - I actually did replace my MOC 3/8's with a Vietnamese one that I happen to notice at another HF, so thanks for pointing that out in terms of build quality differences. It's not scientific, but when I shook both the Chinese and Vietnamese ones, the construction of the Vietnamese one seemed so much better.
I still might grab a 1/4" one if I can find a non-Chinese one while they have them on sale for $12, but thanks for the reminder about low torque accuracy 🙏🏻. Keep rockin' a great channel.
@@ericvannielsen no problem, yeah it’s interesting the build quality is a little different.
Will do! Glad you’re finding them helpful.
I have one had to buy it on a whim cause the Craftsman one i bought was out of calibration and literally tried returning it the same day i bought and was told precision tools are not covered under Craftsman warranty..... WTF to that but honestly that Pittsburgh is a tough little tool , would i build a engine with it no but you could .
Yep most don't cover the accuracy under warranty which is crazy IMO.
@@Tools-Tested and that's crazy cause it was out of whack the day I bought it and couldn't return it .
I’m not sure which to use to calibrate my torque wrench as I’ve seen some adjusting by the thread which the sleeve screws on with the settings on, but also have a small hole with Allen wrench inside which some have said use this but doesn’t do a lot so why are both options on the torque wrench, thanks
so - WHY you wouldn't build engine with these?
Just would feel more comfortable with a higher quality wrench when doing head bolts.
Do you really have to ‘exercise’ the torque wrench by setting it to high torque and then to your desired torque each time before use?
Yeah you really should exercise it, defiantly if its been sitting a few months. I have exercised a few on the tester and found the accuracy around 10% before they were cycled a few times.
@@Tools-Tested ok great info , thanks
I have no idea why you were surprised, H.F. wouldn't be able to sell those for decades if they were trash. Mine are so old that they were only $10(!) back then. I have the 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2", all made in Taiwan, and they are all within specs...and yes, I do cycle them a few times first and store them at near zero.
They are an old, well proven design, so they should be accurate within their specification. I would have to ask why some wrenches you test fall outside of spec from new.
Split beam all day everyday. But I’m not dogging the twist jobbers. Just my preference.
Yep thats mine
How accurate is that snap-off tester?
This one is .5%
Thousands of accurate torques but DON'T DO ENGINE WORK WITH THESE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! Just buy a reliable torque wrench that costs 35 times as much as the Pgh Brand and get that piece of mind.
Great point!
You being sarcastic or seeious
I've had my 1/4", 3/8" and 3/4" for years (I've got a Dewalt 1/2" for wheels) I trust them..
I have a Gearwrench 3/8" digital w/angle for engines..but pretty much anything else is Pittsburgh cheapies...🏁
I'm planning to buy a digital one for an engine rebuild. Do you think 3/8 will do the job or do I need 1/2? I think last time I torqued the head bolt it was like under 80ftlb so I can't figure out the need of long 1/2 one.
I'm planning to buy split beam one for over 150ftlb applications
I paid 10 for mine… in 2011.
Nice, o the good old days...
People forget that the reason you torque something with a torque wrench is to get a certain amount of tension into the bolt. Torquing something is an inherently inaccurate way to accomplish this compared to other methods. If you need an accurate amount of tension in the bolt, torque + angle, or measuring the change in bolt length is a much more accurate process.
Can’t say I would buy one even after seeing multiple tests where they pass. Just to afraid of that one day it doesn’t.
$11 on sale lol
Yep can’t beat that!
Tested 6 different ones from different places bought at different times and all tested accurate, but states wouldnt use them. That's what I call a tool snob. Its accurate and works or it isnt. 🤷♂️
WTF. Testes multiple wrenches, after 1000 cycles. Still accurate +/- 4%….. the snap on tester itself is accurate +/- 5%…. The tool is more accurate than the snap on tester. 😂 But he still doesn’t trust it for engine work? 🤷🏾♂️ That makes no sense.
.5 not 5
Well it doesn’t matter. Their swing arc is so wide, and the pin detent is so weak, their tool is all but useless to me.
I was working in a very tight area. And the Quinn 3/8 digital, a tool more than twice the size from the Pittsburgh 1/4 drive, unit was more useful, due to the ability to retain its socket, and having a smaller swing arc.
swing arc doesn't matter much to people who are in the market for a $20 torque wrench. These would be used by people doing higher access simpler jobs.
You aren't those people, your opinion is pretty much irrelevant.
Either way the accuracy of the wrench matters more than its ability to swing in a tight spot or dropping sockets, because overtorquing and breaking bolts (somebody buying a $20 torque wrench is likely to be more inexperienced as well) in blind holes is a much larger cost of time and money than picking up a socket or fumbling to get a tooth to click.
this wrench is trash...mine doesnt even click.
I just purchased the 1/4 inch Pittsburgh T wrench and there is a sticker inside the case that says " Do not use as a pry bar or hammer"😃 and admittedly we as a society have arrived "there" A recent mop we purchased had a sticker on it that said " to learn how to use this product properly call 1-800-------" 🤣
Lol, at a gas station the other day on the pump handle it said "remove from vehicle and place back on pump when done" once we get robots 90% of the people will be zombies lol.
Would this be safe for torquing sparking plugs on and f-150?
Yeah, but I would recommend using the 3/8 version. Accuracy is normally higher @ the top end.
@@Tools-Tested ty!! that was my plan. a 3/8 would cover everything I need to do.
@@Tools-Testedmy exact question! So the 3/8 is recommended over the 1/2 for more accurate torque of spark plugs? I just need it for spark plugs..