Torque and Chrome

Who makes the best torque wrenches for automotive use?

Snap-On is very expensive. Who makes the best torque wrench that has the best value. Also which size is good for all-around use. Can you just buy a 1/2" and use a 3/8" adapter. Or can I just buy a 3/8" size. I don't think I can afford to buy more than one right now so it's either a 1/2" or 3/8" but I don't know which one to buy. Any advice?

Public Comments

1. sk wayne or Mac tools
2. snap-on is worth it, but blue point is made by snap-on and are slightly cheaper but if your looking to spend even less craftsman has the lifetime warranty like snap-on and blue point and if you are going to be using with a lot of force i would get 1/2 but you are probably going to break the 3/8 adapter so get a few
3. i use harbor freight they are cheap and i use them everyday they hold up better than the piece of junk torque wrench i got from craftsman that cost several times more
4. The cheap wrenches, like from Harbor Freight, are better than nothing. They're usually off by about 10% and they don't stay in adjustment very long. You don't have to spend Snap-on, Mac, or Matco kind of money though. Central tools makes very good precision tools and you can find them at discount tool sites like tooldiscounter.com. Most 3/8" wrenches are good for low torque uses like small bolts and spark plugs. Using a large 1/2" drive wrench in those applications will work physically with an adapter, but the torque will be way off. Spark plugs in aluminum heads can be as little as 15 ft/lbs. The lowest a 1/2" wrench goes is 20 ft/lbs and even then they're not accurate at the low end of the scale. So it really depends on what kind of work you're doing. If you're putting in head gaskets, spend the money for a really good 1/2" wrench.