But if you store them properly the amount of time they’ll last really comes down to how much you use them. If you’re only occasionally using the torque wrench for a DIY project, you don’t have to worry as much. Alright, the Lexivon Torque Wrench might not be the most affordable or the highest-quality torque wrench out there, but what it does offer is a great intermediate option. It’ll last longer than most of our budget choices, but it’s still not a lifetime quality tool like many of our premium options. Still, because torque wrenches lose their calibration over time, it’s extremely important that you take the time to calibrate them each year. That way when you go to use them, you know you’re getting the exact right torque spec on the bolt, which is the whole point of having a torque wrench in the first place. Using Your Torque Wrench And as an intermediate option, it has a price to match. You don’t have to break the bank to get this Lexivon Torque Wrench, but you’re also not spending pennies for something you know you’ll have to replace at some point down the road.

If you’re looking for the best deal on the market today for some torque wrenches, you won’t beat this deal. That’s because while it’s priced similarly to many of the other torque wrenches on our list, you’re not getting just one torque wrench. Still, even after considering all this you really shouldn’t get this ¾” torque wrench unless you need the higher torque values. It’s not because it’s not a high-quality torque wrench though, it’s because the larger size significantly drives up the price. Take a look at all the jobs you need a torque wrench for and all the recommended torque specs, and then match those numbers up with the torque wrench you’re looking at. If you need a wide range of torque specs, there’s a good chance a single torque wrench won’t be able to handle it all. Even better, it can handle non-stop use, which is great for mechanics technicians that use a torque wrench as a part of their job. Another perk this torque wrench offers is the outstanding torque range. At the low end of things, you can torque things down to as low as 25 ft/lbs, but for larger jobs, you can crank it up all the way to 250 ft/lbs.It also has a wider range of torque specs, starting as low as 14.8 ft/lbs. And with a maximum torque of 147.5 ft/lbs, it’s more than capable of handling most larger jobs you’ll come across in a DIY setting. It uses a digital display and a buzzer-activated system that’s easy to use. If you’re looking for a top-notch torque wrench you can rely on year after year, then you really should consider GearWrench’s Micrometer Torque Wrench. GearWrench is one of the top names in the industry, and with products like this torque wrench, it’s not hard to see why. While nobody wants to spend a whole bunch for anything, this is one of those cases where the old saying “you get what you pay for” holds true. It’s not that the lower-cost tools won’t properly torque things down because they will, it’s that they won’t last quite as long. In that case, you’ll need to invest in multiple torque wrenches to properly torque everything down. While that can be a little frustrating, if you’re trying to save a little money the Pittsburgh Pro torque wrench set we highlighted above comes with three different torque wrenches that should be able to handle just about any job you have. Drive Size

This will help protect your torque wrench, keep the calibration intact, and help it last year after year. Calibrating Your Torque Wrench A big factor in this cost is the size of the torque wrench. Torque wrenches with higher calibrations tend to cost a little bit more than smaller torque wrenches. Finally, if you’re torquing down a series of bolts to a higher torque spec, it’s almost always better to start a lower torque spec and work your way around. For instance, if you’re torquing down tire bolts to 100 ft/lbs, we recommend this. The stakes are high with a torque wrench, which is why you don’t want to just trust any torque wrench and hope it’s doing the job correctly. That’s why we took the time to highlight ten of the best torque wrenches on the market today.Torque wrenches allow you to measure and limit the amount of force applied to a fixing. Every nut and bolt in your car will have a torque value. It’s particularly important that you have a torque wrench to hand if you’re working on the engine, gearbox or any crucial components in the drivetrain or suspension system.

For instance, our top choice, the GearWrench Micrometer Torque Wrench, has a low-end torque setting of 30 ft/lbs. This is the setting you want to store the torque wrench at to keep the calibration correct for as long as possible. Storing Your Torque Wrench If you want an outstanding torque wrench for professional use and don’t mind spending a little more, then the CDI Dual Scale Micrometer Torque Wrench is the way to go. While it’s a little more expensive for a single torque wrench, it’s durable and reliable enough to last you a lifetime no matter how much you use it.Even better, since it’s a 3/8” torque wrench you don’t have to spend nearly as much compared to some of the other options on our list. But even for a typical 3/8” drive torque wrench this one by EPAuto is available for a great price, and that’s a big part of the reason it’s our top 3/8” drive option. The good news is that keeping this from happening is easy. After you use the torque wrench simply lower the torque wrench to the lowest setting. You shouldn’t “bottom out” the torque wrench, put it on the lowest setting it has.