Torque Wrench - Needle VS Click

[piresito]

Hello,
I'm about to buy a Torque Wrench, although I've found that at the same price I can get a needle wrench or a "click" Wrench.
The needle wrench will do from 0 to 150Nm, while the "click" will do from 7 to around 100 Nm. Both are the cheap ones on ebay, no money for more.
Which one of them would you choose? Is the need to watch the needle a real disadvantage? About calibration issues?

[BaltimoreGS]

The word "cheap" would scare me on both of them.  Some things are worth spending more money on to get a decent one.  Is Sears Craftsman brand available in your country?  They are the cheapest ones I would consider decent.  Can be found on sale in the USA for ~$40.

-Jessie

[slipperymongoose]

Click type hand down, I love them.

[piresito]

Thanks for your reply!
The thing is..I need to close and tighten the cam holders on my CBR600, and I don't want to risk damaging the cams, so I need a torque wrench, but I'm short on cash...funny how motorcycles suck away our money?!
There is not much room for a "decent" price...and yes, none of my friends has a torque wrench! 

I hear you guys talking about Craftsman and Sears crazy "on sale" prices...decent tools, great prices, thats a grown up dream! Sometimes it gives me an itch to get a one way plain ticket to USA... 
So no, here I don't have Craftsman tools and I never found an "equivalent" brand around. 40$ converted to euro, and thats about the same I will pay for the "cheap" one, like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Franklin-TA666-BEAM-TYPE-TORQUE-WRENCH-1-2-Dr-/180522282889?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a07f76f89#ht_1522wt_1094

[piresito]

Click type hand down, I love them.

Needles 0 - Clickers 1

[yamahonkawazuki]

Thanks for your reply!
The thing is..I need to close and tighten the cam holders on my CBR600, and I don't want to risk damaging the cams, so I need a torque wrench, but I'm short on cash...funny how motorcycles suck away our money?!
There is not much room for a "decent" price...and yes, none of my friends has a torque wrench! 

I hear you guys talking about Craftsman and Sears crazy "on sale" prices...decent tools, great prices, thats a grown up dream! Sometimes it gives me an itch to get a one way plain ticket to USA... 
So no, here I don't have Craftsman tools and I never found an "equivalent" brand around. 40$ converted to euro, and thats about the same I will pay for the "cheap" one, like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Franklin-TA666-BEAM-TYPE-TORQUE-WRENCH-1-2-Dr-/180522282889?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a07f76f89#ht_1522wt_1094

needle will work fine. and cheaper. to NOT go cheap on a clicker. and if specs are @ 10lb/ft or less, then get an inch  pound wrench.

[piresito]

Thanks for your reply!
The thing is..I need to close and tighten the cam holders on my CBR600, and I don't want to risk damaging the cams, so I need a torque wrench, but I'm short on cash...funny how motorcycles suck away our money?!
There is not much room for a "decent" price...and yes, none of my friends has a torque wrench! 

I hear you guys talking about Craftsman and Sears crazy "on sale" prices...decent tools, great prices, thats a grown up dream! Sometimes it gives me an itch to get a one way plain ticket to USA... 
So no, here I don't have Craftsman tools and I never found an "equivalent" brand around. 40$ converted to euro, and thats about the same I will pay for the "cheap" one, like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Franklin-TA666-BEAM-TYPE-TORQUE-WRENCH-1-2-Dr-/180522282889?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a07f76f89#ht_1522wt_1094

needle will work fine. and cheaper. to NOT go cheap on a clicker. and if specs are @ 10lb/ft or less, then get an inch  pound wrench.

Needles 1 - Clickers 1

A inch pound wrench, does that mean for me to get a wrench with and Inch/Pound scale? I'm thinking about a Nm as primary scale as that's the unit I will mostly use.
The lowest lb/foot spec in a sensible place is 7lb/ft,  that's around 10Nm. The highest would be 94lb/ft ( 127 Nm) The bolt I want to tight Now are 12Nm (9Lb/ft)...

[Manaenrc]

click...  There are many times when torquing bolts that you won't be able to see the scale on the needle. Its just a pain. I used to be a huge craftsman fan but then they started selling Chinese wrenches under their name. So I figured why would I buy the higher priced craftsman.  Anyway if you do buy a Chinese torque wrench I've found the biggest drawback is you need to make sure you pull straight on the handle or you may miss the click. I've got both good and cheap and the amount of torque matches up very well its just the clarity of the click. If you're torquing small bolts go with a 1/4" drive they will be in inch pounds. 3/8 and larger drive will not be sensitive enough.



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[bombsquad83]

If you do get the click type, don't over loosen the adjustment past the bottom range of the wrench.  If you do, you might here a little spring unload, and that means you've lost your calibration completely.  I had it happen to my 1/4" in drive wrench.  I still use it, but only after calibrating it manually each time with a vice grip and weight hanging from the the handle.

[piresito]

Just ordered a needle torque wrench!
The main reason was that I couldn't find a "affordable" Clicker with the range of the Needle to compare both...so that was a "loss by forfeit"!
Maybe I will make a simple battery+resistor+led+buzzer gadget to play and audible and visual sound when the needle touches the edge of a preset magnet placed on the scale, with one of the poles in that edge...

Just an idea if I found that it's really a pain to look at the scale and torque a bolt at the same time.

Thanks for all of you inputs!

BTW:  If someone wants to organize a Craftsman tools smuggling network, I live in the closest European Harbour!  PM me...hihihihi (just kidding)

[knowles]

I went with a Craftsman needle one that i got at Sears for wait for it $11.47, the cheapest clicker one that i could find was $97.00 at Sears. I like mine fine. Sometimes it is a little bit harder to see but i just adjust the part that I'm working on so i can see it. i like it for the price i couldn't beat it.

[BaltimoreGS]

Sears usually puts tools on sale at their deepest discounts around father's day and christmas.  It may be cost prohibitive but couldn't you buy at sears online and have it shipped to your country?

-Jessie

[PachmanP]

Wait so I'm hearing from this thread that I shouldn't bother with my harbor freight clicker type that I've unscrewed the bottom out of? 

[yamahonkawazuki]

Wait so I'm hearing from this thread that I shouldn't bother with my harbor freight clicker type that I've unscrewed the bottom out of? 

and a gallon of red lock tite along wiht a cup of blinker fluid into the auxiliary engine compartment you should be fine

[piresito]

Wait so I'm hearing from this thread that I shouldn't bother with my harbor freight clicker type that I've unscrewed the bottom out of? 

and a gallon of red lock tite along wiht a cup of blinker fluid into the auxiliary engine compartment you should be fine

Lol! I will check the calibration of it using that vice and and weight hanging from the handle as bombsquad said.

BaltimoreGS, after your suggestion I went to Sears website and saw a big ad saying "Now shipping to Portugal" 30% off in orders over 50€!! Yupiii!! 
But afterall there was no advantage buying form them. Most items avaiable for international shipping are expensive. The cheapest torque wrench were around 70€, plus other 50€ shipping and more taxes in the customs when the packages arrives...usually around 30% from the whole price (postage price included  ). If I check their site as I'm from America, the prices are unbelievable! 

[john]

I use the one that clicks.  I feel it is more accurate.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Wait so I'm hearing from this thread that I shouldn't bother with my harbor freight clicker type that I've unscrewed the bottom out of? 

and a gallon of red lock tite along wiht a cup of blinker fluid into the auxiliary engine compartment you should be fine

Lol! I will check the calibration of it using that vice and and weight hanging from the handle as bombsquad said.

BaltimoreGS, after your suggestion I went to Sears website and saw a big ad saying "Now shipping to Portugal" 30% off in orders over 50€!! Yupiii!! 
But afterall there was no advantage buying form them. Most items avaiable for international shipping are expensive. The cheapest torque wrench were around 70€, plus other 50€ shipping and more taxes in the customs when the packages arrives...usually around 30% from the whole price (postage price included  ). If I check their site as I'm from America, the prices are unbelievable! 

Send it to someone here. who in turn can send it to you.

[cbrfxr67]

I vote dial.  Oh, wait that wasn't an option.

[tt_four]

LOVE needle wrenches. I have a clicking wrench but I'm not that crazy about it. When I need to use one I always grab the needle wrench.

[redhawkdancing]

I have a clicker from home depot.  As far as cost goes, an expensive wrench is usually more cost effective than a cheap mechanic!