slim Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 My 3/8" torque wrench took about a 4 foot fall today and now feels out of whack or at least I don't trust it anymore. I was wondering if anybody has ever sent out a torque wrench for recalibration? If so who did you use and how much did it cost? I found a website that charged about $40.00 to check it out with extra cost for needed repairs, and with about a one week turnaround. Team Torque TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I have had SnapOff look at a torque wrench or four.... It usually means I am buying a new torque wrench. I don't want to say anything ugly, but once, when I asked for the old stuff back, I got someone elses junk instead of my own junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 The Snap-on dealer I used to have in Innisfail had a torque meter on his truck that would allow you to check your torque wrenches. He would charge $5.00 a wrench if I remember correctly. Not sure if your Snappy dealer has one of those or not. But I can tell you that I will never ever buy another Snap-on torque wrench again in my life. The reason for that is that every year or two Snap-on updates their torque wrenches and even their ratchet heads and make the old ones obsolete. I can't even get parts for my two torque wrenches if it breaks. The Snappy dude told me not to borrow them out because if something goes wrong with them, I'm buying a new one. However, Mac has made the same darned tough ole torque wrench for almost forever. And if you need a Mac torque wrench repaired, you can get them repaired for a flat rate cost of $90.00 Canadian. I know what I'm buyin the next time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 You still have Mac dealers running around? They've all but disappeared in my area, and other areas in the US, too, from what I hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 That sucks. It's always a good thing to have competition and opposition. But yeah, it's good to have an option such as Mac. I love their impacts and air ratchets. But I also love the Snap-on KRL series tool storage. The Mac boxes are just way to pricey for what you get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Warman Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Anything off a truck is getting about as spendy as you're ever going to want. I bought a cheap MAC box because I couldn't see buying a toolbox that cost more than my scooter... At some point in time, we need to let a little reality seep through and realize that our coin of the realm is better left in OUR jeans that placed in the tool mongers coffers. Thr tool monger... this is the guy that can still afford diesel fuel... he is busy wintering in Cancun while you are patiently waiting for him to warranty something that shouldn't have broken to begin with. There will come a day when you youngsters will suddenly realize that all these pretty things are not warranteed against wearing out.... Like a three week old puppy, you will suddenly realize that your eyes are open... and a half dozen 5 gallon pails will start to look like a reasonable storage system... I know folks that paid less for their houses than some guys paid for their tool boxes.... And, FWIW.... real tool boxes are red... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustedKnucklez Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 A buddy and fellow tech has a torque wrench that he bought at Harbor Freight Tools. If you haven't heard of Harbor Freight, it's a budget tool store. He paid like $30 for a 3/8" drive and it was as accurate as my $259 Snap on. His just recently broke after about 2 years of service. About the same service life for $230 less. Sounds good to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I know folks that paid less for their houses than some guys paid for their tool boxes.... And, FWIW.... real tool boxes are red... What did you pay for your tech series box? I bet it was just as much as your scooter is worth right now. And look who's talkin a bout a big freakin box. You gotta freight train linked together with beat up attached rail cars full of much more tools than what your own home is worth. And you're just jealous that my chrome gets used more than yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slim Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Alright, it looks like nobody has ever had a torque wrench repaired or calibrated. I would be afraid to buy a $30.00 torque wrench to use everyday. So, what brand of torque wrench does everybody like or what else is there besides the tool trucks? I only have a Matco and Snap-On dealer anymore. We used to have a Mac and a Cornwell dealer but they were sporadic and their service sucked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Beam type torque wrenches never go out of calibration. Use an inexpensive beam type and a 1/2" 8 point socket end-to-end with your clickie to verify its accuracy. Adjusting them isn't difficult, either, if it does go out of calibration. Oooohhhh! I got a new banner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Since we are on the subject, this brings up the question, what intervals should our torque wrenches be calibrated? I will admit to having never serviced any of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneGorniak Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 I don't know if actually having them calibrated is a as much of an issue as having them checked to see whether or not they should be calibrated. If you can get them checked, I would say get them checked at least once or twice a year depending on the amount of use. I have been fortunate enough to have previous tool dealers who have had the torque guages right on their trucks. It gave me a piece of mind knowing that my wrenches were still accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastendpowerstroke Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 My tool man would take them over to the local AIRPORT that has been known world wide for many many years for overhauling aircraft engines, they had some sort of machine to verify torque wrenches. He would only charge you if it needed to be adjusted. Last I knew they did have the machine anymore because the FAA said they weren't allowed to test and calibrate there own torque wrenches "in house" anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieseldoc Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I would look around in you local phone book. We have a company local that my dealership has come in once a year for about 3 days. They check and thouroughly clean every techs torque wrenches and the shops 3/4" and 1" wrenches. They even check our tester. If it needs adjustment or repair they take it with and send it back usually within a week. I am not sure what they charge because the dealership picks up the tab. FWIW the calibration tech said that in the 5 years he had been with the company the craftsman torque wrenches hold their calibration the best and snap-on ones are some of the worst. I really like my mac wrenches but if someday I can not get parts or fix them I will buy craftsman ones. They are quite a bit cheaper and seem to be pretty good. Anybody use the electronic ones? I had a fellow tech that replaced all of his with these. I tried them a few times and hate them, they eat batteries like crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_P Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 found this........seems simple enough to find IF you need a recalibration http://www.finishing.com/137/03.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slim Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 I talked to my Snap-On dealer about the wrench and he said he could send it back to Snap-On for calibration/repair. I belive he said it was a flat fee of $40. I'll update when I get the wrench back, but I don't have to mess with shipping it out or running around trying to find somewhere to calibrate it. I think it would come back as good as the day I bought it since I'm sending it back to the manufacturer, which may be good or bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselman Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 about a year ago i sent my 3/8" snap-on click style torque wrench into the local snap-on dealer to get recalibrated for about $65.00. it took about 3 weeks before i got it back but it works fine. he had to send it in to a repair facility in wisconsin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LARRY BRUDZYNSKI Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I have a KD torque wrench I purchased about a million years ago it seems, when I worked at a local NAPA, while building my 400 SBC. It worked great and I have used it over the years, only had one problem and NAPA took care of it no questions asked. It got a bit sticky and they sent it in and basically cleaned it and checked it for cal. They responded with a little note showing the cal. and a N/C. They didn't replace anything just cleaned,lubed and check for accuracy. I would recommend KD to anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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