Which brand torque wrench/ screwdriver for accuracy?

Mudduck

Mudduck

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I have an older Wheeler torque screwdriver but only recently found out you need to turn it back to zero after using it to help maintain accuracy so I have concerns about its accuracy. I’m considering purchasing a new torque screwdriver for scope rings etc. Does anyone have experience with different brands and have you found any noticeable differences in terms of accuracy?
 
Don’t buy westward. I have bought a couple used torque wrench’s. I send them out for calibration. Westward 3/4 drive cost me 400 used. Sent it in. They can’t source parts for it. It’s an over sized breaker bar now. I don’t know much about torque screw drivers but I assume you can send them out at well.
 
The 1/4" Tekton torque wrenches on Amazon are good for the price. There are better torque wrenches out there for people who earn their living turning wrenches for much more money. Tekton torque wrenches are pretty popular with bike builders.



Mudduck said:
I have an older Wheeler torque screwdriver but only recently found out you need to turn it back to zero after using it to help maintain accuracy so I have concerns about its accuracy. I’m considering purchasing a new torque screwdriver for scope rings etc. Does anyone have experience with different brands and have you found any noticeable differences in terms of accuracy?
Click to expand...
 
Many firearms-related torque drivers need to be returned to zero to avoid losing accuracy. Inexpensive torque drivers are typically less accurate than better known quality brands.

CDI, which is part of Snap-On Specialty Tools, makes good torque drivers that are available in torque ranges suitable for firearms. Depending on the torque levels required, usually less for applications such as fastening scope rings, more for action screws (20 or so inch pounds and up to over 60 inch pounds, depending on the make and model of rifle).

Here is one I've used. It goes from 5 to 40 inch pounds. While it's not enough for some stocks, it's a quality product that has a very good accuracy rating. There are other similar CDI models with different torque ranges.



For greater torque levels, there is this CDI torque driver. It goes from 2 Nm to 8 Nm (about 18 - 71 inch pounds). I got both from the same place and helped in a very small way to make Jeff Bezos a very wealthy man. They are available elsewhere, too.

Both of these models are recommended to be returned to zero to help maintain accuracy. Both are 1/4" hex drive.

 
I got CDI TorqControl 2-8 Nm from MEC. It is listed as not available on their website, but the call centre people said there was plenty of stock
 
I’ve got the vortex one. It seems better than the wheeler, but still in the same price range. I’ve read and believe the torque sticks are more consistent.
I don’t think the actual numbers mean as much as the consistency. As long as they’re within a few pounds of the number you’re looking for, it’s fine as long as it’s repeatable.
At less than $200, you’re more than likely getting middle of the road stuff. Good accurate and calibrated cost more than we’re willing to pay.
 
F-Class John (F-class shooter and YouTube Channel) did a really good review of several torque wrench features, pros/cons, and repeatability.

Its a 4-part series, quite long for those with short attention spans :p , but you can fast forward as you go and get the gist of it.
F-Class John does a great job in making you feel like its you and him chatting in his reloading shop, and I think you will enjoy this series.

What becomes readily apparent is that there is alot of variability in quality, ergonomics, accuracy, and repeatability, even in some of the higher end of the generally affordable torque wrenches out there.

If you are shopping for a new higher end wrench than the typical Wheeler, I highly recommend watching this series before you make that investment.

Part 1: Gunsmith torque wrench rundown PART 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33hyXzguSQ

Part 2: Ultimate gun torque wrench & screwdriver showdown Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmTJ1y6dcWU

Part 3: Ultimate gun torque wrench & screwdriver showdown Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj2TicRr1tw

Part 4: (My Pick) Ultimate gun torque wrench & screwdriver showdown Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp7mOsgvDtI
 
I would think a mechanic might have jumped in by now to comment on the care of torque wrenches, not just their use. I'm not a mechanic using torque wrenches, nor do I play one on the Internet. But I do have a younger brother that has been a journeyman heavy duty mechanic for about 40 years now. He works now in a shop that does specialty work, where they have a guy, complete with the necessary equipment, to check and verify some of their torque wrenches.

I'm going on memory here - any mechanics out there correct me - but my understanding is that all torque wrenches are supposed to set back to zero after being used. Also going on memory, a few pulls at less than the desired setting to warm up the torque wrench, or whatever the correct term for that is. I assume that if true, that would also apply to torque wrenches used on firearms, scope mounts and rings, etc.

Anyways, that's what I've been doing with all my torque wrenches (the very few that I own) for decades now. If I'm wrong on this, I probably won't change the way I do things now (because presumably it can't hurt), but it would help for somebody with the expertise to comment to weigh in on proper care and use. A little bit of error when torquing to low inch-lb settings could change a lot.
 
Rick said:
Also going on memory, a few pulls at less than the desired setting to warm up the torque wrench, or whatever the correct term for that is. I assume that if true, that would also apply to torque wrenches used on firearms, scope mounts and rings, etc.
.
Click to expand...

That is interesting - never heard of it before. Thanks for sharing your experience!
 
I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest that repeatability is more important than a specific torque value, esp. if you are going to be using the same torque appliance each time.

We calibrated our torque wrenches at work, every month, or when we had any doubts about the wrench (it had been dropped, for instance) and failures were pretty rare.

You can build a pretty effective tester with a known weight and a lever arm of known length, as that is exactly how torque is expressed. An inch-pound is one pound on a one inch long lever, likewise a foot-pound is that same pound on a foot long lever. Armed with that, a fella that wants say, 50 inch-pounds, to test his torque wrench at, can hang a 50 pound weight on an inch long lever, or a one pound weight on a 50 inch lever, for the same effect. Or any other combination of weight times distance that results in the same.

Normal adjustments on a click type torque wrench are with a hex key adjusting the position of the preload on the spring inside, in relation to the indicated value on the scale.
 
Biologist said:
F-Class John (F-class shooter and YouTube Channel) did a really good review of several torque wrench features, pros/cons, and repeatability.

Its a 4-part series, quite long for those with short attention spans :p , but you can fast forward as you go and get the gist of it.
F-Class John does a great job in making you feel like its you and him chatting in his reloading shop, and I think you will enjoy this series.

What becomes readily apparent is that there is alot of variability in quality, ergonomics, accuracy, and repeatability, even in some of the higher end of the generally affordable torque wrenches out there.

If you are shopping for a new higher end wrench than the typical Wheeler, I highly recommend watching this series before you make that investment.

Part 1: Gunsmith torque wrench rundown PART 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33hyXzguSQ

Part 2: Ultimate gun torque wrench & screwdriver showdown Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmTJ1y6dcWU

Part 3: Ultimate gun torque wrench & screwdriver showdown Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj2TicRr1tw

Part 4: (My Pick) Ultimate gun torque wrench & screwdriver showdown Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp7mOsgvDtI
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking time to post this - some excellent information from the tests he has done!
 
Rick said:
I would think a mechanic might have jumped in by now to comment on the care of torque wrenches, not just their use. I'm not a mechanic using torque wrenches, nor do I play one on the Internet. But I do have a younger brother that has been a journeyman heavy duty mechanic for about 40 years now. He works now in a shop that does specialty work, where they have a guy, complete with the necessary equipment, to check and verify some of their torque wrenches.

I'm going on memory here - any mechanics out there correct me - but my understanding is that all torque wrenches are supposed to set back to zero after being used. Also going on memory, a few pulls at less than the desired setting to warm up the torque wrench, or whatever the correct term for that is. I assume that if true, that would also apply to torque wrenches used on firearms, scope mounts and rings, etc.

Anyways, that's what I've been doing with all my torque wrenches (the very few that I own) for decades now. If I'm wrong on this, I probably won't change the way I do things now (because presumably it can't hurt), but it would help for somebody with the expertise to comment to weigh in on proper care and use. A little bit of error when torquing to low inch-lb settings could change a lot.
Click to expand...

As Rick has mentioned, any conventional torque wrench or torque screwdriver must be wound down to zero after use in order to retain its accuracy! The reason for this, is that they use a spring inside them that can, and will take a set over longer periods of time if left in storage while wound up. This will cause inaccurate torque values, and will weaken the spring over time. The only exception to this, is the more expensive, heavier duty I-Beam style torque wrenches, which can be left cranked at max torque value if wanted and it will not harm them. Hope this explains the reasoning behind this. I work in the automotive repair industry as a service tech. Still hanging on to the torque wrenches I bought as an apprentice 20 some years ago haha... they will treat you well if you treat them well.
 
6k Nm torque wrench .

Mad2E8u.jpg

(not me)
 
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