I used to swear by torque wrenches for everything, but now I just use the beam style for most jobs

I used to think click-type torque wrenches were the only way to go, especially after I spent $150 on a fancy digital one. But after 6 months wrenching on engines at a small shop in Tucson, I kept having to recalibrate the click type because it kept losing accuracy. Then my buddy showed me his beam-style torque wrench, the old school one with the needle. He was tightening cylinder head bolts on a Lycoming engine and it held steady every time. I tried it on a set of wing bolts last Tuesday and it was way more consistent than my digital one on the low torque settings. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I think the beam style is simpler and less prone to messing up when you're in a tight spot. Has anyone else had issues with click-type wrenches drifting out of spec?

2 comments

2 Comments

kaip1112d ago

Hold on though, beam style wrenches have their own quirks. The needle can be hard to read accurately at odd angles, especially in a tight engine bay.

hollym8212d ago

Oh for sure, but isn't that more of a user error thing than a tool flaw? If you can't get your eye lined up right with the needle, that's on you for not finding a better vantage point first lol. I'd rather deal with a little angle awkwardness than worry about a clicker that might not even be calibrated right from the factory.