Good torque wrenches don’t come cheap, and chances are you’re going to need several different sizes. One alternative solution is to buy a torque adapter, like this electronic one from Eastwood that has a digital readout. With this adapter you can use any of your 3/8″ or 1/2″ ratchets to do the job.
This torque adapter measures torque in the range of 15 to 150 ft-lbs, or 20 to 200 Nm. Eastwood claims that the device is accurate within ±2% of the reading from 10% to 100% of full scale. Unless I’m mistaken, more simply stated, it’s accurate to ±2% within the specified operating ranges.
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The digital torque adapter is built with two 1/2″ female drives. You use can use a 1/2″ ratchet on one end of the torque adapter, or a 3/8″ ratchet with use of an included size adapter, and you also get two adapters that attach 3/8″ and 1/2″ sockets to the other end.
This versatility may come at a cost, as the length of the torque adapter and drive adapters on both sides can add up. With adapters on one or both sides, the torque adapter might not fit in the types of places a more compact torque wrench could go.
You can read both the torque set point and the actual torque on the backlit display. When you are getting close to the set torque, the device notifies you by flashing a red LED and pulsing a buzzer. As you get even closer to the set point (within 2%) the LED flashes and buzzing sounds speed up and closer together. Then, when you reach the set torque, the LED turns solid red and the unit buzzes continuously.
The cheapest place I could find to buy this Digital Torque Adapter was from Eastwood directly. There you’ll pay $50 plus about $9 for economy shipping in the US.
Buy Now (via Eastwood)
Unless you want to try your luck on eBay, the only other reliable place I could find selling this adapter was Amazon, where you’ll pay a little more: $54 plus $12 shipping.
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Buy Now (via Amazon)
See the how to use the Torque Adapter in this video:
http://youtu.be/OHD55Nt8uaA
You might also want to check out the user manual (PDF) to see if this suits your needs.
Nathan
nice device seems useful for many basic automotive torque needs. Only thing I’d like to see either added, or so would be angle of displacement.
IE many new cars have bolts and etc that have pre-applied loctite and torque specs that call for X ft-lbs followed by Y degrees of angular displacement. would be nice to capture both in one readout. 80 ft-lbs and 65 degrees – beep, beep beep or something like that.
Nathan
turns out they do make just that. Eastwood’s website – item number 13625. measures torque and angle. torque specs – same as this piece, angle accuracy to 1% either direction.
seems good enough. will buy.
fred
Inexpensive torque angle gauges are also available to use with a regular torque wrench:
http://www.amazon.com/OTC-4554-Drive-Torque-Angle/dp/B003UMRXSW
Benjamen
I’m glad you found the torque angle adapter. I thought about putting it in, but I didn’t want to go into the differences, because I figured it was pretty specialized.
I didn’t know about the Loctite thing. I always thought torque angle was for stretch bolts that had to be replaced every use. Does this apply to the pre-coated Loctite bolts, or does the “stretch” happen in the loctite.
Nathan
I have this argument with many car guys I know. these newer cars when you see a bolt that’s supposed to be thrown away – and torqued with X ft/lbs – and then Y angle. you’ll notice the bolt the manufacturer wants you to buy comes with some coating in the middle of the threads – usually blue or yellow. they are not torqued to yield – usually it’s not even close. but because of the loctite normal torque values are too inaccurate (you know you’re supposed to put them in dry) – so the angle of displacement times the thread pitch becomes the only useful method. This is often used on suspension bolts, and recently on accessory drives that use TI-AL bolts.
fred
Mobiletron Electronics makes (in Taiwan) similar ones with the AC Delco (Durofix Inc. ) brand name:
http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-ARM602-3-8-Inch-Measurement-Adapter/dp/B004VYUKTC
Norm
The Harbor Freight version
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html
Norm
Opps wrong link:
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-digital-torque-adapter-68283.html
pete
Every time I see these I always want to try one out but never seem to pull the trigger.
It should be mentioned that this is the PRO line so it will have a lifetime warranty free replacement as long as they still make the tool.
Jerry
My brother has one of those, with the Craftsman brand name on it.
Drew
They literally mean 2% OF full scale. I used to calibrate torque wrenches. So, at 15ftlb you’re +/- 3ftlb.
Drew
2-3% of full scale is a common calibration spec for most torque wrenches. Another general rule of thumb is to use 30% to 90% of a torque wrench’s range. Generally, they get kind of non-linear and respond strangely outside of that range.
Benjamen
“Accurate to ±2% of reading @ 10% to 100% of full scale”
This is the exact wording from the website. Accurate to ±2% of reading: This means if you read 15ft/lbs your reading falls between 14.7 and 15.3 ft/lbs.
Drew I don’t doubt what you say…Let me see if I can get a clarification from Eastwood.
Drew
The wording I’m used to seeing is % of ‘indicated value’. If that’s what they meant I feel they should have worded it differently.
George
Drew, I believe you are correct. “Accurate to ±2% of reading @ 10% to 100% of full scale” is another way of saying ±2% of indicated value between 10% and 100% of full scale. Full scale = 150 ft/lbs so 10% – 100% of full scale is (15-150 ft/lbs). The company should have clearly stated that.
Jeff
I’ve always heard 20 to 100%. I just read an article by a calibration lab. To pass, a wrench must be within spec at 20, 60, and 100%. 20 and 100% are calibrating points so they should be the most accurate. Springs are linear devices but they get compressed and readings drop. Calibration generally involves tightening the spring tension. There is only one adjustment. If that doesn’t do it, parts must be replaced. Of course, this is the spring type clickers. Beam , split beam and dial wrenches work by bending a steel bar so calibration usually just involves resetting the zero mark.
George
according to http://www.cditorque.com/education.html
“Generally when manufacturers advertise % error of full-scale, their useful ranges will be advertised from zero to full-scale.”
So for our example, +/- 2% accurate (full-scale) is 2% of 150 ft/lbs = 3 ft/lbs as Drew indicated.
But I really think that what the company is trying to say is +/- 2% of indicated value from 15-150 ft/lbs
Jeff
That is not the convention. It is plus or minus a percentage of full scale and many manufacturers state it more clearly. Eastwood and most of the people selling this stuff are not the manufacturers (in China) so they just reprint what they are sent. Thes digital adapters and torque wrenches use a device called a strain gauge and they tend to be very linear. The accuracy of the gauge itself is high but the durability of the Chinese electronics that read the strain gauge and display the results is another issue.
Phil
I’ve had a version branded Craftsman, but instead of an all-in-one unit with the displays and controls integrated, mine has two pieces connected by a cable, one a fairly compact sensor unit, and the readout, which resembles a handheld DMM. I find it to be handy in certain situations where trying to read a typical torque wrench is impossible because of locations and lighting, this one puts the readout a good six feet from the driver. I checked it for accuracy and found it easily met its specs. It’s not used often, only when using a usual torque wrench is difficult or impossible. I do find I use it less since I had bought three Techwrenches which vibrate at the preset torque levels, but the remote readout unit makes actually seeing a live display the easiest of all my solutions.
Jeff
A lot of people just use them as a calibration checkr as they are little more accurate than a clicker and should hold calibration a little better if not stressed beyond their range. Most come with an adapter to clamp it in a vise for checking other wrenches.
George
Typically what “Accurate to ±2% of reading @ 10% to 100% of full scale” means is that the gauge is accurate to ±2% between 10% to 100% of the the full range. Full range here is defined as 0-150 ft/lbs (0-200 N/m). So 10%-100% of the full scale is 15-150 ft/lbs (20-200 N/m)
George
My apologies, by ‘full range’ I mean full scale
George
Further more according to the pdf user manual ” The display will not show a reading until the applied force has exceeded 10% of full scale.”
So that means unless you go above 10% (or 15 ft/lbs) of the full scale (which is 150 ft/lbs) you wont even get a reading
George
Here is some good information
http://www.cditorque.com/education.html
MJ
I have the harborfreight version is handy and accurate. One of the nice uses is to check your mechanical torque wrenches that can fall out of calibration.
The nice thing about the eastwood one here is that it goes down to 20 Nm rather than 40 which gives it some more flexibility.
Sean
another $1 on the HF version. works great. if it ain’t broke don’t fix it (in this case fix it with a shiny new case and higher price tag)
Sean
“another + 1 on the HF”