i've been using craftsman tools for 4yrs now, mostly without issue. I bought a big set that included the various torque wrenches i needed. well, a few weekends ago, i was helping someone with their 635 front suspension and ended up breaking my 3/8" drive,10-75ft-lbs craftsman torque wrench. the adjustment handle is completely loose. i know torque wrenches are not meant to be accurate forever and must be recalibrated, but i had hoped that Sears would help me out with a "broken" tool; no such luck.

So, now that i know craftsman torque wrenches break easily, and Sears/Craftsman won't help a customer, I want to get something better. Either one that doesn't break easily, or one that has a "real" lifetime warranty.

I went to HD today, and saw that the Husky torque wrenches claim a "lifetime" warranty. No HD sales associate was available to explain what that really means so I didn't pick it up yet.

I'm not interested in "overpriced" tools, but I don't want "el cheapo" stuff that will break or otherwise become useless quickly. Anyone with Husky torque wrenches for several years have anything good or bad to say? what are my other options??

I got a really nice SK 1/2in drive torque wrench when I built my stroker on ebay for around 100 shipped.

ive used my friends husky. it works good i guess.

Snap-On, Snap-Off.

Seriously - for anything with a moving part, it's probably better in the long run to pony up in the short one.

+1 on the SK, husky's garbage.
Edit: Check out amazon, it's probably the cheapest place to find one.

Snap-On, Snap-Off.

Seriously - for anything with a moving part, it's probably better in the long run to pony up in the short one.

The only issue with Snap-On I've heard of is that their warranty service is through the distributor you use. Meaning, if you don't have business with a distributor, or your distributor doesn't see you as a future customer that will make him money, no one will really help you out. You can't get Snap-On warranty directly with the corporation.

Maybe for a simple tool, as long as it's not likely to require service, Snap-On for the home user is fine. But for something that i know will require service (at least recalibration), I'm not so sure that's the best choice here either...

+1 on the SK, husky's garbage.
Edit: Check out amazon, it's probably the cheapest place to find one.

What's the warranty on the SK? Has anyone ever tried to use the warranty and how did it work out?

Edit: ok, looked into the SK, only 1 year warranty from date of purchase. that's no better than the crapsman...

well, i thought i'd follow up on my own thread in hopes it might be useful to someone in the future who's looking to get a torque wrench. i've called around, spoken to all sorts of customer service people, and visited a few stores. here's what i found out about warranty:

craftsman (made by Danaher) - 1yr (need proof of purchase, so doesn't transfer to 2nd owner), 90 day calibration
K-D Tools (made by Danaher) - 1yr, 90 day calibration
SK - 1yr
Husky (made by Stanley Works) - Lifetime warranty, bring to HD and they will replace it.
Sunex International - Lifetime warranty, 90 day calibration
Precision Instruments - 1yr

I'm a little saddened by the K-D tools as I found some at a reasonable cost ($80-$140) that had +/- 2% accuracy. But considering they are the same company that made the crapsman that broke on me, I'm hesitant to buy another; especially with the 1yr warranty.

I'm very curious about the Sunex, as it has +/- 3% accuracy, very affordable (so cheap, it makes me skeptical actually), and has lifetime warranty but 90 day calibration warranty.

http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/SUN-9702A.html

I haven't been able to find out much about Kobalt as my local Lowes doesn't think people buy torque wrenches.

I'm not that impressed by the specs of the SK and the 1 yr warranty (which probably means you need proof of purchase for the purchase date). The accuracy rating was just like most others at +/- 4% CW +/-6% CCW.

At this point, I'm leaning more towards Husky. It's easy to find a Home Depot, the price is decent ($70), the lifetime, no hassle warranty is very attractive to me now that I've actually broken a torque wrench once. I also found a post by someone who had the Husky calibrated and found it to be +/- 2% accurate out of the box and remained that way a year after too. I think Husky officially claims +/- 4% CW and +/- 6% CCW accuracy.

well, i'm in no hurry, so i'm going to continue looking. I just know I will never buy another crapsman torque wrench.

Some more fuel for your fire:

Proto, industrial grade tools, typically not pretty, but very rugged:
http://www.stanleyproto.com/default.asp?TYPE=CATEGORY&CATEGORY=DIAL+TORQUE+WRENCHES&strSiteName=PROTO&strDefaultCatalog=PROTO

Precision Instruments: Manufacturer of Snap On's wrenches, if you have any Snap On, take a close look at the details, no doubt who makes them. Made in USA!!
http://www.torqwrench.com/index.html
available here, retail:
http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=36586

thanks choffa! more options to look into. though i looked into precision instruments already. looks like good stuff, but the 1yr warranty is too short for me. now that i've actually seen a torque wrench break, i want something that will be covered forever or a long time. looks like the stanley pro is also only a 1yr warranty.

i ahve a matco digital 1/2" it does (in lbs, ft lbs, and converts to Nm) havent had any problems with it yet and it is used quite a bit. Dont know the price though. i got it at a student discount back when i was in school. i'd say its prob around $270

If you contact a snap-on dealer directly, they will be happy to sell you tools. Individual snap on drivers usually, in my experience at least, are extremely good about customer service. I suspect there are a couple of reasons for this: 1, warranty-ing out broken tools doesn't cost them anything, so they have no reason to not do it; 2) the business they are in is ALL ABOUT developing relationships with their customers to earn repeat business. for this reason, they will usually be very nice to you and finally 3) in any given area, there are several truck dealers. They know this, and they know that if you don't like the service you are getting you can just go right to the next guy. Now, I loooove my snap-on torque wrenches; they are digital, which means no moving parts to break; no springs to fatigue and lose calibration, etc. The digital wrenches also usually have better range than mechanical versions. My 3/8" drive wrench (snap-on model TECH2FR100) goes from 5-100 ft-lbs, which is a wider range than most 3/8 wrenches. they cost around $350 new, but can be found on ebay in good shape for around 100 bucks.

I've had an older Husky torque wrench and it's been pretty good for 5+ years. Mine was probably one of the last ones made in the US since they are all chinese made tools now at HD.

i work hardware on the side for HD and the lifetime warranty on the torque wrench would cover you breaking it. the warranty with husky is actually top of the line believe it or not for the price of some of the stuff compared to higher priced tools.

If you contact a snap-on dealer directly, they will be happy to sell you tools. Individual snap on drivers usually, in my experience at least, are extremely good about customer service. I suspect there are a couple of reasons for this: 1, warranty-ing out broken tools doesn't cost them anything, so they have no reason to not do it; 2) the business they are in is ALL ABOUT developing relationships with their customers to earn repeat business. for this reason, they will usually be very nice to you and finally 3) in any given area, there are several truck dealers. They know this, and they know that if you don't like the service you are getting you can just go right to the next guy. Now, I loooove my snap-on torque wrenches; they are digital, which means no moving parts to break; no springs to fatigue and lose calibration, etc. The digital wrenches also usually have better range than mechanical versions. My 3/8" drive wrench (snap-on model TECH2FR100) goes from 5-100 ft-lbs, which is a wider range than most 3/8 wrenches. they cost around $350 new, but can be found on ebay in good shape for around 100 bucks.

Yes, they would be happy to sell me tools, i'm sure. But if all i want is to replace a broken tool, and they see that I'm joe-blow DIYer in my own garage, I don't think they'll be very motivated to help me. This is a problem other DIYers have reported. If you happen to be a mechanic, work at a shop, or someone working in an industry that uses Snap-On, then you might be ok. I know what you're saying, but it all assumes that I would seem like a profitable prospective customer for the Snap-On dealer, which I'm not.

I'm not saying anything about the quality of their tools. Right now, i just want to find a torque wrench with a good warranty that is practical for the weekend mechanic guy.

i work hardware on the side for HD and the lifetime warranty on the torque wrench would cover you breaking it. the warranty with husky is actually top of the line believe it or not for the price of some of the stuff compared to higher priced tools.

hey... that's great to know someone on the "inside" at HD. Do you know what the official policy is on the lifetime warranty regarding the need to have receipts? I would think since Husky is HD's own trademark brand and it's a "lifetime" warranty, that having a receipt or not shouldn't matter. But the HD person I spoke to told me it's usually best to have the receipt, but if not, they "should" still be able to help me. That immediately got me thinking what if I run into someone working at HD that's in a unhelpful mood; what's the official policy on having or not having a receipt for lifetime warranty replacement? thanks...

I have a Husky 1/2" torque wrench that I got from HD. I have had it for a year or two with a use of about 40-60 times. I actually like it and I didn't think I would. I am sorry - I can't speak for the warranty, but I'll bet if it breaks, you would have to send it to Husky yourself.

I have a Husky 1/2" torque wrench that I got from HD. I have had it for a year or two with a use of about 40-60 times. I actually like it and I didn't think I would. I am sorry - I can't speak for the warranty, but I'll bet if it breaks, you would have to send it to Husky yourself.

Hmmm.. well, i'm glad to hear that so far i haven't heard of a husky torque wrench breaking (and I've been searching the net pretty hard).

I have used the warranty with Husky, just not on torque wrenches. I had a Husky 3/8" rachet wrench that fell apart one day. I called their toll free number, they asked me for the part number printed on the tool, my address, and my name. That was it. The replacement was fedex to me overnight. This was back in 2004 time frame. I called them back to ask them what to do with the old broken wrench, and they said I could keep it or just throw it away.

The HD guy i spoke to also said you can walk into any HD store and they should replace any defective Husky tool for you so long as they have it in stock.

At this point, I'm considering both the Husky and the Sunex, but leaning more towards Husky just because it's easy to find a HD.

Anyone ever use the Sunex? Their specs are good and the price ($40) is deceptively good. Also lifetime warranty, but 90 day calibration warranty.

Hmmm.. well, i'm glad to hear that so far i haven't heard of a husky torque wrench breaking (and I've been searching the net pretty hard).

I have used the warranty with Husky, just not on torque wrenches. I had a Husky 3/8" rachet wrench that fell apart one day. I called their toll free number, they asked me for the part number printed on the tool, my address, and my name. That was it. The replacement was fedex to me overnight. This was back in 2004 time frame. I called them back to ask them what to do with the old broken wrench, and they said I could keep it or just throw it away.

The HD guy i spoke to also said you can walk into any HD store and they should replace any defective Husky tool for you so long as they have it in stock.

At this point, I'm considering both the Husky and the Sunex, but leaning more towards Husky just because it's easy to find a HD.

Anyone ever use the Sunex? Their specs are good and the price ($40) is deceptively good. Also lifetime warranty, but 90 day calibration warranty.


yea as long as we still have the item in stock you can return the old one and buy a new one with or without a reciept.

its really not up to any one person if they want to take something back if its broken. 9 times out of 10 we will take back anything broken. and then of course you can just call the hotline and they will ship you a new one for free. the whole husky product line is pretty nice. i no that husky doesnt build crap because if its made by HD and products just start failing then its going to give the whole company a bad name.

but any questions id love to be your inside guy for some help with policy

hey... that's great to know someone on the "inside" at HD. Do you know what the official policy is on the lifetime warranty regarding the need to have receipts? I would think since Husky is HD's own trademark brand and it's a "lifetime" warranty, that having a receipt or not shouldn't matter. But the HD person I spoke to told me it's usually best to have the receipt, but if not, they "should" still be able to help me. That immediately got me thinking what if I run into someone working at HD that's in a unhelpful mood; what's the official policy on having or not having a receipt for lifetime warranty replacement? thanks...


as with the need to have a reciept is only if we either.
A. stoped carrying the product and then we know how much to give you back.
B. so we dont have to give you store credit.
c. missing package.

it doesnt matter if some1 is in an unhelpful mood because it really not up to the person at refunds if they just decide not to take it back because thats when they loose their job lol.

If you contact a snap-on dealer directly, they will be happy to sell you tools. Individual snap on drivers usually, in my experience at least, are extremely good about customer service. I suspect there are a couple of reasons for this: 1, warranty-ing out broken tools doesn't cost them anything, so they have no reason to not do it; 2) the business they are in is ALL ABOUT developing relationships with their customers to earn repeat business. for this reason, they will usually be very nice to you and finally 3) in any given area, there are several truck dealers. They know this, and they know that if you don't like the service you are getting you can just go right to the next guy. Now, I loooove my snap-on torque wrenches; they are digital, which means no moving parts to break; no springs to fatigue and lose calibration, etc. The digital wrenches also usually have better range than mechanical versions. My 3/8" drive wrench (snap-on model TECH2FR100) goes from 5-100 ft-lbs, which is a wider range than most 3/8 wrenches. they cost around $350 new, but can be found on ebay in good shape for around 100 bucks.

+1 advice here

I think if you just reach out to a truck guy and be honest with them, you'd be surprised at how they will value your business. And as an owner of several techwrenches myself, they rock. Ebay to score them new for between $150 to $250.

I was cranking the hell out of my Craftsman torque wrench back in November / December 07 and the 1/2" drive broke. I brough it in to Sears and they replaced it on the spot with a new one, no receipt needed, no questions asked.

I was cranking the hell out of my Craftsman torque wrench back in November / December 07 and the 1/2" drive broke. I brough it in to Sears and they replaced it on the spot with a new one, no receipt needed, no questions asked.
I guess you're lucky and the people that work at your local Sears are nice. The people at my local Sears just pointed out that the warranty was only 1 year and 90 day on calibration.

In my opinion hands down a MAC. I own over $20k worth of their tools and boxes. I'd take them over scrap-on any day. A MAC is guaranteed and it doesn't have to be the same distributor.

I do own a Husky. It has worked well. I haven't broken it yet so I don't know about the warranty.

I would pony up the cash and get a Snap-On Tech Wrench. It's there digital one and it works great. I've had one since they came out and am sold on them. I will say that I have a SK that is older than dirt that I use as a back-up. It was re calibrated about a year ago and was my main one till I got the Tech Wrench.

I would pony up the cash and get a Snap-On Tech Wrench. It's there digital one and it works great. I've had one since they came out and am sold on them. I will say that I have a SK that is older than dirt that I use as a back-up. It was re calibrated about a year ago and was my main one till I got the Tech Wrench.
Are you a DIYer or also use Snap-On professionally? Also, have you ever sent the Snap-On or SK torque wrench for warranty repair?

Even as a DIYer I still buy MAC. It makes all the difference in the world when you have good tools.

I'm a pro mechanic and I work my tools. The only repair the SK has ever gotten is calibrated every few years. The Snap-On hasn't needed anything yet except batteries every so often. I check them versus a checker I have every couple months. If they show as off more than 2 pounds it gets sent in. The Snap-On still reads right on the money. I will say I have one Mac torque wrench and it is a 1/4 inch drive I bought for transmission work because the dealer was there and I needed it.

A lot does have to do with what dealers you see more often. Our local MAC man is around all the time. It seems like we go through Snap-On dealers like pez candy. Buy from whomever you see more often and is more stable.

I have owned a few Snap-On Torque wrenches over the years from 1/4" right up to 1/2" drive and now the digital angle torque wrench. I do use them professionally and I have never had a problem. The only time I ever sent one in for re-calibration, it was gone 3 weeks, and the dealer lent me one while mine was gone.

We also have a Craftsman in the shop, it's a few years old, and it still works great.

i appreciate the opinions of those of you who are professionals in this business. i'm just a DIYer here. and from what I've heard from other DIYers, Snap-On dealers aren't going to be very interested in helping someone like me in their home garage with little potential for significant business for them. I certainly don't see Snap-On trucks driving through my neighborhood. though i haven't heard anything specific about MAC, i wouldn't be surprised if the situation isn't similar as both of those brands cater to professional outfits.

personally, i'm looking for something a little more practical for the DIYer and with a warranty that I can actually make use of the next time i break another torque wrench. i wouldn't mind spending more $$$, but only if it buys me the above.

i guess your best bet is to get a list of distributors in your area and go from there... go for snap-on, mac tools or matco best tools ever

Hello all,
I just bought the 1/2 in Husky Torque Wrench from HD today. I saw the Lifetime Warranty on the packaging, and all my research prior to buying the wrench indicated that this was the general consesus.
On the drive home, I called the number on the back of the package (888-HD-Husky) to get the details. I was informed they removed the lifetime warranty effective 7/27/2007. Thats 8 months ago. I asked her then why are they still printing it on the label? She had no idea, but the booklet on the inside states the new warranty. Sure enough, when I got home and opened it up, the booklet has the 90 day/1 year.
I called three Local HD's here in NC and none of the clerks knew the revision to the warranty. One clerk said he'd honor it if it broke, but who's to say he'll be there in 1 year and a day when this thing breaks.

Guess it's going back.

I figured I'd pass this along, as it was relevant to the thread.

Hello all,
I just bought the 1/2 in Husky Torque Wrench from HD today. I saw the Lifetime Warranty on the packaging, and all my research prior to buying the wrench indicated that this was the general consesus.
On the drive home, I called the number on the back of the package (888-HD-Husky) to get the details. I was informed they removed the lifetime warranty effective 7/27/2007. Thats 8 months ago. I asked her then why are they still printing it on the label? She had no idea, but the booklet on the inside states the new warranty. Sure enough, when I got home and opened it up, the booklet has the 90 day/1 year.
I called three Local HD's here in NC and none of the clerks knew the revision to the warranty. One clerk said he'd honor it if it broke, but who's to say he'll be there in 1 year and a day when this thing breaks.

Guess it's going back.

I figured I'd pass this along, as it was relevant to the thread.

i no in NY ( would assume its the same for all HD) but even if we dont honor the warranty, the store itself has a thing to take back all broken merchandise.

as for the warranty not being an actual lifetime warranty, im going to talk to the regional HD manager next time i see him around and ask what is with the "lifetime warranty" these days.

As I recall, the lifetime tool warranty was a political bet by Congress to stop the import tool trade which was just starting way back, they thought making the lifetime warranty mandatory would stop them, but no such luck.They were mostly Japanese,Taiwanese and Indian then, and were really crap, I'd say the current wave from China is much better, the 1/2 torque wrench is only $12, my 1st one torqued 40 lug nuts a week for 3 or 4 summers.,

I bought one from Griot's Garage (mainly for the lifetime calibration service). It is excellent. Sorry, no linky handy so I don't know the warranty (although Griot's is pretty good about that kind of thing).

i love my husky torque wrench. I broke my first 3/8 craftsmen years ago. Picked up a husky at home depot. They said if it ever broke i could just take it back to them. It even came with a nifty box for the tool. Not like that plastic crap the craftsmen came with...

ive been using the husky for about 2 years now. Still workin good.

Are you a DIYer or also use Snap-On professionally? Also, have you ever sent the Snap-On or SK torque wrench for warranty repair?I work at a Garage, Use Snap On and MAC, I've broken stuff and had it replaced by other dealers, I have a Snap On 3/8 inch Tech wrench, The really early ones broke at the head,(I did one!) They replaced it with the updated new version, I'm soon going to get a 1/2 inch Tech-angle, Does away with stupid angle gauges, much quicker.
I have been really impressed with the Tech wrench, the only complaints are they do not do a rechargeable battery pack for them(You can't use rechargeable batteries either :() and obviously you have to be very careful with them because of the screen.