My neighbor and I both bought torque wrenches from Harbor Freight, ¼”, 3/8” and ½”. He is a mechanic for the National Guard, so he took the torque wrenches to work and had their calibration department check all of the wrenches. All of the wrenches were within the 4% tolerance range.
Like jeffs396 said, back off the tension and your inexpensive torque wrench should be fine. I do not know why anyone would report that the Harbor Freight torque wrenches are inaccurate. The Internet is full of miss-information too.

 

I had one of those Harbor Freight torque wrenches, pd $10 (New Store opening deals). Snapped a stud off on our 02 Impala before it even got to 90 lbs. Went back to using my 47 yr old Craftsmen beam type.

 

While "click type" torque wrenches are great if they are calibrated properly. For a home mechanic that is not going to use one a lot and not spend the money to get checked and/or recalibrated regularly, a beam type tends to hold its calibration a lot longer, as long as its not just tossed in a tool box. A beam type is harder to use accurately but should be just fine for anything your doing on a typical street car. Lets be honest how many "professional" mechanics actually use a torque wrench on lug nuts or brake caliper bolts. If you not building engines a beam type should do the job for you and last a long time with proper care.

Just my $.02

 

First off $15 for a torue wrench should send up a red flag.

Harbor has somethings that are ok to use regularly, somethings to use limitedly and somethings not to buy.

Best to use good judgment when buying there. If something breaks don't be suprised.

things like their cheap drill press is great for the limited use home owner but if you own a machine shop your going to get a better tool.

But with precision items like the Torque wrench if you want a good tool for the money and are not a line mechanic the Sears Craftsman is the best for the money. Mine is 30 years old and still working accuratly.

No matter who makes them they need to be checked and adjusted. Also like mentioned the clickers need backed off when not in use.

 

The Harbor Freight torque wrench is one step above the old needle type. It may be off a good percentage, but it will be off consistantly from one nut to the next. Still better than the "instinct" torque wrench.

For a while, I had a built-in clicker type torque wrench. I had open heart surgery, and afterwards, after pulling on a breaker bar, at certain point, I could feel my sternum snap, healing together after being split apart.

 

Harbor Freight tools are fine. The torque wrenches are good just to have one at home, like everyone else said, you just have to back off the spring before putting it away.

My dad has had better luck with Harbor Freight tools than his Mac and Snap-On tools. Although the Snap-on and Mac tools have lifetime warranties, he constantly breaks them, where as the Harbor Freight tools don't break as often. And he uses the harbor freight tools on buses.

 

If you think so.

 

When I was young, I always bought top quality tools. Now that I'm 62, my thinking has changed (longevity of tools vs. me!).

These days, when it comes to a tool for occasional use, I don't think twice about buying from Harbor Freight.

Something to consider when it comes to torque wrenches...

No matter how "accurate", they only measure resistance to rotation. There are variables that effect that with little bearing on the desired results, which is tension. Surface finish on both bolt and hole, lubrication variables, etc. can result is considerable tension differences at the same torque value. Today we see, on critical applications, torque to some "minimal" value, then a certain number of degrees of rotation beyond that. Much more accurate than the "best" torque wrench!

 

I will buy hoses, snap ring plyers, dolly carts and the like from them.

But most rechargable electric tools, critical tools like torque wrenches and gas power I will pass on.

I went through 3 weed eaters before I got the refund.

I did get the bench top drill press as it is good enough for my use but if I was a machinest I would want one that was a little tigher on its specs.

They do good on Chinese Hammers!

 

My dad was an ASE certified Master Technician and now repairs city buses. I'm pretty sure he's done a lot heavy duty work and the Harbor Freight tools (sockets, screw drivers) have been better than his collection of Snap-on and Mac Tools.

Then again, the Chinese probably just make them out of heavier steel so they hold up better.