Since then I can only use it as an unlocking ratchet and can't use it as a torque wrench to tighten.
So, I've been looking around to purchase a new one and toying between buying an electronic one as opposed to a £25 OK-ish quality screw type.
Browsing on the internet, I saw an interesting alternative from Machine Mart which is an electronic torque 1/2" adapter enabling one to use any ratchet or breaker bar. I'm not usually a huge fan of Clarke tools although they do have a big reasonably-priced range and their Pro range does have a lifetime guarantee. So I thought this might be an interesting alternative enabling me to use my existing 1/2" & 3/8" (with an adapter) drive ratchets.
Well. today I just happened to be driving past a local Machine Mart outlet and decided to bite the bullet and buy it.
It has a very good range of 22 lb ft to 265 lb ft (I have a small 3/8" drive torque wrench which does lower figures), reads the exact torque clockwise or ant-clockwise and can be programmed to sound a buzzer when you get close to your set torque figure. A few quick tests indicated that all the wheel nuts on one wheel of my XJS all loosened off at a figure within 4 lb ft of each other which seems quite remarkable considering I did them up originally by hand without a torque wrench!
The adapter came in a good quality storage box and a certificate of calibration which seems to indicate a high degree of accuracy. And the QC supervisor on the calibration certificate is ShaoXiao Zeng who I thought drove that Jaguar XKR in Die Another Day!
Early days but at £35 I'm really quite pleased with this so far!
Paul
