The 8 Best Torque Wrenches for Cranking Away

A torque wrench is an essential tool when you need to tighten nuts and bolts using a very specific amount of twisting force, known as torque. This is often necessary when performing automotive repairs, where you might need to torque certain bolts to the setting specified by the vehicle’s manufacturer. But their applications aren’t limited there, as the plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), and construction industries regularly employ torque wrenches as well. As a result of this diverse range of uses, there are several different types, sizes, and characteristics that can impact the functionality of a particular torque wrench. To help you determine which wrench is best for your needs, read on to learn what factors you should consider when shopping, along with my top eight torque wrench recommendations.

Best Torque Wrenches

The Expert: I’m a home improvement freelance writer with over a decade of experience in a variety of trades. I have used torque wrenches throughout my professional career in residential construction, as well as in my personal life working on vehicles. Most recently, I used my torque wrenches extensively while replacing the engine in my 1985 Ford F250. My work has appeared in Bob Villa, The Family Handyman, and The Spruce.

Types of Torque Wrenches

▶ Click: A click torque wrench is the most common variety due to its ease of use and relative affordability. It gets its name from the audible “click” that’s sounds when you tighten a nut or bolt to the desired setting. To set the torque value, twist the rotating dial on the handle’s base—clockwise to increase the torque and counterclockwise to decrease it—until the indicator aligns with the torque value markings on the handle.

▶ Beam: A beam torque wrench has a long arm (the “beam”) that runs from the head of the wrench to a scale, near the base, that measures torque. Consequently, there’s no need to set the torque to the specification you’re after; just tighten the fastener until the intended torque value registers on the scale. This is typically the most inexpensive variety of torque wrench and among the most accurate, making it desirable for pros and DIYers alike. A beam torque wrench can also be quicker and easier to use than a click model if you are tightening several nuts and bolts to different torque specifications, because you don’t need to reset the torque value for each fastener.

▶ Split beam: A split beam torque wrench is essentially a click-style torque wrench with a different mechanism for setting the torque value. As opposed to twisting the handle, you twist a small dial located midway up the handle. Then, you tighten down the fastener until you hear the wrench “click.” The primary advantage a split beam wrench has over a standard click wrench is that setting the torque value with the dial is considerably faster than twisting a knob up the length of the handle. This time-saver is particularly valuable if you are tightening multiple fasteners with different torque values. The main disadvantage is that split beam models often more expensive than most click wrenches.

▶ Digital: A digital torque wrench has an LCD screen that lets you set the torque value and registers the torque you’re applying to the fastener as you tighten. The wrench then notifies you when you reach your desired torque value in one or more ways: a beep, a vibration in the handle, a flashing light on the screen, or some combination thereof. A digital torque wrench is the most accurate and easiest to use but also usually the most expensive.

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What Else to Consider When Shopping for a Torque Wrench

Torque Range

Torque can either be measured using the imperial scale in foot-pounds or inch-pounds or the metric scale in newton meters. Most mechanical torque wrenches (the click, beam, and split beam types) have a dual-range scale with foot- or inch-pounds on one side and the corresponding newton meter scale on the other. Digital torque wrenches usually include all three that you can toggle through on their LCD screens.

Depending on the wrench, the torque range can be anywhere from 0 to 300 foot-pounds, 0 to 1,000 inch-pounds, or 0 to 400 newton meters. To perform most automotive work, you’ll need a wrench with a range of 10 to 150 foot-pounds or 10 to 200 inch-pounds (and the corresponding newton meter). A smaller range of around 10 to 80 foot-pounds is typically sufficient for plumbing or HVAC jobs.

Drive size

A torque wrench’s “drive” is the square piece that protrudes from the wrench’s head and is where the socket drive connects. As such, the drive size on the torque wrench must match the socket size. Additionally, the maximum amount of torque a wrench is capable of withstanding and exerting is heavily influenced by the drive size. Larger drives generally correspond to higher torque values. Handle length also plays a role in the amount of torque a wrench can produce, so a larger drive also corresponds to a longer handle. Smaller drive sizes and shorter handle lengths have the lowest torque ranges but can also be more easily maneuvered in cramped and confined spaces (such as nuts and bolts deep inside your car’s engine bay). Larger drive sizes produce the most torque but are best for tasks where you have plenty of room to operate the longer handle (such as tightening lug nuts).

Torque wrenches are most commonly available with ¼-, ⅜-, and ½-inch drives; the latter two sizes are the most popular and versatile for automotive applications. A ¼-inch drive is commonly found on power tools and works well on small engines (like landscape equipment) and plumbing and HVAC components.

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Accuracy

Because the whole purpose of using a torque wrench is to ensure that the nuts and bolts you’re tightening are within a very specific and narrow range of torque, a wrench’s ability to accurately measure the torque you apply is key to avoiding under- or over-tightening. Torque wrench manufacturers perform calibration tests to measure a wrench’s accuracy. Accuracy ratings average around ±4 percent of the torque value indicated by a wrench’s scale, though higher-end wrenches can be calibrated as precisely as ±2 percent. Many of the high-end models also come with a certificate of calibration to prove that the wrench you purchased was calibrated prior to packaging.