CDI Torque wrenches.

[EdWills]

Is anyone familiar with CDI torque wrenches?  I googled all of the options for torque wrenches, and prices and styles are so numerous with various sites recommending one over another.  I understand that CDI is a division of Snap-On, so should be good quality I am hoping?  I need a wrench for 5 to 70 ish foot pounds, and CDI manufactures one suitable for this range.  I also have a U.K. produced wrench for higher torque values that I get checked at a local aero tech centre.  

 

Although it has been covered previously (some time ago) about which tools members should consider using for repairing or carrying in their Seven, are there any tools that are still manufactured in the U.S. other than Snap-On?  I often see the Mac truck at the various car dealerships in my area, but I really miss the Sears Craftsmen tools that were manufactured in the U.S. and sold in Canada, which were the go-to tools for me at least.  I never had one break, and the guarantee was very impressive if you ever did happen to break one.  The original tools for my motorcycle in the U.K. came from Europe (Elora, Germany) or France, with a number of Sheffield U.K. manufactured tools to compliment them.  The late, great, Carroll Smith was fond of Craftsmen tools although he naturally went more for the professional range for his racing car production.  Thanks for any input. W.

[KnifeySpoony]

I have a CDI 1/2 wrench that goes up to 250ft lbs or so for bigger fasteners. No complaints. Seems high quality and can go in both directions for torqueing rear hub nuts which is basically what I bought it for.

 

I have been using a Husky brand 3/8 wrench (20-100ftlbs), which has served me well and remained accurate for >10 years, but i recently "upgraded" to a gearwrench 120XP for the 120 tooth gear. There are various situations in which the coarse (many even high quality wrenches only have 30ish teeth) ratchets make operating the wrench challenging. I'm hoping the the 120 tooth makes tight situations less annoying. 

[S1Steve]

[IamScotticus]

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Edited June 8 by IamScotticus

[IamScotticus]

12 hours ago, EdWills said:

I really miss the Sears Craftsmen tools that were manufactured in the U.S. and sold in Canada, which were the go-to tools for me

The Craftsman line is sold in Lowe's Hardware here.

 

https://www.lowes.com/pl/tools/craftsman/4294936478-3252463372

 

This is the closest store to you

 

https://www.lowes.com/pl/tools/craftsman/4294936478-3252463372

[MV8]

I don't have a CDI product. I have a large amount of Craftsman tools that I stopped buying when they hassled me on my rare and infrequent replacements. I also have Mac, Snap on, Kmart had a very good quality set, Husky are well made, and others. I also have some HBF specialty tools. Tool makers put a number of different names on their tools. I was given a 100 or so piece set from Husky that comes in a suitcase years ago, and I use that 95% of the time out of convenience. Some break when I push the limits of common sense and replacement is just like Craftsman used to be. No receipt.    

 

I have beam and click torque wrenches from 1/4 drive to 3/4 drive but normally use the clickers. I keep them clean, store them with a small amount of torque set (slight tension), treat them like glass and only take them out when needed so they never get dropped. I use the wrench that will be set in the middle of it's range for the torque needed, and torque to the low-middle of the tolerance for the fastener.

 

You mentioned you have your wrenches calibrated. How far out of spec have your torque wrenches been? Had they been dropped or banged around? When calibrated tools are checked out of a tool crib for use by an employee (could be a 100 use it in a year), annual calibration is more important. When a company can show repeated calibrations without an adjustment required, those calibration intervals can be extended. 

Edited June 8 by MV8

[IamScotticus]

I've been wanting a 1/2" drive torque wrench for the rear axle hub nut.  I would need one so infrequently I am considering using a clicker type rental from a local auto parts store at a reasonable price, if not free (refund on return loan program).  However, for a much lower cost, I can own a pointer type.

I assume I can be accurate within +/- 3 lbs ft.  Is this an acceptable margin for rear axle hub nut?

Edited June 8 by IamScotticus

[EdWills]

9 hours ago, MV8 said:

You mentioned you have your wrenches calibrated. How far out of spec have your torque wrenches been? Had they been dropped or banged around? When calibratetools are checked out of a tool crib for use by an employee (could be a 100 use it in a year), annual calibration is more important. When a company can show repeated calibrations without an adjustment required, those calibration intervals can be extended. 

Hi MV8.  I have only once had my James Neill (Sheffield U.K.) 40 - 160 ft/lbs wrench verified for accuracy at a local aero instrument testing centre more for insurance against breaking studs on my family vehicle.  It came out as almost 100% accurate on all of the readings that they tested. I realize that for speed, most technicians at auto businesses use the air wrench for doing up wheel nuts, but an experience a few years ago - where my front wheel nearly came off - led me to check the wheel nuts with my torque wrench.  The auto business tried to claim that the technician's torque wrench was badly out of adjustment, but I have worked at a couple of auto dealerships, and never seen a torque wrench taken out of its protective case to this date for wheel nut tightness checks.  

 

What do aircraft technicians do to ensure that a torque wrench is accurate each time they use one?  Do they have a test rig at every repair location to verify the readings before using one, or do they assume the tool is accurate?  

 

Scott, does Craftsman still obtain tools under their brand name and manufactured in the U.S., or are they now produced offshore like so many others?  I noticed in Kauai a few years ago, that 'K' Mart sold them.  There was a company in the U.S. that produced specialized tools for rebuilding many of the North American engines including the Pinto and 1600 Crossflow, but they closed down years ago.  A gent in the U.S. was selling off a huge supply of these secondhand special tools that he had bulk purchased. He sold them on the well known web site at a very good price, and I managed to obtain a few tools for the 1600 engine (seal replacement tools mostly). They are excellent quality.

I have a Craftsman U.S. manufactured beam type torque wrench, but it is for very low poundage, and hard to read in certain locations on the car.  Beam type are not known for their accuracy as much as the other 'click' or digital types apparently.  Cheers.  W.

Edited June 8 by EdWills

[MV8]

Auto shops should have torque sticks. They are color coded extensions that limit the applied torque to a specific value. I have a set but rarely use air at all.  Most auto shops use specific capacity impact wrenches and limit the psi available but that is not always the case. A standard socket extension doesn't work with air impact wrenches which is why you see some impacts with an extended tip.

 

FAA repair station personnel must meet the requirements of the maintenance manual for the article, their own approved or accepted manuals, and 14 cfr 145.109 among other things. This means checking the cal due label and condition before each use. There are differences in the rules for UK, EASA, Singapore, etc.

 

Usually, they are calibrated/tested once a year or if there is a problem with an article, the tool was dropped, the label is lost or illegible, etc. Ideally, the tools used are tied to the work order for the article so all can be checked if there is a problem and any work recently performed with the tool can be rechecked. Calibration may be contracted out or they can setup a calibration department in-house. Traceability, standards, and record keeping.

 

An independent FAA aircraft mech (often operating out of a truck and putting his certificate on the line with each sign off) has similar rules.

Edited June 8 by MV8

[IamScotticus]

@EdWills Will, I don't know about Craftsman now.  I'm not keeping up.  Generally, tool steel quality is pretty good across the brands.  Not a professional so not much point in me having any particular loyalty.  I do grab up older tools when I find them.  5/8" from 1925 is still 5/8" today. .  Please PM me on that 1600 tool supply. Don't want to hijack this thread.

[CarlB]

I believe you will find no one is making tools in the US. It is my understanding that SK was the last tool company making tools here.

[EdWills]

3 hours ago, CarlB said:

I believe you will find no one is making tools in the US. It is my understanding that SK was the last tool company making tools here.

That is a real shame.  Pegasus are selling a line of tools specifically for automotive use (road and race) and manufactured in Italy.  I realize that Craftsman originally had tools manufactured by various companies in the U.S., but now source them from Asia.  I did find a company in the U.K. (Sheffield ) that is still manufacturing tools there (Eclipse), but expensive to import, and limited tools in their inventory.  They only seem to manufacture certain tools on a demand basis with minimum quantities required, which is understandable I guess.  Apparently they sell some of their specialized tools to Japan, Malaya, and other Asian locations. W

[pethier]

6 hours ago, CarlB said:

I believe you will find no one is making tools in the US. It is my understanding that SK was the last tool company making tools here.

That depends on how you define "tools".

 

channellock.com

[CarlB]

I was referring to mechanics hand tools. I haven’t looked at this in a few years. Chanel locks are made here. I think some torque wrenches are made here. Black & Decker / Stanley tried to make tools in Texas but they couldn’t do it competitively. 

[fastg]

I use Project Farm, he tests a LOT of stuff. If I want to buy any tool this is the first place I go. Very impartial review on all sorts of stuff. 

 

 

 

 

[Marek]

On 6/9/2025 at 7:17 PM, EdWills said:

That is a real shame.  Pegasus are selling a line of tools specifically for automotive use (road and race) and manufactured in Italy.  I realize that Craftsman originally had tools manufactured by various companies in the U.S., but now source them from Asia.  I did find a company in the U.K. (Sheffield ) that is still manufacturing tools there (Eclipse), but expensive to import, and limited tools in their inventory.  They only seem to manufacture certain tools on a demand basis with minimum quantities required, which is understandable I guess.  Apparently they sell some of their specialized tools to Japan, Malaya, and other Asian locations. W

 

If you are considering the Beta tools from Pegasus, also look at the USAG and Facom from Ultimate Garage in NJ.