I finally gave up on digital torque wrenches after a close call with a 737 landing gear bolt

Used to love the beep-and-click of my digital Snap-on, but after it gave me a false reading on a nose wheel torque check back in February, I switched back to a plain old beam-style and now I actually trust what my hands feel before signing off the job - anyone else ditch the fancy stuff for something simpler?

3 comments

3 Comments

piper_burns27d ago

Totally feel you, I had a digital one lie to me on a critical bolt and went straight back to a click-style.

victorb1727d ago

Lie to me on a critical bolt" - yeah, that's exactly what got me too. I always test click-style on a known tight bolt first to get a feel for where it clicks, then double check with a breakover just to be safe. Once you've been burned by digital, it's hard to trust them again.

margaret_taylor4221d ago

Yeah that digital Snap-on beep used to make me feel all high tech until it almost cost me a gear pin. I had one read 150 ft-lbs on a trunnion bolt and when I broke out the beam it was barely 120. @victorb17 you hit it right about testing on a known bolt first that's exactly what I do now with my old click-style before I trust anything. The false confidence from that beep is dangerous because you think it's perfect but really it's just a computer guessing sometimes. I went back to a plain old beam style and honestly my torque values have been way more consistent since. Simple tools just work better for me when the stakes are high like that.