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That cheap torque screwdriver I swore was fine finally failed me
I bought a $15 torque screwdriver from a hardware store 2 years ago and figured it was good enough for panel work. Last week I was tightening lugs on a 200 amp residential panel and it clicked way too early. Checked with my buddy's Klein and I was under by almost 15 inch-pounds. Ever had a tool you trusted suddenly show its limits the hard way?
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sarah5312mo ago
15 inch-pounds is a lot on a 200 amp panel. You could have had a loose neutral or a hot lug that slowly cooked itself over time. I've seen guys strip bolts with those cheap click types because they don't have a smooth release either, they just dump all the torque at once. The thing that gets me is how the calibration drifts over time with no warning, you don't notice until something goes wrong. At least you caught it before a service call came back, but it's a real wake up call about trusting budget gear for critical connections.
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