12 torque wrenches put to the test (2021)

W.if he does the seasonal wheel swap himself, he knows how important a torque wrench is. Because in modern vehicles, almost all screw connections must be tightened with a torque defined by the manufacturer, including the wheel bolts after the tire has been replaced. A torque of 100 to 150 Newton meters is usually prescribed. You can find information on this in the vehicle’s logbook. A torque wrench is required for correct tightening, on which the corresponding value can be set in advance – usually by turning the handle. AUTO BILD has tested twelve torque wrenches that cover the common range from 40 to 200 Newton meters – from the 27-euro cheap product to the 289 euro expensive professional tool. Which one cracks right?

The most common torque wrenches consist of a steel tube with the trigger mechanism housed in it, as well as an adjustment device and scale connected to the handle. A reversible or relocatable ratchet is usually integrated as a tool holder. When the desired torque is reached, a solid crack can be heard. You can also feel the release on the handle. It works like this: Inside the tool, a spring exerts a defined pressure on a ball, which jumps out of a ball socket when a certain force is applied and thus triggers. The higher the preload of the spring, the higher the torque. The most important test criterion is the accuracy of the release. The three models from TZTool, Gedore red and Hazet are particularly impressive here with their high precision and uniformity – the deviation in our measurements was only around 0.5 percent on average. For comparison: With the cheap Schlux308; ssel from Car Trend, the difference was almost ten times as high at just under five percent on average. The was Deviation in individual measurements even up to 23 percent. That is way too much!

Ease of use – especially the uncomplicated setting of the torque – and an easily readable scale facilitate intensive work with torque wrenches. Here, too, the Hazet product is convincing, as are the tools from Gedore and Wera; closely followed by the product from KS Tools, which, however, has to get by without a switch lever for right and left operation. As the only test candidate, the Stahlwille tool did not have to turn any mechanism on the handle to determine the torque. Instead, you press a lever inside the end of the handle. Then the scale can simply be moved with the thumb and set the desired torque – a principle that is as simple as it is quick. In contrast, the poorly stamped, small scale tables on the steel shafts from Cartrend, Famex and Michelin difficult to see. In addition, there is the uncomfortable preselection: the stiff turning handles can hardly be moved towards the maximum values. The properly processed products from the low to medium price segment from TZTool, S&R and Goodyear make that much better. For hobby mechanics who do not have to tighten screws every day, they are exactly the right choice. Tip: To protect the mechanics, torque wrenches should always be released after work and never misused to loosen tight connections. In addition, the tools must be calibrated regularly.

The model turned out to be the best torque wrench in the test Hazet 5122-3 CT for and 144 euros. The tool not only impresses with its extremely precise and even triggering. The average deviation was just over 0.5 percent. At 50 Newton meters, the average difference was only 0.1 percent. The user-friendly reversible ratchet enables right-hand and left-hand operation. Practical: thanks to the rotating mechanism placed in front of the handle, the The Hazet key can also be locked and opened with one hand. The simple and intuitive operation in combination with the easily readable value scale make working with the tool easier. And its top-quality workmanship rounds off the excellent overall package.