Every Major Torque Wrench Brand, Ranked Worst To Best

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The humble torque wrench is one of those tools you probably won't use too often, but should probably always have on hand. Its main use is automotive, as many people use them every year to loosen the lug nuts on their flat tires to put on a spare. There are many types of torque wrenches out there as well, and they are all universally useful. Pair one with a good floor jack and some good technique, and changing your tires becomes rather easy. Most of today's vehicles that come with a spare also come with a torque wrench, but it's something you may want to check, especially if you bought your car used.

If you're in the market for a good torque wrench, it's probably a good idea to learn who the big players are. In general, most tool brands make a torque wrench, and you can find them at any hardware store or from online retailers like Amazon. That includes budget-friendly brands from Harbor Freight and big dogs like Snap-on and Mac Tools. In most cases, almost any brand is good enough for casual use, but those who want a step above do have some options for things like accuracy. 

Stanley is a big name in tools, and the brand owns a lot of other tool companies as well. The company acquired Black and Decker in the late 2000s, and the two have been a single company ever since. They are best known for their power tools and hand tools, and you've likely seen them on store shelves all over the place. Some of the tools are even made in the U.S., which people tend to like. 

For torque wrenches, Stanley has six available through its website, although you can find some online at retailers like Amazon. What's nice about Stanley is that the brand keeps it simple. All six torque wrenches they offer have different strength ratings that range from five nanometers all the way up to 340 nanometers in sizes that include ¼, ¾, and ½ . That is more than enough for casual use, and the different sizes let you buy one that is compatible with your existing socket set. Customer reviews tend to be pretty good as well. 

Stanley places low on the list for two reasons. The first is that the brand doesn't offer more advanced tech like competitors, and its availability in-store is a little less than stellar. Otherwise, there's not much wrong with Stanley. 

Husky is best known as one of Home Depot's house brands, and you can readily find their tools all over store shelves right next to brands like Ryobi. There is nothing wrong with Husky hand tools, and the brand is pretty well known for being a great bargain for DIYers without breaking the bank. You won't find anything super specialized in the lineup, at least in terms of torque wrenches, but this is one of the better ways to get one to change a flat tire without spending too much. 

The brand keeps it simple with three torque wrenches. They include a ¼-inch that supports up to 200 inch-pounds of force, a ⅜-inch that can do up to 100 foot-pounds, and a ½ -inch model that does up to 250 foot-pounds. These are fairly basic models, although all three have excellent user reviews. They'll definitely work for DIY tasks, changing tires, and similar work. For reference, lug nuts require around 80 to 100 lb-ft of torque, so if you're swinging for that, you may want to skip the ¼-inch torque wrench. 

Husky is available exclusively at Home Depot and nowhere else, and its lower placement is due to a lack of tech features provided by brands further up the list.

Klein Tools makes some pretty good stuff. The business is family-owned and operated and has been for its entire existence so far. They are best known for their hand tools, although I personally know them best for their multimeters. I bought one many years ago, and it still works perfectly to this day. In any case, Klein doesn't sell a ton of tools in any one category as the brand tends to get it right with fewer options. 

Klein offers three torque wrenches on its website, along with a torque wrench set that includes bits and other tools. There are also some other variations available at places like Amazon, so we're unsure of the total number of models, but there are at least three or four. They are fairly standard ⅜-inch and ½-inch torque wrenches, with maximum torque ratings of 100 lb-ft and 250 lb-ft, respectively. Since Klein doesn't offer a ¼-inch model, you can buy any torque wrench from them, and it'll be strong enough to change a car tire. 

Generally speaking, Klein is on par with Stanley and Husky in terms of torque wrench quality, and that's not a bad thing. It also gets great customer reviews, even if it's a bit more pricey than the other brands. 

Harbor Freight is a good place to buy a lot of tools, including torque wrenches. The company owns many of the tool brands sold there, so we decided to lump Harbor Freight's selection into a single section to talk about them. Of those brands, three sell torque wrenches at Harbor Freight, including Pittsburgh, Icon, and Quinn. Of those three, Icon and Quinn have the most options. All told, there are over a dozen options for torque wrenches at Harbor Freight. 

They come in standard ¼-inch, ⅜-inch, and ½-inch sizes, although their torque figures are significantly higher than many competitors, with torque values that are equal to most of the others you'll see on the market. There are two things that help Harbor Freight's selection stand out. The first is the existence of electronic torque wrenches, which puts Harbor Freight on par with competitors like Craftsman and Tekton. The other is this neat little device called a digital torque adapter, which gives torque readouts on non-electric torque wrenches. That's a nice upgrade to get for less than the cost of a brand new electronic torque wrench. 

Those two things, combined with the company's plentiful Harbor Freight stores across the U.S., make it a solid option for torque wrench shoppers.

Craftsman is a huge name in hand tools, and the company is known for making a lot of tools that other companies like Milwaukee don't. If you felt bad that we put Stanley so far down the list, don't be, because Craftsman is owned by Stanley, and it is much further up the chain in terms of what we'd recommend to people. Despite having so many tools that it sells, Craftsman keeps its torque wrench selection simple while still competing with most of the rest of the brands on the market. 

All told, Craftsman has four main torque wrenches. They include non-electronic ⅜-inch and ½-inch versions and electronic variants of those same two sizes. Torque limits are what you would expect in each size, with ⅜-inch achieving 100 lb-ft and the ½-inch getting 250 lb-ft. If you were to opt for the electronic versions, the display is quite useful and does things like convert to in-lb and nanometers on the fly, along with LED lights to let you know when you've hit your torque targets. 

Overall, Craftsman is a good buy for torque wrenches. All four models come with one-year warranties, which are shorter than we'd like for hand tools, but they're otherwise widely available, reasonably priced, and have tons of positive reviews.

DeWalt is another big player in hand tools, and a reasonable option for torque wrenches. The company fiercely competes with Milwaukee in the market, and the two brands have a very similar set of tools. It's also another brand owned by Stanley Black & Decker, so the quality of the tools is largely on par with its other stablemates, like Craftsman. Much like its other stablemates, DeWalt tools are also widely available at most hardware stores, including Lowe's, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware, along with online retailers like Amazon.

DeWalt has four total options for torque wrenches. They include a ⅜-inch and a ½-inch option that don't come with any electronics, and the same sizes with electronics. When comparing functionality, DeWalt's options are virtually identical to Craftsman, with the digital display reading out torque values, and LED lights that tell you when you've hit your torque targets. That is more than good enough for home use and for car use if you ever need it for that. 

There really isn't much to differentiate DeWalt and Craftsman. Both offer one-year warranties on their torque wrenches, both have basic and electronic versions, and both are widely available. The only thing you're really choosing is whether or not you want yellow or red on the handles.

Milwaukee is certainly an interesting company. They are considered huge competitors for Stanley Black & Decker brands like DeWalt, and are owned by Techtronic, the same brand that owns Ryobi. Ryobi is already known for having a ridiculous assortment of tools, so it should be no surprise that Milwaukee does as well. The warranty on Milwaukee products is a touch better than many as well, as the brand offers a two-year warranty on its torque wrenches instead of one like many other mainstream brands. 

In total, Milwaukee has six torque wrench options. They include a ¼-inch, ⅜-inch, and ½-inch options with the usual torque levels, along with a ⅜-inch torque wrench that goes up to 250 in-lbs instead of lb-fts. Those are all pretty standard torque wrenches. The more interesting options include a ⅜-inch and a ½-inch digital torque wrench, which are powered by the brand's M12 Fuel battery systems. These have motors inside that help loosen or tighten things, which is unique to this brand on the list. The ½-inch model is a touch weaker than a normal one, as it can only do 150 lb-ft, but that's still good enough for lug nuts on a car. 

Thanks to the unique options and the longer warranty, Milwaukee is a step above most Stanley Black & Decker brands for torque wrenches.

Gearwrench isn't quite as well-known as the mainstream brands, but it does make some pretty good products. It's often compared to the likes of Craftsman and other tool brands, and usually it's done so favorably. The brand is best known for its hand tools, which work well in a variety of disciplines. You'll typically find these on store shelves at Lowe's and Home Depot, along with online retailers like Amazon, and they are competitively priced with the rest of the mainstream field. 

The brand sells a whole bunch of torque wrenches, way more than mainstream brands. They include all the usual sizes and torque ranges, and Gearwrench has several other products that are unique to the brand. Some examples include this 1,200 ft-lb torque multiplier, various flex head options, and interchangeable heads that can turn a socket wrench into a regular wrench. These additional options give Gearwrench a much larger overall selection than most mainstream brands and even some premium brands, which adds a ton of versatility. It's definitely overkill if you just need a torque wrench for your car, but if you are a mechanic, it's worth scrolling through the selection. 

The only thing keeping Gearwrench from being a top two or three option is the warranty. Its tools only have one-year warranties for parts and labor.

Mac Tools is the first of a few premium brands on the list. It's owned by Stanley Black & Decker, and the quality and selection of the products are a step up from the mainstream brands like DeWalt or Craftsman. That also helps explain why power tools from Mac Tools can be powered by DeWalt batteries, making it easier to step up from mainstream stuff to specialized stuff if you stay in the family. 

One of the things that is unique about the premium brands is that they have a ton of options, and Mac Tools is no different. Mac Tools has basic, non-electronic torque wrenches and electronic ones in a variety of bit sizes and in a variety of strengths. The torque strengths are also notably higher than mainstream models, with this ⅜-inch split-beam torque wrench going up to 600 lb-ft of torque, which is more than double most other brands.

You'll pay for the privilege, as Mac Tools torque wrenches can easily top $500 and even go up in excess of $900. The tools are backed by a limited lifetime warranty, so customers have that going for them. The sheer selection, including specialized options, puts Mac Tools above the mainstream competitors easily, and the lifetime warranty feels good to have.

Tekton Tools is a lesser-known brand that you can find in most hardware stores. They are a privately owned company out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are owned by CEO John Amash and his brother Jeff. Although they are not often discussed with the big dogs like DeWalt or Craftsman, they are considered quite good midrange tools at reasonable prices by those who have purchased them. Tekton hand tools have a lifetime warranty, and according to stories on Reddit, the warranty process is exceedingly easy to deal with.

In terms of selection, Tekton does pretty well. They have ¼-inch, ⅜-inch, and ½-inch options that range in strength from 10 inch-pounds to 250 lb-ft of torque. That should cover most use cases. Much like other brands, you'll want at least a ⅜-inch if you're using it for lug nuts, but otherwise, everything is to spec with the rest of the industry. Tekton also ups the ante with built-in digital displays and sensors in some of their models that give real-time feedback when you reach your torque maximums. 

The additional sensors and screen functionality put Tekton a step ahead of most competitors like DeWalt and Craftsman, and the lifetime warranties put it on par with Mac Tools and other premium brands.

Tohnichi is a brand many might be familiar with, but they are a huge player in torque wrenches. In fact, of all the brands on this list, Tohnichi has the largest selection of torque wrenches, and that number is in the dozens. They sell the usual stuff, such as click types and adjustable types, but also some specialized ones like beam types. They are also one of the few brands that include a non-electronic dial on some models, letting you see the torque value without a battery.

The Japanese brand even sells error-proof torque wrenches, which come with mechanisms that prevent over- or under-tightening. The sheer number of options could be a whole article in itself, and our space is limited here, so here is a link to their torque wrenches for you to scroll through. These are largely considered top-quality tools, and I wasn't personally able to find anyone with a complaint about them outside of their price tags. The only reason that they aren't at the top of the leaderboards is thanks to their warranty. Most Tohnichi tools have a one-year warranty, and that includes the torque wrenches. If these had lifetime warranties, Tohnichi would be at the top of the list for sure.

Anyone familiar with quality hand tools knew that Snap-on would be on this list and that it would be pretty close to the top. The brand is known for its U.S.-made tools that they sell out of Snap-on trucks directly to professionals, and they'll sell to just about anyone if they feel like forking over the money. Its selection of torque wrenches is no different. The only downside to Snap-on tools, other than the price, is the availability. You can sometimes find them on online retailers, but usually at much higher prices than they go for directly from the source. In short, you should probably only buy Snap-on tools from Snap-on itself. 

Snap-on has a couple of dozen selections for torque wrenches, which include the usual sizes and torque ratings. Unlike most brands, Snap-on sells those tools in those same sizes in higher torque ratings as well if you need them. For instance, this ½-inch adjustable torque wrench can handle up to 1,600 lb-ft of torque. That's more than any DIY'er, and most professionals will ever need. In addition to being quite powerful, Snap-on also sends each torque wrench with a certificate of calibration showing exactly how each tool was calibrated. Pair all of that with a lifetime warranty, and this is an easy recommendation for us.

Choosing the brands for this list was pretty easy, since most popular hand tool brands sell at least a couple of torque wrenches. Sorting them was a bit more difficult. The overwhelming majority of brands sell the same types of torque wrenches at similar prices. Thus, there isn't too much of a difference between a Husky brand ½-inch torque wrench with 250 lb-ft of torque and a Craftsman model with the same specs.

For this list, we sorted based on a few factors. The brands with the larger (and more interesting) selections got put toward the top. In our aforementioned example, Craftsman and Husky make similar-quality wrenches, but Craftsman offers electronic models, while Husky doesn't, so Craftsman was further up the list. Milwaukee has battery-operated torque wrenches, so they went above Craftsman. The next thing was the warranty. The tool brands with lifetime warranties, like Snap-on, Mac Tools, and Tekton, were further up the list than most brands unless their selection was so crazy as to warrant higher placement, like Tohnichi. There are also a handful of premium brands like Wera that weren't listed, but you can probably assume those brands would be up where Tohnichi, Tekton, and Snap-on are on this list.