I know they are a US company. I deal with them. In this case, it seems they own the brand Gearwrench, they just spec out the part, and OEM it from someone else. The wrench it self does not say Made in USA, or China, or Taiwan, or ???
Fellas... Sunnnen Model ETW-125 sensor 1 Expert Electronic Torque wrench. A well designed and built industrial tough wrench for use in production, Jobber, and Race Shops. Users include NASCAR Teams, NHRA and IHRA Drag Race Teams, Indy Car Teams and other Performance Race Engine Builders, as well as Aircraft Engine Builders requiring SPC capability. The original Sensor 1 and Sensor 1 Expert wrenches were built by INGERSOLL RAND and SOLD through SUNNEN Products...FWIW, these are NLA/Sunnen Produscts TBOMK PRIMARY TIGHTENEING MODES Torque controlwith angle monitoring Angle control with torque monitoring Yield control with torque and angle monitoring TORQUE MULTIPLIER CAPABILITY Can be used with an external torque multi[plier of ANY value up to 10X! STATISITICAL PROCESS CONTROL(SPC) CAPABILITY WITH DIRECT COMPUTER INTERFACE SPC calculations including mean, std. deviation, CP, CPK can be viewed on screen or sent to a PC. For additional features and for detailed information regarding the wrench, views and scanned images are available on request. Thje wrench is completer with all items shown in the pics. Custom lock case with keys! ETW-125 Sensor Expert Electronic Torque wrench Snapon 3"x9" 1/2" drive extension SnapOn 1/2", 9?16, 5/8, 11/16" 12 point sockets NiCad battery charger Wrench to PC cable assy. BIG Manual... You all get the idea...this is A REAL TORQUE WRENCH...I use this on racing engines(I have 2) I use what is described eldewhere as a tool for suspension bolts etc. This is what you will find in some place like the United Airlines Maintenance facility at SFO... Now the bad news...when available...this sold for..are you sitting down?...$7400.00...plus tax, shipping, etc. For a DIYer, the std. click types on a Snap-On truck are just fine, and don't requirre calibration anymore frequently than once a year...the reality is that the just don't wander-short of impact due to abuse, accident, drops, etc. Since you are most certainly NOT in the industry, your peace of mind is better spent-dollar wise-on just buying new hardware, and having it "surveyed" at an FAA/NASA liscensed Lab... FWIW-be careful not to get too lost in "mental masturbation..." FWIW...
And we paid $10,000 for one in about 2002 that is not as good as what I have more recently paid $5-600 for. Time marches on.
I don't mean to burst your bubble but these days it's really hard to say it's made in America with any authority. Take Snap-On as an example. I have a friend whose company manufactures tools for Snap-On. His parts are made in China. He supplies top flight stuff but like everyone else his California based company had to move most of the production to China. Soon he may have to move to Nevada as well. Perhaps a better idea is to focus on the company's reputation and years in business. Bob S.
I'm not talking about the very basics but there has been some discussion in this thread that I'd like to learn more about. So does anyone have a decent link that covers the subject thoroughly maybe even a bit into the mental masturbation realm? Bob S.
The same can apply to anything these days, but at least it still says "Made In USA" on the tool which IMO, is a rare sight these days. As a consumer, there is only so much one can do. My point is, f I can spend my money here locally and get a quality product in return, I will chose to do so each and every single time.
I have tried to use 2 Snap- On digital torque wrenches, both had horrible performance and reliability issues. Gary Bobileff
American pronounciation, typically, is: Stall Willy "correct" pronounciation-aftre being corrected by M/B Engineer with Phd, ex-Lufwaffe Colonel-fighter maintenabce...., etc, etc, is: SCHTAUL vel FWIW...
Hi Brian, As you can see, I have joined fchat. I really just wanted to email you, but the board is being difficult. Could you please email me at [email protected]? I have a friend's Mondial t with a transaxle problem, and some other issues. Are you interested in fixing it? Harry Riley
Perhaps not China but Asia certainly. GearWrench is actually Apex Tool Group and Danaher is only a holding company which owns about 200 various high and low tech companies. Apex Tool Group has facilities in more than 30 countries and has almost 8,000 employees worldwide. Neither good nor bad but labels taped onto a 'red plastic case' mean very little. Since Apex's main outlets are Ace Hardware, Lowes, Napa and Sears, I wouldn't put their products at the top of the quality list, but I certainly would own their tools, and Danaher stock. These discuss usage but not the reason why to use torque wrenches - http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Torque+wrench&aq=f Most users just rotely follow instructions and don't care why. The full 'why' is contained in a mechanical engineering degree. Torque wrenches are designed to help extract the maximum strength from a threaded fastener system. When trying to understand torque wrenches, one must understand the science of material strength and testing to failure. Especially steel alloys. Properties of metals is the first place to start the study.
Stupid question alert:....I have a torque (non-digital) I use occasionally for simple things. Where is a good place to have it calibrated for the DIYer in a medium sized city? Are there such places?
Clamp the business end of the wrench in a bench vise, horizontal to the ground Hang a 20 lbs weight on a string, attach it to the handle Measure the distance from the business end to the point where the string is The torque is Distance multiplied by Weight (lb ft) Set the torque wrench to that value and it should click at that value or close to it. If not, remove a cover at the very end of the handle, adjust the nut inside the handle so the wrench clicks at that correct value. That is the physics behind the wrench, and adjusting it that way is fast, and free.
Overlooked mention of 'with ANGLE' and now learned some fastener systems require tightening to a specific torque THEN turning an additional angle. And some newer digital torque wrenches accommodate angle using a gyroscope. Kinda like get it tight and add 1/4 turn. Finally someone recognized how I do lug nuts. I learn something most everyday.
A couple of posts in this thread referred to "angle" and I was wondering what they meant by that? Is it just that having to use the wrench at an angle other than 90 degrees to the central axiz of the bolt/stud? So I wondered if there wer some decent links reccomended for reading. I'm not asking for a cliff notes class on materials, failure analysis and fasteners. Bob S.
Any thoughts on Precision Instrument's split beam wrenches? These are nice in that they don't have to be zero'd when not in use. I am thinking about them for things like wheel lugs, not critical engine assembly issues. S
Many high strength fasteners in modern cars are designed to be torqued to an initial setting and then turned an additional number of degrees or "Angle". During that additional turning process you are often required to monitor the rise in torque required to turn those additional degrees to be sure the torque remains within specified limits. Also in many applications, like all modern Ferrari motors, you can only turn the fasteners a very small percentage of the required amount without removing and resetting the tool. That makes tracking the total amount turned by eye or some simple method impossible so a mechanical means of tracking the degrees turned is a requirement. Some of the modern electronic torque wrenches do both automatically.
Thanks for both replies. So ARE the Precision Instruments split beam torque wrenches good enough for engine assembly for older Italian engines Maserati & Lamborghini pre 1985? Bob S.
Precision Instruments split beam torque wrench is great. Available at a good price and they are a dead ringer for the Snap-On product. Think they might make them for Snap-On?
