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Spent $80 on a cheap torque wrench from Harbor Freight and it stripped my oil drain plug threads
I was trying to save money on my 2012 Civic oil change but the wrench clicked at way lower torque than it should have, now I'm looking at a $200 helicoil repair. Anyone else had a cheap tool cost them more in the long run?
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davis.emma1mo ago
Did you actually calibrate the wrench before you used it though? In my experience cheap torque wrenches can be fine if you test them on a bolt you don't care about first, but most people just pull it out of the box and trust the numbers. Harbor Freight tools are hit or miss, I've got a beam style from them that's been accurate for years, so the issue might be more about how you handled it than the tool itself. Your mileage may vary on the quality control but I'd bet the threads were also a little worn already on a 2012 car.
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