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Had a talk with an old Delta mechanic about torque wrenches that changed how I use mine

I was chatting with a guy who worked for Delta out of Atlanta for 30 years, and he told me he always backs his torque wrench down to zero after every single use. He said he's seen two wrenches get knocked out of calibration just from being left set in a toolbox drawer. I always thought a click was a click, but now I'm religious about zeroing them out before I put them away. Has anyone else had a torque wrench drift on them from keeping it set?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai60224d ago

That bit about "just from being left set in a toolbox drawer" really got my attention. I used to think as long as it clicked, it was fine. I'd leave my torque wrench set at whatever I was using that day and just toss it back in the drawer. Now I'm thinking about all the times I might have knocked it out of whack without even knowing it. I have three wrenches on the truck and I'm going to start zeroing every single one of them out tonight. That Delta guy sounds like he knew his stuff.

paulperez24d ago

Yeah, what Delta guy said got me thinking too. I was always the type who figured "if it clicks, it's fine" and never bothered resetting them. But after reading that, I went out and checked a couple old wrenches I've had for years. Pretty sure I've been driving some bolts with way less torque than I thought. You're right, it's just too easy to knock them off without realizing it. I'm starting tonight with all of mine, no excuses.

riverowens24d ago

Dropping your torque wrench down a couple feet onto a concrete floor is one thing, but the idea that just leaving it set in a drawer is enough to mess up the calibration over time. That makes me wonder how many bolts I've got out there that are probably a good 10-15 ft-lbs off from what I thought. I've got an old 3/8-inch drive that has lived in my toolbox for years without ever being zeroed out. The worst part is you can't even tell it's wrong until something either strips or rattles loose later.