The first torque wrench I bought, the GearWrench 85073 has been very reliable and served its purpose well. This wrench was bought for accuracy, ease-of-use, and speed.
The tool has a flex head ratchet, making it easier to get into tighter areas, and a reversible 60 tooth ratchet mechanism, allowing torque measurements to be taken in either directions with a 6 degree swing arc. The electronics feature 4 buttons, which makes for a degree of simplicity. The only drawback to the use of only four buttons is that the unit selection button is also used to select angle. If you inadvertently find yourself on the angle measurement setting, then you will have to wait for the unit to zero on angle, which usually requires setting the tool on a still surface and waiting a few seconds. The tool also has a progressive lighting and audible indicator to let you know when full torque has been reached. Measurements can be taken in foot pounds, inch pounds, newton meters, and degrees.
The biggest issue that I have had with this tool is in the angle measurement, though this is an entirely subjective issue. When reading the angle measurement, the tool seems very prone to error, especially in the way it handles stopping and restarting the measurement. It feels like the tool starts counting before any angle is actually turned, sometimes to a substantial degree, though this only seems to happen in the upper range of the torque limits.
Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Accuracy of $latex \pm$2% CW and $latex \pm$3% CCW from 20-100% of full-scale
- Fast
Cons
- Slowed by inadvertent angle selection
- Torque angle reading doesn’t inspire trust
Manufacturer: GearWrench
List Price: 376.53 as of 6/30/14