Wasted $200 on a cheap torque wrench set from a tool truck...

Bought this off-brand torque wrench set from a tool truck that rolled through six months ago. Thought I was saving money, paid $200 cash for it. Used it three times and the calibration drifted like crazy - I could tell my fasteners were feeling off. Took it back to the truck when it came around again and the guy basically shrugged and said no refunds on clearance items. Lost the whole $200 and had to spend another $350 on a real CDI torque wrench that's been solid ever since. Has anyone else gotten burned by those tool truck specials that seem like a deal but end up costing you more in the long run?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire646d ago

$200 cash for a clearance item with no return policy?

blake_smith5d ago

$200 for a torque wrench that couldn't hold calibration through a coffee break. At least the tool truck driver got a free lunch out of it. Next time just set that cash on fire, at least it would keep you warm for a minute. Good thing you learned the lesson before it cost you an engine or something.

grant.jason5d ago

Whoa, hold on a sec. Just want to gently point out that CDI torque wrenches are literally made by the same company as Snap-on, not some totally separate brand. They're the industrial arm of the same factory. So you didn't really "buy a real CDI" as an upgrade from a tool truck special, you just bought a different version of the same thing. Your mileage may vary, but in my experience paying $350 for a CDI is still paying a premium for a name, you could have gotten a Precision Instruments or even a used Snap-on for the same money. I get that the cheap off-brand one was junk, but CDI isn't some magic bullet either. Just saying, don't confuse brand with quality, it's all the same parent company in the end. Take this with a grain of salt though, I've been burned too many times myself.