Sears Craftsman 'Torque Measurement System'

[smiller]

Just started playing with one of these, kind of neat. The tool consists of a 1/2" drive (male on one end and female on the other) electronic module that connects to a small LCD meter. Has all the features you would expect (readings in ft. lbs. or newton-meters, peak hold, etc.). Also provides an audible indication by beeping faster as you approach the desired torque value, going to a steady tone when you arrive (so you do not have to be looking at the meter in order to use it.)

 

Easier to use than a standard clicker torque wrench? Not really. But it does have its uses, mainly portability. Handy to have a 0.1 ft. lb. to 150-ft.lb. torque wrench that fits in a small tool kit. Also, can be used in a vise to calibrate/check other wrenches. The electronic system has a spec of +/- 1.5% up to 50 ft.lbs. and 3% from 50-150 ft.lbs... not exactly laboratory grade but more than ample for a quick check.

 

And doing a check on the two clicker torque wrenches that I had handy (a 150 ft.lb Craftsman and a 250 inch-pound Husky) revealed a rather surprising result... both were almost dead-on accurate, usually within 1 ft.lb. or so anywhere in their range (even at low-value settings.) Well, dead-on accurate with respect to my standard that is, but since all three were so close I think it's safe to assume that the electronic system is pretty accurate, and repeatable. That wasn't surprising, but I think the accuracy of the mechanical wrenches is, or at least was to me.

 

Toy or tool? You decide. I still am deciding myself but I kind of like having the ability to check the accuracy of my other wrenches, plus always have a full range of 'torque wrenches' available in the truck by using this one device. The tool will be on "Craftsmans Club" sale for $99 through this coming week and weekend.

[Satguy]

Seth:

 

Do you happen to have the catalog number for this tool?

Wonder if it is available in Canada, with the part number I can go to Sears and find out. Thanks

[smiller]

Part number is listed as 944599 on the package, and 44599 (without the leading '9') on the owner's manual.

[Satguy]

Thanks for the number.... I checked Sears in Canada on the web and it says number invalid. Maybe only available in the USA. Time for some shopping south of the border!!

[flyingreg]

Thanks for the number.... I checked Sears in Canada on the web and it says number invalid. Maybe only available in the USA. Time for some shopping south of the border!!

This is from the Sears wbesite:

 

www.sears.com

Sears item #00944599000

Mfr. model #44599

 

Happy shopping!

[RichEdwards]

Link is HERE

[Mike Baum]

Part number is listed as 944599 on the package, and 44599 (without the leading '9') on the owner's manual.

 

The leading number "9" is the department (9 means it's in the hardware department). The 5 digit code is Sears' actual part number, in this case 44599. I used to work in the paint department (department 30, if I remember correctly).

[Motonut]

Seth,

 

How interesting that you posted your interest and findings relating to this device tonight... I was reading up on this very tool a few hours ago in a "Craftsman Club" flier that I received today. The "member" price was $99.00... Sears website shows it at about twenty dollars more.

 

I like the idea of this tool as an addition to my torque wrench collection. I would not want to trust it as my *only* torque wrench.

 

How do you find the workmanship of the piece? For example: do you think that the wiring harness has good strain relief / flexibility / wire size and such? Do you need a magnifying glass to read the display?

 

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[smiller]

The product is reasonably well constructed and I don't see any obvious weaknesses that should be a problem for home use. I don't think it would hold up for commercial/professional use in a shop, but of course if it were designed to that kind of standard it would probably cost $999 instead of $99. It's an electronic device so it will require more care than your 3/4" breaker bar, but as long as you don't get into the habit of dropping it onto concrete floors too often I think it should hold up a long time in non-pro service. The only thing mentioned in the manual beyond the usual care issues (don't drop, immerse in liquid, etc.) is to avoid overtorque and strong magnetic fields. The meter has a large display and is pretty easy to read.

 

I would not want to trust it as my *only* torque wrench.

 

Agreed, I don't like trusting any single instrument for critical applications, especially mechanical torque wrenches. That seems to be some of the value of this product for me... since most of us have only one torque wrench in a given range there is no way to know whether it is really accurate or not, short of frequent calibrations. And if you should drop it, how to know if it was affected? With the electronic torque meter you can cross-check against all your other wrenches... if everything agrees you can be reasonably sure you are in good shape and if not you will know something needs to be calibrated or repaired. You only have to avoid a few unnecessary calibrations in order to pay for this tool. There are other ways of doing crude home calibration checks but with this thing it sure is a lot easier and the results no doubt more accurate.