Have been thinking about getting a torque screwdriver recently. Can you recommend one? Are they expensive?
I'm a nightmare for losing tools so tend to avoid screwdriver sets with interchangeable heads!
This is the one I got, fairly easy to use but can't compare to any other VDE rated ones as only one i have.
15-piece torque VDE interchangeable blade set. Includes 14 blades (12 of which with a reduced diameter) with integrated insulation protection. Torque VDE holder with adjustable torque from 1.2-3.0 Nm. Kraftform Plus handle: hard gripping zones for high working speeds whereas soft zones ensure...
products.wera.de
I also have a metal 1/4" square drive 'screwdriver' style torque wrench for lower values, and both 1/4" and 3/8" drive toque wrenches going up to 25Nm (and 1/2" for 120Nm or something). While I have used them for electrical terminals I feel very uneasy as gripping a good solid connection on what could be live. Yes, I did my safe isolation procedure, but it still feels
wrong not to be using insulated tools!
If I did more general sparky work I would pony up the several £100 to get insulated versions, as even if the terminals I am working on are dead, there is a risk of dropping the tool on to something live and high current leading to a nasty arc-flash incident.
Im also interested to know, and you'll probably be able to tell me, whether the torque drivers make things more or less tight than someone would tend to make things with a standard screwdriver?
I find for the lower torque terminals, say around 1.2Nm, it is not much tighter than my own hand-feel would go, but for the top end at 3nm (or more with the socket style wrench) it is higher than I would normally risk going, though that is the manufacturer's recommendation.
For the Hager/Schneider/Wylex stuff it was fine, for a cheap CPN brand MCB I had to play with it split the body as "recommended" torque.