torque screwdrivers

[Phil]

anyone bought one yet? just wondered if there were any less expensive ones out there than the £100+ pounds at my wholesalers. and any decent reviews on them

 

[iamelectric]

they are a load of nonsense dont waste your money

 

[timbobelfast]

Bought a set of Wiha ones last month. I think they are sound when working in boards.
They are pricey at 130 quid.

Also the skinny tips are handy for working on terminal connectors.

Haven't managed to loose any of the set yet either.

 

[chrish_1977]

I bought a set of wera ones, and got the torque handle too, haven't used anything else since, just change the shaft to whatever you need, and they ain't nonsense, if you read consumer unit/breaker/rcbo instructions it says that they should be torqued

 

[Guitarist]

I bought the wiha ones a year ago and like them. Only problem with the set is that it doesn't come with the +- as standard, so that's extra. Good news is that Elecsa/NIC now sell the bits separately.
In retrospect, I think I'd have bought the non-VDE set, as it takes standard 1/4 inch bits.

 

[Andy78]

I bought the wiha ones a year ago and like them. Only problem with the set is that it doesn't come with the +- as standard, so that's extra. Good news is that Elecsa/NIC now sell the bits separately.
In retrospect, I think I'd have bought the non-VDE set, as it takes standard 1/4 inch bits.

Excellent. Good to know that the people who are recommending that we have these expensive bits of kit conveniently sell them to us as well. :thinking:

 

[timbobelfast]

Yes, all mcb's, rcbo's, cu's and db's have the desired torque settings in their instruction leaflet.
Although if it states 2.0 Nm I always use 2.2Nm etc just to be sure lol

 

[iamelectric]

well their you go its 2.0 and u go to 2.2 so whats the point and how many of yous tighten the screw up with a normal screwdriver afterwards to just make sure , get a grip , you could go back the next day and get a full turn on every screw , waste of money

 

[ruston]

well their you go its 2.0 and u go to 2.2 so whats the point and how many of yous tighten the screw up with a normal screwdriver afterwards to just make sure , get a grip , you could go back the next day and get a full turn on every screw , waste of money

Wish I could give you two likes lol , give you a thanks instead.

 

[ruston]

It's an backside covering exercise because they managed to produce MCB' s that can go on fire , what is the torque on a light switch or cooker terminal?

 

[Andy78]

I reckon its to do with the fact that today's ****ty mcb casings start to come apart if you tighten them properly, so the industry has told everyone to torque them instead of making them properly in the first place.

Do we have to torque every connection now ? no ? just CU terminations ? oh right yeah because a loose connection anywhere else in a system is just fine. What an absolute crock.

 

[ruston]

I reckon its to do with the fact that today's ****ty mcb casings start to come apart if you tighten them properly, so the industry has told everyone to torque them instead of making them properly in the first place.

Do we have to torque every connection now ? no ? just CU terminations ? oh right yeah because a loose connection anywhere else in a system is just fine. What an absolute crock.

In garages cylinder heads and cranks and cons get the torque , the rest get the windy gun lol.

 

[dan86]

In garages cylinder heads and cranks and cons get the torque , the rest get the windy gun lol.

not in mine they don't. certain things get torqued but others get done by hand and experience tells me what's tight enough

 

[timbobelfast]

well their you go its 2.0 and u go to 2.2 so whats the point and how many of yous tighten the screw up with a normal screwdriver afterwards to just make sure , get a grip , you could go back the next day and get a full turn on every screw , waste of money

Obviously not a tool required by the average hoose basher like yourself.

Torque screwdrivers & why you need to get one! | Professional Electrician & Installer

 

[ruston]

not in mine they don't. certain things get torqued but others get done by hand and experience tells me what's tight enough

Like wheel nuts? thats the point it's the experience . Have you ever seen a certain multi national FAST fit company torquing wheel nuts though?

 

[ruston]

Obviously not a tool required by the average hoose basher like yourself.

Torque screwdrivers & why you need to get one! | Professional Electrician & Installer

And that magazine owes it's existence to ...............................

 

[Andy78]

Obviously not a tool required by the average hoose basher like yourself.

Torque screwdrivers & why you need to get one! | Professional Electrician & Installer

Really?? You mean you can't spot an advertisement for a particular product in the guise of an article ? Shame on you for being spoon fed.

 

[timbobelfast]

Yawn...

 

[Andy78]

Yawn...

Fantastic insight to your side of the argument there.

 

[ruston]

Yawn...

Well maybe , but how many owned them until they were told to ?

 

[iamelectric]

never worked on houses apart from homers

 

[shanky887614]

torque screwdrivers are for apes who break things because there heavy handed.

aided by the crap that is disguised as modern cu's etc

 

[ruston]

So what do you do where you are in a physical position where you can not get a torque screwdriver in ?

 

[iamelectric]

they are for sparks who think , when they pull them out on site they are the bees knees av seen it all before , 130 down the drain

 

[Silly Sausage]

Obviously not a tool required by the average hoose basher like yourself.

Torque screwdrivers & why you need to get one! | Professional Electrician & Installer

That article has no content whatsoever, it's just an an advert.
Then you see who wrote it...

I rest my case!

 

[ruston]

That article has no content whatsoever, it's just an an advert.
Then you see who wrote it...

I rest my case!

Confession time lol , I've had a 1/4 drive lb inch torque wrench for years.

 

[dan86]

Like wheel nuts? thats the point it's the experience . Have you ever seen a certain multi national FAST fit company torquing wheel nuts though?

experience is fine for the likes of sump plugs, brakes, some suspension componenets, and pretty much any terminals on any mcb, rcbo, bus bar, whatever.
BUT
wheel nuts? anyone that works in a garage/fast fit centre and DOESN'T torque wheel nuts are effin mental.
I've seen too many wheels come off in my time because some **** thought they knew better and didn't bother torquing them.
if someone changes their own wheel and doesn't bother, fair doos, but when I'm working on a customers vehicle, I'm obliged to torque them. can you imagine if I didn't tighten up the wheel nuts on a customers artic lorry for example and then that wheel coming off down the motorway. erm, nah.
just excuse certain places don't do
It, doesn't make it right

 

[Silly Sausage]

Like wheel nuts? thats the point it's the experience . Have you ever seen a certain multi national FAST fit company torquing wheel nuts though?

I've always assumed those places use pneumatic torque wrenches.

 

[ruston]

experience is fine for the likes of sump plugs, brakes, some suspension componenets, and pretty much any terminals on any mcb, rcbo, bus bar, whatever.
BUT
wheel nuts? anyone that works in a garage/fast fit centre and DOESN'T torque wheel nuts are effin mental.
I've seen too many wheels come off in my time because some **** thought they knew better and didn't bother torquing them.
if someone changes their own wheel and doesn't bother, fair doos, but when I'm working on a customers vehicle, I'm obliged to torque them. can you imagine if I didn't tighten up the wheel nuts on a customers artic lorry for example and then that wheel coming off down the motorway. erm, nah.
just excuse certain places don't do
It, doesn't make it right

I'm on your side , but most of the tyre depo's don't bother , one told me the windy is torqued lol.

 

[dan86]

if I was a customer who's vehicle was in and they didnt do it, I'd insist they looked up the exact figure and do their job correctly.

 

[ruston]

Off topic , but what do you make of them sucking the oil up the dipstick, boils me I must say.

 

[dan86]

sucking the oil up the dipstick tube to drain it?

 

[ruston]

sucking the oil up the dipstick tube to drain it?[/QUOTE


yes.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Off topic , but what do you make of them sucking the oil up the dipstick, boils me I must say.

I think you need to find a different vehicle maintenance centre!

 

[dan86]

sucking the oil up the dipstick tube to drain it?[/QUOTE


yes.

who does that? not quite sure why you'd do that tbh. just more time consuming!
although, some cars do need to be drained that way. some mercs and also a couple of lexus's

 

[ruston]

I think you need to find a different vehicle maintenance centre!

No way I would let any of them loose on a wheelbarrow never mind a vehicle . Just another example in the fall in standards .

 

[dan86]

No way I would let any of them loose on a wheelbarrow

excellent! quote of the night for me!
you're getting a like for that!

 

[Silly Sausage]

No way I would let any of them loose on a wheelbarrow never mind a vehicle . Just another example in the fall in standards .

Oh I agree!!!
Had my brakes knackered by a garage once (I didn't have time to do them at the time for MoT and work), lasted about a week, re-did them myself, no trouble since!
Tyre/wheel change, couldn't care less, never had a wheel come off!

 

[ruston]

who does that? not quite sure why you'd do that tbh. just more time consuming!
although, some cars do need to be drained that way. some mercs and also a couple of lexus's

Open forum , but well known for shocks .

 

[dan86]

yeah, the shock is when your bloody wheels come off down the road and overtake you

 

[Silly Sausage]

Can they not spell quick properly?

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Inserting copper conductors into (mainly) brass terminals and tighten them to the specified torque as prescribed by the manufacturer with a calibrated torque screwdriver seems all very well when taken at face value.
However, in the real world, multi-stranded copper conductors suffer mechanical 'creep' of the connections due to the way they 'settle' after the individual conductors of a cable core have been displaced and compressed by the initial tightening action. When this is coupled with changes of both ambient temperature and the final operating temperature of the circuit due to electrical loading, these combined stresses cause changes in ‘tightness’ over time due to the temperature coefficients of expansion of the differing metals. I think I can confidently predict that you would expect to detect a change in the 'tightness' of the connections by the re-application of your calibrated torque screwdriver after a week or more of in-service use.
Treating the domestic consumer unit as a piece of mission-critical kit is impracticable, how many home owners are going to pay for the regular torque setting of the terminals? Once every 10 years is not going to solve the problem. Mission critical systems rely on pre-planned, short duration, periodic maintenance. Try selling that to your customers!
The latest electrical fire statistics suggest loose electrical connections are a major factor in domestic installations. So, if the authorities take this seriously they will need to introduce annual statutory electrical safety checks and national advertising campaigns before the general public will cough up for it, and probably even then only with reluctance.
However, the politicians have just dodged the sensible single statutory electrical registration body in the recent Part P changes, under intense counter pressure from the NICEIC /ESC and others with a vested interest in maintaining the status-quo. They are unlikely to welcome statutory annual safety checks which would add power to the single organisation argument and raise the spectre of a government U turn. These same vested interests are likely to argue for a voluntary industry lead scheme that means even more cash for their coffers and yet another money making fudge, Kerching!

 

[iamelectric]

^^^^^^^ thats what i said in post 2

 

[Englishman]

Bought a set of Wiha ones last month. I think they are sound when working in boards.
They are pricey at 130 quid.

Also the skinny tips are handy for working on terminal connectors.

Haven't managed to loose any of the set yet either.

Was shown them today by our supervisor and informed that we'll so be getting them in the next few weeks.

 

[dan86]

ok....

 

[Englishman]

Well I've not used them yet and know nothing about them other than looking at them so I can't add much more. They're apparently the best ones out there.

 

[KAS1]

I find I can't get a word in edgeways with them new fangled "Talk screwdrivers" lol