Why buy a German torque wrench and what should you pay attention to?
Do you want to buy the best and safest car torque wrench to change your car tires yourself?
Then in this article I will explain what you should pay attention to when comparing, buying, using and maintaining torque wrenches. I also show you the best prices and offers for high German quality certified torque wrenches such as Hazet, Wera and Gedore Red.
Find out why they are better than those cheap instruments from unknown brands in shops like Lidl and Aldi. This way you can change your car tires yourself in no time. With exactly the right Newton meter setting, you drive more safely and save a lot of money.
Safely tighten car tires on rims at home with correct Newton meter setting
With a good torque wrench you can safely secure your car tires with rims at exactly the right number of Newton meters (N m or Nm). You use the official settings that the manufacturer has issued for your car.
Thanks to a calibrated torque wrench, you can do this yourself at home more safely and precisely than is often done in the garage. After all, there is not enough time for really precise manual work, because everything has to be done quickly and efficiently. The disadvantage is that you run the risk of too much or too little torque for your car tire mounting. This can damage the wheel bolts and nuts or your tire is not securely mounted.
With your own torque wrench, you can check one more time after driving 50-100 km to see if everything is properly secured, so that you never get into trouble and are always on the road safely.
Is a digital or analog torque wrench the best choice for your car?
A good torque wrench to replace the tires for your car should be easy and quick to read. A digital screen sounds attractive, but it also has disadvantages. This way you are always dependent on a battery. The screen of a digital instrument is also vulnerable. If it breaks, your instrument has suddenly become worthless.
That is why I prefer an analogue screen in which you can precisely set a few values with units of 10 newton meters. Before use, you manually tension the internal precision spring of the torque wrench by turning it. Afterwards you relax the spring by turning the instrument back.
Why not loosen bolts with a torque wrench and turn back and relax after use?
The internal spring of a torque wrench is calibrated for precision. That is why it is important that you return the torque wrench to the initial setting after use. You do this by loosening or clicking the internal lock, after which you reset the torque wrench to zero.
Due to the precision calibration, it is better not to use it to loosen wheel bolts and wheel nuts. Rather use a special instrument for this. This way you can be sure that you won’t damage your wrench and that it will last a lifetime.
Don’t feel like having to buy all the separate instruments? Then take an all-in-1 set to change your tires as you can see in the video of this Gedore Red set.
How often should I have my torque wrench calibrated?
It depends on how often you use your torque wrench. Are you going to replace the tires of your car twice a year, for example summer tires to winter tires? Then I recommend having the instrument recalibrated once every 3-4 years. If you use it daily, at least once a year.
This way you can be sure that you are always working at the right number of Newton meters and that you can safely hit the road. You will immediately receive a new certificate. Take into account somewhere between 25 and 50 euros costs.
Why buy a torque wrench with a certificate?
I advise you to stay far away from cheap, unknown torque wrenches from budget stores or shady web shops. It is essential that you can be confident that you have reached the exact number of newton meters. Not too much and certainly not too little.
You can only achieve this with certainty if you buy a torque wrench that has been tested and calibrated by an official institute. Like, for example, the German TÜV. A certificate guarantees you that you have a quality instrument in your hands that you can safely rely on for years to come.
Gedore, Hazet and Wera vs unknown low budget brand torque wrench
I advise you to choose an instrument from a German specialist such as Gedore, Hazet or Wera. These are quality brands and manufacturers of high-quality instruments, where safety and long life are central.
A cheap low budget tool from a discounter sounds tempting due to the low price. But in the longer term, they break down faster and are not certified. As a result, you can no longer say with certainty whether you have set the exact number of newton meters.
You may damage your wheel nuts if the torque is too high. Or in the worst case scenario, your car tires are not mounted tight enough without you knowing and accidents can happen.
Are you going to change or replace your car tires yourself? Then opt for absolute safety and quality without compromises and choose a quality brand such as Gedore, Wera or Hazet.
A real torque wrench from Wera, Hazet or Gedore is not very expensive and you can use it quickly if you change your tires yourself. Because changing tires all by yourself, storing them at home and a trip to the dealer or garage twice a year quickly costs many times more.
What do you think is the best torque wrench for the car and tire change at home?
I hope you found this article helpful and it will help you choose and buy the best tested car torque wrench.
Share your comment below and tell us your experiences and what you think is the best brand of torque wrench to change or replace your car tires yourself.