I just payed 30 bucks for a 1/2" torque wrench at sears the other day. Its a beam style and the range is 0-150 ft/lbs not bad for craftsman.

 

crapman at the VERY VERY least....i use snap-on..
mac, matco, cornwell arent bad either....
but if u dont use it in your everyday life...dishin out at least $300 for a torque wrench ...rather go with crapman....but hey...if i wasnt wrenchin everyday of my life on mercedes...i'd probably still use snap-on....
btw any real technician never uses a torque stick...and in using one you need an impact gun...
torque sticks are for hacks

 

I'm also looking for a torque wrench to do basic maintenance and pulling wheels maybe 4x/year. Something decent, but relatively inexpensive would be perfect.

 

I have to have mine calibrated every six months. the craftsman is as good as the snap-on I have both but in different styles. If you want yours callibrated send it to me.

 

same here.

ProV1, just make sure to set it back to 0 after use (as with any tq wrench.

 

So we have a couple people that can vouch for the $10 torque wrench? If so, I'm definitely buying.

 

The build quality of Harbor Freight seem pretty questionable, go take a look at one. Others here have mentioned a Craftsman torque wrench, but if you read the reviews on the sears website, many people have issues with them. Home depot carries a decent 50lb-ft-250lb-ft for $70; good enough for those axle nuts. If you a student or know one, you might be able to buy Snap On tools for around 50% off. I got a brand new Snap On torque wrench for $128.

 

Thanks. I'll try home depot. I read the sears.com reviews last night and most were poor.