Adjustable torque screwdriver set recommendations.

[Strima]

Seen as we're now required to follow manufacturers instructions and are to torque screws where required can any one recommend any decent sets?

Quite a big outlay from my budget so I want something decent and hard wearing.

I'm not rushing into buying a set however if I see any on offer it would be worthwhile knowing the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

Unless one of the forum sponsors wants to give me a free set to review... :lol:

 

[jdd]

I've recently purchased a set through the nic, £110 ish. Bit pricey, but I'm a firm believer in buy quality, buy once. Having used them several times now I'm happy, excellent quality.
Wera 1000V VDE.

 

[Rockingit]

so you'll hate me forever when I tell you I bought one from my wholesaler for £25.........

 

[Strima]

Could have got me one whilst you were there, why didn't you? :lol:

 

[Rodders73]

so you'll hate me forever when I tell you I bought one from my wholesaler for £25.........

What make is the £25 driver, and is it any good?

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Inserting a copper conductor into a (mainly) brass terminal and tighten it to the specified torque as prescribed by the manufacturer with a calibrated torque screwdriver seems all very well if taken at face value.
However, given the nature of both the mechanical 'creep' of copper multi-stranded connections, and the way they 'settle' after the individual conductors of a cable core have been displaced and compressed by the initial tightening action, coupled with the changes of both ambient temperature and the final operating temperature of the installation due to electrical loading, these are likely to cause changes in ‘tightness’ due to the temperature coefficients of expansion of the differing metals. I think that I can confidently predict that you would expect to experience a change in the 'tightness' of the connections to be detected by the re-application of your calibrated torque screwdriver after a week or so of 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.

 

[Guest123]

From a purely domestic standpoint, it simply isn't worth it IMO. How long have we been tightening MCB's up as tight as we can with our lowly normal flat head/pozi drivers with no adverse side effects.

All of a sudden some Norm thinks we should be using torque set drivers to tighten things up, If he wants to supply me with one, fair enough but I for one wont be investing in one any time soon.

I have my trusty halfords torque wrench for the bigger stuff where it matters and that will do.

 

[Rockingit]

^^^ and I still for the most part just use an ordinary driver as it's much less faff! It's just a relatively cheap way of being able to stay one step ahead of your scam assessor. I think mine is a Draper one (when I next go to the van I'll check!) and it's torque set with a screw on the base and has a standard 1/4" hex head to put your own bits in. Works a treat.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Works a treat.

Does this one have a mechanism that secures the tips?

I can just imagine someone tightening a terminal, pulling screwdriver away to go on to the next and the bit stays on the screw (it does happen). Instinct reaction would be to use fingers to remove but what if for some reason that terminal is live. (Not that it should be live of course)

 

[Rockingit]

Does this one have a mechanism that secures the tips?

TBH, don't know but I think there's a fairly hefty magnet in there. It's not happened to me yet, and the bit's are fairly stiff to get out, but how often do you need anything other than a PZ2 or FL/PZ2 for terminals?

 

[1shortcircuit]

the bit's are fairly stiff to get out,

A little too much information there I think lol

 

[Rockingit]

What else is a bank holiday lay-in for?? (apart from the mountain of Ikea that's still in the back of the van destined for the daughters bedroom.......)