Whia Torque Screwdriver

[UNG]

I always find it strange when fitting a new consumer unit it recommends checking the factory terminations for tightness and they always seem loose. It's not surprising if they are using such low torque values that they tell you to check the factory terminations
Thought about purchasing torque screwdrivers a while ago but came to the conclusion that they are possibly more trouble than they are worth

 

[ruston]

It's why one of the manufacturers ask you to check all connections for tightness- even factory fitted ones. Presumably these have been torqued before being dispatched.
Torquing has it's place but is not infallible.

 

[boberty]

If the cable is stranded i always untwist it with pliers so conductors are straight and then connect, and i don't have to give it as much of a tug as others might have experianced, to make sure its tight.

 

[cjp1]

I have never needed a torque screwdriver and wont be buying one anytime soon.

 

[UNG]

Most things that are torqued up to a predetermined value are usually subjected to regular maintenance, how many maintenance visits have been done on domestic consumer units to check the security of the connections

With this in mind how many times using the as tight as possible system do you find when returning to installations years later do you find loose connections a few times doing PIR's I've recommended that all the connections throughout are checked having found some that are very loose

On one industrial site I worked years ago they had a factory shut down every couple of years and every termination and connection was checked in all the switch rooms and plenty of them needed tightening to get back to the torque value

 

[Soulsurfer]

I just looked at sets of these torque screwdrivers in two different wholesalers locally and C.K. ones came out £95. and Schneider ones at £96 with a retail of £206 !! and the c.k. ones are not at all insulated whereas the others are. My little counter monkey informed me that it is wholly illegal to NOT use them now and all Main D.P. switches must be 2.3 Nm and all Rcd's and Mcb's etc at 1.7 Nm whereas before I always tightened to a reasonable torque and pulled gently to make sure cables were securely connected. ?????

 

[pennywise]

If anyone is still thinking about buying the wiha ones, wera have their own one coming out that has the torque setting adjuster built in so you don't lose the bloody torque setting tool. Gutted I bought the wiha ones now, this was at the beginning of last year mind you.

 

[telectrix]

my AEG impact driver does the job quicker and better than any torque driver. broke a few MCBs though. LOL.

 

[Marvo]

I've had a set of Wera torque screwdrivers in our workshop for a while now, they adjust by hand within a certain range. To cover all the ranges I had to buy 3 of them, one covers 0.3-1.5Nm, one for 1.5-3.0Nm and one for 3-5Nm. (figures are approximate from memory) I have no complaints about them, they're easy to use and they've survived well with daily workshop use plus they've stayed in calibration.

 

[telectrix]

can't visualise these Nms . where did ft.lbs go. i can gauge that.

 

[Marvo]

I also can't visualise some of the SI units but all the equipment we use has torque settings given in Nm nowadays so having to convert into ft-lbs for my older 1/2" and 3/4" torque wrenches which is a real pain in the ---.

 

[pennywise]

I've had a set of Wera torque screwdrivers in our workshop for a while now, they adjust by hand within a certain range. To cover all the ranges I had to buy 3 of them, one covers 0.3-1.5Nm, one for 1.5-3.0Nm and one for 3-5Nm. (figures are approximate from memory) I have no complaints about them, they're easy to use and they've survived well with daily workshop use plus they've stayed in calibration.

Are they VDE rated ones? I thought they were coming out in march

 

[Marvo]

I don't think they're VDE, we don't use them on live equipment only for panel assembly. We went with the Wera because they're ESD compliant which is important for some of the components we use. Here's an RS components link

 

[Stuuk1]

Got handed a set of these the other week at work, fantastic bit of kit but unfortunately doesn't have a small terminal driver..

 

[Midwest]

I have just bought a set of the Wiha 2872. Yes you have to set the torque for each setting with the supplied tool. The slim bits fit very easily in all the mcb/rcd's etc I've tried. By the by, the set I purchased from an online tool supplier, was faulty. I rang Wiha UK to seek advice, and they sent me a replacement free of charge through the post. Can't beat that for service.