TEKTON 1/2-inch drive click torque wrench, 10 to 150 ft-lb

What it is good at

• Tightening fasteners to the figure in the manual instead of by feel
• A click you can both hear and feel when the set value is reached
• A lockable collar so the setting does not drift while the tool rides in a toolbox

Check before you buy

• Range: the torque you need should sit in the middle of it rather than at either end
• Drive size and length against the sockets and the access you have
• Storage instructions from the maker, which for most click wrenches means returning to the lowest setting

Who it is not for

Breaking loose a seized fastener or standing in for a breaker bar. The mechanism is accurate, not indestructible.

A torque wrench is the one hand tool in the box that answers a number. Wheel nuts, suspension arms, spark plugs and drain plugs all come with a figure, and the difference between too loose and too tight shows up much later.

Click types are the common choice because they need no dial to read in a wheel well. Whatever the type, treat it as a measuring instrument: do not drop it, do not use it to loosen anything, and reset it before it goes back in the case.