Dropped $150 on a used torque multiplier and it saved my butt on a fleet job today

I've been doing fleet maintenance for a local delivery company here in Cleveland for about 2 years now. Last week we had a 2018 Ford Transit with a seized rear axle nut that just would not budge with my 1/2 inch impact or a 4 foot breaker bar. My coworker told me to try a torque multiplier but I was skeptical, figured it was just another gimmick tool. Found a used one on OfferUp for $150, figured I'd gamble on it. That thing zipped the nut right off in like 30 seconds, no heat or anything needed. I'm honestly kicking myself for not buying one sooner, especially since the dealership quoted $600 for an axle replacement if I couldn't get the nut off. Has anyone else had good luck with torque multipliers on rusty northern vehicles?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantw415d ago

Gotta love when a used gamble pays off better than most new tools. Now you get to tell the dealership you dodged their 600 dollar scam.

laura_black5d ago

Used to be one of those people who thought new tools were always the safer bet. Watching old stuff outlast modern crap has a way of changing your perspective though. That $600 would've bought a lot of replacement batteries or parts down the line.

mark_chen625d ago

Man, I was just reading an article about how tool manufacturers are basically engineering stuff to fail now. They call it "planned obsolescence" but really it's just a fancy way of saying they want you to buy another one in two years. My father in law still uses a drill he bought in 1987. Thing weighs a ton but it just keeps going. Meanwhile my cordless driver from 2019 won't hold a charge for more than ten minutes. That 600 dollars probably would have bought you a spare motor and a whole set of new bearings for that used saw.