diy solar

diy solar

I need a torque wrench or two. Which is your favorite or favorites for solar applications?

WYtreasure

WYtreasure

It's not happy hour, I'm just like this.
Joined
Nov 23, 2021
Messages
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Location
Thunder Basin Wyoming
I need it for assembling a solar system properly.

As best I can tell there are bar, click, click and digital ratchets, click and digital adapters and the screwdriver types fancied by gun folks.
I am looking for good quality. Perhaps I will get one for inch pounds and another for foot pounds.
Any links and feedback will be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
I believe this torque recommended by @HRTKD wrench is good:

Post in thread 'Lost on Battery/BMS wiring & config'
https://diysolarforum.com/threads/lost-on-battery-bms-wiring-config.31007/post-390323

Howevr, that digital torque wrench is pricey!! Not willing to spend that type of money, I use this Tekton and don‘t recommend it:


I use these heap Felton wrenches and have stripped several aluminum bolts, not on batteries because of it. I torqued my batteries with this, but l stopped before the “click“ on half of them because it seemed like it was too tight. I also use Tekton TOrque wrenches to torque lugs on tires and the lugs have loosened twice. I joke about driving my vehicles until the tires fall off, but I was just joking. Just don’t trust them. I have no way to calibraate them although someone recommended putting it in a vic3e and hanging weights off it.
 
chrisski said:
This is the torque wrench he recommended:
Click to expand...
Now I know why the link didn't work, it's because of the price.
Yikes, maybe I will edit my first post to say "almost cheap" instead of good quality.

Back in the day, when I was young and needed a $600 tool, I bought it and still have it. Nowadays I don't buy so many of those.
 
BMcL said:
The most versatile is the 20 ft-lb to 100 ft-lb 3/8" drive type. A 1/4" drive model can handle the smaller torques.
Be sure to always unscrew/ back off the spring after using, otherwise it will quickly lose it's calibration

Click to expand...
Great advice about backing off the spring.
Looks like a decent tool I could use on my 85 Chevy as well. :)
Just looked at the 1/4" model:

WhatTheFreak.JPG

I thought about starting a chat but knowing I would say something like "Where's the BEEF?" I decided to wait.
 
Yep, wires/nuts/connectors you name it. Whatever it takes to put together a solar system.
15 inch pounds to start, maybe 30 foot pounds to finish.
I will probably end up with two.
 
I have had good luck buying used torque wrenches on ebay.
I look for Snap-On, Klein, Proto.
Found a really nice, recently calibrated Snap-On inch pound, 1/4”, click-type
to use for the battery bus-bar bolts, worked great.
(Bottom in photo)
torque_wrench_inventory_april2021 copy.jpg
 
pvdude said:
I have had good luck buying used torque wrenches on ebay.
I look for Snap-On, Klein, Proto.
Found a really nice, recently calibrated Snap-On inch pound, 1/4”, click-type
to use for the battery bus-bar bolts, worked great.
Click to expand...
Sweet, nice lead (y)
 
WYtreasure said:
I need it for assembling a solar system properly.

As best I can tell there are bar, click, click and digital ratchets, click and digital adapters and the screwdriver types fancied by gun folks.
I am looking for good quality. Perhaps I will get one for inch pounds and another for foot pounds.
Any links and feedback will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Used torque wrenches are often out of spec, let alone being certified.

Buy a HAZET, the best tool maker around, all made in Germany. It's what they use in aviation, space tech, and a few high end auto makers like Porsche. This wrench would be a good fit for smaller applications:


610GMEYv8rL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
McCarthy said:
Used torque wrenches are often out of spec, let alone being certified.

Buy a HAZET, the best tool maker around, all made in Germany. It's what they use in aviation, space tech, and a few high end auto makers like Porsche. This wrench would be a good fit for smaller applications:
Click to expand...
That's one pretty wrench.
Thanks
 
I get Snap-On torque wrenches. 1/4" and 1/2" digital, 3/8" click. My brother is a dealer so I get a better price than most.

Snap-On wrenches found at pawn shops can be recalibrated. Take it to a Snap-On dealer and he'll either verify the calibration on the truck or send it back for a fully certified recalibration.
 
I have some nice fancy Snap-On torque wrenches that are electronic as well, both in 3/8 and 1/2” drive, and also do angle which I needed at the time for one of my cars (that sounds like I have a ton of cars haha, I dont). But they’re amazing!

for finer/lower details I have a 2-16nm, 1/4” drive from Effetto Giustaforza, it’s beautiful in its own right.
then for the finest precision, I have a couple Wera screwdriver torque wrenches for fine tuning tenths of a nm.

I like tools :)

with that being said, I do believe you can get some fairly decent torque wrenches at some low prices. You don’t have to buy snap-on to get accuracy.
 
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