I have an old "Spartan" beam torque wrench that is super. My dad used this thing when he was doing some wrenching and he gave it to me when I started in an Oldsmobile (anyone remember that name
) dealership. This wrench is more than 44 years old and I have done everything from wheels to intakes ranging from production vehicles, drag race build ups to farm implement and hydraulic work. We have a certified torque tester at work for legal liability reasons and my wrench is only 2% off where the limit allows for 4% over 100ft lbs.
Of course I used it building my L175 Z750 engine back and still use it for torquing the wheels on my 3500 Dually.
Good material is what makes it work well.
I really like the beam overall because the precision of a fastener can be checked in either direction and it doesn't loose calibration like a clicker. The clicker is great for fast paced work and it does well there.