Cheap torque wrench vs calibrated one for old head bolts, which side are you on?

Alice Price · 2026-09-04T09:30:03.948539+00:00

I've been doing valve cover gaskets on my 2002 Civic with a $25 torque wrench from Harbor Freight and the bolts feel fine, but my buddy swears I'm risking warped heads because those cheap ones drift after 20 uses. I checked mine against a borrowed digital unit at a shop in Austin and it was off by 6 ft-lbs at 40, which made me question every job I did last year. Does anyone here actually spend the $150 on a click-type from a real brand for a beater car, or am I overthinking this for parts that cost less than the wrench itself?

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Cheap torque wrench vs calibrated one for old head bolts, which side are you on? | Broke But Building - HW Forums