Customer Reviews

Mountain 16250 1/2-inch Drive Torque Wrench - 25-250 ft/lbs

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I put the wrench to immediate use ratcheting down both my brake brackets and calipers to 125 and 25 ft-lbs respectively. It was very easy to dial-in the desired amount of torque as long as one is careful about which scale you are reading (one side is imperial and while the other metric). The quality is much higher than similar wrenches priced under $100 and the seller was very prompt with shipping.

Pros:
- Solid all metal construction with grip.
- About two feet of length makes it easy to apply large amounts of torque.

Cons:
- Etched numbers can be difficult to read under certain light conditions.
- No quick release.

Note, that the case I received was red, not black, not that it made a difference to me but just be aware of that when you order.

Another one of those tools that you hate to spend money for, especially when your "old faithful" did the job so well for so many years only to be stolen by typical lowlifes. Used rarely but used when called for if you're going to do the job right which I always do. I finally broke down and decided on this wrench only going on the reviews on Amazon and most were extremely favorable.

Received it soon after ordering, wasn't expecting it to be as heavy as it was but a good looking tool and the hard, blown-molded case a nice bonus as far as I'm concerned. It feels like a well made, solid tool, torque adjustment is smooth and being able to tighten down the setting is a positive feature. Old eyes work to see the markings, gradations but that is the only thing I would do differently besides not getting old.

Definitely would recommend to a friend or family member. I've looked at many since purchasing this one and you can pay more but the quality is not any better from what I can tell. So the purchase was not as painful as I thought it was going to be. I rarely give a five rating to anything unless its pretty near perfect but this is a highly rated four for the money.

Torque Wrench arrived in a timely manner. Was impressed with the quality and the functions of the wrench. It is easy to set the amount of torque you want to apply by turning a set screw at the bottom and then turning the handle to the appropriate setting. This is very simple compared to the last torque wrench that a friend gave to me that quit working (Craftsman - and they don't guarantee them either). I am totally satisfied with this product. It also came with a very nice carrying case.

(Pro technicians and mechanics: feel free to chime in here.)

First of all, I bought mine from Amazon they shipped it by wrapping the blow molded case in plastic (no box or bubbles or what have you around it: just the storage case) and sending it via UPS. Amazingly, it arrived in one piece.

Before buying this wrench I read all the reviews available at the time including one from an A&P Mechanic (they work on airplanes and they would know about reliability!).

Cons: Blow molded case is OK at best. I'm comparing it to the Craftsman and Kobalt cases.
*The wrench is big (25") - makes it hard for measuring the under 50 ft/lbs torque (The momentum of moving the wrench makes it easy to shoot past the torque and by being so big, it doesn't fit well in a tight engine compartment).
The blow molded case is OK - mine was distorted a little on the top, but it did protect the wrench from being wrecked by UPS.

There's supposedly a warranty from Mountain but my wrench had no contact information and the only "Mountain" tool company that I can find on the web makes autobody tools and have no listing of a torque wrench on their site.

Pros: *It's big - makes it easy for measuring the over 70 ft/lbs torque. It actually has a case - most torque wrenches in this class have no case. I have checked the accuracy and it's pretty damn good - at least for mine.

*"Bigness" is a plus and a minus.

Accuracy: I put it on an electronic torque wrench (meter - Craftsman) and at 25 ft/lbs it measured 26.5 ft/lbs and at other ranges it was within 2 - 3 ft/lbs. Again, the electronic one has a margin of error, too. But the fact is that it didn't measure something outrageous.

My opinion - and should be taken with several grains of salt (I'm not a professional mechanic/technician)

Here's the deal: For 50ish ft/lbs to 250 this is a great bargain. If you're thinking that you can buy this and cover the range of a couple of torque wrenches, it's not that good because it's too heavy and bulky. I was using it to measure a 37 ft/lb bolt and I couldn't fit it to measure one place and the other, it was so large that by the time I engaged the ratchet tooth and for it to "click" I was beyond the torque - if that makes sense.

I bought another wrench for the 20 -100 range and with a 3/8" fitting.

I got it to do some axle bolts - fyi.

The other thing is, on my warranty, it says contact "Mountain". There is no contact information. None. Zero. Search for this wrench and you get Amazon.

Why I'm keeping it (for now): the quality is as good as you'd find in your local auto store or Walmart (Torrin or Professional Tools - aka Wilmar ( wrenches). What I'd use it for doesn't require that much accuracy as say - "torque to 45 ft/lbs plus 30 degrees" <- I wouldn't use this wrench for those kind of torque specs.

Yes mine came with a red case too.

The handle was longer than I expected and that is a good thing when torquing higher values, works great on Lug Nuts and will prevent you from warping your rotors when using correct values for your vehicle. A good Torque Wrench used correctly is the difference between a Shade Tree Mechanic and a Tech. Which would you rather have working on your car? The wrench is of extremely good quality and comes in it's own case. If I had to do it all over again I would buy this again without any regrets.

I like it! Very sturdy wrench, steel, steel, steel, no plastic anywhere. Makes a definite sharp click when you arrve at the torque setting. Get ready for the size, it is quite large and heavy. Lots of leverage. Set screw to hold the torque setting is a nice touch.

I bought this wrench to help me complete a job working on my suspension. I originally purchased the Neiko 3/8-Inch 10-80 Foot-Pounds Automatic Torque Wrench but since that only went up to 80 ft-lbs max I needed another wrench that I could use for lugs and the suspension bolts. I used this to initially torque down my suspension bolts which needed to be 116 ft-lbs and it worked well. I then used it to torque down my wheel lugs at 80 ft-lbs and rechecked the lugs using my other torque wrench to ensure they were actually torqued correctly using this product. Everything worked out great and the long handle on this made the heavy torque applications easier.

My only complaint may be related to the torque wrench I received which I feel isn't worth returning over. When turning the handle to each torque increment the 0 setting doesn't line up with the bottom notch of the torque setting the way it does on my other torque wrench. Might just be poor quality and makes it harder to read but given the price it still works great and it's a lot better than paying for a higher end Craftsmen or Snap-On.

THE GOOD
---------
1. Large torque range supported.
2. Low price for a torque wrench.
3. Long handle to torque heavier bolts easier.

THE BAD
-------
1. The settings didn't line up perfectly on mine.
2. Little difficult to lock correctly.

Maybe other users had theirs closer to perfect but with this price I expected a few setbacks. That's why I checked the torque using my other torque wrench. A lot of torque wrenches in stores that support this range go for over $100 so given the price and that this works well I'd easily recommend this wrench for any at home mechanic. Always remember to reset it to zero after you're done and it will probably last quite a while as well.

This is an awsome torque wrench. I am getting a little older and when I torque down those 150# lug nuts it is a heck of a lot easiet with a 24" wrench instead of a 18". Thanks for the super deal and a great wrench!!!!

Jim L. Backyard Mechanic

I have a regular 1/2" drive torque wrench with a pointer for the ft.pounds. Works great but I wanted a Clicker instead. Found this 250 ft/lbs torque wrench cheaper thean the 150 ft/lbs so I though I would give it a shot. Well I find this wrench to be great, with easy adjustments and with the 25" long handle it's great for torquing wheels on your car.. It even comes with a plastic case. It works great for me and I would buy another one even for a gift for a friend. I recommend it to all who use this kind of tool..

Wrench did the job. Seems to be of decent quality. Easy to use. Comes with certification/quality control. Price is right. Should last for a long time.