K552 Digital Torque Adapter, 3/8-Inch 5 to 100 ft·lbs, Buzzer/LED Flash Notification, Dual Direction

This was my first digital torque meter and I REALLY wished I had purchased one years ago. I liked this one because of its compact/complete package and use of AA batteries versus the much smaller CR sized batteries most of the others use. I have used this about 25 “readings/torques”, and the batteries are just now telling me they are running out.The ONLY thing I don’t like about this is that the setting must be reactivated nearly every time after one bolt is torqued because it “times out” after about 60-seconds and, unless you have consecutive bolts next to each other, it is shuts off before you move to the next location and bolt!Definitely check the setting before each torque to validate it is “ON” before torquing because it doeas have multiple memory slots for various torque settings and you could have accidentally pushed a button while moving around to the next bolt.Overall, I wish it had a longer delay befor shut off, but having the use of AA batteries gives this brand a winning edge over most of its competitors. Other brand complaints were often continued battery replacement with the much smaller CR type batteries. The larger AA size obviously have a much longer reserve. I am guessing these meters draw a lot of juice and why this brand has the 60-second battery saver design!Overall, after using this for several weeks now, I have been satisfied.Oh yea, one more thing, being a square you have to be creative in using this in a few “tight” situations with extensions or flex sockets. So far, I have been able to find the right sockets to enable its use in all situations.

I used this to install roof rails and a trailer hitch on my car. This required a range of torques from 3ft-lbs, 9ft-lbs, 23ft-lbs, 47ft-lbs, and 72ft-lbs. This device worked great for this application. Even though this device will only "alert" at a minimum of 5ft-lbs, it will still display the lower torque range (0 - 5 ft-lbs).I borrowed a neighbor's torque wrench for sanity with the higher torque on the trailer hitch (47/72ft-lbs) and this was accurate to within 0.2 ft-lbs. I also used the tape measure / luggage scale hack for the lower torques and this seemed accurate enough.While this device isn't large, it definitely adds some bulk to the wrench head and could be difficult to use in tight spaces. The fact that it's a cube and not cylindrical also means that I had to unseat the socket and back out a few times. That said, I had minimal issue fitting it into some tight spaces under the car and was able to successfully complete the job.Overall I'm super happy with this purchase.

I bought this torque adapter the special Black Friday pricing due to it being compact and easy to carry around, overall I am happy with it at a price of under $50 as I also have a couple of good full size torque wrenches, it seems to read comparable to them in my limited testing, it is certainly lighter and smaller, which is the main reason I bought it, I just wish its carrying case was a bit more compact.Now the good and the bad, I like the display with the color coded LED's, and progressive beeping as you approach the torque set point.The Good points, it seems to work over a wide range of torque values, there was a also an included calibration test sheet (though some lines are blank, like testing date, and signature), the display is reasonably intuitive, there is also a set of spare batteries included, with one set in the adapter with, with a pull to activate plastic tab, as well as a spare set in the carrying case. There is even a small screw driver included used to open the battery compartment There are also step up / down adapters allowing it to be used with 1/2 or 3/4 inch sockets, and step down wrench adapter letting it be used with 1/2 or 3/8 wrench handles.Now the Bad, As mentioned above the carrying case is somewhat large having space for those adapters, spare batteries, etc., overall function is good, but has one BIG flaw it powers off after 60 seconds of inactivity, which can often be too short of time to get wrenches in position in awkward spots. Also one of the included batteries was inserted backwards, which I caught right away, but could have been a big headache to spot if I had not been paying close attention when I pulled the pull to activate plastic tab. Also like many tools the instruction sheet is minimal, and written in poor English, though it is better than many I have seen.If the power down timer had been just a bit longer say 120-180 seconds I could see giving it 5 stars, but 60 seconds is just too short of time.The bad points,

I bought this to check the calibration of my click style torque wrench from Harbor Freight. The were both within a few pounds of each other, which I took as a good sign. This is easy to use, and unlike other battery powered torque wrenches I’ve used, this one uses bigger batteries, which means the battery doesn’t die. (This should be a no brainer, so I’m not sure why other products use tiny battery that only let you torque one lug.) Anyway, if you’ve tried other digital torque wrenches and had the same experience as me, then I recommend this one. It works well, and the battery doesn’t die. I played with it a while to figure out all the settings, and once I understood everything I have to say this little item is a fantastic addition to my toolbox. I’m really pleased!

I like the idea of the torque adapter and wish the instructions were updated to match the unit. The buttons don't match the instructions and there is no way to clear the previous torque. When going from ft.lbs. to in.lbs. it will convert the previous pull to in.lbs. To get it down to the desired measurement it counts down by the tenths of a inch (or lbs). After 2 minutes of holding down the button and not getting anywhere close to the desired measurement I grabbed an old cheap in/lb wrench to do the job. So it is a good idea and poor execution.