What torque screwdriver?

Joined
Aug 12, 2024
Messages
8
Does anyone have certain Torque Drivers they swear by?

I am looking at doing all my own scope/ring/rail mounting and am a bit overwhelmed by all the options.

What's the best option out there?

Thanks!
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
678
Location
NE MO
The first and biggest question is, what’s your budget?
There are several decent, reasonably accurate torque drivers at the low end of the spectrum, such as Fat wrench, some of the simple fixed setting drivers, and harbor freight offerings.

If you want absolute precision, nothing beats snap on.
 

Dtharvester

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 6, 2019
Messages
135
Location
Central Oregon
Another for Wheeler Fat Wrench doing the trick, and they’re not expensive.
I’m likely gonna set aside couch change till I get a base set of Fixit sticks, but that’s for use in the field. I’ll still have the Wheeler at the bench, and for double backup redundancy.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
Messages
5,944
Not an expert but I went DIY a while ago after I watched some gun store Rambo mount an AR scope for me eyeballing the level and gorilla twisting the screws. I have mounted a dozen rifles since then.

Fat wrench has done just fine for me. Get a few levels of various kinds. A deck of playing cards is handy as shims.

I also highly recommend building or buying a gun vise to work in. I use a Tipton ultra I got on sale at cabelas for $100. Starting out with a level gun makes the scope leveling a lot easier and a highly adjustable vise makes that easy. You can get the same result with some wood and shims, but the vise is nice.
 

Dtharvester

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 6, 2019
Messages
135
Location
Central Oregon
Not an expert but I went DIY a while ago after I watched some gun store Rambo mount an AR scope for me eyeballing the level and gorilla twisting the screws. I have mounted a dozen rifles since then.

Fat wrench has done just fine for me. Get a few levels of various kinds. A deck of playing cards is handy as shims.

I also highly recommend building or buying a gun vise to work in. I use a Tipton ultra I got on sale at cabelas for $100. Starting out with a level gun makes the scope leveling a lot easier and a highly adjustable vise makes that easy. You can get the same result with some wood and shims, but the vise is nice.
Ditto on the Tipton vise. I take it for granted that most would have one. Very useful for so many things , but definitely invaluable for leveling a rifle for optics.

Get a Wheeler manual instead of FixIt sticks and use the leftover money to get a good gun vise.
 

willidru

WKR
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
588
Location
California
I use the Wheeler Fat Wrench, seems to work fine. Nothing special. I would recommend getting better bits than what it comes with.
 

Jamr

FNG
Joined
Oct 19, 2024
Messages
6
I have the Wheeler Fat Wrench as well and like it. I will eventually get a set of Fixit sticks for my hunting pack.
 

ScottP76

FNG
Joined
Jun 9, 2024
Messages
38
I really like the Fix-it Sticks, I should have bought the single torque bits though
 

ljalberta

WKR
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
1,677
I had the digital wheeler wrench, manual wheeler wrench and fix it sticks. I have to say the fix it sticks are handy due to the packability and size but I think the manual wheeler wrench was probably the most consistent. From testing I’ve seen as well, they seem to be the most accurate. I hated the digital wheeler wrench as it was finicky.

I only own fix it sticks only now (with the high end variable bit and low end variable bit and a couple preset limiters) and prefer them if something is going with you in a range bag or the truck. But if you’re not torquing over 65 inch/lbs and don’t care about the case being a little bigger, then it’s the best deal in my books.
 

Axlrod

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
1,470
Location
SW Montana
I have had a fat wrench for 10+ years. I bought the fat stix last year, I like them a lot.

 

waspocrew

WKR
Joined
Apr 2, 2022
Messages
793
Location
MT
I have a Fat wrench and fix it sticks. I use the fix it sticks WAY more than the fat wrench. Both have their place, but the fix it sticks go with me everywhere.
 

Louro

FNG
Joined
Jan 4, 2018
Messages
65
Location
OKIE
Another plug for the FAT wrench. I had my for a long time. You just got to make sure that after every use you set it back to 0.
 

Bert01

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 26, 2024
Messages
123
I have the fat wrench and fixit sticks. If it’s only for scope rings and bases and you don’t need 65inlbs of torque I actually like the WERA torque driver the best.

WERA
 

Dos XX

WKR
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
879
For torque screwdrivers, I use the Wera screwdrivers. I have the one posted above, and I have the one that has a right angle handle that goes to 55 in lbs. They will do anything scope related. I have a Norbar 3/8" drive adjustable torque wrench for bigger stuff.
 
Joined
Nov 12, 2024
Messages
38
I prefer a small 1/4 or 3/8 drive torque wrench, much more flexible in use and for holding what I am working on, I really like the Bisley vice from Lothar Walther. It has one set of jaws padded with cork for holding delicate stuff and good hard jaws to hold other things. The jaws can be rotated around to get the needed angle for what you are doing. Super for doing scope/sight work and great for cleaning. I shoot a lot of black powder cartridge and clean the rifles after I fill a bucket with very hot, soapy water and set it on the floor beneath the vise. I then put the muzzle of the barrel in the bucket and clamp the rifle in the vise so I can run a tight patch back and forth in the barrel drawing the hot/soapy water in and out. Cleaning a gun this way takes less time than the set-up. cleaning the cases in another issue.

At one point Brownells sold these vises but I cannot access their US website anymore, they blocked it for Germany.
 

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