Is Kingchrome a good brand? Craftsman is considered the least expensive of the "good quality" tools in the US.

Yes, the Kinchrome stuff is quite good.
My brother won a socket set in a magazine competition once, and they are very nice. Maybe their torque wrenches are "rebadged" from a chinese manufacturer.

The pictured torque wrench is a cheap looking one. I'd be buying a real one, with a vernier type adjuster and a "clicker" kind of action, where the socket driver "clicks" when the correct torque is met.

Real one? This was the only kind for decades. I've torqued a lot of head gaskets with mine, never had a problem.

But Feral's advice is good, compare any torque wrench to a known good one. With larger ones you can stand on it at 12" length and see if it accurately reflects your weight

I also have a 1/2" clicker wrench and have been told they can go out of adjust even faster since the spring is always under tension ... unless you back it off after every use ... with the kind here in this picture, that doesn't happen unless the pointer arm is made incorrectly or bent afterwards.

OK, you've spurred me to reseach this. On google, you can find scholarly studies about the calibration problem. I haven't read them yet, preferring the practical article like: Hot Rod Magazine Tech Articles - Torque-Wrench CalibrationQuote:Quote:Quote:Maybe it would be better to rent one!

post removed apon ddgonzal's request....