Gearwrench Torque Screwdriver Takes the Guesswork out of Setting Small Fasteners

Over-torquing fasteners, at best, risks damaging the fastener. At worst, you get to replace a part that wasn’t part of your cost equation. When it comes to smaller fasteners, Gearwrench aims to take the guesswork out with its torque screwdriver set.

Editor’s Note: Check out our best screwdriver sets article for our top recommendations.

Pros

Sets torque to the nearest single in-lb
Easy adjustments
Able to use any 1/4-inch hex bit

Cons

A Newton-meter scale would be nice

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Using the Gearwrench Torque Screwdriver

Torque Range and Accuracy

One of the things we love about Gearwrench’s design is the single-digit torque settings from 10 – 50 in-lbs. To set the torque you’re looking for, pull down the release and twist the handle left or right.

Gearwrench Torque Screwdriver 20-Piece Set Review 89620

The shaft has a “tree” of measurements hitting every 10 in-lbs and a ring below that has measurements from 0 – 9. Let’s say you’re shooting for 25 in-lbs of torque. Twist the handle until it gets to the base of the 20 branch and then keep turning clockwise until you see the 5 on the ring.

The accuracy is ±6%. Compared to some of the tools we use, that sounds like a lot. Even at the very top of the scale, 6% puts you in a range from 47 – 53 in-lbs, and that’s not so bad. On the small end of the range, it’s 9.4 – 10.6 in-lbs.

The only thing we’d like to see is a Newton-meter scale in addition to the in-lbs for parts that spec Nm instead. With the way the shaft and ring measurements work, that’s not practical, so we’ll have to do the math or look it up for now.

Installing Bits

Installing bits is super simple. The torque screwdriver’s collet has a one-hand entry design. Just push the bit in place and the collet secures it. To release the bit, push the collet back up.

The nice thing is that it’s a 1/4-inch hex receiver, so you can use any 1/4-inch hex bit you have on hand if there’s something that’s not in the kit. We found a couple of bits from other brands that we were able to pull out with some effort, but they held more than well enough to work with.

Additional Features

Solvent-resistant co-molded handle
Meets or exceeds ASME B107.300
Certified calibration is recommended every 12 months

Gearwrench Torque Screwdriver Price

Gearwrench sells their torque screwdriver as part of a 20-piece set (89620) for $200. In addition to the screwdriver and case, here are the bits that come with it:

#1 and #2 Phillips (both in 3-inch and 6-inch lengths)
#1 and #2 square (both in 3-inch and 6-inch lengths)
3/16 and 1/4-inch slotted (both in 3-inch and 6-inch lengths)
3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, and 1/2 nut drivers (6-inch length)

If you want just the screwdriver (89624) it runs $127.