Dropped $180 on a torque multiplier that was total junk for my 2 inch studs
Bought one of those cheap import multipliers off a tool truck because the guy swore it would crack 2 inch studs on a boiler manway. First real job at the plant in Gary it slipped the socket and rounded the nut, and I had to cut it off with a torch. Has anyone run a Hytorc or similar that actually holds up, or am I stuck renting forever?
The tool truck guys will sell you anything with a straight face, and it's the same story at every shop I've been in. Cheap stuff works fine until it doesn't, then you're the guy holding a torch at 2am while the shift boss stares at you. That's just how it goes with anything that's supposed to be built tough but gets made to hit a price. Hytorc holds up because it's actually made for that, but you pay for it, and renting makes more sense unless you're cracking manways every week.