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Tried a torque screwdriver on panel breakers for the first time today
I was doing a panel swap in an old house in Austin and decided to actually torque the breakers to spec instead of just snugging them down. Got to number 7 and the screwdriver clicked, but the lug still felt loose. Checked it and the torque setting was way off from the factory. Anyone else had bad luck with pre-set torque tools like that?
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henrycooper3mo ago
Man, that's exactly the kind of thing that drives me nuts. I had a similar thing happen with a brand new Wiha torque screwdriver I bought for breaker work. It was clicking way early on the first couple lugs, and I could tell the connection wasn't solid. I ended up checking it with a beam-style torque wrench and it was off by like 8 in-lbs. That's a huge gap when you're trying to hit a specific spec on a 200A main. Pre-set tools just feel like a gamble sometimes, especially if you drop them or they sit in a toolbox for months. I always double check with a separate tool now, even if it's just a good old-fashioned beam wrench.
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irismartinez3mo ago
Man, it's wild how something that's supposed to make your life easier just adds another layer of doubt. Feels like everything these days is built to break or be wrong right out of the box, from tools to appliances.
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