CDI 2503CF3 Drive Computorq 3 Electronic Torque Wrench 1/2-Inch - Precision Torque Tool for Automotive, Industrial & DIY Projects | Digital Torque Measurement for Accurate Fastening

I purchased this torque wrench to fill a void in my line up. I required a 25 ft lb torque on a bolt and had wrenches for up to 250 in lb, and then from 50 ft lb up. This wrench is definitely a good purchase. The digital action of it is very nice - it counts up as you torque so you know how close you are. Once in range, the LEDs light up orange, and then when on target, it sounds a beep and lights green. Fool proof.The unit is very well made and, as I found perusing the Snap-On catalog, they offer a similar range model 0-100 ft lb. Looks similar, except the CDI unit is about $200 cheaper :) It even came with a specification sheet and all. I have no bad things to say really. I do have some input, though.I had an issue on my first torquing procedure. I set the wrench to 45 ft lb and proceeded to torque - it torqued it up to the limit just fine and I felt confident in the reading. Then I went to do the next bolt and the wrench wouldn't ratchet. Nothing. The selector was locked too. At first I thought maybe this is to prevent movement? Then I realized no, it's just stuck. I fiddled with the selector and it freed up and the wrench would ratchet again. But, then I free-turned the socket and it felt a little jammy. So, took the wrench to my workbench and removed the two torx screws holding the oil plate on. I could see the ratcheting mechanism was just barely bound on itself. I freed it and removed the square drive gear. I could see the issue, I believe. The issue is that whatever lubricant is being used at assembly is gelling up and becoming quite thick. I removed a piece of lube with the consistency more akin to silicone than grease. I picked it from the gear and dabbed it to a towel and it maintained its shape - not exactly ideal for lubricant. I wiped it out with a lint free cloth and lubricated it with my choice of Redline CV2 grease and fresh differential oil (75w90). I dab some axle grease on the pawl and then dribble some diff oil on it, then re-assemble, and add a few drops of diff oil again. Make sure to get the oil on any surface that slips. Then, buttoned it back together and it's been perfect since.So, they could spend the extra 20 cents of time putting in better grease. There was literally nothing to wipe up as the grease they used was practically a soft piece of rice. I will be torquing some more bolts tomorrow though I do not suspect I will have any issues. So, if you do buy this wrench you might consider re-greasing the ratchet head. Don't be put off by it, it's fool proof! This model has a pawl that is screwed down so no springs or balls or pawls will go flying across your shop. Just lift out the square drive, clean it out, and lube it back up, and re-insert the square drive. Couldn't be easier.The only other feedback I have is that it would be nice to have slightly finer teeth, though that may result in how much torque the wrench can or cannot hold. I would say that this unit probably has about 60 teeth based on my other ratcheting tools. It would help with the angle required to ratchet, though with a torque wrench you generally want to sweep into the torque without ratcheting. Just a thought.There are some tools that change the way you think about doing certain jobs. Air or battery-powered impact wrenches make short work of what used to be horrific jobs with rusted fasteners. Flex-head, short-click ratchets open up new possibilities for getting to nuts you didn't think were previously accessible. And having an electronic torque wrench, coming from the days of clicker wrenches, is a new world of confidence for tasks you really don't want to be unsure of - do you really want to put your family in a vehicle that you *think* the lug nuts are properly torqued on?Gone are the days of wondering whether or not your wrench lost calibration in the toolbox since the last time you used it. Gone are the vague "is that a click or not" moments. This wrench will let you know definitively through audible and visual cues, although it lacks the Snap-On version's vibration feature. I don't work in a very noisy shop, so I've never had an issue hearing the beep. Batteries aren't the easiest to find locally, but are available on Amazon for a reasonable cost.It's worthwhile to go shopping for one of these used, as the second-hand market seems to be strong. I picked one up in 2016 for $200 off new, and it was in perfect working condition.I recently purchased a 3/8" and a 1/2" CDI electronic torque wrench at the same time thinking that they were snap-on quality and they would be great wrenches. They both arrived with the same problem. The ratchets were both jammed as shipped. I managed to work the 1/2" ratchet loose and it switched and racheted after that. I did the same thing with the 3/8" wrench but it kept jamming every time I torqued something. I returned the 3/8" wrench and received another. The replacement wrench did the exact same thing.After reading that another buyer had the same experience that was caused by a lack of proper lubrication in the rachet internal parts, I disassembled and greased the jammed 3/8" wrench. It now works perfectly. I did the same with the 1/2" wrench and it also works much better now.I love how the electronic part of the wrench works and it's really ironic that the rachet on a snap-on wrench is the weak link (at least in the condition that it is shipped). I would give this product a 1 or 2 but I'm sure it's going to work really well for years to come now that I helped it along. However, it doesn't deserve a 5 if I have to finish the assembly with grease that they should be using in the first place. If you read this and decide to buy and grease one for yourself, you will need small torx drivers to remove the screws.As the title states - great wrench but it needs some work to make it perform properly.I powered it up and tested the basic functions, it seems to work.My initial impression is it has all the appearances of being a pro-grade snap-on product. I do not think that this product will survive being used in an industrial environment but certainly durable enough for home automotive and precision work.For durability and simplicity i'd still go with a mechanical clicker type wrench in a working environment such as a flight line or engine shop. My first experiences with snap-on products was working on a military flight line on various jets, back when mechanical wrenches were the only option. If the electronic functions appeal to you but you want a more robust version of it I suggest you acquire the all metal version.I can only hope that CDI/Snap-On has been listening to the complaints of customers who had these arrive without being assembled and lubricated properly. Mine appears to be mechanically functional.I did some inquiring, according to a customer service rep for snap-on's industrial tools section, new CDI torque products sold here are warrantied in full (although 12 months isn't much) and eligible for service.