Which torque wrench should I get?

I'm pretty convinced that using a torque wrench is a good idea.  For some reason, however, I can't seem to find one that would be nice to lug around.

1/4 drive are nice and compact, but they don't go to 25 ft-lb;
3/8 drive click style: most go to 20 ft-lb, the ones that do go to 25 are really pricey;
3/8 drive needle style: cheap and covers the range, but very long and probably a pain to carry;
1/2 drive click style: just the opposite of 3/8, you need to pay quite a premium to get one that goes as low as 25 ft-lb.

So I'm leaning towards the needle style wrench, but I'm curious: what does everyone use?

The Harbor Freight one? Seriously, they are cheap.

If this is for tightening climbing bolts, I, and no one else I know, uses them.  A simple ratcheting open end wrench.  If you can not find a pre-bent one, bend it yourself.  Setting routes requires a lot of stuff, simplification and weight are worthy concerns.

I use my snap-on 3/8” click type. Honestly, buy a quality torque wrench. The harbor freight ones QC is not that good. I have tested those before and they weren’t close. 

Two of us have been using this: https://www.autozone.com/wrenches-pliers-and-cutters/torque-wrench/duralast-3-8-in-drive-torque-wrench/914017_0_0 for the last month to install lead routes and check torque spec on canyoneering/rappelling anchors...it works just fine and ranges from 5 ft. lbs up to at least 60 ft lbs...lifetime warranty from Auto Zone...$21.95 plus tax....fits nicely in the taller of the two bolting bags from DMM along with a 2 lb hammer, hangers, bolts, blowout straws, brushes etc...https://www.gearexpress.com/dmm-tool-bag.html and you can close the bag shut with the torque wrench inside for hauling the bag up the cliff...yes, it is two lbs of "extra" weight compared to a box end wrench but what is someone's life worth when putting up life support anchors? As per others suggestion, skip the Harbor Freight version...that fell apart after 2-3 uses.

The old school beam type torque wrenches are lightest and don't need calibration.  Cheap too.

Cheap click type torque wrenches are a waste.  I've seen them not ever click then stuff brakes.

I've also lugged my older snap on up when I got the new digital one for work.  All my snap on torque wrenches are top notch but 400+ a pop is steep

Beam/needle torque wrenches are almost worthless especially at low loads and awkward to stow, I use a 3/8" click one which goes to 80ft.lbs. Mine´s SnapOn which is bit over budget probably but there´s plenty of cheaper ones out there. In the workshop I also use digital wrench adaptors which are nicer since they fit any ratchet, you´d probably get one for $30-$40 nowadays.

Oh, these digital adapters are nice and light!  I like it.

Put up 100's of routes, never used a torque lol YGD.

no need for a torque wrench. if youre that concerned about how much to tighten one, borrow someones and feel how much you need to get it to where you want it. then muscle memory will tell you when its tight enough. get it to where you think it should be and then tweak it just a little more.

This thread points out two things to me:

1. If you use glue-ins you don’t need a torque wrench. 
2. It scares the shizzle out of me that a bunch of route developers are out there twisting in bolts withiut regard to torque specs. The fact that “you’ve placed 100’s of bolts” is meaningless. 

Climb safe,Mal

I've put up a ton of routes. I am also in large scale commercial and industrial mechanical construction.
First rule, when you buy any tool, always buy the best one. It is a waste of time to go cheaper.
Snap-On is the gold standard for mechanics tools.
Might as well get a 1/2" drive too, most versatility.
Bolting routes is pretty much the exact opposite of a high speed, lightweight ascent. Don't worry about the weight.
Second, you really don't need one unless you are extremely weak and cannot exert 60lbs. of force, which translates to very firm but not so hard you are stressing the metal. A wedge anchor either tightens up to being extremely firm or it doesn't. If it doesn't, abort it and start over.
Third, if you are so concerned about the quality of your installation, just go epoxy instead and do a 1000% better job 

Come on MAl, do you really torq lol! Test pulled bolts I put in 30 years ago, they were still strong and very difficult to remove when replacing, I have never seen a FA person with a Torq wrench ever in 40+ years of climbing.

“The Powers Powerbolt (five-piece) in 3/8-inch diameter, carbon-steel, is rated with a maximum torque of 25 foot-pounds, so most of these are likely being placed close to the recommendation. 

The recommended torque on a 1/2-inch carbon-steel bolt is 45 foot-pounds, an impossibility with a short wrench and hard to do even with a socket wrench and a breaker bar on the handle. Therefore we may presume most 1/2-inch bolts are under tightened”

Source:  https://rockandice.com/climbing-gear-tips/the-nuts-and-bolts-of-nuts-and-bolts/

That said, I see that some SS bolts of similar diameters have much lower torque specifications opening the possibility of over-torquing.

I’ve put in only a half dozen 3/8 SS bolts and have been using a torque wrench.

How many bolts have pulled out with people on them virtually none it’s almost unheard of, so talk all you want about torquing bolts. If bolts were constantly pulling out with people on them then there would be an issue.

Zzzzx 1,000,000 Again where are all the bolts breaking and dead people lol  So I guess you’re risking your life every time you go climbing because I know you’re not checking the bolts with the torque wrench

Have seen a fair number of new-ish bolts with loose nuts

http://www.powers.com/product_06914.php has torque spec and installation info for the Powers 5 Piece...download the PDF and get educated..."Oooohhh, that feels snug!" may work for some of our non-climbing activities but should never be used to judge the proper torque spec of a piece of life support equipment...BTW glue-ins are not a magic bullet when it comes to comparing/understanding the nuances of installation and shear/pull-out strength to expansion bolts...glue-ins bring with them a whole host of other issues that must be addressed if they are to work properly...rock type i.e. different types of sandstone vs. limestone vs. granite, wet vs. dry internal condition of the holes drilled, as well as air temperature, glue temperature, proper cleaning, proper hole sizing...don't just assume one is superior to the other...each anchor system has it's pluses and minuses when it comes to creating responsible and long-lasting life support systems...protect yourself...protect others...protect the system

The article linked to isn't quite correct, for wedge bolts the tightening torque makes no difference to the strength/pullout values.

I’ve used a torque wrench to develop a sense of what the correct tension is on a given bolt then done my best to replicate that in the field.   I don’t think loose nuts are an indication of inadequate torque.   IMO loose nuts tend to occur on very hard rock types like gneiss where appropriate torque results in minimal expansion of the wedge.

BillS wrote: A straight hole of exactly the correct diameter, drilled with a sharp bit and a steady hand, is more critical than torque.

ie, don't gall out and misshape the hole with a dull bit as in the first 10 seconds of this one:

@ 4:16 theres literally 3 feet between 2 bolts......wtf. and drilling a bolt 3 feet off the ground to show how a bolt gets placed?......ugh.