I need a in/lb torque wrench

I do have one comment about borka they aren't wrong that the website isn't exactly intuitive. That said anyone willing to buy those tools will probably be willing to take the time to read through.
 
My background is Nuclear Quality Control/Assurance.
I have conducted many Nuclear N-Stamp preparations for ASME Audits.
I assured that all instruments were NIST certified.

Boris at Borka Tools knows what he is doing and his Borka Tool Set is so simple that’s almost Genius!
Individual use requires no calibration and re-certification but it is imperative that one is assured that the instrument will not go out of calibration.
Pretty hard for a lever arm to go out of cal!!!
-Richard
 
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i like the fix it sticks for field kits, and ballpark consistency is adequate for my needs since i rarely need them.
there was a 62in/lb fix it stick that came with the rifle, so that made the decision simple anyway just to add a couple to the kit.
having something at home to verify things should ease your mind.
 
I use a Wera torque driver, made in Germany. Solid quality and holds up to dust, dirt, oil and coolant so far. I thought it was really nice until I got my new job where I occasionally do some bolted joint analysis….

At work we have a Snap-On TechAngle that goes from 4-100 inch pounds. It will tell you peak torque after it beeps, so you know if you’ve over torqued.
I doubt anyone wants to spend that much for a hobby, but if you have access to one at work, give it a try. I think seeing the feedback it gives you will improve your technique with any torque wrench.
 
I like Utica torque screwdrivers. I have two of them in different torque ranges, and the quality is very good.


Occasionally you can get a used one in good shape on ebay for around a hundred bucks.

 
I've had communication with a gentleman, who expressed his desire to post an article/review about latest Borka Torque Driver (BTD) and a kit, which he's purchased, and did not ask for a free kit. I also thought he's asked a number of interesting questions, which I've decided to post here, as it may be of interest for potential customers.

Q: Your website states that the Borka Torque Driver calibration accuracy is
+/- 4% Is every driver tested before shipping and is there a reference
standard referral?

A: Yes, every BTD (Borka torque driver) is calibrated and tested per our
company calibration/test procedures, which are proprietary and configured
specifically for the unique design of our adjustable torque driver (BTD).

Q: Does the driver need to be recalibrated after time or number of uses?

A: In real life, the answer is NO. BTD was tested up to 120,000 cycles of
torque application and remained in accuracy tolerance of +/- 4%, no
re-calibration was needed during this test run. 120,000 cycles is at least
10-15 more than an individual can apply by hand in estimated 50 years.

Q: I watched the recommended video on how to hold the driver. If the user
does not hold the driver correctly, is the accuracy affected? By how much?

A: That is why we have the video to show how to setup and use BTD, and
strongly discourage our tools users to come up with their own ways. There
is only one way, or else... We have no data regarding results of user deviation
from Borka instructions.

Q: The BTD is made in the USA. Where are all of the other parts made which
are included in the BTD based kits?

A: All BTDs and ECRs, included in all Borka kits, are made in the U.S., while
bits, sockets, ratchets and extensions are made in Taiwan. Taiwan is known
to make quality stuff like this at a reasonable price. We do not use
anything made in China. We could not find anybody who makes this stuff in
the U.S. at any reasonable price.

Below are some notes I've sent to him, in order to provide additional information for his article/review:

Please watch instruction video how to set up, hold and use BTD (Borka Torque Driver).


1. It is critical to reset torque driver before torque application, see user guide inside the pouch.

2. BTD is designed for use with the right hand.

3. Regarding corrosion resistance: BTD kits are designed for use both indoors and outdoors. For outdoor use, it is very important to provide improved corrosion resistance, particularly for naturally humid environments. For this reason, all BTD parts are made from stainless steel, zinc or chrome coated alloy steels, anodized aluminum and Delrin (part of driver spindle). All 1” long screwdriver bits are chrome plated, along with other accessories in BTD kit. FYI, 4” long bits (5/32” and 3/16” hex) are not chrome plated, as these bits are likely to be used indoors only, and chrome plating of these long bits increases the cost by 55%, which is not good.

4. BTD custom made Autolock bit holder is used in order to prevent accidental loss of screwdriver bits (1), which could a big problem in field conditions, and for the ease of bits removal (2).

5. BTD torque setting adjustment is done “geometrically”, while spring tension is kept constant at approximately 40% of the nominal load. In most of the conventional type torque screwdrivers, adjustment is done by changing the spring tension. Spring rate accuracy is known to change between the light spring load (5-15% of nominal), medium spring load (20-70% of nominal) and heavy spring load (75-100% of nominal), which will introduce considerable error if linear adjustment scale is used. Because we implement constant spring tension at a very comfortable 40% nominal load, BTD torque setting accuracy is sufficiently high and consistent within all of its 10-70 inch-lbs. adjustment range.

6. Adjustment range of 10-70 inch-lbs. is the most commonly used torque settings for scope mounting, barrel changes and action screws. So, it may be considered to be an optimized range of torque settings for a large variety of firearms. Adjustment scale is relatively large and easy to see, particular because the whole adjustment scale of 10-70 inch-lbs. is actually divided into 2 separate adjustment scales.

7. BTD provides 60 torque settings at less than $2 per each torque setting in comparison to torque limiter with a single torque setting, typically sold at $40 each (FIS). This means that BTD has a lot (!) more value than a collection of various torque limiters. $40 invested into BTD provides 20 torque settings, while the same $40, spent for a single torque limiter, provides only a single torque setting.

8. ECR is not recommended for cleaning with the brush or jag, because it does not have pivot (rotating) handle. ECR is intended for barrel bore obstruction removal and for pushing the wet or dry patches through the bore for a quick cleaning in the field. ECR is coated and has a rubber bumper, which makes it possible to just drop ECR into the bore to kick out stuck cartridge case from the chamber and not to worry about any damage to the barrel bore and muzzle crown.
FYI, no less than 1/3 of BTD kits are sold with ECRs. People understand that ECR is a great insurance that they will not lose ability to use firearm if barrel bore is somehow obstructed in field conditions. This has happened to me once, when I accidently run barrel muzzle end into the mud and had nothing suitable with me to fix it. After this accident, I’ve created ECR.

Take note that this post was created for both informational and obviously, promotional purposes. I do think that it covers many questions, which potential customers may have. I want potential customers to know as much as possible before they make a decision to purchase our products.

Boris
Borka Tools
 
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I was trying to think about how many torques I've done with my Borka, which I've had for 5 years and 3 months after ordering the kit from Mile High.

It's the older "break over" version, and I think I've used it at least 1000 times as I like to tinker with my firearms and move things around, as well as install scopes for other people.

That's about 15.87 torques per month on average for me which if I keep going at this rate means I need to get it calibrated in 630 years.

@kortik can I ship this back in 2651 to get it tested?
 
I was trying to think about how many torques I've done with my Borka, which I've had for 5 years and 3 months after ordering the kit from Mile High.

It's the older "break over" version, and I think I've used it at least 1000 times as I like to tinker with my firearms and move things around, as well as install scopes for other people.

That's about 15.87 torques per month on average for me which if I keep going at this rate means I need to get it calibrated in 630 years.

@kortik can I ship this back in 2651 to get it tested?
This older "break over" version (2nd and 3rd generation design) was tested only to 80,000 cycles as opposed the current "push button" version (4th generation design), which passed 120,000 cycles. I was actually not looking to further extend the life of the torque driver, but it just happened by itself because of certain changes to this tool design. So, we're talking about 420 years for your tool with your rate of tool use. I do think that waiting even for 420 years may be a bit boring, so I have a suggestion - if you could possibly use your Borka tool a bit more, like 100 times more per year, then I'll be happy to receive your Borka torque driver in approximately 4 years for testing, etc. Any work will be done free of charge for you, and I'll cover all the shipping charges... Thank you for being our customer!

Boris
Borka Tools
 
A 100 times more a year? I'll have to start slapping together Ikea furniture with it. Thank you Boris.
 
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This older "break over" version (2nd and 3rd generation design) was tested only to 80,000 cycles as opposed the current "push button" version (4th generation design), which passed 120,000 cycles. I was actually not looking to further extend the life of the torque driver, but it just happened by itself because of certain changes to this tool design. So, we're talking about 420 years for your tool with your rate of tool use. I do think that waiting even for 420 years may be a bit boring, so I have a suggestion - if you could possibly use your Borka tool a bit more, like 100 times more per year, then I'll be happy to receive your Borka torque driver in approximately 4 years for testing, etc. Any work will be done free of charge for you, and I'll cover all the shipping charges... Thank you for being our customer!

Boris
Borka Tools
I had not realised that you have improved the design yet again to the push button. Nice work Boris!
 
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I had not realised that you have improved the design yet again to the push button. Nice work Boris!
Max, thank you. I was trying to develop the "perfect" design all these years. I think it is now real close to be "perfect", as far as I'm concerned.
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Something else I have to disclose to potential customers:

Current economic situation in the U.S. became very challenging for small businesses. If you're interested to purchase our products at 2021 prices, we strongly advise to do it now. Unfortunely, we'll be forced to raise our prices in 2022. Please take it under consideration.

Boris
Borka Tools
 
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I picked up a Wera torque driver on Ebay, it goes from 11 to 29 inch pounds so your pretty much covered for scopes and MRDS for pistols. Great quality IMO.
 
FWIW, I needed 140 inch-Lb torque on an LMT barrel installation which was more than the Borka would supply so I ordered a CDI made in USA with Cal sheet for $113.58 off eBay from Abolox.
Juist arrived and did have cal sheet and easily set but like all older torque wrenches must be set to 20% of max torque when not in use.
The Snap-On I use for my vehicles is a newer one that can be left set at the specific torque but is expensive but not as expensive as German Torque wrenches!
I did find a listing for a CDI torque wrench on AMAZON made in China, not sure whether there are two product lines for CDI, another company or an AMAZON error?
Anyway the CDI is very nice!!!
-Richard
 
Something else I have to disclose to potential customers:

Current economic situation in the U.S. became very challenging for small businesses. If you're interested to purchase our products at 2021 prices, we strongly advise to do it now. Unfortunely, we'll be forced to raise our prices in 2022. Please take it under consideration.

Boris
Borka Tools
I just penned an open letter to my customers stating the exact same. 2022 is looking to be a rough one with the supply-chain ....
 
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I have the Wheeler Fat wrench, Fix it stick all in one and the fix it sticks torque limiters. I bought the Fix it Sticks due to their portability and I am impressed with their products. I admit I looked into Borka but found their website too cumbersome to order. They all seem to work just fine, it’s just about features that suit your personal needs IMO.