ACDelco ARM602-3 3/8″ and ARM602-4 1/2″ Digital Torque Adapters – Review

Ever needed a torque wrench and found it was too big to fit?  Well ACDelco has solved that problem with their digital torque adapters.  Basically they are cubes that measure torque with a digital readout.  The come in 1/2″ and 3/8″ sizes.  You can attach any ratchet and socket onto the unit.

Having a digital torque adapter has its advantages. First they are precise, we had a mechanic test them out and they were calibrated perfectly.  Second you can set an audio alert to go off when the desired torque is reached.  This comes in handy when you can’t see the digital display.  The tool has a few operating modes, trace mode, peak mode and set mode.  In trace mode the adapter will show real-time torque levels and when in peak mode it only displays the highest measured torque reading. In set mode an audio alert will sound at the desired torque setting which is set in 10ths.  You can select between ft-lbs, in-lbs, kg-cm and N-m.  The unit is intuitive and easy to use with 3 buttons you can easily navigate through the menus.

The difference between the two units is the ARM602 3/8″ adapter can measure torque anywhere from 3-59 ft-lbs and the 1/2″ ARM601-4 measures from 4-147.6 ft-lbs.  They both come in a nice plastic case to protect the tool when not in use.  The ACDelco Digital Torque Adapters are some really cool tools.  I would have liked to have seen the addition of a back-lit LCD screen, but that would draw some power.  The unit is powered by 2 3v button cell batteries that are included.