Halfords Torque Wrench

[A G Wood]

Norbar are quality Steve. Having exchanged a week's apprentice wages for it in the 1970s, my 1/2 drive one has done sterling service in a professional environment until quite recently. I used to get it checked annually when the mobile calibration guy called in to test and re-certify the workshop torque wrenches [yearly certs for torque wrenches were part of the vehicle franchise agreement] and it always tested within spec. both for accuracy and repeatability. The only issue I ever had was the original plastic 'micrometer adjustment' knob cracked after about 10 years... Always slacken the setting back to zero after use, and do a couple of dry fires [holding the square drive in your bench vice jaws] before using it, if its been idle for an extended period was the advice I was given.
Agree with the Jamie's comments about the rough thimble action of the Teng brand wrenches, also if they are the ratchet head variety, regrettably the ratchet has/had a very short service life before it turned the wrench into a knuckle buster.
And yes, you will seldom see a mechanic nipping things up nowadays. The only ones we really used to check, apart from drain plugs, level plugs and road wheel fastenings were the handful of split pinned ones on the steering linkage of one particular locally assembled product where the assembly monkeys would sometimes hand tighten the castle nuts, fit and spread the split pin then smear the nut with the 'I've torqued this to spec boss' paint.