recommendations for torque wrench pls

[Chris KC]

John is spot on in saying you need to know whether the torque is for a 'wet' or 'dry' joint (and this is often unclear). Of course it's equally true that you need to take this into account when tightening with an ordinary spanner, oiled threads use less of the torque in friction and more in generating axial clamp force. Using a torque wrench you know that you've set the right tightness and that it's consistent across the joint. A skilled operator can do this by feel, but that's the point of the torque wrench, anyone can do it reliably.

+1 for Phil's advice too - a breakback wrench needs to be applied slowly or you will not get the right torque.