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I have been told that clicker types need to be returned to zero between usage. They also need to be recalibrated periodically. I mostly use beam type which stay in calibration.
I've owned a Craftsman 1/2"-drive (50 lb-ft to 250 lb-ft) click torque wrench ~20 years & it got the job done for a weekend mechanic. They don't make the exact same model any longer. I've also owned a Kobalt 1/2" drive click torque wrench (can't recall ft-lb) for ~8-9 years. If I were to buy a new one (50 lb-ft to 250 lb-ft) I'd most likely opt for the Kobalt.
I have a 1/2 inch drive torque wrench that probably none of you have ever heard of. It is a Hazet which is a German company that is the equivalent of Snap On. Back in 1984, we provided housing for the grandson of the founder of Hazet for six weeks and he gave me the torque wrench as a gift. For a 3/8 drive I have one from HF.
I also have a variety of torque wrenches, since different applications require different tools. My go-to wrench for most purposes is a vintage US-made Craftsman 44441 click-type wrench. I had one that I'd bought in the 1980s and when it finally gave out, I found an N.O.S. one in the box on ebay. Search the part number and you'll find them. I use beam-type torque wrenches for applications that require careful watching of the torque (like when building an automatic trans). I also have a 1/4 drive inch-lb click wrench and a 3/4 drive wrench that goes to 600 ft-lbs (mainly for my farm equipment, but it comes in hand on the balancer bolt).
I have Snap-On 1/2" and 3/8", and Tekton 1/4" click types. I also have two beam types, 1/2" Craftsman from back in the day, and 1/4" Neiko. All do well for my garage wrenching on the 4-4-2, other cars, dirtbike and sport bike. As mentioned above, set the click-types back to Zero when storing.
