This article gives initial impressions of two budget torque screwdrivers:
- Shahe ZSQ-0.6: 0.1-0.6Nm; and
- Shahe ZSQ-3.0: 0.5-3.0Nm.
They were purchased on Aliexpress from the “official Shahe store” for about $33 each incl shipping. There are no brand markings on the screwdrivers.
Above, the two torque screwdrivers, plastic bodies but mostly metal internal parts.
The ZSQ-0.6 has application for screws from about M1.6 up to M3, the ZSQ-3.0 from M2.5 to M4 (depending on the screw type etc).
Problems apparent when unboxing:
- the black rings to the right in the pic are lock rings to lock the calibration adjustment, the top one was five turns loose from locked, the bottom one was half a turn loose… so the calibration of both was worthless as they had not been locked;
- the ZSQ-3.0 worked clockwise but not anti-clockwise though the item description claimed it worked for anti-clockwise direction. The ZSQ-0.6 worked both ways; and
- the filler in the centre of the black adjusting knob had fallen out, defective adhesive or not properly applied.
A claim was lodged with Aliexpress for the failure of the ZSQ-3.0 to work anti-clockwise as described.
The ZSQ-3.0 was dismantled to see if it could be repaired (the calibration was worthless). It was easy to dismantle, and two observations were made:
- the ‘wave’ washer that provides the torque break function was not symmetric, it would only work in one direction, so it was designed to be clockwise only and the item description was a fraud;
- the screw that secures the adjusting knob was loose, and was missing a spacer needed to allow the adjusting knob to work with a screw tightened so it would not fall out (since the badge plate was not glued into the knob).
The loose screw was fixed by adding two M4 nuts to the screw tightened hard against its washer, effectively forming the needed spacer, and the screw assembly installed and tightened.
The same screw was checked in the ZSQ-0.6 and it had the same problem. It was fixed similarly but with a single M4 nut as the spacer.
It is pointless commenting on the original calibration as it was not locked. Both were recalibrated at the high end of the scale and checked at the low end. Low end read about 5% high in both cases.
Conclusions
Overall, low priced tools that appear to be made with good materials but let down by low quality assembly processes. The inability of the ZSQ-3.0 to work anti-clockwise is a disadvantage, their higher priced AYQ-3 model ($100) does that well.
Nothing heard from Aliexpress at the time of writing.