Where can I buy an accurate torque wrench?

Are there any accurate torque wrenches available via brick and mortar these days? What brand(s)? At what store(s)?

Does a guy in a truck count?

Kidding aside, I just checked and there's a dealer for CDI in my town.

I'm sure someone's going to post a YouTube video claiming that some Harbor Freight torque wrench is the equal, but if I am using a torque wrench I am using it in a situation where it matters.

FWIW, we took a couple of the Harbor Freight ones into our cal lab and they weren't awful.  I use them, haven't had anything fall off attributable to the torque wrench yet..

FWIW torque wrenches still need to be checked regularly.  If you arent actually sending them out, you probably are good to go with a HF wrench.

Additionally best practice, according to multiple govt agencies, is to store completely unloaded then before use after removing from storage is to crank to maximum torque spec and exercise wrench for 3-4 clicks.

CDI makes all the SnapOn torque wrenches. You can buy them through a lot of avenues at prices quite a bit lower than the SnapOn branded truck models. I think I even bought a couple of mine through Amazon.

I store mine carefully in their cases when not in use and relieve spring pressure before doing so. 

I bought a CDI 3/8" one and love it, and I have a Westward 1/4" that works well, too.  I still use my HF 1/2", but found the 3/8" and 1/4" versions to be lacking.  In general, the click that happens with a 3/8" or 1/4" is much more subtle, so I've gotten into the habit of watching the head of the torque wrench so I can see if it clicks, as well.

I bought HF Icon based in part on a comparison article JG did a couple years ago.  Not sure how to find a link to that.

FWIW, I assemble engines with harbor-freight torque wrenches. 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/choosing-torque-wrench/

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/are-more-expensive-torque-wrenches-more-accurate/

In reply to Tom Suddard :

After reading the linked articles, I bought an Icon 3/8" 5-75 ft-lb. So far so good.

I replaced stolen Techangles with Icon Split Beams and while I dont have the warm fuzzeies when I open the cases anymore the tools havent missed a beat and maintain accuracy on par with any other mechanical torque wrench 

i am a huge fanboy of Tekton tools and they have a calibrated tool:

https://www.tekton.com/3-8-inch-drive-split-beam-torque-wrench-trq62103

I have Kobalt 1/2" and 3/8" clickers and a little split beam Craftsman. I took the Kobalts to work a while back and ran them against known, good calibrations. They were in spec after 5+ years of home use. They are always returned to minimum torque and put back in the case after use. The Craftsman is pretty janky at this point, but it works ok on valve covers and other low torque stuff that the clickers don't cover. You just have to look at where the indicator is pointing before you start because it's not exactly zero. 

I also have had good luck with the Kobalt. I have the 1/2 drive click for lug nuts and a 3/8 electronic that I used when I upgraded the oil pump gears on my Coyote. The 3/8 digital unit has degrees of turn also which is nice with torque to yield bolts. 

I may have mentioned this before, but I work in testing (independent 3rd party lab stuff).  We use torque wrenches a lot and on a whim I bought an HF ICON clicker torque wrench - All of our stuff goes out for ISO 17025 calibration with requires a measurement "as received" and then another measurement "after calibration".  The Icon has been sent out for cal 4 times (4 years) with no changes in calibration.  We also use CDI, Proto, sturtevant richmont - however nothing locally purchased.

Kobalt has been good for me for years. Had one stop clicking but it was obvious when putting wheels on that it just wasnt gonna click which is better than clicking at the wrong time so at least it failed ALL the way! It was replaced for free and that one has been going strong for about 5 years now. 

BTW what type of place would be able to check the calibration? Machine shop?

In reply to StuntmanMike :

Machine shops don't really have the facility for calibrating torque wrenches but a search will  bring up places to send your tools.  Conversely, there are YouTube videos showing various homebrew calibration setups.  I wish someone would do a comparison between those videos to determine which method actually works or whether any of them work at all.