O/T: "Older tools are better"... How old?

I'm lucky enough to have a lot of uneducated people in my area, who solely search for snap on stuff, and the rest is garbage to them. I have found some Plomb stuff in pawn shops, and the used tool store. Plomb was great, and eventually became Proto, an usually sold for the same price as the run of the mill craftsman was. For hand tools, you can't go wrong with snappy, plomb/proto, wright, duro/industro. I forgot diamond, I do have a few select tools from them, an I have no complaints at all! BUT I do have one good question... Who makes a good screwdriver? I purchased a new proto set last year, but it seems like they're taylor made to japaneese motorcycles, but **** on american Iron, what gives? Maybe it's just me? I'm thinking maybe snapon for another set, as I'm just not satisfied with these new protos, and I'm a proto nut!

 

My favorite screwdrivers are Snap On Octogrip and some really ancient Blue Streaks with wood handles.

 

Klein makes pretty good ones. They make high quality tools for electrical work like strippers, ****s, cable cutters, etc.

Xcelite makes really nice screwdrivers too.

 

personally, i prefer the plain jane husky ones. just plain plastic handles, not super-contoured over-engineered ergonomic junk.

 

Unfortunately, some older tools, with use, were (and are) disposable. Hacksaw blades, tap and die sets, etc.

We have bought the very best modern tap and die available to us, and most are totally unusable, regardless of country of origin.

We scavage garage sales looking for 50 year old tap and die sets to use, also metal electric drills, etc., which can be rebuilt, if necessary.

As far as larger power tools:

Lathe, 10 iinch - Atlas 1933
Lathe, 12 inch - Craftsman Industrial 1955
Drill press - Craftsman Industrial 1960

I will say I am impressed with modern Sherline (made in USA) mini-lathes; we have 4, plus a milling machine.

Wrenches, sockets, etc. various USA produced from the 1950's and 1960's.

Jon.

 

Blue Streak? Do you mean Blue Point?

 

Speak for yourself - I'm 51 and have a 10 month old with my 30 year old wife. Took 2 weeks of "trying". I can't tell you how many of our friends who are in their 30's have been trying for 2 years +++.

The old stuff is better - no doubt.

BTW - a cat couldn't scratch it

 

Last summer my old 1/2" drill motor bit it, I bought it new in 1966. After looking around at all of the neat new stuff (read that as ****), I started looking on Craig's List. I ended up buying a nice 1/2" Black & Decker drill motor that looked to older than my old one and a kick *** (with a lot of torque) 5/8" drill motor (no name tag on her, but it is very powerful); I paid $25 for both.

 

I have an old flat wrench with some engraved vines and a date of 1857 on it. I don't have the heart to try it on any of my greasy bolts, but it's neat.

 

I use a very old Stilson wrench, a kind of articulated pipe wrench. Great tool.

This and a few early snap-ons, and some Williams wrenches.

My grandfather, born in '05, was an engine man all his life. He acquired these somewhere along the way. Taught my grandmother how to drive in a willys knight.

 

I have a 1/2 and 3/8 drive socket set branded "teco" sold by the T Eaton Co in Canada that were bought in the late 60's. They strongly resemble some snap on that I have. I had one of the ratchets give me some grief and got some parts from the snap on guy which were a perfect match. Hard to imagine snap on making tools for a dept store chain. I doubt they did but they are a great set and the chrome finish is very good quality like snap on

 

Somebody asked about screwdrivers: Klein's are the best in my book, I used mine every day, day in and day out, and sometimes I used them the way they were intended to be used! But, by the same token, Klein makes sockets that aren't worth the steel it took to do it, so going strictly by brand sometimes doesn't work all that well.

 

Every one is talking of US brands but the ultimate are the German brands , Stahlwille, Dowidat, Gedore, Hazet followed by the English brands,King **** etc .All names which have been in the tool biz for ever and the quality of tools shows. I a full set of Gedore panel beating tools which is 50 years old,still with original handles and just like new despite 5 decades of use plus if ever needed I can buy identical replacements from the manufacturer. I have lots of Stahwille Wrenches ,the newest are the ones I bought 30+ years ago.

Today there are Chinese firms supplying superior tools to Snap on etc ( sorry but it's true ) for half the price.

 

As a contractor I beat the **** out of hand tools,especially electric ones.Milwauke is the name on real Sawzall's, hand held band saws and large powerful drill motors,the "Hole Hawg". The best hammer drills come from Germany,Metabo and Hilti,none better.Some of Black and Decker's slightly older tools are good quality.And Klein makes the best cutting pliers.First rate tools are expensive now and were expensive 50 years ago. Harbor Freight does not sell power tools,they sell plastic turds with power cords.