The way it was.

[ltlvt]

This is just a few pictures of my first ever very own power tool. It is an old 3/8" Shopmate drill. I bought it brand new in the early 70's. Man was I ever proud of this drill. It was still working when I used it the last time probably 40 years ago. When they started selling variable speed and reversable drills the dinosaurs were retired to where ever. I took it apart today thinking I might just make a housing for the armature and use it to power my 1" Mead belt sander. But I think I will instead just clean it up make sure it still works and is safe and let it RIP inside my toolbox. I've been looking for an old sewing machine motor and foot pedal to power the belt sander with but I think the newer plastic machines may be direct drive instead of belt drive. If you look closely you will see that it has thrust bearings that are tiny ball bearing thrust washers.

 

[RJSakowski]

My first power tool was a Craftsman 3/8" drill bought in the late '60's. The drill died some years ago but I found its duplicate at a swap meet for $10. It was variable speed but not reversing. I kept the original for spare parts. Nowadays, I grab the cordless Makita but it can't hold a candle to the torque the old Craftsman has.

 

[ltlvt]

My first power tool was a Craftsman 3/8" drill bought in the late '60's. The drill died some years ago but I found its duplicate at a swap meet for $10. It was variable speed but not reversing. I kept the original for spare parts. Nowadays, I grab the cordless Makita but it can't hold a candle to the torque the old Craftsman has.

In the 60's Craftsman was King. I have a complete set of their Professional combination wrenches both SAE and Metric. They were made before Craftsman broke their loyalty pledge of "Lifetime Guarantee" Now I avoid them. I rarely use the good stuff now and my go to are Pittsburg from H/F.I expect H/F stock price tripled when Craftsman broke their pledge. I won't waste any time describing my disdain for Craftsman and BIG TOOL. U know what I mean.

 

[GeneT45]

After trying to compete with the low end market, Crapsman (as I've been calling them) seems to have turned a corner and is now making at least some quality tools again. I have a few that I'm quite pleased with, as I am with tools that I bought up through the 80's. Interesting that Horror Fraught is also upping their quality (or adding higher quality lines) as well. Meanwhile the big box stores are driving formerly decent brands into the toilet.

GsT

 

[RJSakowski]

In addition to the drill, I also had a Craftsman router, circular saw, and die grinder as well as a full set of SAE combination wrenches, box wrenches, and socket wrenches in 1/4" and 3/8" and screwdrivers. Most are still functioning after fifty years. The circular saw died a couple of years ago after cutting some 7/8" steel plate and 2" thick concrete silo staves with an abrasive wheel. The router armature fan blew up after sucking in some wood chips, and the variable speed switch on the die grinder died. I replaced the armature on the router at my expense after complaining to Sears about the poor design that allows debris to be sucked into the router when it is used with a router table.

Back in the seventies and eighties, I had several 3" aluminum C clamps that had a tendency to snap. I would take hem in and they would replace them. The last time I did so, the clerk complained that if I kept bringing them in for replacement, they couldn't make a profit on the sale, to which I replied it wasn't my fault that they made an inferior product. I agreed to take a lower cost cast iron clamp instead and still have those.

Screwdrivers tended to snap the tips rather than deforming, a failure mode which I prefer. Rather than have them replaced, I would just regrind the tips and I have most, if not all, of them still in use today.

 

[mmcmdl]

Don't get me started .

 

[woodchucker]

My first power tool was a Craftsman 3/8" drill bought in the late '60's. The drill died some years ago but I found its duplicate at a swap meet for $10. It was variable speed but not reversing. I kept the original for spare parts. Nowadays, I grab the cordless Makita but it can't hold a candle to the torque the old Craftsman has.

that's interesting. My 1/2" 18volt drills exceed the torque of my 120v drills in 3/8 form by a lot. I can break my wrist if I am stupid with the 18v. Never with the 120v.

 

[ltlvt]

After trying to compete with the low end market, Crapsman (as I've been calling them) seems to have turned a corner and is now making at least some quality tools again. I have a few that I'm quite pleased with, as I am with tools that I bought up through the 80's. Interesting that Horror Fraught is also upping their quality (or adding higher quality lines) as well. Meanwhile the big box stores are driving formerly decent brands into the toilet.

GsT

I get it Gene but if Crapsman put gold nuggets in each package they sell I still would not buy them. Loyalty to me is top shelf in my book. What does lifetime mean now days. Does it mean "Until we change the rules"? BIG TOOL and I am talking about the Stanley/Black and Decker group that bought up all the brands like Vice-Grip are counting on all of us "Moss Backs" to die and they will market their trash to the Tide Pod generation. Don't really mean to be ugly about it but I just cannot help myself.

 

[RJSakowski]

that's interesting. My 1/2" 18volt drills exceed the torque of my 120v drills in 3/8 form by a lot. I can break my wrist if I am stupid with the 18v. Never with the 120v.

My Makita is 18 y.o. and has plenty of torque in low gear but I was surprised when it was struggling to drill holes in steel but my 50 y.o. 3/8" Craftsman breezed through. For arm wrenching torque, I have a pre WWII Van Dorn 1/2" drill that you do not use without a 3/4" pipe extension.

 

[benmychree]

I get it Gene but if Crapsman put gold nuggets in each package they sell I still would not buy them. Loyalty to me is top shelf in my book. What does lifetime mean now days. Does it mean "Until we change the rules"? BIG TOOL and I am talking about the Stanley/Black and Decker group that bought up all the brands like Vice-Grip are counting on all of us "Moss Backs" to die and they will market their trash to the Tide Pod generation. Don't really mean to be ugly about it but I just cannot help myself.

My family had Black & Decker drills back in the 1950s; the damn thing nearly electrocuted me, I had hold of it and it gave me quite a big tickle; my hand contracted, and I couldn't shake it off! All my two brothers could or would do was laugh at mu antics, I finally was able to shake it off; this was before the days of U ground tools.