New Britain Deal [Archive] - The Garage Journal Board

Bull

01-25-2009, 10:31 PM

Finally, an eBay deal after missing out on an awesome ratchet lot this morning b/c of my own carelessness about when the auction ended. :mad:

Just picked up a 3/8" New Britain flex head, about 10.5" long, for $13 shipped :)

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff289/kmm4225/1-15-09/100_3458.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff289/kmm4225/1-15-09/100_3459.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff289/kmm4225/1-15-09/100_3461.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff289/kmm4225/1-15-09/100_3464.jpg

Paladin

01-25-2009, 10:43 PM

Very nice! Congrats!

krusty the clown

01-25-2009, 10:46 PM

i have always liked the NB ratchets..........

davestlouis

01-25-2009, 10:52 PM

I just bought a NOS New Britain flex head...very cool ratchets.

Fedwrench

01-25-2009, 10:56 PM

I had one of those ratchets when I was a kid and tools and cars were simpler. It's a good ratchet. I got it at a Napa store. It's nothing fancy but, just does its job well:thumbup:

Bull

01-25-2009, 11:06 PM

All good to hear! I'm not a fancy guy...I drink Miller High Life and like Firebirds.

I have recently been bitten HARD by the ratchet bug, and am enjoying the hunt, the acquisition, the cleaning, and the using of these things.

I'm keeping my eye out for the less loved brands i.e. not the big boys from the tool trucks that everyone fights over. That way, I can scoop them up for small money :thumbup:

krusty the clown

01-25-2009, 11:18 PM

64merc

01-25-2009, 11:24 PM

Very nicely done Bull!!

$13 bucks shipped was a good deal. I really like those ratchets too.

Lookin4'67Galaxieconv

01-25-2009, 11:35 PM

I'll give you $14 for it...shipped! :lol_hitti

Nice buy.

Paladin

01-25-2009, 11:55 PM

I'll give you $14 for it...shipped! :lol_hitti

Nice buy.

$14.25?:bounce:

Bull

01-25-2009, 11:57 PM

Wow, with those profit margins, I could really make a killing!:lol_hitti

speed bump

01-26-2009, 12:36 AM

I'll offer you $20 for it. I have that ratchet (well the Mac X9R) and its my favorite ratchet as it has a long handle and just a little bit of flex for fitting it into tight locations. Also the action is super smooth.

Bull

01-26-2009, 12:40 AM

Well, let me at least get it home and play with it first...I just won the auction tonight. I am trying to build up a ratchet collection since this site has infected me with the ratchet virus. Seriously, I have become obsessed.

I have never owned a ratchet with a flex head, so I can't really envision a situation in which the feature would be useful. I'm not good with the abstract, I guess. Speed Bump, can you give me a specific automotive example of where the design has been useful to you?

nordstar

01-26-2009, 12:51 AM

Man the sharks are thick in here tonight. Let the man at least get it home first and play with it.:lol_hitti

speed bump

01-26-2009, 12:52 AM

I have never owned a ratchet with a flex head, so I can't really envision a situation in which the feature would be useful. I'm not good with the abstract, I guess. Speed Bump, can you give me a specific automotive example of where the design has been useful to you?

Almost anywhere where a ratchet diesn't quite fit right. It only flexes 45° each way so you have just enought flex to make the ratchet fit into somewhere easier without having to much flex. This ratchet isn't something you have to have although it does make your life much easier. As far as situations I can't think of any specific ones, I couldn't even really think of a use for it when I bought it other than adding to my NB ratchet collection. Generally I just use it to get to stuff a little bit easier and protect my hands by moving them to a better location.

Bull

01-26-2009, 12:54 AM

Well, I am always busting my knuckles on some awkwardly placed GM bolt, so maybe I can find out how this design is supposed to help. I'm a hands-on learner, apparently.

Diesel-Mech

01-26-2009, 04:05 AM

Having a flex head will give you a whole new outlook on using a ratchet, I use one 90% of the time now. Good looking NB too.:thumbup:

eschoendorff

01-26-2009, 06:06 AM

That ratchet just screams S*K to me... NB is an neat old brand though...

Bull

01-26-2009, 06:39 AM

That ratchet just screams S*K to me... NB is an neat old brand though...

Did SK ever produce for NB? I didn't notice any mention of that on the alloy-artifacts website, but it was late and I might not have read every word.

krusty the clown

01-26-2009, 09:56 AM

Did SK ever produce for NB? I didn't notice any mention of that on the ally-artifacts website, but it was late and I might not have read every word.

nope.....not even close:bounce:

billymade

01-26-2009, 10:06 AM

I'm finding that these flex heads are really helpful on front wheel drive/transversely mounted engine cars (pretty much everything out there at this point!); anything to be able to access a fastener easier in a confined space is a god send! :)
I started a post about tools that are helpful in this situation:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24938&showall=1

Bull

01-26-2009, 10:17 AM

nope.....not even close:bounce:

So, the resemblance that the other poster sees between NB and SK (if there is one...I hadn't noticed but I wasn't looking) is coincidental, then.

LoneGunman

01-26-2009, 10:31 AM

"Finally, an eBay deal after missing out on an awesome ratchet lot this morning b/c of my own carelessness about when the auction ended."

Get JBidwatcher and never worry about missing another auction, it's free and works, of course you'll piss off the antisniping crowd but oh well.

riley.m

01-26-2009, 11:35 AM

krusty the clown

01-26-2009, 12:19 PM

So, the resemblance that the other poster sees between NB and SK (if there is one...I hadn't noticed but I wasn't looking) is coincidental, then.

the simialities are that they are both knurled handles and round heads.......thats about it:bounce:

Fedwrench

01-26-2009, 12:21 PM

I don't see the SK likeness but, I always thought old New Britian ratchets looked like old Blackhawk ratchets. That's probably just me though.

krusty the clown

01-26-2009, 12:23 PM

I don't see the SK likeness but, I always thought old New Britian ratchets looked like old Blackhawk ratchets. That's probably just me though.

new brittan owned the blackhawk brand for many years so it's not just you :thumbup:

from alloy artifacts..........

In the early 1950s Blackhawk Manufacturing (or at least the hand tools division) was acquired by the New Britain Machine Company, and Blackhawk became a managed brand within a larger company. Although we haven't found the precise date for the change, there is reasonable evidence that the acquisition had been completed by late 1952. The 1953 Blackhawk catalog W-101 (with some copies printed in December of 1952) is markedly different from the previous W-51 catalog. In particular, catalog W-101 offers many new types of tools not previously listed by Blackhawk, including gear pullers, auto-body hammers, and even soldering irons. In addition, the model numbers and style of the box wrenches had been changed, suggesting a new manufacturer.

Blackhawk as a division of New Britain became more of a full-line supplier of automotive service tools, rather than a sockets-and-wrenches specialist. Most of the older Blackhawk socket wrench line remained in production for some time, but gradually some of the more distinctive products were dropped. In particular, Lock-On tools in 1/2-drive and all 7/16-drive tools had been discontinued by 1963.

Eventually New Britain Machine folded, and its assets (including the Blackhawk and Husky trademarks) were acquired by The Stanley Works. Stanley today continues to use the Blackhawk name for one of its product lines

LoneGunman

01-26-2009, 12:37 PM

wow that is a handy download.

Yup, a lot of people freak out when you have to enter your Ebay password, obviously it could be being sent out to whomever wrote the software but I have been using it for over a year, I also checked what others have said about it, I could not find anything negative. Of course your Ebay PW has to be entered, that's how it bids for you.

When you decide to try it out try setting the "snipe" time around 3-5 seconds if you have broadband. I posted the two links below so you can see what time the bids are going in. Whats also nice is you do not need to be there, as long as you leave the computer on you are good to go.

My last two "snipes"

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?
ViewBids&item=160308174850

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=320331257682