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USA made tools names I have never heard of

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Blacknwhitepit

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While organizing my spare sockets (by type of course) I ran across a few that are marked made in USA but I never heard of... I would think that they may have been made for a particular store (I.E. Kobalt-Lowes, Husky-HD, Master Mechanic - True Value Hardware)

Anyone know anything about these?

Apex (I have one marked that it is made in Dayton, Ohio)
Hornet
Mustang
Cougar

All marked made in the USA....:headscrat

-BWp
 
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Uncle Buck

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Blacknwhitepit said:
While organizing my spare sockets (by type of course) I ran across a few that are marked made in USA but I never heard of... I would think that they may have been made for a particular store (I.E. Kobalt-Lowes, Husky-HD, Master Mechanic - True Value Hardware)

Anyone know anything about these?

Apex (I have one marked that it is made in Dayton, Ohio)
Hornet
Mustang
Cougar

All marked made in the USA....:headscrat

-BWp
Click to expand...

Couger is the budget Wright line, Mustang was made by New Britian, Hornet I have never heard of, and Apex is an industrial brand primarily unless I am mistaken.
 
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pipehack

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I have a complete Cougar 3/8" socket set that I got as a "parting gift" (along with a few other tools) when a contractor I worked for was late on my health and welfare benefit to my union. It's pretty nice.
 
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B

Blacknwhitepit

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vssjim said:
Apex is an industrial tool line that only makes drive bits and stuff like that mostly with assembly type customers in mind
Click to expand...

That makes sense... They are 3/8 drive, black and have magnets in them... I should be getting close to the full set since I get them for 25 cents a piece at my favorite pawn shop.... (They throw all the non craftsman and non truck tools in with their 'foreign' socket box (A huge box). Sifting through it I have pulled out some old gem. :thumbup:

-BWP
 
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stevejh82

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I thought the cougar line was a customer branding attempt aimed at the better looking older women market...
 
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stevejh82

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Pretty sure they coupled with Williams on the ultra fine tooth ratchet recently talked about here...:spit:
 
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crankshaftdan II

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Apex is HD industrial stuff, I just aquired a 1 1/2" deep apex 6 point, weighs a ton, very thick wall structure, 1/2" drive, probably used on assy line with pneumatic nut-runner. I believe Moparhound had a listing for some s/o deep sockets that are very simuliar. Not impact, not chrome plated, like black oxide finish, probably last our lifetime:bounce:
 
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84TurboBuick

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crankshaftdan II said:
Apex is HD industrial stuff, I just aquired a 1 1/2" deep apex 6 point, weighs a ton, very thick wall structure, 1/2" drive, probably used on assy line with pneumatic nut-runner. I believe Moparhound had a listing for some s/o deep sockets that are very simuliar. Not impact, not chrome plated, like black oxide finish, probably last our lifetime:bounce:
Click to expand...

Apex stuff will last your lifetime and your kids lifetime too!!! If it can last in an assembly plant being used 24hrs a day 6 days a week for 6 months without wearing out.... I figure the home use guy will get at least 50years out of it!! :)
 
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toolnut

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Apex is owned by Cooper Industries. I think it is pretty good quality since it is made for the rigors of a production line. I have some 2" torx bits and they never strip under a lot of torque.
 
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Vinko

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Los Angeles
I use Apex for production work. Between 8 and 14 hours a day. I believe all of their sockets are impact. At least the rep. told me that Apex doesn't make a non-impact socket currently. Don't know if they ever did. The bits are fantastic. I use the SZ-16A which is a 3/8's bit.

Post #11 shows this set up on an IR 231C impact

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27903&highlight=shop
 
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cruiser808

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Fedwrench said:
I thought that was Sparta:headscrat
Click to expand...

Fed - you're right about Sparta being NB's economy line in the seventies to mid eighties. As far as the ratchets go, the gear mechanisms are interchangeable between the old NB's, Blackhawk's, Sparta's, and Husky's. The difference is the finish of the ratchet handles. I have a 1/4" Husky ratchet that is really really rough, but will change out with a much nicer NB without losing a step. I'm guessing Mustang is just another company brand name for the NB economy line.
 
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lbgradwell

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Oakville, ON
Fedwrench said:
I thought that was Sparta:headscrat
Click to expand...

cruiser808 said:
Fed - you're right about Sparta being NB's economy line in the seventies to mid eighties. As far as the ratchets go, the gear mechanisms are interchangeable between the old NB's, Blackhawk's, Sparta's, and Husky's. The difference is the finish of the ratchet handles. I have a 1/4" Husky ratchet that is really really rough, but will change out with a much nicer NB without losing a step. I'm guessing Mustang is just another company brand name for the NB economy line.
Click to expand...

I believe Sparta was a NAPA-exclusive economy brand produced by NB, while Mustang was NB's own value line.
 
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lauver

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Belton, TX
Blacknwhitepit said:
While organizing my spare sockets (by type of course) I ran across a few that are marked made in USA but I never heard of... I would think that they may have been made for a particular store (I.E. Kobalt-Lowes, Husky-HD, Master Mechanic - True Value Hardware)

Anyone know anything about these?

Apex (I have one marked that it is made in Dayton, Ohio)
Hornet
Mustang
Cougar

All marked made in the USA....:headscrat

-BWp
Click to expand...


BWP,

Looks like others have covered Apex, Mustang, & Couger. I've never seen any Hornet tools so can't really help you other than to suggest the following:

Post a photo of your Hornet sockets, and any other brand of sockets that you have with similar physical characteristics (shape, size, knurling, broaching, stamping, etc). You may have the answer in your tool box. Or, others may have the answer in their tool box. It's a start.
 
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Blacknwhitepit

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lauver said:
BWP,

Looks like others have covered Apex, Mustang, & Couger. I've never seen any Hornet tools so can't really help you other than to suggest the following:

Post a photo of your Hornet sockets, and any other brand of sockets that you have with similar physical characteristics (shape, size, knurling, broaching, stamping, etc). You may have the answer in your tool box. Or, others may have the answer in their tool box. It's a start.
Click to expand...

I will post a pic of it....

It seems to me to be very "Danaheresque" by its appearance, but the striiking of the 'Hornet' is very unique.... My second guess would be Stanley.

-BWP
 
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cruiser808

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Blacknwhitepit said:
I will post a pic of it....

It seems to me to be very "Danaheresque" by its appearance, but the striiking of the 'Hornet' is very unique.... My second guess would be Stanley.

-BWP
Click to expand...

After 1984, no more all American NB, IR, Proto. Blackhawk, NAPA, or Litton. Every thing is now Stanley Corp. Details on request.
 
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Joe Mamma

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339
Cougar is the economy line of Wright Tool out of Ohio. I don't know when they started making them, but they are still being made.

Wright tools are excellent. I don't have any experience with Cougars (the tools, not the women).

Joe Mamma
 
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64merc

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Texas
BWP, I have a ratcheting wrench (old school type) made by Yellow Jacket (IIRC). I wonder if the Hornet stuff is related.
 
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lauver

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Joe Mamma said:
Cougar is the economy line of Wright Tool out of Ohio. I don't know when they started making them, but they are still being made.

Wright tools are excellent. I don't have any experience with Cougars (the tools, not the women).

Joe Mamma
Click to expand...

JoeMamma,

I'm not disputing you, in fact, I'm pretty sure you are correct. But there is a wrinkle in the Wright-Cougar connection...

MAD posted sometime last year about Wright Tools outsourcing some or all of the Cougar tool line to a 3rd party...I don't remember the OEM or the thread. Perhaps MAD will chime in and clerify this for us.
 
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lauver

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MOPARHOUND! said:
The Hornet 1/2" ratchet in the collection was made by Bonney.................... the plot thickens.......:headscrat
Click to expand...

BWP,

Got any vintage Bonney sockets for comparison to the Hornet sockets?

Mopar,

Thanks for the lead. Sounds interesting and worth investigating.
 
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MOPARHOUND!

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Kansas City
I may have to retract my made by Bonney statement........the extra-large round head is like Bonney........but the reversing lever is nearly identical to some old JH Williams I have???

Can't find the ratchet, but did find a pic of it, with a Bonney for comparison by happenstance (Hornet is first on the left, Bonney is 3rd from left):
 

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MAD

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lauver said:
MAD posted sometime last year about Wright Tools outsourcing some or all of the Cougar tool line to a 3rd party...I don't remember the OEM or the thread. Perhaps MAD will chime in and clerify this for us.
Click to expand...

A Wright Tool customer service rep told me that the Cougar line of tools were made for them by Kingsley Tools in Texas. Kingsley is owned by Danaher.

She explained that the Cougar tool line is offered as a value priced alternative to Wright tools for their customers that do not need industrial quality socket sets.
 
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Blacknwhitepit

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Here is the Hornet!

1/2 drive 9/16th size (12 pt). The code reads 84218

hornet7.jpg


hornet6.jpg


-BWP
 
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vssjim

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I think the Yellow Jacket wrench listed above is branded for the HVAC tool company that makes Yellow Jacket gauges most likely
 
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Fedwrench

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This thread reminds me of a poster hanging in the lobby of a local community college's automotive department. On the poster it lists of of the American Automobile manufacturers ever. there's like a 100 different marques, most are long gone. It would be neat to have a similiar poster for all of the American tool brands.:thumbup:
 
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