Look what I finally got my hands on...

[softailgarage]

I've been trying for 4 years to get one. I see about one a year and I either dont have the money to spend or it's priced too high (I've seen them go for up to $200.00). Found it on ebay $88.00, currently there are 2more to bid on, one is at $91.00 and the other is $155.00.

 

[cheechi]

congrats. why so pricey?

 

[softailgarage]

Very rare

 

[zkling]

Congrats, I've always wondered how well they worked compared to a standard speeder bar. Would be fun to try. What do you plan on using it for? Specific application they excel at?

congrats. why so pricey?

I think it is one of those collector things.

 

[coyotejake]

I just dropped a Benji on one (don't tell my wife) a couple weeks ago on ebay. Gonna use it for a speed wrench to open/close the vises on my mill. CONGRATS!!! Yours looks minty!

 

[RivennHewn]

Any idea of vintage?

 

[Squirel]

What do you call that?
I tried a couple of searches and came up with nothing.

 

[zkling]

1960's, speeder ratchet.

 

[Joe B.]

It seemed like 5+ years ago those would always sell for over $200. They are neat.

 

[jakemac]

Any idea of vintage?

They are called (in the catalog) a "Speeder" ratchet.

Because of the Butterfly selector, it dates between 1959 and 1963. However, I'm not sure that they were actually being made during all of those 4 years. I don't have all 4 catalogs, but I believe that they disappeared out of the 1964 catalog, never to be seen again.

They show up in clumps several times a year on eBay. The prices are high because even though they can be found, it's almost never in the wild. (although one member here walked away from a local sale with 2 of them for 50¢ each last summer )

Another company (Herbrand ?) made one similar, only with a 6" socket extension with a wood handle on it to help steady it while spinning.

For the record, I was one of those nuts who overpaid for one on ebay. (my avatar, cropped)

From what I've heard, they are great for header bolts and spark plugs (if you can get a straight shot to them) I've only used mine to remove castors on a toolbox.

 

[softailgarage]

Congrats, I've always wondered how well they worked compared to a standard speeder bar. Would be fun to try. What do you plan on using it for? Specific application they excel at?



I think it is one of those collector things.

I collect vintage tools, this will be added. As far as using, I'll try it on a couple different things as they come along. As I said , I collect, but I also highly believe in using the tools as well (to a point). As I'm using a vintage tool I'm also imagining the past and what projects they could have been used on 20 or 30 years before I was born. Did that Mechanic back in 1938 ever imagine that some old, scruffy biker in 2014 would be using that same wrench?

It seemed like 5+ years ago those would always sell for over $200. They are neat.

Yeah, it seems they come down a little every year, but like I said, there's one on ebay @ $155.00 with a couple of days of bidding left. Curious to see what it finally goes for.

They are called (in the catalog) a "Speeder" ratchet.

Because of the Butterfly selector, it dates between 1959 and 1963. However, I'm not sure that they were actually being made during all of those 4 years. I don't have all 4 catalogs, but I believe that they disappeared out of the 1964 catalog, never to be seen again.

They show up in clumps several times a year on eBay. The prices are high because even though they can be found, it's almost never in the wild. (although one member here walked away from a local sale with 2 of them for 50¢ each last summer )

For the record, I was one of those nuts who overpaid for one on ebay. (my avatar)

From what I've heard, they are great for header bolts and spark plugs (if you can get a straight shot to them) I've only used mine to remove castors on a toolbox.

I'd always heard they were only made 2 years. I have the catalogs, but never knew where to begin. I'll find out.

 

[ADSR]

Very cool! I want one now, dammit.

 

[Jbullfrog]

I purchased my Craftsman on E-bay for $70 a few years ago and found the Herbrand at a shop auction and got it with some other cheap ratchets for $25. My Herbrand has a translucent plastic handle with a blue hue. I love it for chain cover screws on corn heads and assembly work where a power tool is too much.

 

[doan]

I love those too, I haven't been able to convince myself to spend the $$.

 

[Gasgt1]

That is cool!

 

[itsvegas]

If these weren't so pricey it'd be rad to make one into a vintage stubby!

 

[sumner52000]

That was a good price for ebay. I found one in the wild at an auction a few months ago. Had to buy a whole box to get it, but I would have bought the whole pallet of boxes if they wouldn't have split out just the one box.

 

[RatchetMan]

Picked one of those up at a garage sale a couple months ago for $1. Amazing what you find when you are not looking for it. Interesting tool but it didn't stand out to me as anything too special so I sold it to someone who did find it really special

 

[Bronson]

I have never seen/heard of one of those. Brilliant!
I wish I had thought of that!

 

[Jason280]

I'd really like to find one, but I have yet to see one outside of here or eBay.

 

[chrisa7164]

I've been hunting one of those for several years..

 

[Southernbuild]

I'm in the lucky group that found one by complete accident, before I even knew they existed lol

I picked up mine in a mixed lot buy, its not mint like the OPs though. Still a cool tool

 

[uniballer]

I have two, whats the big deal. they both were in pawn shops for 10 bucks?

 

[Beerman]

Very rare

True. I collect vintage ratchets, and look at the local flea market(s) every chance I get.

I've probably been to the local fleas more than 1000 times in the last 20 years and I've NEVER seen one of these, absurd price or not. Keep in mind that two or three times per year, I find a tool truck ratchet for $5 or less.

One of these, along with the C'man stainless steel ratchets from the late 80's, remain the holy grail, at least tool wise for me.


Beerman

 

[63spyder]

I have one , My dad picked it up for me at a garage sale,couple of dollars.
Neither one of us realized how rare they are. Use mine all the time.

 

[ooba tooba]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/181291562886?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1 an old WW2 Proto version

 

[Outlawmws]

ooba, that one isn't a mechanics ratchet. it's probably off an aircraft of some sort for cranking landing gear or a hatch. The drive has rounded corners...

 

[Exceller8]

Great score, congrats!!

 

[ooba tooba]

ooba, that one isn't a mechanics ratchet. it's probably off an aircraft of some sort for cranking landing gear or a hatch. The drive has rounded corners...

Ahh. I thought it just needed the plug like the old snap on drives.

 

[kingofdogs1950]

My brother bought a big Sears tool set in 1959 that included the ratchet. I hadn't seen it until recently. When I asked him about it he said he didn't think he had ever used the ratchet.

Mark

 

[softailgarage]

Well, I went thru every Sears Catalog from 1959 - 1965, it appears Sears only sold the "Speeder Ratchet" from 1960 - 1963 at the high price of $4.58

 

[coyotejake]

They are called (in the catalog) a "Speeder" ratchet.

Because of the Butterfly selector, it dates between 1959 and 1963. However, I'm not sure that they were actually being made during all of those 4 years. I don't have all 4 catalogs, but I believe that they disappeared out of the 1964 catalog, never to be seen again.

They show up in clumps several times a year on eBay. The prices are high because even though they can be found, it's almost never in the wild. (although one member here walked away from a local sale with 2 of them for 50¢ each last summer )

Another company (Herbrand ?) made one similar, only with a 6" socket extension with a wood handle on it to help steady it while spinning.

For the record, I was one of those nuts who overpaid for one on ebay. (my avatar, cropped)

From what I've heard, they are great for header bolts and spark plugs (if you can get a straight shot to them) I've only used mine to remove castors on a toolbox.

Hey Jakemac, I noticed the line about being addicted to Craftsman =v=. Care to elaborate? If there is a series of sockets that went with our speeders, I'd like to try and complete a set. One of our local pawn shops could easily fill a 55 gallon drum with all of his sockets. I'm making a list of what all I 'need' and waiting for a dreary day to spend a number of hours just digging through all of his sockets.

 

[nine4gmc]

True. I collect vintage ratchets, and look at the local flea market(s) every chance I get.

I've probably been to the local fleas more than 1000 times in the last 20 years and I've NEVER seen one of these, absurd price or not. Keep in mind that two or three times per year, I find a tool truck ratchet for $5 or less.

One of these, along with the C'man stainless steel ratchets from the late 80's, remain the holy grail, at least tool wise for me.


Beerman

I frequent the flea market, pawn shops and garage sales but have never seen one in the wild either. This and the stainless are on my list!

Good find Softail

 

[softailgarage]

a dreary day to spend a number of hours just digging through all of his sockets.

That sounds like fun

 

[jakemac]

Hey Jakemac, I noticed the line about being addicted to Craftsman =v=. Care to elaborate? If there is a series of sockets that went with our speeders, I'd like to try and complete a set. One of our local pawn shops could easily fill a 55 gallon drum with all of his sockets. I'm making a list of what all I 'need' and waiting for a dreary day to spend a number of hours just digging through all of his sockets.

It would be the V series with two lines, as "=V=" would suggest. Not the V series with one line (-V-). The 1960 catalog listed 8 sizes of 3/8" sockets between 3/8" to 13/16". As well as a 9pc Deep set.

 

[mustangSR70]

I got one of those that my Dad got brand new when he purchased a bunch of Craftsman tools in '61.When I told him what they go for now he was pretty shocked.

 

[Richard Cranium]

One member on here has a collection of 4 of them, that is the largest collection that I have seen on here, I do have 2 and I would sell one if the price was right. Both of mine has the blue tint to the handle, I tried to get rebuild kits just incase I needed one, but they don't offer them any longer, The wise kid that rebuilds them at the store told me he had never even seen one before, but to just drill a hole in the head and the new kit should fit....lol...right I am going to drill a hole in one of these...lol...Richie

 

[softailgarage]

I got one of those that my Dad got brand new when he purchased a bunch of Craftsman tools in '61.When I told him what they go for now he was pretty shocked.

Still have it?

 

[gearhead1]

Wow, very interesting, never seen anything like that before, now I want one!

 

[Richard Cranium]

So soft tail, are you going to use it or just hang it on the wall some where? Richie