rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
omg I need that box!
Spreading the Bonney affliction!
- Thread starter bonneyman
- Start date
sgs236
Well-known member
I had never heard of Bonney before I joined this site. And I had just vowed to curb my tool purchases until I had my shop set up and tools organized but I did add Bonney to my "If I Happen To Stumble across Some" list.
I also noticed that in my TONS of hand tools there was a very short list of tool brands not represented...Bonney was one and it planted a bug in my newly repressed OCD.
Then I found this:
I did "stumble across a Bonney 2804-L 3/8 and 7/16 double box end wrench but in order to get it I had to buy 37 wrenches...and a Craftsman Crown Top toolbox. But it was only $15.00 so my Bonney collection had begun. Now with a wrench and a tool box I have a good start!
This is a good thing...Isn't it?
Bruce
I really like that toolbox. Great find!
twertsy
Well-known member
Yes, you bast....d! Now I'm stopping at every pawn shop digging for Bonney. Spent several hundred online over the past few day and have been drooling over that toolbox! Hooked[emoji7]A member messaged me and complained (i.e. thanked me) about how I got him "addicted" to Bonney tools. I said I was sorry (not). So, I thought I'd help spread the Bonney bug around some more.
Here's my set of long DBE's in metric, satin combos in SAE, and a trio of rats.
metaldad
Well-known member
my modest refrigeration ratchet wrench ensemble.
Yeah, I'm a bad boy for aiming you guys toward great tools.
Metaldad - you have the best Bonney reefer wrench collection I've ever seen.
Cope
Well-known member
Lots of nice tools, guys.
The DBE's in metric are really scarce. SAE's can usually be gotten reasonable, but certain metric sizes are rarer than hens teeth.
Here's my (incomplete) SEA DBE's. The 3/4" biggie on the bottom is a beast!
bonneyman, back in 1963 or so, a local hardware store sold a little Bonney, and they had a 4 or 5 pieces DBE set in a red pouch marked outboard engine or something similar.
After reading this thread I had to know if I had any Bonney wrenches so I went to the garage and dug through all my wrenches and found an old wrench we call the "k-mart wrench" because it is stamped crooked. Please tell me the B on my wrench does not stand for Bonney.......I will be so bummed after reading this thread to realize the one Bonney I have should have been a reject....and will I be banned from this thread for calling a Bonney a "k-mart wrench"??
View media item 46379
View media item 46379
rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
well, if it makes you feel better, it's a Bon-E-Con economy line Bonney 
Don't let the offset stamping bother you - it's still a good tool. The old Bon-e-cons were better IMHO than the Asian stuff being peddled nowadays. And the ZE1618 part number coincides with Bonney's production back then.
The digits in the part number is based on the industry standard of 32nds of an inch.
16/32 = 1/2"
18/32 = 9/16"
The digits in the part number is based on the industry standard of 32nds of an inch.
16/32 = 1/2"
18/32 = 9/16"
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
I have a lot of vintage 1940’s Bonney pieces, mainly DOEs, including Zenel, and some very rare “585” series wrenches (see this thread – http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3147879&postcount=1 - for more), DBEs, and midget DBEs (Bonaloy).
I just scored this near-complete Bonney V series 1/4-drive set. I thought the box was rusty at first, but that babysh*t brown color is actually its first and only coat, applied in the factory with some kind of texturizing (little patterned swirls) technique.
The ratchet is a Snap-On and the short extension is unmarked, but the breaker (V26), sliding tee (V17), and long extension (V18) all go with the set.
Here are some close-ups.
Does anyone know anything about this set?
Per AA, Bonney didn’t start making any socket sets until 1930, and they didn’t add 1/4-drive to the line until 1939. They only have a few V series pieces in their collection, and they’re not dated.
Given the embedded circle-CV inside the ‘BONNEY’ on the sliding tee, and the polished chrome finish on all the pieces, I’m inclined to say 1939 or 1940. I don’t think it’s wartime, when the finishes were plain steel, cad, black oxide or phosphate. Maybe they made this set after the war in the late 40’s and early 50’s.
I’m going to be looking for the ratchet (V25) to complete the set. Anybody have one, please let me know.
Anybody have any catalog info, please share it.
I just scored this near-complete Bonney V series 1/4-drive set. I thought the box was rusty at first, but that babysh*t brown color is actually its first and only coat, applied in the factory with some kind of texturizing (little patterned swirls) technique.
The ratchet is a Snap-On and the short extension is unmarked, but the breaker (V26), sliding tee (V17), and long extension (V18) all go with the set.
Here are some close-ups.
Does anyone know anything about this set?
Per AA, Bonney didn’t start making any socket sets until 1930, and they didn’t add 1/4-drive to the line until 1939. They only have a few V series pieces in their collection, and they’re not dated.
Given the embedded circle-CV inside the ‘BONNEY’ on the sliding tee, and the polished chrome finish on all the pieces, I’m inclined to say 1939 or 1940. I don’t think it’s wartime, when the finishes were plain steel, cad, black oxide or phosphate. Maybe they made this set after the war in the late 40’s and early 50’s.
I’m going to be looking for the ratchet (V25) to complete the set. Anybody have one, please let me know.
Anybody have any catalog info, please share it.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Great set, lugnutz!
I'd think the correct Bonney ratchet would be hard to find. But that vintage Snappy rat looks right at home, if you ask me.
Thanks. I was thinking the same thing - and just for the heck of it, I looked on eBait, and wouldn't ya know it, there's one for auction right now. Weird.
The Snap-On ratchet is a 9/32-drive, I discovered. No idea how it ended up in the case. The seller (not very knowledgeable house clean-outs R us type guy at a flea market) probably stuck it in there thinking it completed the set.
3baygarage
Well-known member
Great thread. I have something old to add.
Cylinder head nut torque wrench attachments.
2614
2615
2615A
2616
These were picked from a farm estate. Of course at the time I thought they were for tractors.
According to AA, the (similar) Herbrand version are cylinder head wrenches for Buick, Chevy,etc. . Anyone know exactly?
Cylinder head nut torque wrench attachments.
2614
2615
2615A
2616
These were picked from a farm estate. Of course at the time I thought they were for tractors.
According to AA, the (similar) Herbrand version are cylinder head wrenches for Buick, Chevy,etc. . Anyone know exactly?
Attachments
3baygarage
Well-known member
Tronyadorable
Banned
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2014
- Messages
- 1,170
Really ? Why haven't Snappy, Mac, ********, Proto and even Craftsman(yet) gone out of business then ?
LOL. Many of these tool companies are run by incompetent idiots. That's why they die. Period.
twertsy
Well-known member
Apparently, it's NOT over yet..................
Yes, you could say it was bad business decisions that killd them.
For many years Bonney was a major government/military supplier. They basically ignored the civilian market as they had a guaranteed buyer who would pay top dollar, no questions asked. Then, during the 70's, the gov decided to try and cut their costs, and Bonney was literally left hanging. Although they did sell a bit to the aerospace industry, they never really got the hang of selling out of a truck to auto shops and DIY's. Their didn't get a good distribution scheme going, and their name recognition was almost zero. Even today, I regularly run across people who have been mechanics for years and who know tools - but never heard of Bonney.
Eventually Bonney was bought out by Cooper (who really only wanted the Utica pliers and torque wrench division) and let Bonney just stagnate till they closed it. They were profitable up until the end, but, when they needed some capital investment for tooling upgrades Cooper just shut them down. The Chinese imports by then just made US production noncompetitive.
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t4runner
Well-known member
twertsy
Well-known member
3baygarage
Well-known member
Yeah. Bon-E-Con. No you haven't been conned.
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The truck dealer I bought my Bonney's from was an S-K dealer mainly. Told him I was looking fro something like Snap-On. he told me he had wrenches that were just as good as Snappy but not as expensive.
Still have those two sets of Bonney combos after all these years.
My only Bonney tools are the ones within this V53B 1/4" drive socket set. This has been a very hard set to research. I believe it's missing a breaker bar, but I can't confirm it.
If anybody with catalog access could post up some pics/info regarding this set it would be most appreciated.
If anybody with catalog access could post up some pics/info regarding this set it would be most appreciated.
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twertsy
Well-known member
Man that's nice..........wish I could help you on the contents! I'm sure someone will chime in.
3baygarage
Well-known member
Beautiful set!
They have your box set listed in my catalog(year unknown). Unfortunately the 1/4 & 3/8 ratchets (and 3/4) were all pear head, while only the 1/2 was round. So, not sure if the round head version of the set came later? I think it's safe to assume the prettier ratchet came later. I don't think AA shows any round heads.
Either way, you can compare to the socket list.
They have your box set listed in my catalog(year unknown). Unfortunately the 1/4 & 3/8 ratchets (and 3/4) were all pear head, while only the 1/2 was round. So, not sure if the round head version of the set came later? I think it's safe to assume the prettier ratchet came later. I don't think AA shows any round heads.
Either way, you can compare to the socket list.
Attachments
The Bonney logo on that box is the checkerboard pattern used from 1947 thru about 1959.
Still can't nail down the end date. Not enough examples to conclusively prove it. Though this Bonney box I have has the late 60's logo.
Still can't nail down the end date. Not enough examples to conclusively prove it. Though this Bonney box I have has the late 60's logo.
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rickhigginshtbr
Well-known member
that set is amazing!
JackDiddly
Well-known member
That looks like one of the older, pre-SAE stamped wrenches. When did that change over? I want to say 1927.
Nice.
Thank you very much for the catalog pics..
This is the first time I'm seeing this set in ANY reference material. I'm thinking that the round heads are later as well, as the pics from your catalog appear to be from a bit earlier era. It's also interesting to know what the "B" in the set number was for.
Looks like the set number was used for quite some time, but perhaps the contents got changed up a bit over time...
Maybe I need to track down a 50s or early 60s era catalog to know for sure.
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Malczewski
Banned
Stunning items.
That was before America became the land of the Coupon People.There was indeed heavy brand loyalty, price be damned.
There still is...... to a minimal extent with the truck tool congregation but it's a much smaller crowd. Damn shame.
Any mechanic on earth can enter an auto repair joint in the states and tremble with envy at the tools being used.
We're still the best.......just not in the mainstream any more.
That was before America became the land of the Coupon People.There was indeed heavy brand loyalty, price be damned.
There still is...... to a minimal extent with the truck tool congregation but it's a much smaller crowd. Damn shame.
Any mechanic on earth can enter an auto repair joint in the states and tremble with envy at the tools being used.
We're still the best.......just not in the mainstream any more.
twertsy
Well-known member
For all fellow Bonneyites; someone must have found another stash of NOS Bonney. Search either Bonney Pliers OR Utica Pliers on eBay. Now that I've grabbed a few of each style plier, I figured I'd let y'all in on it!!
Take a brass wire brush - not steel - and scrub the satin real good with a strong soap (Green Clean should work). This should be strong enough to get off stubborn dirt and grease but not harm the finish. Helps get down in all those little pores, too.
wornoutoldman
Well-known member
Here is a bunch of Whitworth/British Standard Bonney wrenches:
I also have a complete set of whitworth/bs Bonney sockets. I'll snap a few pics and post later...
I also have a complete set of whitworth/bs Bonney sockets. I'll snap a few pics and post later...
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Guys,
I am getting desperate for a Bonney BONALOY 2805 Double Box End (1/2 x 9/16). This is a short DBE with an oval shank and double deep offset. Steel finish, no chrome. S,T,U,V or W date code or no date code. Click on my "Other Needs" Wanted Ad below for photos of the smaller and larger DBE in the 3-wrench set I am looking to complete.
Thanks.
I am getting desperate for a Bonney BONALOY 2805 Double Box End (1/2 x 9/16). This is a short DBE with an oval shank and double deep offset. Steel finish, no chrome. S,T,U,V or W date code or no date code. Click on my "Other Needs" Wanted Ad below for photos of the smaller and larger DBE in the 3-wrench set I am looking to complete.
Thanks.
twertsy
Well-known member
I just uploaded my Bonney 1934 Cat via my Google+ account as a public share. You may download / create PDF and redistribute as you wish. Link to folder