My small but growing collection of Wizard tools (all Western Auto welcome)

lardy1 · Oct 28, 2019

I bought a 3/8" Wizard ratchet yesterday at the flea market. It felt good but when I tore it apart, the pawls are worn down badly. Bummer.

Oldtuleguy · Oct 28, 2019

Sorry to hear that Lardy. Any pics of the damage?

lardy1 · Oct 28, 2019

I didn't take any pics of it once I discovered the damage. The teeth on both sides of the pawl are pretty damaged. It doesn't take very much torque at all to make it slip.

If I'm not mistaken, it's an Indestro ratchet? Probably finding a rebuild for it is a laughable proposition.

Oldtuleguy · Oct 28, 2019

Best bet is to find a donor ratchet. Wizard stuff is usually duro indestro. Here is a wizard 2773 with an indestro 2736. As you can see the heads look the same. There is even a small D on the wizard ratchet, indicating duro production.

lardy1 · Oct 28, 2019

That would be the one. Mine looks identical other than the flex.

Oldtuleguy · Oct 28, 2019

So any common indestro round head would be a good donor.

lardy1 · Oct 28, 2019

Thank you for that.

misterbill · Oct 29, 2019

I was moving some things around tonight and found this Duro contract-made hinge handle that I had completely forgotten I had. It's a "ChromeXQuality Vanadium Steel" unit like the one shown on Alloy Artifacts: chromex-n693-breaker

Bill

d42jeep · Oct 29, 2019

I wondered where I left that!
-Don

misterbill · Oct 30, 2019

d42jeep said:
I wondered where I left that!
-Don

Please leave some additional tools when you have the chance!

Oldtuleguy · Nov 8, 2019

Got this Hinsdale ratchet that looks exactly like this western giant ratchet. Both have the same bog patent.

Private Lugnutz · Nov 15, 2019

I picked up this Western Auto Model HR2748 1/4-inch drive ratchet at the flea market this morning. Duro made and has the 1933 McNaught patent on it. The frame is black oxide and the face plate is chromed. The handle has been plasti-dipped, obviously. I generally don't collect any tools with plastic, rubber, rubberized plastic, or any other kind of handle, preferring the natural steel of the pre-war and wartime eras, so I don't really know when plasti-dipping was invented. Guessing 50's? Underneath the plasti-dip you can clearly see the WIZARD branding on the handle. I also don't know if the plasti-dip was OEM applied, Western Auto applied, or applied by a PO.

Otg has the same exact ratchet with no plasti-dip handle, posted in this thread earlier, linked here.

It wouldn't turn when I found it, frozen with rust and gunk, but a Metal Rescue bath cleared that right up. I didn't realize these had so many teeth.

d42jeep · Nov 15, 2019

I only found this one Wizard socket today but it’s nicer than the one I already had.
-Don

Oldtuleguy · Nov 15, 2019

Those are cool little ratchets. I think I have the wards version as well.

Oldtuleguy · Nov 16, 2019

Here is a 3/8 set, h2933.

Provincial · Dec 4, 2019

I found an interesting Westcraft 4H3872 Spark Plug tool Sunday. It has a round fiber (nylon?) "bottle" brush, a tapered file (teeth on one side only), double-ended gap setter, and feeler gauges of .025, .028, .030, .032, .035, and .040 thickness.

I believe that Westcraft was a post-WWII brand name. I'm not sure of the age of this tool, but it isn't the usual gap setting set.

Oldtuleguy · Dec 7, 2019

The old spark plugs could be disassembled and cleaned, which could explain the bottle brush. Don't see too many like that.

Oldtuleguy · Dec 7, 2019

Chromexquality 3/8 ratchet with its 1/2 western giant cousin. These were small ratchets for 3/8 drive, probably just the 9/32 version with bigger plug.

Private Lugnutz · Dec 7, 2019

Provincial said:
I'm not sure of the age of this tool, but it isn't the usual gap setting set.

I thought I could help you out, Provincial, because I was sure I had a Kastar like that, but I was wrong, it's only marked "HANDY". Whoever the OEM was probably made them both (and likely others).

Provincial · Dec 8, 2019

Friday at an estate sale I saw a K-star that was identical to these two examples. It was missing almost all the bristles on the brush, but was in otherwise excellent condition, so I was able to make a comparison. I was suspecting K-star as the OEM already, and this reinforced the idea that either they were the OEM, or sourced from the same OEM.

Private Lugnutz · Dec 8, 2019

Oh, good, so I was right after all! Haha. I may have another one somewhere else that I was thinking of.

toolfool1994 · Dec 8, 2019

I picked up a 52 piece Western Auto tool kit this weekend. It’s been lightly used, most of the 1/2 drive sockets haven’t been used at all. I’d guess it’s from the late 80s. This is towards the end of Western Auto and this set is made in Taiwan. It’s much lower quality than the old Wizard and Westline stuff but the sockets aren’t bad. The ratchets themselves are pretty low quality. Still it was only $10 so I snagged it up.

platypus20 · Dec 8, 2019

Growing up my brother owned 3 Western Auto store, I spend many a day, assembling bicycles, wagons, mowers and what not. I had an extensive Wizard tool inventory, 3 divorces, kids and grandkids, I’m down to only a handful of pieces.

outofbounds · Dec 18, 2019

toolfool1994 said:
I picked up a 52 piece Western Auto tool kit this weekend. It’s been lightly used, most of the 1/2 drive sockets haven’t been used at all. I’d guess it’s from the late 80s. This is towards the end of Western Auto and this set is made in Taiwan. It’s much lower quality than the old Wizard and Westline stuff but the sockets aren’t bad. The ratchets themselves are pretty low quality. Still it was only $10 so I snagged it up.

Yeah.....$10....."Snapped it up".....Ya think? NICE HAUL

toolfool1994 · Dec 23, 2019

I found 2 Westline tools in a recent trip to the pawn shop. A pair of Westline H1106 pliers and a later Westline H5051 6” adjustable made in Japan.

Oldtuleguy · Dec 23, 2019

Love that logo on the wrench. Cool find.

Username already in use · Dec 31, 2019

Kinda opposite ends of the spectrum here. Massive DBE at 1-5/16" and 1-1/4" and a 1/4" drive spinner.

I like the style on the Wizard DBEs. I've collected up a few of them now.

toolfool1994 · Jan 11, 2020

Got 3 more Wizard DOE’s, one more DBE, and a Western Auto gap tool today

thisistheshow · Jan 25, 2020

Great thread!

Oldtuleguy · Jan 27, 2020

Here is a 30s chromexquality set

thisistheshow · Jan 27, 2020

Oldtuleguy said:
Here is a 30s chromexquality set

That's VERY nice !

toolfool1994 · Jan 31, 2020

Found my next bench grinder

Oldtuleguy · Jan 31, 2020

Thanks show. I don't think it saw much use. Toolfool nice grinder! Still works?

toolfool1994 · Jan 31, 2020

Oldtuleguy said:
Thanks show. I don't think it saw much use. Toolfool nice grinder! Still works?

I’m not sure yet. It’s missing the switch and I haven’t had a chance to play with it yet

toolfool1994 · Feb 3, 2020

Just now getting around to some items i was given at Christmas. Wizard 15” flashlight and Western Auto H2913 hex drive socket set. The socket set is missing a few pieces but I think I’ve got what I need to fill the gaps

outofbounds · Feb 5, 2020

toolfool1994 said:
Just now getting around to some items i was given at Christmas. Wizard 15” flashlight and Western Auto H2913 hex drive socket set. The socket set is missing a few pieces but I think I’ve got what I need to fill the gaps

outofbounds · Feb 10, 2020

Some old Chrome X Quality wrenches that came out of a box of "randoms" that I bought this weekend. Like my avatar would imply.....these are available for sale or trade.

outofbounds · Feb 10, 2020

Curious about this wrench. Can someone confirm or dispel the notion this Chromium Vanadium is the top shelf wrench for Western Auto Supply in the early 1930s?

Rick B. · Feb 11, 2020

My small collection of Wizards that I've had forever.

View media item 79653

toolfool1994 · Feb 12, 2020

outofbounds said:
Curious about this wrench. Can someone confirm or dispel the notion this Chromium Vanadium is the top shelf wrench for Western Auto Supply in the early 1930s?

Chromium Vanadium was Western Auto’s top line from 1930 or 1931 until 1935

Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

My small but growing collection of Wizard tools (all Western Auto welcome)

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