Williams superrench NOS.
- Thread starter NJ Marty
- Start date
wornoutoldman
Well-known member
Super sweet set there! They haven't made that style in at least 30 years. If you paid anything under $250 you get a big time you **** from me!
sonvolt
Well-known member
Oh man that is sweet ! Im looking for a 1" to complete my set. I live in NJ and I can't find deals like that. Looks like 70's vintage
woody 73
Well-known member
30 plus years sounds about right...sigh I have been buying them up one at a time and I am nowhere near a complete set.
Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time and it happens.
Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time and it happens.
I worked out great today. I put aside a pile of items I wanted and the guy gave me a price. I ended up paying well under $100 for the set.
jakemac
Well-known member
Same here.
Strouty
Well-known member
Sucky, ****, ****!
Mopar-Scooby-Doo
Well-known member
Awesome find. Those are very nice
t4runner
Well-known member
NJ Marty, I had the same set (it looks the same ) when I was around 16 years old that was over 40 years ago I ended up giving them to my brother. Thats a nice set and a YOU **** on that price.
lbgradwell
Well-known member
Beautiful set!
chopper1
Member Emeritus
Nice set. What's the size range?
Bob-B
Well-known member
Great find! I inherited my Dad's DOE and DBE Williams wrenches. I've since been piecing together a combo set from the local flea markets. Just need a 15/16" to get me up thru 1"
SweetD
Well-known member
lbgradwell
Well-known member
Cope
Well-known member
You did good. For a set with that range, you are in GearWrench price point.
Mopar-Scooby-Doo
Well-known member
Man you guys are making me sick. Good finds
Youngguns
Well-known member
Sorry to revive an old thread, but are the flat style Superrenches collectable? I picked up a 1/2" Superrench in a bunch of tools and really like how it looked, felt, etc. I'd like a set of them, but at tool prices and not collectable prices.
jakemac
Well-known member
It depends on who's selling.
Williams is an overlooked brand by uninformed tool sellers. In part because it's known more by industrial mechanics and machinist than by auto mechanics. It's a quality brand (on par with SK, Armstrong, and Wright) that can go for cheap if the seller isn't familiar with the brand, but pricier if the seller is in the know.
I've been working on putting together a set from flea market finds and yard sales as well.
I started by accident when I needed a 1-5/16" wrench for a project. The Williams was the only one I could find quickly, but the seller would only sell the 3 largest wrenches as a set. He wanted $60 but I was able to talk him down to $50. All my others were bought for much less (pennies, in some cases).
That was 2yrs ago. If you rush, it will cost you more. If you're patient, you have time to look for bargains. Here's what I've scrounged so far.
Williams is an overlooked brand by uninformed tool sellers. In part because it's known more by industrial mechanics and machinist than by auto mechanics. It's a quality brand (on par with SK, Armstrong, and Wright) that can go for cheap if the seller isn't familiar with the brand, but pricier if the seller is in the know.
I've been working on putting together a set from flea market finds and yard sales as well.
I started by accident when I needed a 1-5/16" wrench for a project. The Williams was the only one I could find quickly, but the seller would only sell the 3 largest wrenches as a set. He wanted $60 but I was able to talk him down to $50. All my others were bought for much less (pennies, in some cases).
That was 2yrs ago. If you rush, it will cost you more. If you're patient, you have time to look for bargains. Here's what I've scrounged so far.
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Bill Ramsey
Well-known member
Sweet. Keeping them in the Huot box, I see. Extra points awarded.
jakemac
Well-known member
harleybuilder
Well-known member
I have several, a lot of duplicates. (my dad was a machinist and plant maintenance ) they are good wrenches. ..
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Youngguns
Well-known member
Good eye !
What's the smallest/largest size you have? I need to know what I'm in for..
Maybe I'll just try and put together a "commonly used" set to go with my 1/2".
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jakemac
Well-known member
All are SAE (I've never seen vintage Metric Williams - yet).
The smallest size I have so far is 11/32"
The largest I have is 1-7/16"
I don't know about auto mechanics, but when I was doing carpentry the most common sizes I used were 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", and 3/4". If I needed another size, I would just grab an adjustable (the horror).
The smallest size I have so far is 11/32"
The largest I have is 1-7/16"
I don't know about auto mechanics, but when I was doing carpentry the most common sizes I used were 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", and 3/4". If I needed another size, I would just grab an adjustable (the horror).
That's a great wrench set, OP!
I've got a few Williams tools that could go to a new home. There's a cardboard wrench box with a paper insert dated 1957 (no wrenches) and a set of angle wrenches. Some other odds and ends, 1/4" socket spinners. Pics here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=3275
I've got a few Williams tools that could go to a new home. There's a cardboard wrench box with a paper insert dated 1957 (no wrenches) and a set of angle wrenches. Some other odds and ends, 1/4" socket spinners. Pics here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=3275
bobcatdan
Well-known member
I always liked those wrenches, there are a lot of them here at work, mostly larger sizes, 1 1/2" and larger.
jakemac
Well-known member
I have a full set of these. I bought them from a hardware store that was a Williams dealer. The serviced the Industrial market rather than automotive. I also have a full set of 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 Williams ratchet stuff of the same vintage. Some of the sockets are a little rough but it all works. They were an independent company then but now are part of the Snap On group. A lot of the stuff, if not all, now comes from Taiwan. Now the stuff is all full polish. It used to be that you only saw that kind of finish work on Snap On. Today even cheap stuff from HF is all polished by almost free labor.
jakemac
Well-known member
I was asked in another thread if I had a list of the Williams combo wrench model numbers and sizes. Once I put it all together, I thought it would be best to post it here and leave a link in the other thread. So, this is what I've got for the 11xx combo series :
1158______1/4"
1159______5/16"
1159A_____11/32"
1160______3/8"
1161______7/16"
1162______1/2"
1163______9/16"
1163A_____19/32"
1164______5/8"
1165______11/16"
1166______3/4"
1166A_____25/32"
1167A_____13/16"
1167______7/8"
1168______15/16"
1170______1"
1171______1-1/16"
1172______1-1/8"
1173______1-1/4"
1174______1-5/16"
1176A_____1-3/8"
1176______1-7/16"
1178______1-1/2"
1180______1-5/8"
1182______1-11/16"
1184______1-3/4"
1186______1-13/16"
1188______1-7/8"
1190______2"
1191______2-1/16"
1192______2-1/8"
1193______2-3/16"
1194______2-1/4"
1195______2-3/8"
1197______2-1/2"
1198______2-5/8"
1199______3"
I have about half of these so far, with a few doubles. Most are the triple line w/underline logo. A few of the larger ones are single line with the plain letter logo. And one is the earlier cast-in print.
If I missed anything in the 11xx series, let me know and I'll try to edit the info into this post.
Maybe others with collections could put together lists of numbers for DOE, DBE, and sockets to help enable the rest of us.
1158______1/4"
1159______5/16"
1159A_____11/32"
1160______3/8"
1161______7/16"
1162______1/2"
1163______9/16"
1163A_____19/32"
1164______5/8"
1165______11/16"
1166______3/4"
1166A_____25/32"
1167A_____13/16"
1167______7/8"
1168______15/16"
1170______1"
1171______1-1/16"
1172______1-1/8"
1173______1-1/4"
1174______1-5/16"
1176A_____1-3/8"
1176______1-7/16"
1178______1-1/2"
1180______1-5/8"
1182______1-11/16"
1184______1-3/4"
1186______1-13/16"
1188______1-7/8"
1190______2"
1191______2-1/16"
1192______2-1/8"
1193______2-3/16"
1194______2-1/4"
1195______2-3/8"
1197______2-1/2"
1198______2-5/8"
1199______3"
I have about half of these so far, with a few doubles. Most are the triple line w/underline logo. A few of the larger ones are single line with the plain letter logo. And one is the earlier cast-in print.
If I missed anything in the 11xx series, let me know and I'll try to edit the info into this post.
Maybe others with collections could put together lists of numbers for DOE, DBE, and sockets to help enable the rest of us.
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4x4_G30_Sportvan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2013
- Messages
- 547
Excellent info jake.
I don't have any Williams, but will be on the lookout!
I don't have any Williams, but will be on the lookout!
lilcraigford
Well-known member
I have a 1-1/16" Williams Superrench (1171). It came to me among some hand-me-downs when my dad changed careers (where he got it from, I have no idea). Its such a large size that I haven't had to use it yet. It is a nice wrench though, and its neat to put some context behind it!
jakemac
Well-known member
So, apparently there's an ebay seller in Canada that has a large stock of #1163A 19/32" triple line wrenches.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-NOS-Williams-19-32-Combination-Wrench-Superrench-1163A-WR-14c-H-4-/391184732680?hash=item5b146d5208
The shipping doubled the cost, and he's only selling them in pairs, but since I couldn't find this one anywhere else I pulled the trigger.
My package showed up today. Just as advertised. Now I have a dilemma, do I open the package and ruin it's collector value ?
Of course I opened it. What's the point of buying toys if you don't play with them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-NOS-Williams-19-32-Combination-Wrench-Superrench-1163A-WR-14c-H-4-/391184732680?hash=item5b146d5208
The shipping doubled the cost, and he's only selling them in pairs, but since I couldn't find this one anywhere else I pulled the trigger.
My package showed up today. Just as advertised. Now I have a dilemma, do I open the package and ruin it's collector value ?
Of course I opened it. What's the point of buying toys if you don't play with them.
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36truck
Well-known member
19/32 that's an odd ball size. I have seen it in sockets but not in wrench's.
Tippletrash
Well-known member
First time poster been lurking for a while though, great site by the way. Jakemac thanks for posting up the model list and the add. Might have to pick them up. Ive built up a 3/8 to 1 1/16 set (which has taken quite a while) I'm still missing the 19/32 and 25/32. I got turned on to these at work in a coal prep plant where tools see lots of abuse. These are some of the best wrenches made in my opinion. We have alot of proto but seems like I'm always reaching for a williams.
jakemac
Well-known member
32nd sizes used to be common on older cars (pre war). They still show up every now and then on nuts and bolts that were made to the older standards. I found one holding the motor onto a 1950's Craftsman 12" disk sander when I took it apart to clean. It's nice to have the sockets and wrenches on hand, just in case.
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drivesitfar
Well-known member
ALL: do we have a Williams thread on their sockets and wrenches or is this it for now? i've got a drawer full of Superwrenches and thought they were almost new until reading this thread.
are they really 30 years old or is Williams still making them? i picked up a nice old set of Williams sockets about a year or maybe 2 ago from an 85 year old client and i do like that it has the 32 nd's in the set.
i'll have to check my wrenches but i do have some in metric and some BIGUNS too.
i'll post pictures here or if anybody can post the link to the Williams thread i'll post them there.
Marty: nice find as per usual. finding anything lately?
Jake: thanks for posting up the list
are they really 30 years old or is Williams still making them? i picked up a nice old set of Williams sockets about a year or maybe 2 ago from an 85 year old client and i do like that it has the 32 nd's in the set.
i'll have to check my wrenches but i do have some in metric and some BIGUNS too.
i'll post pictures here or if anybody can post the link to the Williams thread i'll post them there.
Marty: nice find as per usual. finding anything lately?
Jake: thanks for posting up the list
jakemac
Well-known member
Williams is still being offered. I believe the new production uses a single line and plain print logo. It's now owned by SnapOn and sells as a "bargain" brand even though the quality appears to be the same as previous offerings. The brand wasn't well known among Auto Mechanics. It was (and still is) marketed more towards Industrial Mechanics and Machinists (like Proto). For this reason, many resellers tend to underprice them at yard sales and flea markets (ebay is it's own little circle of hell (Dante's 10th perhaps ?) and plays by it's own rules when pricing).
Drives - I don't think there is another thread like this for Williams sockets, DOE's, or DBE's. It would be nice if someone could put together another list of part numbers for those though.
Drives - I don't think there is another thread like this for Williams sockets, DOE's, or DBE's. It would be nice if someone could put together another list of part numbers for those though.
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Tippletrash
Well-known member
I haven't had much luck in finding metric wrenches, did see a set of the vulcan superrenches still in vinyl roll sale on ebay before i got a chance to think about buying
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Jake: thanks for the scoop and maybe i'll pull mine out and see if i have something to start a thread with. i'm pretty sure my socket set is old, but don't know the history of the wrenches.
Tipple: i do have some of my Williams wrenches that say Vulcan. are they the newer ones?
Tipple: i do have some of my Williams wrenches that say Vulcan. are they the newer ones?
Tippletrash
Well-known member
Drives- don't quote me on this but i think they was made in same time frame just rebranded as vulcan. Maybe somebody with more knowledge can chime in on vulcan.