Britool (Made in England) thread

[Dave455]

Here are some of my Moore and Wright drivers, of essentially the same patterns.

The steel blades on these were first class. Probably better than the Stanley of the same era.

The light coloured wooden handles were the earliest, then came the red stained handles. The dark stained handles were the very last.

I still use the top one quite regularly. It’s just the right size for some terminal screws, and for that application I want a ratcheting blade rather than a ratcheting bit driver.


The ones with the dark red plastic handles were undoubtedly the highest quality.

 

[esben57]

Interesting. Also heard Steadfast may have made Britool's screwdrivers.
Anyways, saw M&W catalogue and this adaptor is in there. M was usually 9/32" drive, Midget.
Never seen that adaptor.

 

[Stubby1743]

I paid 20p for this Britool 4111 DBE this morning. It's unusual in that it is 5/16" Whitworth both ends with one end off-set and the other flat.

 

[Bob H]

I just bought another socket set. I bought it because of the price, and for the Whitworth sockets. Imagine my surprise and joy when I found this little gem hiding inside.

 

[humber2]

I paid 20p for this Britool 4111 DBE this morning. It's unusual in that it is 5/16" Whitworth both ends with one end off-set and the other flat.

That looks in great condition, is it stamped “Made in England”?

There is a range of these in the 41.. group.

 

[humber2]

Double post deleted.

 

[Stubby1743]

That looks in great condition, is it stamped “Made in England”?

Yes, "MADE IN BRITOOL ENGLAND".

 

[Bob H]

The new (to me) socket set I bought recently.

 

[Stubby1743]

I found this Britool M91 9/32" drive universal joint at my local car boot sale this morning. It has the UK Govt. broad arrow property mark and shows no sign of use.

 

[d42jeep]

I found this shiny DBE shorty at a NV estate sale on Friday.
-Don

 

[esben57]

I found this shiny DBE shorty at a NV estate sale on Friday.
-Don

Short series. Regular sizes were 2RB and 6RBM all with elliptical shafts. Larger size spanners had round shafts, older design.
Very good tools. From a 1971 catalogue.

 

[Stubby1743]

I found this FTB11 1/4" square spanner at my small local car boot sale this morning.



I assumed that it was a drum brake adjuster, but some on-line comments suggest that it is a specialty tool for Ferguson tractors. Can anyone with a right time period catalogue confirm?

 

[Farmer J.]

I found this FTB11 1/4" square spanner at my small local car boot sale this morning.



I assumed that it was a drum brake adjuster, but some on-line comments suggest that it is a specialty tool for Ferguson tractors. Can anyone with a right time period catalogue confirm?

That's a Ferguson Gearbox spanner, but I don't know exactly what it does in which gearbox. They're fairly rare, last December one of them sold at auction for £160.00 .

Ferguson Britool spanner FTB11

Ferguson Britool spanner FTB11 in December Vintage Tractor Sale, to include Vintage and Classic Tractors, Spares, Stationary Engines, a (7 Dec 2024)

www.hjpugh.com

 

[Stubby1743]

They're fairly rare, last December one of them sold at auction for £160.00 .

That makes me laugh. It was one of four nice tools that I paid £1 for.

 

[esben57]

From my 1971 bible.
The sq wrench will most likely be for use on old British car drum brake adjusters.
MF toolkit on first picture.
Hope this helps.

 

[Stubby1743]

Yes it does, thanks. A drum brake adjuster tool was what I thought when I saw it and bought it.

 

[esben57]

Trawled through this from start to finish.
In a post from 2018 (page 11), ' 3/8 deep bi-hex sockets that say Britool - England - MDMB - SIZES10-19.'
If I am correct, M = 9/32" drive D = deep, M = metric, B = bi- hexagon.

Off to dig out my Britool oddities. Will stick some pictures up here soon.

 

[esben57]

Britool ratchets. A74 /20T 3/8" drive. E74 /40T 1/2" dr, first had one of these age 17. Given a £6 tool shop token for passing 1st year exam as apprentice. Heavy use finally finished it some years later and I remember throwing that one in the bin at knocking off time.
A45A 3/8", replaced an A45 I also wrecked. Cost me 20 odd quid and must have used it half a dozen times.
E20 1/2" drive
Early E74 1/2" no finesse coarse and heavy duty.

 

[esben57]

Step ups ASEP 3/8" to 1/2", ESHP 1/2" to 3/4"
E18 valve lapping tool. Came in service sets, cutter on this is shot. D91 UJ 1/4" drive.




This is a Britool box. Was in a state, took the emulsion off and sprayed it red. Had offspring make a sticker.
Bitsa 3/8" set all good stuff and I use it instead of this
⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁ ⋁

 

[esben57]

 

[esben57]

Combinations. Top is a short series really tidy. Best of these were early 70's maybe very late 60's up to 1980ish. Raised lettering in a relief on the shank. Quality dropped Britool stamped or whatever. From being rounded, the shanks later were feathered ? to the edges.
The 14 is an RJMA14 suspiciously far eastern.
Bottom is a C375 3/8" AF decent blank but it dodged chroming.




Top is the better quality as mentioned. 18-19 2JM with the less material but you would expect metallurgy to constantly improve.
Another one of them 'A' types.
Bottom being a 6J. Top quality pattern as good as anything.

 

[esben57]

My trusty old E79 breaker. took it back for a replacement denying I had used a scaffold pole on it.
Was never getting into heaven anyways.
Swivel square brake adjuster 3/8" - 11/32"
E56 tommy bar for 1/2" drive tools military broad arrow.

 

[esben57]

The rings were excellent. Identical pattern to Williams Superslim.
Tip. Should you happen across these combinations, check for a fault which appears as a line up and down the ring end.
Maybe seconds that slipped through. These can crack.

 

[esben57]

DHM 1/4" Drive Hexagon Metric.
E91 UJ E Engineers 1/2" drive

 

[esben57]

Have some other bits and pieces I can't find.

 

[four.cycle]

^ patent 2500835 Mar 14 1950 John W. Lang - your ratcheting end box wrenches were made by (or under license from) A&E / Lang

 

[esben57]

^ patent 2500835 Mar 14 1950 John W. Lang - your ratcheting end box wrenches were made by (or under license from) A&E / Lang

Also have a Gray and two S.K. with the same pat. number.

 

[four.cycle]

^ A&E / Lang / Kastar (all one and the same) private-labeled those for all kinds of other companies.

previous post on this

 

[esben57]

 

[Farmer J.]

Has that been sawn off, or does the chrome finish go around the end? I have one like it that I use for the lathe tool post clamp.

 

[esben57]

Has that been sawn off, or does the chrome finish go around the end? I have one like it that I use for the lathe tool post clamp.

It's a proper single ended spanner, listed in catalogue 109 from 1971. 4011

 

[Bob H]

How is this for “new old stock” ?
Unfortunately not mine.

 

[oldpliers1]

Post update: Picked up a pair of baby Elliot Lucas side cutters today to match the pair I got issued as 16 year old apprentice - I’m 50 now

Found them unloved at a UK bootsale (translated “Trunk Sale @ flea market) they cost just £2 @. $2.60. They cut as well as they day they were made too - Im well chuffed with that

Very nice I picked these up locally , I first saw them in the late 70s the UK tradesmen mostly used them and the tech college and high schools all used Lucas Elliott tools ,

 

[Bob H]

For sale on Facebook Marketplace now. I have an earlier similar set. Mine is AF / BA, and to make it more useable I’ve added Metric too.

 

[Bob H]

Of course, this does not apply to any of us !

 

[oldpliers1]

Of course, this does not apply to any of us !

Too near the truth

 

[matthew]

Which of those things? That we have a problem? That we need more tools? Or that we have insufficient storage

 

[Bob H]

Tappet Wrenches from a 1950’s catalogue.

 

[Bob H]

Which of those things? That we have a problem? That we need more tools? Or that we have insufficient storage

All three

 

[Leviton]

Found a couple of NUBO T-handle nut drivers.
One has a ~0.323" 6-point opening (for a 2 BA thread screw) and is marked: NUBO Reg No. T642 2 B.A
The other has a ~0.193" 6-point opening (for a 6 BA thread screw) and is marked: NUBO Reg No. T646 6 B.A.

I couldn't find these in any catalogs, but the 1962 Gerald Stains catalog showed a handle for a valve re-seating kit that looks similar.