Easco wrenches

[compyello]

I just picked up two easco wrenches for a dollar each yesterday at a local flea market. Can anyone tell me about easco? When I search for the company I come up with craftsman. Can anyone put a date on these wrenches. I just picked them up because I liked them now I would like to find a few more similar. I did find a few on ebay but they are a lot more expensive than the first two.

 

[shoturtle]

easco became KD then they became gearwrench. Apex owns the brand name of easco as and KD as they hear the same part numbers.

 

[compyello]

I was looking and I think they look close to wrights

 

[SMKS]

Easco and K-D were both companies that Danaher bought. Both names have mostly been phased out on hand tools. Apex has replaced the tools that used to be branded K-D with imported Gearwrench tools.

I've seen some tools like the ones the OP posted. They appear to be from a value line, as most Easco wrenches I've seen are longer and better finished.


Easco actually started as Moore Drop Forge.

Here's what Alloy Artifacts says:

The Formation of Easco

In 1967 Moore Drop Forging was acquired by the Eastern Stainless Steel Corporation, a maker of stainless and specialty steels, and by 1969 the company had been restructured as the Easco Corporation. Easco continued the Moore contract for production of wrenches and socket tools for Sears, and also offered a line of hand tools under the Easco brand.

Easco was later purchased by Danaher:

COMPANY NEWS; Danaher Acquires Easco Hand Tools
Reuters
Published: February 21, 1990
The Danaher Corporation, an auto parts manufacturer, and Easco Hand Tools Inc. said they had entered into a merger agreement under which Danaher would acquire Easco in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at about $125 million.

Under the agreement, each share of Easco common stock will be converted into 0.4175 share of Danaher common stock, or about $6.31 a share. The transaction, which has been approved by both boards, is still subject to approval by shareholders of both companies and regulatory bodies. Shares of Danaher, based in Washington, fell 25 cents today, to $14.875, on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Easco, based in Hunt Valley, Md., were unchanged at $5.625 in over-the-counter trading.

Side note - Here's what Alloy Artifacts says about K-D:

K-D Manufacturing Company

K-D Manufacturing is a well-known maker of automotive specialty tools. The company began operations in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1920, and the founders are believed to be Harry W. Kulp and Martin C. Dellinger, two inventors who collaborated on a number of patents for specialty tools. (The company name was presumably derived from their surnames.)

K-D's products include pliers, valve-spring compressors, wrenches, and other automotive specialty tools.

In recent years K-D was acquired by the Danaher Group, a conglomerate of tool companies which also includes Matco and Armstrong.

 

[bob15]

This will help:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123789


bob

 

[Fedwrench]

Easco had a decent sized factory in Gastonia, NC that churned out tools. Easco was popular in auto parts stores throughout the southeast up until the mid 1980s. They also made tools for Craftsman and many government contracts especially the large metric combination wrench sets that came out with the introduction of the Hmmwvs. Easco was swallowed up as others have mentioned until today it is only a name on the back of some Gearwrench packaging.

 

[odelay01]

I have an Easco 1/4 ratchet that was made in the USA, and it is one of my favorites!

 

[thesilverone]

Easco made the best Craftsman ratchet

 

[compyello]

Thanks to all, lot of information there. That is the first I have heard of Moore Drop Forge and Alloy Artifacts. The reason I picked up the wrenches besides just liking them is I have had an easco 3/8 ratchet for along time that is kind of nice. Now I just need to find a few more to make a spare set just to get rid of the overseas spares I grab now.