ETC Industrial Tools (Japan) socket set

[nia573]

Picked this ETC Industrial Tools 1/2" dr socket set at a car boot (yard) sale at the weekend & was wondering if anyone had seen this brand before?

Its a nice heavy duty set & comes in a steel case that has a few external scuffs & paint scrapes/splashes on it, but the set appears to have had little use.

Its made in Japan & Id estimate its from the 70's or 80's perhaps?

Ive given it a quick clean & also re greased the ratchet & its smooth as silk now

 

[WittHay]

They were sold in a farm equipment place here in Canada in the 80's. We still have some combination wrenches kicking around. They are surprisingly good quality tools. They don't rust and the open ends don't spread.

 

[gdocktor3]

That's a nice, complete set. I like the long extension and breaker bar.

 

[SMKS]

It looks like the sockets don't have off-corner engagement, so that's a downside.

Interestingly, even though it's a Japanese set, the ratchet looks like a copy of a European design.

 

[dutchgray]

It looks like the sockets don't have off-corner engagement, so that's a downside.

Interestingly, even though it's a Japanese set, the ratchet looks like a copy of a European design.

It definitely looks like one of the better sets, we got plenty of the generic round head ratchets to. Its this stuff that pretty much killed our domestic tool industry.

 

[M6erfan]

Might want to post in the "tools of Japan" thread, you might get more interest/responses...

Interesting set, nice and complete

 

[2oolhound]

That's a nice looking set. I like the embossed box too. I have a few doe wrenches made in Japan from that era but they are BTC. I got them from a retiring Japanese mechanic. Some are nickel chrome vanadium and some chrome molybdenum.

 

[code4pay]

I have some etc ring open ender spanners I purchased in the 80's here in Australia. I like them they are good quality.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk

 

[Infinia]

It definitely looks like one of the better sets, we got plenty of the generic round head ratchets to. Its this stuff that pretty much killed our domestic tool industry.

these tools followed the early Jap auto imports into our countries ( the tools are very durable / high quality traded under various names by the importers ) at a time when mechanics here needed to add metric sizes.
I have a 1/2" metric set whos pieces and packaging look eerily similar. Traded in the west coast under 'Continental American'. I bought them well used in the late seventies, I also beat on them really hard..

 

[Infinia]

It looks like the sockets don't have off-corner engagement, so that's a downside.

Ive never seen this as a downside unless you work a lot with cheap soft fasteners that other folks have rounded over. E.g. Don't use these sets on building trades just automotive. Take extra care on the smaller sizes, where hardened fasteners don't reign. Research the history 12 point 'flank drive' its mostly a sales pitch YMMV.

Interestingly, even though it's a Japanese set, the ratchet looks like a copy of a European design.

Indeed the importers knew what to provide in their markets, In the New World these sets were offered w/ RHFT ratchets and knurled handles.

 

[WittHay]

A couple of ETC-Industrial combination wrenches. My father purchased a set from a International Harvester dealership in the late 70's. One of the very few import brands of the time that weren't total garbage

 

[Mohawk Dave]

When you redcoats have a boot sale, is it just 1 guy with a car, or a bunch of guys with cars all selling stuff at the same time? (like a swap meet here).

 

[RulzAxes]

I wonder if my 2 ETC spanners are from the same tool company. Any ideas?

 

[LC63]

Bought a very similar set brand new in Hereford market around 1978 , they have been great, my set also has Whitworth sizes though.

 

[nowthengarage]

When you redcoats have a boot sale, is it just 1 guy with a car, or a bunch of guys with cars all selling stuff at the same time? (like a swap meet here).

A car boot sale has lots of people selling at the same time. It must have been killing you not knowing since 2017. Hahahaha

 

[Dave455]

When you redcoats have a boot sale, is it just 1 guy with a car, or a bunch of guys with cars all selling stuff at the same time? (like a swap meet here).

It’s a bunch of guys, several hundred at the better sales, so yes, a swap meet.

There’s usually a common theme to the sale. Sometimes it’s just that everyone is local, so you tend to see all manner of stuff, but prices tend to be low.

Often you get specific Bike / Auto / Aero sales, so most of the stands are on that theme. Sellers come from further afield, but so do buyers.

The trick with these things is to know what you are looking at, or at least know what you are looking for looks like. I often hear a buyer saying “what’s that?” and getting an answer like “£5”!

I have two sales in my own village each year. No specific theme, but there tend to be a lot of steam engine, tractor, stationary engine parts. Sometimes I’m a buyer, once in a while a seller..!

 

[jaceq]

I am trying to find any information about this producer, can anyone help?
I have a 6inch adjustable wrench, no idea how old it is, made in 80's or 90's?
it is a good quality wrench, not very strong, but light

 

[Dave455]

I am trying to find any information about this producer, can anyone help?
I have a 6inch adjustable wrench, no idea how old it is, made in 80's or 90's?
it is a good quality wrench, not very strong, but light

ETC Industrial are, or were, a Japanese tool manufacturer.

A few of ETC tools were sold in the U.K. in the 70 ‘s, maybe a frac later. At the time they sold on price, but in retrospect they were quite good quality.

I have a small (4 inch) adjustable that was bought for me as a child in the very early 70’s. It was obviously made from decent steel as it never rusted!

I have seen no reference to ETC in recent years, other than this thread, so wonder if they still exist?