Favorite US made vintage tool brands?

[rjamesohio]

Besides the usual Snapon, MAC, et al what are your favorites and why?

There are a few of us on here that like Bonney but what about Barcalo?

Here's a photo of one in my collection. Very substantial piece!






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[McFarmer]

I'm cheap, my dad was cheap as was his dad before him.

So when I got some extra ahead and decided to replace the old crappy tools for decent quality ones I went to Epsteins discontinued section.

I got a bunch of Bonney stuff and now get it whenever I can. The polish and feel is without compare. In my opinion.

 

[d42jeep]

You might like to check out this Barcalo thread"
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317237
A wrench exactly like your well made Barcalo 731A was included in many WW2 Ford Jeep on board toolsets.
-Don

 

[Zeeman]

I'll be the first to say I like the Craftsman stuff, because it's what my dad used, and I grew up using. The stuff I like the most is the =V=, not the newer stuff. I will say too that I have quite a few brands of vintage wrenches, and I like the look of the pebble Plomb, and some others, but don't have close to full sets in any of them. The reason I say that is because I don't have the opportunity to use them. They are ugly and rusted at the moment. I'll clean them up one day though. I do have an almost complete set of Dayton/Grainger/Thorsen that I like. Probably because they are similar in feel to the Craftsmans.

 

[Smokeshow69]

My favorite brand period is the plvmb/proto Their fit/finish/ overall appearance can't be touched by another brand. Plus I enjoy their historical context in terms of ww2 military tools and also the fact that most folks don't know about them so they usually are in the junk bins at swapmeets I have assembled a fairly large collection and still have more to go



Not pictured is my proto los angles or my p&c stuff which is all part of the proto empire. I have more detailed pics in the plomb tool thread!

 

[bcexplorer]

X2 on proto! Cant seem to land any plumb stuff... challenger as well

Edit, i also like craftsman, i love the art deco-y style of the old stuff!

 

[Rileysan]

Plomb/Proto and S-K are my go-to tools for every day use.

Brian

 

[Duct Tape Man]

I have a wide range of American-made brands that populate my many toolboxes and tool cabinets.

My most common tools are Craftsman USA, Wright, Proto, Armstrong, and Stanley.

I have very little of the truck brands like MAC, Snap-On, etc. just because I am a cheap son-of-a-gun that buys most of my tools second-hand, and I've found most truck brands never make it to the flea markets or yard sales, and I'm too cheap to buy them new.

Some tool types have their own specific brands: I have hammers by Vaughan and Estwing. For screwdrivers, I have lots of Xcelite, Vaco, and S-K. Pliers, I have Kleins and Channellocks.

I also have small collections of vintage tools, like Plomb, Indestro, Williams, Millers Falls, and lots of other small lesser-known names that most people forget about. I save them for posterity's sake, I handle the tools and think about what they might have been used to build, say, 100 years ago, or during WWII.

I find it fascinating the tool business/hobby - how I can collect and use a bunch of tool names, like them and come up with my own reasons why they are "the best" for me. I'll meet someone else who has similar or completely different sets of tools, and their own reasons for why his tools are "the best". I've gotten into hours-long conversations with other mechanics about their hand tools and their pluses and minuses, their history and their care. Amazing.

 

[elidas]

I like Williams and Billing and Spencer. I have many other brands also.

 

[Al Borland]

New Britain for ratchets and sockets type stuff.
SK and Plomb/Proto/Challenger share 2nd place.
Indestro/Wizard are in 3rd.

 

[davethorik]

I like Bonney wrenches, I don't have any sets just some oddballs I've picked up here and there. A 7/8 combo flare/box, doe 32x30mm, 1-1/4x1-1/16 doe. The beams are all nice and thick. I think the Wrightgrip wrenches are comparable in that regard for a modern replacement.

Edit: I have an older Wright 1-1/4x1-1/16 dbe and it is easily the largest wrench of that particular size combo I've seen. But super comfortable to use.

 

[Makattak81]

I have Craftsman, S-K, Proto, and Diamond Calk tools I use, most of them were handed down. I'm not keen on new and shiny.

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[Richard Cranium]

I would have to say, Snap on, S&K and then Craftsman

 

[bonneyman]

Bonney wrenches
S-K sockets and ratchets
Proto for screwdrivers
Williams for obstruction wrenches

Though have a wide selection of Thorsen, older Craftsman, Barcalo, Duro, and other no longer made American tools that form the backbone of my shop tools.

 

[bmwrd0]

Proto/Plomb is a mainstay, but it is rapidly getting eclipsed by Armstrong and I also am developing a taste for Walden (love and totally use spintites!)

 

[oldwino]

Favorite vintage stuff is Williams (especially ratchets, I end up grabbing my 3/8" super ratchet over newer snap ons nearly every time. Just feels right).
Also a big fan of Diamond and Proto stuff

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

New Britain wrenches and ratchets. SK for sockets, and ratchets. My Dad used them and I started my collection with the tools I inherited.

More recently I have been using Bonney wrenches, and think I found a new favorite.

 

[woody 73]

Tough question almost like walking into a cigar store and seeing hundreds of different brands for the first time, or walking into a tool truck for the first time and seeing all the chrome goodness.

For me I like the Art deco tools from long ago something about different shapes that excite me. If you ever get the chance to see twertsy's ratchet post or snap moms drive handles collection you will see art deco at work.

 

[555]

My favorites are my USA Thorsen beams. I like the way they fit my hand. I also have some older USA Craftsman that are about the same.
Regards,
John

 

[crerus75]

I know that some of these brands have been bought out or suffered in quality over the years. I'm mostly talking about the American-made, vintage (20-30 years old or older) versions of these tools, since they are the ones I have experience with. In no particular order, my favorites are:

Williams and SK for ratchets and sockets (especially SK). Also Apex for sockets. SK and Proto for extensions.
Xcelite and Vaco for screwdrivers. (Honorable mention goes to Millers Falls, because I have a pair of their screwdrivers and they're built like the proverbial brick outhouse.)
Bonney and Proto for fixed wrenches, Williams and Crescent for adjustables
Stanley for Yankee screwdrivers
Channellock for slip-jaw pliers, Vise-Grip locking pliers
Estwing leather handle hammers
Disston saws
Stanley hand planes and tape measures
Freud chisels and saw blades
Black and Decker for vintage aluminum-bodied drills (Holgun and Scrugun)
Skil for worm drive saws (Skil 77)
Weller soldering irons, preferably with Kester 44 rosin-core solder
Tektronix oscilloscopes
Simpson analog meters (long live the 260!)
Keithley digital bench meters
Thomas & Betts and Tyco/AMP for crimpers
Ideal for automatic wire strippers
Crescent (Crestoloy) and Utica for side cutters and needle nose pliers
Stanley for utility knives
Ridgid pipe wrenches


Man, what a trip down memory lane.

 

[V8 S Series]

I'm new to the tool collector world although I've been building hot rods for 30 years. Overdose 30 years people passed away and left me their tool collection. Just recently I've decided to go through the tools and it's been exciting learning about the various tool company history. I have to say by far the Plumb/Plvmb/Proto tools are my favorite... yes I have all three. The quality of the tools along with the history of the company name I find very cool.


This is my wrench...There are many like it, but this one is mine.

 

[wasabiboys]

I love blackhawk stuff and old thorsen stuff!

 

[bsg1]

I'm new to the tool collector world although I've been building hot rods for 30 years. Overdose 30 years people passed away and left me their tool collection. Just recently I've decided to go through the tools and it's been exciting learning about the various tool company history. I have to say by far the Plumb/Plvmb/Proto tools are my favorite... yes I have all three. The quality of the tools along with the history of the company name I find very cool.


This is my wrench...There are many like it, but this one is mine.

i'm guessing that you mean Plomb/Plvmb/Proto tools rather than Plumb/Plvmb/Proto tools as being favorites. of historical note, Plumb sued Plomb for the Plomb name and caused the legal dilemma that led to the name change from Plomb to Proto.

my favorites are Snap-on and Plomb. i also have Proto tools that i am appreciative to own as well as other brand tools. i like the Proto pebble tools and perhaps my favorite piece of Proto that i own is the Proto Lite 5650 3/4" drive aluminum ratchet. it is much lighter than my Plomb 5649 3/4" drive pebble ratchet.

 

[V8 S Series]

i'm guessing that you mean Plomb/Plvmb/Proto tools rather than Plumb/Plvmb/Proto tools as being favorites. of historical note, Plumb sued Plomb for the Plomb name and caused the legal dilemma that led to the name change from Plomb to Proto.

my favorites are Snap-on and Plomb. i also have Proto tools that i am appreciative to own as well as other brand tools. i like the Proto pebble tools and perhaps my favorite piece of Proto that i own is the Proto Lite 5650 3/4" drive aluminum ratchet. it is much lighter than my Plomb 5649 3/4" drive pebble ratchet.

Yes that's what I meant. It was late when I posted and I was tired.

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[Dangie]

Can anyone identify the manufacturer of the socket in the attached photos? It jus shows SW
Thanks,
Dangie

 

[d42jeep]

Stevens Walden.
-Don

 

[Dangie]

Thank You!!
Dangie

 

[outofbounds]

Favorite vintage stuff is Williams (especially ratchets, I end up grabbing my 3/8" super ratchet over newer snap ons nearly every time. Just feels right).
Also a big fan of Diamond and Proto stuff

The B-52 is a winner of a ratchet, and how can you not love that Part No.?

 

[d42jeep]

I did a little organizing of the top of my user toolbox yesterday. Here is my 1/2” drive socket rack filled with mostly Proto, some Challenger and S-K too. Most all of my user tools are vintage. I have very few modern tools but concentrate on finding top quality older tools. Snap-on is another favorite that replaces lesser brands if I have a choice.
-Don

 

[tool pack rat]

I'm cheap, my dad was cheap as was his dad before him.

So when I got some extra ahead and decided to replace the old crappy tools for decent quality ones I went to Epsteins discontinued section.

I got a bunch of Bonney stuff and now get it whenever I can. The polish and feel is without compare. In my opinion.

I have a full set of Bonney Combination wrenches have to say they are my favorite

 

[tool pack rat]

I'm cheap, my dad was cheap as was his dad before him.

So when I got some extra ahead and decided to replace the old crappy tools for decent quality ones I went to Epsteins discontinued section.

I got a bunch of Bonney stuff and now get it whenever I can. The polish and feel is without compare. In my opinion.

that being said have over 100 different vintage usa brands in my collection I enjoy finding a brand that few have seen and researching the history of that tool one of my most recent finds was an M.ALPERT not to get off subject, in my opinion you would have a hard time finding a better tool then Bonney to bad they aren't still in production today

 

[bonneyman]

It never ceases to amaze me how many old USA brands just hold their allure over many decades. I think the manufacturers were on to something.

 

[OmegaDPW]

I have Craftsman USA ratchets in the house but my SK ones are the ones that get used all the time. I like both but just trust the SKs for "real" work.

I've also been really impressed with my Stanley USA adjustable wrench but it's the only one I have so I could have just gotten lucky.