J.C. Penny tools

[mikebaker1129]

I would love to find some of the JC Penney Ratchets made by SK !

 

[mrborohachi]

I am not sure who made them, my dad has a 3/8 of the same vintage, they are great torque wrenches. I would think that they are made by New Britain, but not exactly sure.

Edit: I stand corrected, they may very well be a Central Torque wrench. I just saw one on Ebay that looks exactly like the one my dad has.

SO, Mac and Matco have rebranded the 1/2dr torque wrench as their own. The ratchet heads have a weak direction spring that often crack. the spring is heart shaped like the Facom ratchets

 

[McBrownie]

Penncraft 9225 plunger style hand drill (looks like New Britain to me. EDIT: It's a Stanley Yankee). I saw this on eBay. It was complete. I didn't need it. It didn't break the bank and it looked cool. To my surprise, I've used it a few times already. It's great for pre-drilling holes for small screws. No batteries or power cords to fool with either.

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[stage20]

there is one of those in the local shops i visit, but its missing the end of the stem. im not sure if that piece unscrews or slides out but its useless. lil too rusty for me or id have it even though its boke. nice find.

 

[McBrownie]

there is one of those in the local shops i visit, but its missing the end of the stem. i'm not sure if that piece unscrews or slides out but its useless. lil too rusty for me or id have it even though its broke. nice find.

Thanks. The tip that holds the bit is spring loaded. Pull it out, put in the bit and let it snap back into place. The knurled knob by the handle unscrews and the top of the handle pops up exposing the bits.

 

[Two Sheds]

That Penncraft push drill looks to me like a Yankee No. 41 push drill.

 

[McBrownie]

That Penncraft push drill looks to me like a Yankee No. 41 push drill.

It sure does. Here is a link to a new version of the old Stanley-made Yankee. I might pick up a new set of bits. Thanks!

http://www.garrettwade.com/garrett-...EOlLzA81DjTw4R8bhm-52uBOaTRqTZ6H8UaAtIS8P8HAQ

 

[tooljunkie4]

I have this one JCPenney double box wrench. Would like to find the rest of the set it might have been offered with. Also have an SK-built raised-panel JCPenney 3/8" ratchet and a 3" JCPenney 3/8" extension I wouldn't mind trading away.

 

[anndel]

Wow, it's a very valuable classic. I remember seeing their ads in the Sunday paper regarding tools and tires. I miss JC Penney since they pulled out of Hawaii back in the 1990s.

 

[csp]

Found this at a garage sale a few years ago. It has the tray inside as well. I'm not sure if the old Penney's store that we shopped when I was a kid is even around any longer.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Yeah they were lifetime warranty. I know they are some tough tools. I wouldn't mind having a few more.....( hmmmmm.......gotta start hittin the yard sales.....LOL )

I bought some new in the early 70's. I recently broke a socket. For grins, I took it back to my local JC Penney. To my surprise, I was told to save the socket, buy a replacement and bring in a receipt.

I did so, and JC refunded the price I paid for the replacement

 

[Pumpman1968]

I have a couple things to add to this thread for people who are doing research. The wrenches are made by sk for sure and are marked jc penny.

I gotta tell ya.....that angle wrench looks just like a Snap On

 

[lauver]

Picked these up recently at an Estate Sale...I'm guessing Stanley made them, but not sure.

Gang,

These JC Penny screwdrivers were indeed made by Stanley Works; they are the Stanley "100 Plus" screwdrivers. They may be old-school looking, but they are premium quality screwdrivers.

 

[stage20]

Gang,

These JC Penny screwdrivers were indeed made by Stanley Works; they are the Stanley "100 Plus" screwdrivers. They may be old-school looking, but they are premium quality screwdrivers.

the stanley branded 100 plus has bolsters.
im not doubting they are stanley made, i have a few red and clear "handyman" that are jc penny branded.
just odd stanley would leave off the bolsters.

 

[Rileysan]

My first JCPenny tool - a Penncraft #3808 1/2" drive breaker bar (partially hiding under the Craftsman ratchet).

Brian

 

[stage20]

I gotta tell ya.....that angle wrench looks just like a Snap On

thorsen also built wrenches of this style. i dont think jc penney would have sourced snap on to build their wrenches, but i could be wrong.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I would tend to think Thorsen would have more likely been the contract supplier than Snap-on, but that's just a wild-*** guess.

for comparison:

 

[3baygarage]

I gotta tell ya.....that angle wrench looks just like a Snap On

+1

thorsen also built wrenches of this style. i dont think jc penney would have sourced snap on to build their wrenches, but i could be wrong.

^ I would tend to think Thorsen would have more likely been the contract supplier than Snap-on, but that's just a wild-*** guess.

for comparison:

That's because it's a Caterpillar wrench, aka same tool as Snap On, and has absolutely nothing to do with those JCPenney wrenches

 

[Falthead]

My dad's, passed down to me. Has out lasted several other saws of various manufactured. Replaced a bearing and she is still cutting!

 

[Falthead]

Original box

 

[four.cycle]

That's because it's a Caterpillar wrench

you've got way better eyeballs than me, obviously.

 

[TalonFE]

Still using my Pop's J.C. Penney circular saw. It had the option to be bolted upside down to the framework of a bench top table saw-type rig. That fell apart maybe 30 years ago but the saw still works. Heavy, but easily controllable....noisy too. Used to scare the **** outta me when he pulled that trigger (no safety catch, btw....people were smarter then). Now it scares the snot outta my youngest even when she's wearing ear protection. I was maybe 11 when he brought it home, so that's almost 45 years ago now. Happy days....

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

I have one of those tables, my dad had it for years, but never remember him using it as a saw. I think it is a B&D brand, don't remember the saw though, think he tossed it in the 80s?? Your post brought back some good memories of me "helping" my Dad in the garage.

 

[TalonFE]

Yes, Sir...."helped" him out a lot as well, but learned a lot in the process. If I was just half as smart as he was then, I'd likely be twice as smart as everyone else now.

 

[Username already in use]

I didn't realize this thread existed, so I had posted this recent Penncraft find to the 'Vintage New Britain' thread. I'll cross post it here as well. RHFT quick release 1/2" drive Penncraft #4100 ratchet. Got it for a buck at the flea market. This thing has a really smooth action. I'll have to keep my eyes open for more.

 

[stage20]

im excited! just won this auction. cant wait to put them in my hands.
FOUR NOS ratchets!

 

[Username already in use]

Nice score on those NOS ratchets.
I couldn't pass up this pair of JC Penny combination wrenches today at the flea. The chrome is near perfect. I don't think they were ever used.

 

[stage20]

sell or trade those penney wrenches?

 

[jd_1138]

Those are nice looking Penney's wrenches. Probably as good or better than modern mid grade stuff.

There's a scene in 1979's Dawn of the Dead where they're looting a Penney's for supplies, and one of the characters grabs a JC Penney's screwdriver and kills a zombie with it.

I remember when Penney's was a full department store with a tools/hardware dept.. Pretty cool.

 

[stage20]

I need to snap a picture! Bought a pile of jigsaw blades. Mostly used but there were some new in the pack craftsman crown too and one penncraft new in the pack, with a retail price sticker of .22
The Jc Penney ratchets showed up as advertised and the price sticker on them are 6.00

 

[bluebolt]

I picked up this JC Penney socket and ratchet set Friday while hitting the garage sales. Ratchet works nice and everything is JC Penney, no subs.

 

[Username already in use]

I picked up this JC Penney socket and ratchet set Friday while hitting the garage sales. Ratchet works nice ...

That ratchet should work nice. I believe it's SK made. Nice find!

Here's pair of ratchets I found over the weekend. 1/2" Penncraft and 1/4" JC Penny. I'm sure New Britain made the Penncraft, but I don't know about the JC Penny ratchet?

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

The JCPenny ratchet looks like Thorsen to me, but I thought Wright made some penny's ratchets, maybe that is my imagination.

 

[Cope]

The JCPenny ratchet looks like Thorsen to me, but I thought Wright made some penny's ratchets, maybe that is my imagination.

New Britain made sockets for them in the late 1960s-early 1970s. I think they also made the ratchets at that time.

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

New Britain made sockets for them in the late 1960s-early 1970s. I think they also made the ratchets at that time.

NBM did make the Penncraft ratchets, but the ratchets marked JCPenny are a different OEM. SK made the wrenches for the JCPenny era, but not that ratchet.

 

[Username already in use]

The JCPenny ratchet looks like Thorsen to me...

I thought it did as well, and I think you're right.

NBM did make the Penncraft ratchets, but the ratchets marked JCPenny are a different OEM. SK made the wrenches for the JCPenny era, but not that ratchet.

Right, not that ratchet, but SK did make ratchets marked Pennys, like the one BlueBolt just posted up-thread, but this 1/4" drive is almost certainly made by the Proto empire. I took apart a 1/4" drive Action branded ratchet and a 3/8" Powr-Kraft, which was probably made by Proto/Thorsen as well.

Here's probably too many pics:

 

[stage20]

I thought it did as well, and I think you're right.


Right, not that ratchet, but SK did make ratchets marked Pennys, like the one BlueBolt just posted up-thread, but this 1/4" drive is almost certainly made by the Proto empire. I took apart a 1/4" drive Action branded ratchet and a 3/8" Powr-Kraft, which was probably made by Proto/Thorsen as well.

Here's probably too many pics:

my wright made penney stuff is identical to that. i dont know if thorsen made any penney stuff. they did powrkraft.

 

[paulm12]

found a (partial) set of Penney's metric sockets in great shape.
.

 

[stage20]

nice find!!!

 

[Musicinabottle]

found a (partial) set of Penney's metric sockets in great shape.
.

Nicely done! I have a few PowerCraft pieces that are incredibly well built.