Millers Falls Tools?

[bmwpower]

I picked up a couple things at an auction, one of which was this screwdriver. I've never heard of the company before, so I grabbed it. It looks brand new.

Has anyone ever heard of Millers Falls tools? Do you have any of their stuff?

I did a little digging and found this:

http://www.oldtoolheaven.com/

 

[eschoendorff]

Looks beefy. Dig that.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I am familiar with the brand and have bought a few through the years. As far as I knew their product line was primarily aimed at the home improvement or carpentry crowd. When I encounter the brand it is usually on old hand drills, miter boxes, etc... not bad too my knowledge, I really know little about them!

Is that an old Bonney line wrench next to the screwdriver? I have an almost complete set of those, I love em!

 

[MAD]

I have a great old 1/2" electric drill made by Millers Falls. It is a great drill and it sort of resembles the space ships in the old original B&W Buck Rogers shows. I live only a few miles from Millers Falls and Greenfield MA where most of the Millers Falls tools were made. This is a good site for info on Millers Falls tools:
http://www.oldtoolheaven.com/

EDIT- sorry did not notice BMW posted the same link

 

[bmwpower]

I am familiar with the brand and have bought a few through the years. As far as I knew their product line was primarily aimed at the home improvement or carpentry crowd. When I encounter the brand it is usually on old hand drills, miter boxes, etc... not bad too my knowledge, I really know little about them!

Is that an old Bonney line wrench next to the screwdriver? I have an almost complete set of those, I love em!

That link I posted mentioned that they had a mechanic tool line. That would be interesting...

Yes! You are correct. I got a bunch of Bonney line wrenches, too, in the deal.

 

[bmwpower]

Looks beefy. Dig that.

It is. The shaft and flat blade end look so big it dwarfs the handle. I've never seen a flat blade this big.

 

[Uncle Buck]

That link I posted mentioned that they had a mechanic tool line. That would be interesting...

Yes! You are correct. I got a bunch of Bonney line wrenches, too, in the deal.

I thought so, you just can't beat those old Bonney line wrenches, I love em.

 

[MAD]

It is. The shaft and flat blade end look so big it dwarfs the handle. I've never seen a flat blade this big.

Does it have a 1/2" tip ? I have an old Craftsman flat blade screwdriver with a 1/2" tip and have never seen another Craftsman 1/2" flat blade screwdriver anywhere. It has no stock #- just Vanadium and FORGED . F. It looks similar size to that beefy Millers Falls screwdriver. I wonder if Millers falls made the one I have for Craftsman. All of the other Craftsman Screwdrivers I have seen have the mark for Pratt Reed (PR) or Western Forge (WF). I have not noticed another one with just an (F) mark.

 

[MAD]

This is a link to view the entire 1961 Millers Falls hand tool catalog. Your screwdriver is on page 24.
http://www.wgtoolco.com/mf1961.html


This ad from 1959 has a 1/2" drill similar to the one I have.

 

[philw]

From what I have been told....Pendleton tool (which started as Plomb then changed name to Proto and added P&C, JP Danielson, Penens, Vlchek, Fleet, Challenger) was sold to Ingersoll sometime in the 60's. Ingersoll had also bought Miller Falls and wanted to add to expand their line. The wrenches were Challenger forgings that were stamped with the Miller Falls name. I'm not sure about the screwdrivers but I would guess they are also "borrowed" from the Challenger line or one of the other Pendleton owned lines. Sometime in the 60's/early 70's Pendleton consolidated their names down to the Proto and Challenger brands. Then the 80's rolled around and Ingersoll sold all their hand tool divisions to Stanley.
EDIT: Just noticed in that 61 Catalog that they had screwdrivers before the buy out. They may have made these themselves or have farmed them out....in other words..I don't know.

 

[Coach James]

Millers Falls made a lot of first class wood working tools. I have several of their braces and breast drills. Some of them are 60+ years old and still work fine.


Coach

 

[Major Ramifications]

The only thing I know about Millers Falls is that my dad has an old Millers Falls benchtop polisher(?) and I remember when I was younger him cursing the thing and saying, "That's typical with Millers Falls! They always have some kind of special thread!"

 

[hog1340]

I have a drill press it too is a "millers falls tools". I was wondering if anyone has any info on it?
I am probably looking to sell it, but can't find any info on the press. It is in good working order, the lock on the handle doesn't work, but otherwise it drills real well.

attached are the pictures it looks like the plate reads Type "658B" the "B" maybe an 8 or a 3. 300 rpm load 475 rpm no load.

Thanks Ed

 

[MAD]

There is a similar drill and stand to convert to a drill press on page 116 and 117 of the 1949 Millers Falls catalog.

Here is a link:
http://www.roseantiquetools.com/id82.html

 

[hog1340]

Hey MAD thanks for the info. It does look very similar to the ones in that catalog. I really have no use for it so it will probably be heading to ebay.

Thanks again Ed

 

[vssjim]

Millers Falls screwdrivers were their own, IR closed it when they got tired of loosing money with the old equipment and methods of mfg. that couldn't compete in hard times.
I still have one cabinet lond blade screwdriver at work and use it often and is very well made and still looks new.

 

[RobbMeeX]

I was just cleaning the rust off a screwdriver I found in the street, figured it was chinese HF or something, then came across Millers Falls, made in usa, No.852-10in. Wasn't aware its a pretty decent screwdriver (besides it being incredibly beefy) I would not have known about it if it weren't for this thread.

 

[bobcatdan]

I don't know who made who, but Pa had a couple of really old electric impacts. They were identical, one was an IR and the other was Miller Falls.

 

[woody 73]

Wow speaking of the Devil last week I picked up a hammer from MF, great woodworking tools from back in the Day.