Old Kmart Power tools

[deadguy]

I recently took over my grandmothers estate after she passed away. Both of my grandparents have passed on now and I am going through the house and getting things together. My grandfather wasn't really a tool junkie but I have found a few things worth keeping here and there. Today I needed to grind something and my bench grinder is in storage a few miles away. So I headed downstairs to look under the old work bench. I found a box with a damn near new Kmart bench grinder inside. I fired it up and took care of what I needed. Just for fun I looked at the label pasted on it. I was shocked to see it was made in the USA. I looked around a little more and found a 3/8" Drill and a circular saw all made in the USA with the Kmart brand on it.

I was just curious who may have manufactured them for Kresge Company/Kmart.
They are by no means super heavy duty...But they all seem to fire up and work just fine.

Something else I just noticed...
on the bottom of the box it has a label of when it shipped from a Kmart warehouse to the store he purchased it from dated 10/28/77

 

[stage20]

i recently bought a k mart grinder and saw another for sale. in my searches all i can find is this thread. the rest are just new bench grinders from k mart and sears links

 

[drink]

You should post some pictures of them.

 

[stage20]

this is the one im looking at. 25 OBO id just like to have it to have it even though it looks to be well seasoned.

ill get a pic of mine up tomorrow.

 

[Cato]

That's amazing that Kmart had some serious tools.

I went to Kmart last Sunday for the first time in a long time and all they had was some Evolve sockets and Stanley screwdrivers.

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

I would love to see the pics of your Kmart tools. Many of the K-Mart power tools were made by McGraw Edison of Boonville, MO. They were also sold under the names of McGraw Edison, Power House, Shopmate, Shopcraft, Manning-Bowman and Toastmaster. I have seen drills and the hobby lathe from all these companies that are virtually identical except for the labels. Check OWWM for more info on the stationary tools, such as the bench grinder.

 

[woody 73]

A benchtop ratchet that I find very useful:

 

[dodge610]

A benchtop ratchet that I find very useful:

Sort of a knock off. Looks a whole lot like those there snappy ratchets.

 

[drink]

this is the one im looking at. 25 OBO id just like to have it to have it even though it looks to be well seasoned.

ill get a pic of mine up tomorrow.

Wow! That is a funky looking label! There's a first time for everything and I am amazed I had never heard of K-Mart power tools until now. Thanks! Nice picture!

 

[drink]

Okay.....I found a few pictures of a K-Mart socket set and thought I would copy them to the thread.

 

[stage20]

Okay.....I found a few pictures of a K-Mart socket set and thought I would copy them to the thread.

i have that set with the original price tag on it. i cant recall the price offhand.

very little of these tools out there it seems.

i have set of the "k mart auto" 224 series and a few hit or miss sockets of the 228 and 263 series.

higher line than the regular k mart brand. they are japan, but very good tools for their time. even today. the sockets arent real thick either, so they get into tight spots.
never seen any deepwells. not sure if they exist?

im getting around to selling a set on ebay. not sure if ill get a dollar or a hundred.

i know the jc penney branded tools go for a fortune. last ratchet i tried to get went for 36 bucks plus ship!

 

[drink]

Wow! Now I gotta look up JC Penney tools!

 

[stage20]

Wow! Now I gotta look up JC Penney tools!

jc penney ratchets and sockets are SK. very sought after.
the rats are the same rhft ratchets as the craftsman variants.

ive got to get a pic of the grinder, ill snap a picture of the jc penney piece i have.

 

[Dagny]

My dad gave me a grinder just like that but mine is orange. still works, takes it forever to get up to speed.

 

[RustyBuckets]

i have that set with the original price tag on it. i cant recall the price offhand.

very little of these tools out there it seems.

i have set of the "k mart auto" 224 series and a few hit or miss sockets of the 228 and 263 series.

higher line than the regular k mart brand. they are japan, but very good tools for their time. even today. the sockets arent real thick either, so they get into tight spots.
never seen any deepwells. not sure if they exist?

im getting around to selling a set on ebay. not sure if ill get a dollar or a hundred.

My first two socket sets were Kmart 3/8s and 1/4 in. drive sets pretty much like the ones in the pics above. (I think mine is a little newer?) I still have the metric one, keep it on the truck in case of emergency, and to let the neighbors borrow.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I don't ever remember seeing Kmart power tools. That's kinda interesting.

 

[Off-Street Parking]

this is the one im looking at. 25 OBO id just like to have it to have it even though it looks to be well seasoned.

ill get a pic of mine up tomorrow.

I ran across a Kmart grinder on Craigslist, figured I would upload the pictures. Looks like they were available in several colors...

 

[Off-Street Parking]

Huh... I just came across a JCPenney version ("Model 4030") of the exact same grinder!

 

[D. Patina]

Before the Wal-Mart, K-Mart was once a decent department store. They had a great tool and automotive section. Their Sporting goods section was fully stocked, just about everything you would need. Racks of rifles and shotguns.

K-Mart today is a dump, I havnt stepped food in one in a few years.

 

[stage20]

Before the Wal-Mart, K-Mart was once a decent department store. They had a great tool and automotive section. Their Sporting goods section was fully stocked, just about everything you would need. Racks of rifles and shotguns.

K-Mart today is a dump, I havnt stepped food in one in a few years.

K mart was the go to place..... TG&Y was another staple. They weren't k mart size but a store for that era. They had their own hand tool line. Never found anything other than an empty battered metal case that was for a socket set

 

[Ponchoguy]

jc penney ratchets and sockets are SK. very sought after.
the rats are the same rhft ratchets as the craftsman variants.

ive got to get a pic of the grinder, ill snap a picture of the jc penney piece i have.

Not all. Some are Easco made. I found one in a JC Penney rollaway I have (that is a rebranded Kennedy).

 

[Ponchoguy]

K mart was the go to place..... TG&Y was another staple. They weren't k mart size but a store for that era. They had their own hand tool line. Never found anything other than an empty battered metal case that was for a socket set

I used to get my AC Delco at Kmart. With a rebate, you couldn't beat it! They also had good sales on Havoline motor oil and Amoco from what I remember, back in the day.

I also have a couple of US made AC Delco (Interdynamics of Brooklyn, NY) 120V air compressors that came from Kmart.

 

[Off-Street Parking]

Here is another Kmart grinder on Craigslist... But a different design from the others. (And a 4 1/2" instead of a 6".)