Post up your Thorsen tools!

[four.cycle]

^ I'm just trying to envision the scenario where that would be an advantage and it's just not appearing for me.

 

[d42jeep]

Probably why they aren’t often seen. Sort of a poor man’s speeder. Thorsen calls it a Flex-speeder in the price sheet.
Apparently for use as a one handed speeder, according to the catalog.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ I guess I never looked at those catalog pages closely enough... I never would have imagined they'd come up with something like that.

 

[bonneyman]

I hadn’t seen one of these in Thorsen so I thought I should buy it.
-Don

Looks like the version that needs a chiropractor!

 

[RTM]

^ I'm just trying to envision the scenario where that would be an advantage and it's just not appearing for me.

Those are like the Klein speeder screwdrivers, I've got one around here somewhere. On center, they work like a regular screwdriver. You get them just a little off center, whip your wrist around, and away you go. Seems really silly, until you try one.

Klein Tools 3/16 in. Cabinet-Tip Rapi-Drive Flat Head Screwdriver with 4 in. Shank 670-3 - The Home Depot

Visit The Home Depot to buy Klein Tools 3/16 in. Cabinet-Tip Screwdriver – Rapi-Driv 670-3

www.homedepot.com

People talk about using the breaker to loosen, then flipping it up and spinning like a screwdriver. This gives you a bit more leverage than straight on

 

[Oldtuleguy]

It's a one handed speeder

 

[Etchase]

The Klein works well, but I don’t get the awkward angle of the Thorsen handle. I want to try it now, which assures I’ll never find one. Can you give us a review Don, assuming you’re able to type after experimenting?

 

[d42jeep]

I have the Klein screwdrivers and really like them. I played with it a little today and if you had a bunch of nuts or bolts to run in I could see that it could work if you couldn’t find your speeder.
Here are my Thorsen estate sale finds today.
-Don

 

[Old Radar]

I found a Thorsen box yesterday that measures 7 x 3-1/4 x 1-1/2. There were no Thorsen tools to be found.
It has a hammered gray-green paint scheme (emphasis on gray) that I haven't seen before.
The odd part is the socket partition is exactly 1" high, which means all the 1/4" drive sockets and most of the 3/8" drive sockets I have sit at or just below the top of the partition, making them very difficult to grasp. Of course, Thorsen 1/4" deep sockets are too tall.
I haven't found this box offered in any of the Thorsen catalogs on archive.org.
@four.cycle says he has a couple in that shade and posits they might be from a military contract.
Any other thoughts or pictures?

 

[d42jeep]

Very likely part of a military set. Probably a 1/4” drive version of one of these sets.
My 1/4” drive set came in a plastic box so probably slightly newer.
-Don

 

[Mintgrun]

I shared two similar boxes in post #1258. The one built like yours has uncut corners on the unmarked lid. The other bluer-grey box is embossed.



The height of the partition is annoying. I'd make a spacer to sit under the sockets if these were user-boxes. The box is tall, so a shorter partition could spill smaller sockets.

 

[Old Radar]

I'd make a spacer to sit under the sockets if these were user-boxes.

Great idea!
I used a bit of shoe molding which forces the sockets to lean forward slightly, improving the grabability even more.
Thank you to you and Don for the contents list! Now I just need to find more sockets.

 

[four.cycle]

@Old Radar -
list of full set (your 77MC (closed head) replaces the old 77M (open gear) type ratchet

 

[Old Radar]

@Old Radar -
list of full set (your 77MC (closed head) replaces the old 77M (open gear) type ratchet

Thanks! The 8pt sockets explain why there is extra room in the socket area.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Yes. Actually a "set" would not have included that goofy adapter - that list is for a set I cobbled together. I don't think there are many other 1/4" drive tools that Thorsen offered other than the 62M speeder.

Now that I think of it, I believe that deep-box "Giller" set went to another member here.... wonder if he dropped some sort of "spacer" into his?

 

[bonneyman]

I found a Thorsen box yesterday that measures 7 x 3-1/4 x 1-1/2. There were no Thorsen tools to be found.

Any other thoughts or pictures?

My thought is you should gift it to me for a proper burial! lol

 

[d42jeep]

I added some extras to mine as well.
I have extras of the later sockets. Let me know which ones you need.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

I hadn’t seen one of these in Thorsen so I thought I should buy it.
-Don

Don that's one heck of a nice grab! You know I'm a big fan. Major suckage for an uncommon find! A pearl after shucking countless Thorsen oysters is what I'd call it.

A big surprise to me as I'm here to poke around about well, a couple things actually. I might need a subscription finally.

Have something a little interesting to post later. Something more ridgid than your flex handle.

 

[3baygarage]

As promised, the Ridgid 2300.

 

[Unk]

I've been looking for a set of Thorsen mfd in USA metric wrenches for a while. These popped up last week for a decent price and I snagged them. Included 9 mm thru 19 mm combo wrenches, and also a bonus set of 1/2" drive SAE sockets and a set of 3/8" drive metric sockets. All are Thorsen mfd in USA. The metric socket set is missing the 13 mm socket, but I have a few of those.

 

[3baygarage]

You’ve got to love Thorsen. Built to last.

This set has probably appeared 10 times on the thread but here is one I bought on a whim. It’s been well preserved and even came with this nice smelling old paper inside. The good kind of old paper smell.

1416 1/4” drive set





Looks hardly used.

 

[d42jeep]

Nice looking complete set!
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

Thanks Don. Hmmm, 1963. Not quite as old as I thought. I'm glad it's complete. Didn't think there was a t handle, but wasn't sure on cross bar.

 

[bonneyman]

You’ve got to love Thorsen. Built to last.

This set has probably appeared 10 times on the thread but here is one I bought on a whim. It’s been well preserved and even came with this nice smelling old paper inside. The good kind of old paper smell.

1416 1/4” drive set





Looks hardly used.

Complete set, all the trimmings, open gear ratchet, great condition original box with documents?

Why you lucky *********. Let me rephrase that - you ****!

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks Don. Hmmm, 1963. Not quite as old as I thought. I'm glad it's complete. Didn't think there was a t handle, but wasn't sure on cross bar.

I just happened to have that 1963 listing available. They certainly didn’t change every year. Here is a catalog listing from 1960 that is the same.
Here is mine. I don’t believe that Thorsen ever offered crossbars.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

I was thrilled to see this piece up for sale the other day. To my surprise, Don beat me out by a few days with a stellar 3/8” find.
This is an earlier version of his 13J “Linkjoint”. All the breakers seem to have been referred to as Link Joint in the early catalogs.

About 10-3/4” long.

Squared edges and ball stops on each side of the older drive squares.
It’s seen some good use but still locks in place.

There are few older Thorsen catalogs on archive.org. The 13J is present in the 1938 cat..

 

[d42jeep]

GJ member genog generously sent my this empty box. I looked at it for a while and based on the color and marks on the cardboard, I figured it must have held a Thorsen set.
Yesterday I looked through my Thorsen spares and found that a 3/8” drive speeder matched the cardboard so I proceeded to fill it up with period matching tools from my spares.
Today I went through the main Thorsen boxes and filled the box to overflowing.
I couldn’t find a catalog that showed the set so I might have gone overboard, but why not?
-Don

 

[genog]

As I mentioned, if anyone can fill that box, it would be you...
Looks great
I'm glad it found it's way to you

 

[d42jeep]

Thanks again for that box!
I found a 1/4” drive speeder at today’s estate sale.
-Don

 

[genog]

1/4" drive?

 

[four.cycle]

I looked at it for a while and based on the color and marks on the cardboard, I figured it must have held a Thorsen set.

^ I think I have similar boxes out in the living room .... more on the "blue" side (like the first image.)

 

[four.cycle]

1/4" drive?

yes.
Thorsen:
62 = 1/2" drive speeder
62J = 3/8" drive speeder
62M = 1/4" speeder

Thorsen:
no suffix = 1/2" dr.
J = 3/8" dr.
M = 1/2" dr.

I don't have any 3/4" drive Thorsen - not sure how they're marked. Don?

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t have any of those either. There isn’t one even shown in the ‘60, ‘63 and ‘80 price sheet or catalog. I wonder if they ever made one?
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

OH! Sorry.... I was just wondering if Thorsen put a suffix after the part number on 3/4" drive stuff.... looks like "C" on the ratchet, but there is no "79" in the other drive sizes, or "15", "16", or "20" - so it looks like the 3/4" drive Thorsen was using a whole different set of part numbers.
I can't imagine using a speeder on 3/4" drive - you'd have to have arms like Godzilla to spin it, no?

I went out in the living room and dug out those long skinny boxes - they're NOT Thorsen, they're both GILLER: 19" x 4" x 1.25" - I have two empties and one with a 3/8" drive set in it. And one empty Thorsen hammertone silver box 20" x 6" x 2.5" (NSN 5120-00-322-6231)

I would imagine shipping on these things today is going to be a killer.

 

[d42jeep]

The random other Thorsen tools from yesterday came out of the evaporust today and I buffed them up with the 3M 400 rotary disc.
-Don

 

[Lesserstore]

My dad got this complete metric set in a lot of tools he won at a local auction. The set was first listed in the 1978 price list, and by the fact that the label has Wallace Murray on it, made prior to 1985. The price tag lines up closely to the 1983 list price.
The 1/4" sockets are all hot broached, and the 3/8" are cold formed. One of the 3/8" looks like it could have been hot broached, but I think it just missed a clean up op after cold forming.

 

[Farmer Phill]

I have a few odd ball wrenches that I have collected over the years. This Dayton brand wrench is obviously Thorsen manufactured.



The next one is a little more intriguing. Please forgive me if it was previously discussed, I admittantly did not read every page in this thread. This wrench appears to be manufactured by SK. At first I thought maybe it was manufactured by Lectrolite but if you look at the finish and the stamping it is identical to the more modern SK



I did not have the same exact size in SK to compare it but I did have the next closest sizes



What is the opinion of the forum?

 

[3baygarage]

No doubt that has to be an S-K wrench. Nice find.

 

[d42jeep]

I only have found two of those. Definitely not common.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ and those are domestic production as well?
I have a kit that contains Taiwan-made combos that use thsoe same 5-digit part numbers*, and the panels are virtually identical on the wrenches.

(* 54012, 54014, 54016, 54018, etc. - marked "TATOOLS" and "TAIWAN")
(* note @Farmer Phill's example has a part number of 14030 and is marked U.S.A.)

causes me to wonder: are YOUR specimens stamped "U.S.A." ON the wrench?