Post up your Thorsen tools!

[four.cycle]

arrgh! bummer! I didn't bid on it, figuring you were going to snag it!

that's a nice 1416 set there! one was just listed on Ebay pretty cheap - has the later 77MC ratchet and is missing the 53M extension:

Thorsen 14-pc 1/4" drive SAE socket set w/box
(most of a set # 1416 - looks like it's missing the 53M 6-inch extension )
3/16" - 7/16"
used. cheap.
$9.99 + $6.00 shipping now. 0 bids now. ends Sun. 08/28
OR $14.99 + $6.00 shipping "buy now"
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Tho...683665?hash=item2115718bd1:g:S1IAAOSwHoFXugmH

 

[Dean64]

does this count?

came in the mail today.

 

[four.cycle]

recently acquired:

Thorsen 12 pc SAE combination wrench set

2010 5/16", 2012 3/8", 2014 7/16", 2016 1/2", 2018 9/16", 2020 5/8", 2022 11/16", 2024 3/4", 2026 13/16", 2028 7/8", 2030 15/16", 2032 1"

Thorsen 12 pc SAE combination wrench set 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen 12 pc SAE combination wrench set 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen TTC 14 pc 1/4" dr SAE socket set

6-pt sockets 6M 3/16", 7M 7/32", 8M 1/4", 9M 9/32", 10M 5/16", 11M 11/32", 12M 3/8", 14M 7/16"
8-pt sockets 8MS 1/4", 10MS 5/16", 12MS 3/8"
53M 6-inch extension
80M spinner handle
77MC ratchet

Thorsen TTC 14 pc 1.4 dr SAE socket set 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen TTC 14 pc 1.4 dr SAE socket set 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

 

[bonneyman]

Nice acquisitions, fourcycle!

 

[four.cycle]

All new unused stuff except for the 7/8" combination wrench which had been put on a grinder to allow for clearance, and the 1/2" which has some issues with the chrome peeling.
I found a 7/8" to complete the set on Ebay, which is the one in the photo above (note difference in coloration.)
Oddly the 7/8" I got from Ebay is about a half-inch shorter than the one that was in the kit. Maybe they were trying to save money by using less steel?
How much did it cost to retool those dies?

The guy I got the socket set from said he never used it. I figured I did okay for ten bucks, even if I did have to drive 50 miles to get it.

Not sure when Thorsen started using the "TTC" moniker. I think I saw something about it on Alloy-Artifacts.org. My guess is it's fairly late production. All the rest of my 1/4" Thorsen sets are in steel boxes - I had no idea they were using the plastic blow-mold cases on US-made Thorsen stuff.

 

[maxcarp709]

I just received my latest eBay score,a 12pc Dayton branded metric wrench set 8-19mm.From what I have learned from you fine folks,these were obviously made by Thorsen.The wrenches are in good shape overall,with a little bit of pitting on the chrome one a few of the wrenches,but nothing serious.I bought these to put in my road kit.

 

[555]

Here's a little back story on my Thorsen tools. Between 1980-82 I was working as an industrial electrician. The economic downturn wave that hit the US finally hit my small area and work dried up. I was planning to head to the TX/OK oil fields when I received a call from a farm equipment company asking me to go to work for them as an area representative. The condition of employment meant I needed to spend a year learning the equipment and most importantly learning to install and repair it. My tool box was geared toward electrical and motorcycle repair, not farm equipment so I needed some more tools. The company gave me $50 up front to purchase some tools and I accumulated a $5 a week account to purchase replacements or additional tools as needed. A local auto parts place offered me a jobbers discount and carried Thorsen and Black Hawk tools. I had never heard of Thorsen, but liked the wrenches. The picture shows the following:
Thorsen 2022 11/16"
Thorsen 2024 3/4"
Thorsen 2026 13/16"
Thorsen 2028 7/8"
Thorsen 2030 15/16"
All USA made.
The last wrench is a Thorsen-Allied 3032 1" made in West Germany.
All these were sizes I used specifically on the equipment.
I also have some TAT small items that I purchased when I couldn't get the same Thorsen.
Regards,
John

 

[bonneyman]

Cool story, triple five!

I've never had any complaints with my Thorsen tools. They've always performed at whatever job I threw at them.

 

[d42jeep]

Here are three sockets and a bent 3/8" drive extension I picked up yesterday.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here are my Thorsen finds at today's estate sale in El Sobrante, CA
-Don

 

[Derek420]

Anyone seen a thorsen ratchet with a black dipped like handle I have one it's 3/8 .I'll have to get a pic up. Would like to know more about it now gotta dig it out

 

[bonneyman]

Here are my Thorsen finds at today's estate sale in El Sobrante, CA
-Don

Ooooh - what do you want for the 15mm combo?

 

[d42jeep]

I'm glad you could use the 15MM combo. I looked through my Thorsen metric combos but my 16MM is the wrong style.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Here's the 15mm that was so kindly swapped to me. And a current family pic.

Upon closer inspection I found some of my Thorsen's are not "MFD USA" marked. Oh well, guess I'll keep looking!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This is probably not what you had in mind when you started this thread, bonneyman, but these (the OD finish in the middle)...





...were in a large military surplus lot I recently acquired with a partner. A pair of offset hex wrenches. NOS. Probably meant to turn a specific set of bolts on an armored vehicle. Apologies for the less than vivid marking, but I wanted to preserve the finish, and cleaned only very lightly. Reads, simply, THORSEN 1-1/8.

 

[bonneyman]

Who'd of thunk Thorsen made lug nut wrenches?

Cool!

 

[d42jeep]

Those are very cool, Lug. I imagine that they might be Korean War era? I have one Thorsen socket with a totally plain steel finish that could have been from around then.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Could be KW, Don. I am thinking maybe WWII, too. They're in the 1945 Ordnance catalog. The other two are a FairmounT and a Bonney, both 7/8". The top one is unbranded, also 7/8". There is a box (half-gross) of Armstrong offset hex wrenches, all the same size (1/2").

 

[Cope]

In 1964-65, I worked after school at an auto parts. They carried Indestro, but also had a Thorsen 3/8" drive universal socket set. Seven sockets in a hinged metal box, and IIRC, retail was around $6. I bought a set, but gave them away years ago, but I still have the metal box.

 

[3baygarage]

Lugz, nice unusual wrench find with the military paint.

This is by far my favorite Thorsen I own. #13 speeder.

View media item 64932


View media item 64933

 

[Reeder!]

This is my Thorsen 1/4 drive set.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[four.cycle]

^ interesting set- only goes up to 11/32" hex, but contains a 3/8" 8-point.

 

[Cope]

I have a couple of Thorsen 3/4" drive sockets in an industrial finish. Used to have a set of 3/8" drive universal sockets. Sold the sockets but kept the green metal box.

 

[d42jeep]

I picked up a pretty nice 1/2" drive Thorsen ratchet to add to the collection at a garage sale yesterday.
-Don

 

[bonneyman]

Excellent condition set of tools there, Reeder!

 

[555]

I found a few more Thorsen and TaTools wrenches in the Garage of Lost Dreams. All date from the early 80s.

From top to bottom:
Thorsen USA 3020 11/16-5/8"
Thorsen USA 2020 5/8"
TATools India 54018 9/16"
Thorsen USA 2018 9/16"
TATools Taiwan 64012 12mm
TATools Korea 54014 7/16"
TATools Korea 54008 1/4"

Regards,
John

 

[four.cycle]

Giller SAE 45° offset double end box wrench 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Giller SAE 45° offset double end box wrench 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Giller SAE 45° offset double end box wrench

top to bottom:
2212 - 3/8" x 7/16"
2216 - 1/2" x 9/16"
2218 - 9/16" x 5/8"
2220 - 5/8" X 11/16"
2224 - 3/4" x 7/8"
2224 - 3/4" x 7/8"
2230 - 15/16" X 1"

 

[four.cycle]

Thorsen SAE 15° offset double end box wrench 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen SAE 15° SAE offset double end box wrench 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen SAE 15° offset double end box wrench

top to bottom:
2212 - 3/8" x 7/16" - ( 15212 )
2214 - 7/16" x 1/2"
2218 - 9/16" x 5/8" - ( 15218 )
2220 - 5/8" x 11/16" - ( 15220 )
2224 - 3/4" x 7/8" - ( 15224 )
2226 - 13/16" x 7/8" - ( 15226 )

 

[four.cycle]

Thorsen 2112 3/8" x 7/16" - Giller 2116 1/2" x 9/16" SAE short 45° offset double end box wrench 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen 2112 3/8" x 7/16" - Giller 2116 1/2" x 9/16" SAE short 45° offset double end box wrench 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen 2112 3/8" x 7/16" - Giller 2116 1/2" x 9/16" SAE short 45° offset double end box wrench 03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen 2112 3/8" x 7/16" short 45° offset double end box wrench
Giller 2116 1/2" x 9/16" short 45° offset double end box wrench

 

[555]

Did Thorsen make the Giller wrenches? I found a Giller in my old tool box today and I have no idea where it came from.
Thanks
John

 

[four.cycle]

That's a good question.
Thorsen was originally headquartered in Emeryville, California, with offices in San Francisco.
Later they moved to Oakland, California.

Giller was in Dallas, Texas.

Late production Thorsen is labeled "Dallas, Texas".

As near as I've been able to figure, Thorsen sold to wholesalers and retailers, and Giller was primarily a government/defense contractor. (This has been noted here by several members.)

There appears to be no difference in the tools themselves (of those items I have in both brands.)
Many of the part numbers are the same item: a 77MC is a 1/4" drive RHFT ratchet in both brands; 1/4" sockets (6M, 7M, 8M, etc.) are the same in both part number and appearance. The wrenches, however, do not always have the same part numbers, as can be seen in the examples above. On some items the same part number wrench might have different sizes on one end than its equivalent in the other brand (i.e., a 2120 Thorsen is a 5/8" x 11/16" short 45° offset double-end box wrench, but a 2120 Giller is a 5/8" x 3/4" short 45° offset double-end box wrench.)



If that Giller wrench you found happens to be a 2214, 2225, 2226, 2114 or 2120, let me know what you want for it.

 

[555]

Thanks for the information. It is a 2018 9/16" OBE. I think the info about Giller being a government/defense contractor may be correct. This one has USA engraved on the open end.
Regards,
John

 

[four.cycle]

Did Thorsen make the Giller wrenches?

Just a wild guess, but I'd say it looks like these came off the same production line - same "J" forging code on both your Giller and this Thorsen:

Thorsen 2018 9/16" combination wrench 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Thorsen 2018 9/16" combination wrench 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

 

[555]

I think so too! Now I'm wondering how I acquired this wrench. I may have bought it after Desert Shied/Storm when the local DRMO was doing cash sales one day a week.
Regards,
John

 

[ganymede]

Action was supposed to be Thorsens econo line but this little guy has as good a finish as any Thorsen I've ever seen.
(Juxtaposed an Indestro with it just because)

 

[four.cycle]

^ Looking at photos of "Action" stuff on Ebay I don't see one bit of difference in the tools - only an "A" behind the part number. I think it was a deal like Indestro and Duro Chrome: two brands made by the same outfit so they could sell to different markets and not step on each other's toes.

 

[four.cycle]

Giller 2120S 5/8" x 3/4" short 45° offset double-end box wrench.

(Thorsen 2120 is 5/8" x 11/16" - my guess is the "S" makes the difference.)

Giller 2120S 5/8" x 3/4" short 45° offset double-end box wrench 01 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Giller 2120S 5/8" x 3/4" short 45° offset double-end box wrench 02 by four.cycle, on Flickr

Giller 2120S 5/8" x 3/4" short 45° offset double-end box wrench 03 by four.cycle, on Flickr

 

[bonneyman]

Action was supposed to be Thorsens econo line but this little guy has as good a finish as any Thorsen I've ever seen.
(Juxtaposed an Indestro with it just because)

Agreed. All of the Action tools I've had come across my desk had chrome just as nice as the Thorsen's.

 

[ryan20021982]

I have a wanted post but I'll post here too

Looking for 2 Thorsen wrenches to complete a set that was my Grandpas
Beam style wrenches like the pic
I need 9/16" #2018 and 5/8" #2020

 

[bonneyman]

I have a wanted post but I'll post here too

Looking for 2 Thorsen wrenches to complete a set that was my Grandpas
Beam style wrenches like the pic
I need 9/16" #2018 and 5/8" #2020

Nice set of beam-style wrenches. Remind me of the ones S-O made.