Bobthewrench
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 30, 2026
- Messages
- 71
I am not an expert on Thor tools, and my collection totals two as far as I am aware, but if I own a Thor power tool I want it as old and primitive looking as possible. This past weekend at the end of an estate sale this was sitting there forlorn and probably doomed for recycling. Not a huge fan of 1/4" drills, but It looked in okay shape and it looked old so I took it home. Holding it with a dry terrycloth rag I plugged it in and it ran very well, which is always a nice surprise.
In looking at it I saw a few things I thought were less common to find. First drill is marked for use with either AC or DC, Jacobsen chuck has a smooth surface and patent date in the 1920s, and lastly serial number seems oddly low, at "H-46". I found a Thor catalog online from the year 1945 and the 1/4" drill motor in it looked newer, more refined, so I am guessing this one is maybe late 1930s. It seems to me before WWII Thor was mostly interested in making heavy tools for professionals and not stuff for home handymen, so maybe this little guy is a bit unusual, or maybe for tight spaces in aircraft manufacture as it is pretty darn compact. I tried taking a photo of the patent date on the chuck but the photo blurred, I think it was from 1924 though, will have to drag it back out and look when I get a chance.
Lastly, going by the wear on the front edge of the "return here for service" tag, it looks like the tool was often used in a tight space that wore this area down more than the rest of the tool.
In looking at it I saw a few things I thought were less common to find. First drill is marked for use with either AC or DC, Jacobsen chuck has a smooth surface and patent date in the 1920s, and lastly serial number seems oddly low, at "H-46". I found a Thor catalog online from the year 1945 and the 1/4" drill motor in it looked newer, more refined, so I am guessing this one is maybe late 1930s. It seems to me before WWII Thor was mostly interested in making heavy tools for professionals and not stuff for home handymen, so maybe this little guy is a bit unusual, or maybe for tight spaces in aircraft manufacture as it is pretty darn compact. I tried taking a photo of the patent date on the chuck but the photo blurred, I think it was from 1924 though, will have to drag it back out and look when I get a chance.
Lastly, going by the wear on the front edge of the "return here for service" tag, it looks like the tool was often used in a tight space that wore this area down more than the rest of the tool.
