Some minor screwdriver info

[back2class]

Ridgid and Husky screwdrivers are Western Forge. Craftsman Pro are definately not Western Forge. I just got off the phone with them about another matter and asked about this stuff. I know most already knew this but figure some concrete answers are nice to share.


Anyone know much about the modern Fuller made in Canada screwdrivers?

While we are at it. All Proto and Mac made in USA wrenches and I believe alll the hardline usa made stuff is the same steel and heat treat from the same plant. (employee confirm) But a few Mac ratchets do have a slightly better alloy. This was the case as off 2005 when I last spoke to this person.

 

[GT89mustang]

I thought they were western forge, my craftsman pro's are stamped WF just like the regular ones, if you look on western forge's website the handles are displayed...

 

[back2class]

I thought they were western forge, my craftsman pro's are stamped WF just like the regular ones, if you look on western forge's website the handles are displayed...

She said they have not made the pro line for sears in a "while"

 

[GT89mustang]

She said they have not made the pro line for sears in a "while"

Thats strange, maybe theres still some NOS. Ill have to pay attention next time we get a box of them at work.

Any idea who makes them now?

 

[GrantMLS]

Yeah i wonder who makes them - I can not stand WF screwdrivers...

 

[lauver]

I have noticed that Pratt-Read are making some of the handled tools that Western Forge and Mayhew used to make. These would include some of the screwdrivers, picks, prybars, and scrapers.

I'm not sure who's making the current Pro screwdrivers, but Pratt-Read would be a likely suspect.

EDIT: Just got back from Sears, the Pro screwdriver sets were marked WF W. No way of telling if the stock was fresh or stale.

 

[lbgradwell]

Anyone know much about the modern Fuller made in Canada screwdrivers?

What did you want to know?

 

[HandyManny]

It would not surprise me that there are still Cman Pros with WF being sold in store even after Western Forge stopped making them a long time ago. Some of that stuff says in warehouses for a long time before being shipped to the stores, depending on how quick inventory needs to be restocked. My local Ace still has Hansen tap & die products on the shelves and Irwin changed the name a few years ago.

A guy I know who works for Lowes said they had recieved a shipment of Klien tools (pliers) three years ago and never sold out in three years at that store.

 

[HandyManny]

Ridgid and Husky screwdrivers are Western Forge. Craftsman Pro are definately not Western Forge. I just got off the phone with them about another matter and asked about this stuff. I know most already knew this but figure some concrete answers are nice to share.


Anyone know much about the modern Fuller made in Canada screwdrivers?

While we are at it. All Proto and Mac made in USA wrenches and I believe alll the hardline usa made stuff is the same steel and heat treat from the same plant. (employee confirm) But a few Mac ratchets do have a slightly better alloy. This was the case as off 2005 when I last spoke to this person.

Who is this person you spoke to in 2005??

The Proto and Mac wrenches may be made from the same steel billets, but they are definitely forged into different blanks on a different forges, and I'm sure in different facilities. Take a Proto wrench and a Mac wrench side by side, there are noticeable differences in shape and demensions, same for the ratchets. I believe Mac make their wrenches in Ohio while Proto are made in Dallas, TX. It would make no sence to heat treat them together if they are made in different plants. But, it's very likely they are heat treated the same way following the same procedure on the same type of equipment, making both brands heat treated the same I guess. Since Boeing, NASA, and some manufacturers use Proto tools in their facilities I've heard that Proto must meet other stringent requirments as well. But I can not confirm that for sure.

The problem with talking to some so-called insider or employees of a certain company is that even though they may work for that company many times they do not know every aspect in detail of all operation of that company. Sometimes simply being employed by a manufacturer isn't enough or doesn't nessisarily make them credible. I see that in the company I'm currently employed with.

Another example: There was some guy out there on the internet a while ago claiming he was a metallurgist for Dahaner Tool. He claimed that they made all the sockets for MAC, SNAP-ON, PROTO, NAPA, Craftsman, Armstrong, ESCO, MATCO,etc, and that all the sockets were made the same. Problem is that Dahaner makes nothing for MAC, Snap-On , or Proto and never has, at least where sockets are concerned.

 

[Merkava_4]

Who made the black shank/black handle Craftsman Professional screwdrivers back in the day? I liked those screwdrivers.

 

[lauver]

Who made the black shank/black handle Craftsman Professional screwdrivers back in the day? I liked those screwdrivers.

If anybody has any of the above referenced screwdrivers, please post a photo and the series code stamped on them. That seems like a good starting point for determining the OEM. Also, if you know about when you purchased them, that would be a useful piece of information as well.

Thanks

 

[bchee]

MKDIVE has a bunch of those, if these are the ones in question. I really like those. They came in orange too. I lust after his collection

 

[back2class]

Who is this person you spoke to in 2005??

The Proto and Mac wrenches may be made from the same steel billets, but they are definitely forged into different blanks on a different forges, and I'm sure in different facilities. Take a Proto wrench and a Mac wrench side by side, there are noticeable differences in shape and demensions, same for the ratchets. I believe Mac make their wrenches in Ohio while Proto are made in Dallas, TX. It would make no sence to heat treat them together if they are made in different plants. But, it's very likely they are heat treated the same way following the same procedure on the same type of equipment, making both brands heat treated the same I guess. Since Boeing, NASA, and some manufacturers use Proto tools in their facilities I've heard that Proto must meet other stringent requirments as well. But I can not confirm that for sure.

The problem with talking to some so-called insider or employees of a certain company is that even though they may work for that company many times they do not know every aspect in detail of all operation of that company. Sometimes simply being employed by a manufacturer isn't enough or doesn't nessisarily make them credible. I see that in the company I'm currently employed with.

Another example: There was some guy out there on the internet a while ago claiming he was a metallurgist for Dahaner Tool. He claimed that they made all the sockets for MAC, SNAP-ON, PROTO, NAPA, Craftsman, Armstrong, ESCO, MATCO,etc, and that all the sockets were made the same. Problem is that Dahaner makes nothing for MAC, Snap-On , or Proto and never has, at least where sockets are concerned.

I never said they came off the same stamp presses. This was a pretty high ranking executive who traveled all over the country to most, if not all of their tool divisions frequently as well as Asia and GB.

 

[back2class]

As for Fuller. Just wondering what the quality of their top line drivers are? I just had about 6 old 300series ones warrantied and I have to say customer service was FANTASTIC! Kuddos to Fuller! I hope the quality is good. These appear to be made in Canada now.

Speaking of Stanley, since I was taking care of warranty stuff today I called them about a broken None-Better breaker bar. Said they did not know if it was covered but sent me a replacement free as a "courtesy". Hats off to Stanley and this is the reason I but alot of their better quality tools.

 

[Honda 1]

Merkava,
The black-handled Craftsman screwdrivers I have show "WF" on the handle. So, Western Forge made some of them.

 

[Honda 1]

Lauver,
The screwdrivers I have show:
#41888 USA WF J

I don't remember when I bought them but I have them a long time.

 

[crankshaftdan II]

I have a set of the c-man Industrial screwdrivers w/orange handles/special ordered several years ago thru Industrial catalog only. They are marked WF on handles. They are very soft on the phillips tips, had a lot of take-backs and had to take black handles in exchange. Nice so you don't forget them under the hood!

 

[mkdive]

I just went out and checked,
All of the black handled & Orange handle have WF on the handles.
Interesting enough so do the newer type CM red&black handled drivers?!

I have noticed somewhere during the manufacturing they changed the material the handles are made of. All of my Orange handles are a softer rubber type handle? While about 80% of my black handled ones are a hard plastic handle, yet some of the black handle drivers are different, they are made out of that softer more rubberier material...not sure which I prefer.

I did find this off craftsman.com:

WF- Western Forge, Colorado Springs, Colorado
VV- Danaher Tool Group, Simmsbury Connecticut (?) CI- (?) H- (?) PR- (?) Other secret Sears codes for manufacutrers.

WF stands for Western Forge and PR stands for Pratt Read. Western Forge is the older supplier. PR got their foot in the door supplying the stainless steel screwdrivers and are now slowly replacing many WF products.

 

[Merkava_4]

Merkava,
The black-handled Craftsman screwdrivers I haveshow "WF" on the handle. So, Western Forge made some of them.

Thank You Sir.

I have noticed somewhere during the manufacturing they changed the material the handles are made of. All of my Orange handles are a softer rubber type handle? While about 80% of my black handled ones are a hard plastic handle, yet some of the black handle drivers are different, they are made out of that softer more rubberier material...not sure which I prefer.

The hard black handles with the Santoprene coating are the ones I like best. I didn't know the orange ones had that too; that's interesting.

 

[HandyManny]

I never said they came off the same stamp presses. This was a pretty high ranking executive who traveled all over the country to most, if not all of their tool divisions frequently as well as Asia and GB.

Never said that you did, just saying the two brand of wrenches are obviously different, but equally high quality wrenches.

We have high ranking executives in our company who may work in finance, legal, marketing, various other aspects of the business etc. They know next to nothing about our core product. Trust me. I've spoken to these people many times. Not saying the guy is not credible, just saying not every executive in a business know everything about the companies core product. I'd have to talk to him and listen carefully before I could really call him out on anything.

 

[skeletonizer]

I have one of the current US made Husky #2 phillips long shank drivers. I have yet to find a screw that it fits in correctly.

 

[bchee]

That's too bad. Have you tried exchanging it?

I have one of the current US made Husky #2 phillips long shank drivers. I have yet to find a screw that it fits in correctly.

 

[skeletonizer]

That's too bad. Have you tried exchanging it?

I already scribed my name in it.