Sparta Tools Info?

[DHS]

http://cgi.ebay.com/SPARTA-US-Ratch...912?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ceb5d60e8

This guy has been selling them for a while.

 

[5lima30]

I have a Sparta 1/2" breaker bar that has never failed me (even with a cheater bar) that I have had for about 25 years. I think I got it from NAPA, but have not seen them in years. Are they still made? BTW mine was made in USA.

 

[supertooljunkie]

I have a few Sparta sockets and extensions. Haven't found wrenches or ratchets yet. If I dig through the "no name" bins at some of the local pawn shops, I find two or three. The older the pawn shop the better.. I have only started buying them in the past few months as I've become more educated to the older brands.
I don't NEED them, but it is hard to leave well made US tools in the limbo of the "no name" bin with the cheap Chiwanese ****.

 

[davidj]

ive got a sparta spark plug socket... thats about the only sparta piece ive ever seen. its for sale on here in a "lot"

 

[Even 11]

Nice Pics and a great story CU Engineer! You might post a WTB ad on here and see if we can help you put your set back to complete.

Good to have you on board, welcome to the forum!

-Dane

 

[itsvegas]

i have a tiny sparta adjustable wrench.

 

[chopper1]

This was posted on another thread. Sparta tool board.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250809341278&_rdc=1

 

[toolmaker1]

I had to bring this thread back. I have been having a bad run of luck buying tools on ebay and it just seems to keep going. Today I got two ratchets in the mail from two different sellers that both have broken selector switches. One is a 1/2" sk that will be a piece of cake to get repaired but the other is this old sparta 3/4" drive that I'm thinking will be about impossible to get parts for. If you look in the picture of the selector switch closely you can see that it is cracked all along the side of the raised bump used to turn the selector. When I took it apart to clean and lube it came out in two pieces. So anybody have a sparta 3/4" drive selector switch laying around?

 

[toolmaker1]

Oh and yes that is red lube of love dripping out of there!!

 

[mofo62]

I had to bring this thread back. I have been having a bad run of luck buying tools on ebay and it just seems to keep going. Today I got two ratchets in the mail from two different sellers that both have broken selector switches. One is a 1/2" sk that will be a piece of cake to get repaired but the other is this old sparta 3/4" drive that I'm thinking will be about impossible to get parts for. If you look in the picture of the selector switch closely you can see that it is cracked all along the side of the raised bump used to turn the selector. When I took it apart to clean and lube it came out in two pieces. So anybody have a sparta 3/4" drive selector switch laying around?

i use too Sparta 3/4"


Me Experience : Its awesome!!!



V!

 

[toolmaker1]

Check out my update thread with some info on rebuild kits !

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114406

 

[jtshusker]

An old 1/4 sparta set I got from my grandpa

 

[toolmaker1]

An old 1/4 sparta set I got from my grandpa

Nice! they were napa's cheap line back in the day but are built better than some of the higher end stuff today.

 

[Lump]

I have a bin of Sparta brand tools. They are pretty good quality, at least in my experience. Pics tomorrow night, after work.

 

[chopper1]

Here's an NOS Sparta 1/2" set I've got.

 

[jtshusker]

You can call this low to mid quality stuff, but it is high end in my opinion. It is way better than crapsman, and I have some nice S-K stuff, and this set I have has been used hard and it never fails me, and that little quarter in rachet in nice but the breaker bar is especially helpful

 

[jtshusker]

I assume that is standard and not metric right? but what a beautiful set.

 

[jtshusker]

Never forget MADE IN USA, I would rather kill myself than use chinese tools

 

[TDLMOMOWERS]

I worked at the Napa store in Mansfield, Ohio from 1972 until 1977. We handled the Sparta line of tools as a lower cost option to our premium line of New Britain hand tools. I own many Sparta tools and have been very happy with the quality and durability and they were all made in the USA. Our local NAPA store still honors the warranty on New Britain and Sparta tools. They will replace any defective or broken tools with a new replacement. I used my Sparta tools very hard for 32 years as an Industrial Truck Mechanic and had very few failures with any of them. The only noticeable difference between the Sparta and New Britain tools was, the finish on the Sparta wasn't as nice as the New Britain. When NAPA quit handling New Britain and Sparta, our local Big Lots store liquidated a bunch of the tools, and I bought a bunch of leftover stock for pennies on the dollar.

 

[bquiggle]

Bought a Sparta 3/8" drive set in 1970 at the local Co-Op (was a rural farm supply store)
Still have it, has been used on everything from cars to motorcycles to ski lifts....I love it. Extensions, swivels, sockets and ratchet are still going strong after all these years!

 

[Gort the giant robot]

I have at this time 2 Sparta adjustable wrenches. The larger one looks it may have been made by Crescent because of the handle style. I had a Sparta 3/8 ratchet years ago, but i wore it out. The smaller Sparta adjustable i have used it at work for at least 8 to 10 years with no problems. I think i have a few more Sparta tools out in the shop. I bought hundreds of tools this past summer and have yet to look thru them.

Gort.

 

[Qrazy]

I Have a few DOE Sparta wrenches that I use on occasion. I have used the 25/32 a few times in particular. I like the weight and beefiness of the wrench compared to some of the normal sized wrenches..

 

[gb24]

I think I have about the same Sparta socket set as @cuengineer posted. Received as a Christmas present in 1967 or 68 and had to be from the local NAPA.

So now still going after 50 years, shocking I haven't lost a socket or two.

flic.kr/s/aHskFd5arq

 

[LawnBoy-5247]

I have a 1/4" sparta breaker bar.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

 

[MShaw]

As I have stated elsewhere, I worked for New Britain in the early 1970's and all products were made of the same steel and processed on the same equipment. Therefore, a Sparta tool was just as "good" as a New Britain.

Also, I have a 3/4" drive socket that is stamped NBM.

And a Mac long arm 3/4" drive ratchet that was made by New Britain (Kilness). I have had it since I worked for NBM and would not part with it.

 

[RTM]

Keeping an old thread alive with some pix:
Here is something a Little Different. This is a CB-45 Sparta, 45 tooth, made in USA, with Patent 2981389, assigned to New Britain. It's a little different in that UNAIU posted a Husky CB-45 with patent number way back in post #644 on the vintage board. Other than the name, and his post doesn't show the rust where mine is all rusty near the anvil. It's bit rough in one direction, and switches hard, but nothing that a good clean and lube shouldn't fix. Didn't recognize the Sparta name right off, but it had a good solid feel to it. Will add it to the clean up pile.

With the patent issued in 1961, in theory this is 1978 or older. HS days.

 

[F-22]

Keeping an old thread alive with some pix:
Here is something a Little Different. This is a CB-45 Sparta, 45 tooth, made in USA, with Patent 2981389, assigned to New Britain. It's a little different in that UNAIU posted a Husky CB-45 with patent number way back in post #644 on the vintage board. Other than the name, and his post doesn't show the rust where mine is all rusty near the anvil. It's bit rough in one direction, and switches hard, but nothing that a good clean and lube shouldn't fix. Didn't recognize the Sparta name right off, but it had a good solid feel to it. Will add it to the clean up pile.

With the patent issued in 1961, in theory this is 1978 or older. HS days.

Pretty sure my Husky is identical (also New Britain production). Except I think mine uses the coiled-circlip not the regular one like this Sparta (might've been replaced?). Mine was in a similar condition but it polished up nicely and I cleaned up and cold blued the anvil and it looks real nice now.

 

[JMP]

A few Sparta wrenches