The Ratchet Collection Thread

[twertsy]

recent garage sale find: Husky H4725. Still need to disassemble and clean, but it works well. I don't know much about these (ratchets or Husky tools) but I thought for $1 I would grab it.

Very cool. Late 1930's New Britain made Husky. I don't believe we've seen a Husky branded Frankenstein style Costello patent ratchet yet, but I could be wrong.

 

[RAS61]

Received my Armstrong S-91 ratchet yesterday. Pretty nice condition for a 40-50 year old tool. It was operating nicely, but I decided to open it up and clean it anyway - partly out of due diligence, and partly out of curiosity.

Cleaned out the old grease, very simple inside, only 5 parts - 2 pawls, 2 springs and the gear. Re-lubed with a light coating of Jet-Lube Silicone Compound DM, - WOW, this stuff is like greased magic! Smooth as silk and so quiet you can barely hear the clicks. Now to have some fun with it!

 

[paulm12]

picked these up as part of a box of tools recently. I saw the S-K Wayne under a bunch of old screwdrivers, files, etc and grabbed the box. Looked a bit more and saw the other 2 ratchets.

S-K Wayne 3870 Roto head
Wright comfort grip
CMan flying V

I haven't even cleaned them yet, and they still look pretty good.

 

[RagTopTA]

so, whats this?!?! 1/4 drive, no markings. Weird drive system not like most that click its smooth and locked in direction by the little stick looks like... Anyone have any idea?

 

[twertsy]

so, whats this?!?! 1/4 drive, no markings. Weird drive system not like most that click its smooth and locked in direction by the little stick looks like... Anyone have any idea?

I don't recall seeing that one before.

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[RagTopTA]

weird it has zero makers marks... they did that to drive us crazy huh ?

 

[r_olson_06]

so, whats this?!?! 1/4 drive, no markings. Weird drive system not like most that click its smooth and locked in direction by the little stick looks like... Anyone have any idea?

Seen that one on the bay last week. Looks very similar to the Rich Pacific style.

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[RagTopTA]

I like the weird odd ball rachets~! I cant seem to find any like it. Do you have any of those types you could post pic of r_olson_06 ?

 

[3baygarage]

Seen that one on the bay last week. Looks very similar to the Rich Pacific style.

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I had my eye on that one as well. Agreed, it looks like Rich Pacific and Skyway.

 

[r_olson_06]

I like the weird odd ball rachets~! I cant seem to find any like it. Do you have any of those types you could post pic of r_olson_06 ?

It's really cold in garage right now [emoji2]. Hope this will suffice.

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[3baygarage]

Skyway 1/4”

 

[RagTopTA]

Those are cool! and.. more ratchets I dont have... Yet.. Thanks fellas for the education and pics : )

 

[3baygarage]

Rag- the one you got is really neat. Definitely a unique way to hold the direction.

These are some weird little ratchets.

There is a twin out there to the Skyway marked Torque Controls. I’m not sure who made what.

 

[RagTopTA]

Thanks 3bay! It really grabbed me and I had to have it! dang Ebay.. it gets to me when I haven't had a score in a while lol. I wonder how old it is. any clue ?

 

[Odes]

I have never seen one like that before but now I want one

 

[four.cycle]

There is a twin out there to the Skyway marked Torque Controls. I’m not sure who made what.

this one?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Torque-Control-Inc-1-4-Drive-Ratchet/391958814174

Torque Controls / Torque Controls Inc., San Gabriel, CA. / So. El Monte, CA.

 

[3baygarage]

this one?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Torque-Control-Inc-1-4-Drive-Ratchet/391958814174

Torque Controls / Torque Controls Inc., San Gabriel, CA. / So. El Monte, CA.

That would be the one. There were a few odd torque tool related brands out of California.

 

[twertsy]

so, whats this?!?! 1/4 drive, no markings. Weird drive system not like most that click its smooth and locked in direction by the little stick looks like... Anyone have any idea?

I don't think this is a TC or Skyway. Could be an early variant but it has many differences.

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[3baygarage]

I don't think this is a TC or Skyway. Could be an early variant but it has many differences.

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They may not be related. Just something about how the handles looks, and the way they meet up with the head.

I just got sucked into a whole internet search spiral for Skyway, and Jo Mfg, both with addresses in close proximity in California. That’s best left for another thread though.



I believe this is the Skyway/ Torque Controls ratchet patent (George A. Jenkins) :

https://www.google.com/patents/US3096659

 

[RagTopTA]

Heres a few more pics of it. Its tiny but well built. I hope it can be figured out. Id like to know what it is and when it was made. There's a pic beside two other well-known ratchets for comparison. SK and Craftsman 1/4

 

[Odes]

That's a cool looking craftsman

 

[RagTopTA]

I have all three sizes of the Craftsman ratchets. One of my favs

 

[Odes]

I'm on the lookout for one now

 

[honza.vosalik]

Picked up this interesting ratchet

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That's a nice Cornwell Gearless ratchet, maybe late 30s? I think Cornwell called that ratchet a model 55 up to 34, so yours is 35 or later .

 

[Mintgrun]

I had been hoping to find a 1/4" ratchet and today I came across this Herbrand M-5. It was in a baggie with this other driver for $3.
Made my day : )

 

[RagTopTA]

I had been hoping to find a 1/4" ratchet and today I came across this Herbrand M-5. It was in a baggie with this other driver for $3.
Made my day : )

awesome find! that little ratchet is cool! the driver is pretty neat also, never seen one of those.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...never seen one of those.

Me neither. STEVENS WALDEN?

EDIT: That was a total SWAG, but as it turns out, Stevens Walden did use the acronym "STW" on a 1/2-drive ratchet! With their history in midget spinners, it wouldn't surprise me if it was a Stevens-Walden product from the 50's or 60's, an era about which I know next to nothing wrt Stevens-Walden. It kind of reminds of the mystery stubbie midget drive spinners that Don and Oldtuleguy (if I'm not mistaken) own. Same category, anyway. Those weren't clear, different shape, and different model number.

 

[twertsy]

Those were also Craftsman-branded, BE an H

I wish Ricky Joe, but you're thinking New Britain.

Nice little 1/4"er there. I don't believe I have that in Herbrand.

 

[Mintgrun]

I got a kick out of the ratchet, because I remembered liking the 'button' on the Herbrand S-10 in Don's post above (#753). The handle shape is different, but they are similar otherwise.

On the other driver, I like the way the drill that shaped the smaller section has been run up into the ball end.

I was wondering this morning whether the stepped up square driver end would fit a 3/8" drive socket; but it is smaller. That might have been a neat feature, although the 1/4" tip would limit the available depth of the 3/8" socket.

A quick Googling did not bring up any similar drivers, but I'd have never thought of searching for Stevens Walden. Thank you for the insight.

Here is a shot of the model number.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Those were also Craftsman-branded, BE an H

I wish Ricky Joe, but you're thinking New Britain.

This exchange confused me - since New Britain NS-40 and New Britain-made Husky H4725 ratchets were certainly also Craftsman BE and Craftsman Circle-H branded. But I think I see the distinction Todd is making. There were several variants (long switch with Frankenstein buttons, long switch in open channel, short switch in open channel) of this same ratchet. Ricky Joe was speaking generally. I think Todd is referring to the variant with the Frankenstein buttons, specifically, as only being seen in NS-40, heretofore, and now H4725. Interesting.

 

[four.cycle]

Mintgrun, that little yellow-handled driver wouldn't happen to be 9/32" drive, would it??

Stevens Walden (formerly Walden Worcester) marked their products with any number of different names/initials:
Walden Worcester
Stevens Walden
Walden
WW
STW
SW

 

[twertsy]

This exchange confused me - since New Britain NS-40 and New Britain-made Husky H4725 ratchets were certainly also Craftsman BE and Craftsman Circle-H branded. But I think I see the distinction Todd is making. There were several variants (long switch with Frankenstein buttons, long switch in open channel, short switch in open channel) of this same ratchet. Ricky Joe was speaking generally. I think Todd is referring to the variant with the Frankenstein buttons, specifically, as only being seen in NS-40, heretofore, and now H4725. Interesting.

I assumed he was talking about the ratchet yes?

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[twertsy]

Actually I own a ratchet like the Husky, branded Craftsman, coded BE.

I think wires are crossed somewhere. Are we talking about the 1/4" Herbrand?

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[twertsy]

I am referring to the Husky that originally started this tangent of the conversation.

Lol, my bad then. Check the other side of the faceplate, I have several with Craftsman (or maybe it's New Britain) on one side and Husky on the other.

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[Private Lugnutz]

Glad we worked that out!

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

That Walden driver shares several construction features with the CA-211 mystery driver...
*The stepped shape and rounded nose of the drive end
*carved from a ball
*half round lathed groove at foregrip

Model number and 6 vs 8 splines on the handle don't match though.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sorry, Ole Slew. I got me Ole's mixed up!

 

[RagTopTA]

Couple of Fleets I like.

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a brand I've never seen before although the ratchet itself greatly resembles my Walden 1/4" ratchet. I picked it up at an estate sale this morning.
-Don