vintage new britain value?
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pauls_workshop
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Hi Powrkraft was made by Wright and some others like Industro or Thorsen. Great sockets, rachets, etc. New Britain made their own stuff and also owned US Husky and Blackhawk before the 70's I think. Blackhawk today is owned by Stanley, as is Proto. US Blackhawk is good, either era, but more modern is influenced much by Proto (very much similar to Proto). I like old New Britain or Husky US or Blackhawk stuff. I think they also made some MAC stuff and other brands. Could use an assist here on GJ on all the other brands made by New Britain. I do think of them mainly for sockets, rachets, extensions. Don't know much on the wrench side of them. I put these up better than old Craftsman, even V, if a small step down from say Snap On. I'd say $1 a socket and $10 a rachet wrench easy if in good shape. If rusty, then $0.25 a socket or so. It is all available still but depends on the condition. - Paul
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bob15
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pauls_workshop
Well-known member
That's interesting! Maybe they used different suppliers. Much was Wright though. Ward's Master Quality also. Edit, all of those old Ward's sockets in the first link above look nice to me, regardless of old US supplier who made them! Look at the chrome on many of those! Quality! I also think of old Industro sockets as very similar to old Wright sockets, both great sockets. - Paul
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mikebaker1129
Well-known member
Cool box!
Nice pick up . How much you have to give for everything ?
Nice pick up . How much you have to give for everything ?
i also got a pretty good haul of powrkraft in a metal powerkraft box all for 40. just sold the new britain for 40 so i guess i did good. 
free tools.
i havent taken a pic of them but will post up. box is missing the handle, but i think ive got a few laying around somewhere.
free tools.
i havent taken a pic of them but will post up. box is missing the handle, but i think ive got a few laying around somewhere.
SMKS
Well-known member
My experience is that old sockets have little value. Old ratchets can be valuable, but generally not sockets.
An incomplete set from a not-super-popular brand has little value.
Maybe a few bucks, I guess. I personally wouldn't pay more than $10 unless I had a need for those sockets. But they're older sockets without off-corner engagement, so they're trumped by even cheap modern sockets.
An incomplete set from a not-super-popular brand has little value.
Maybe a few bucks, I guess. I personally wouldn't pay more than $10 unless I had a need for those sockets. But they're older sockets without off-corner engagement, so they're trumped by even cheap modern sockets.
yea. they arent worth 5 bucks to me. prob never use them anyway, but to a collector they have value. even more so with the metal box. some people go crazy over metal boxes. not to mention the speeder handle fans out there.
everything in the top tray is powrkraft minus a couple sockets that are proto. the deeps in the red box are a mixture of thorsen and powrkraft, but its a full set so to speak. there are a few wrenches and 3 or 4 screwdrivers as well. some of the other tools are oddballs, off brands. the other plastic stanley toolbox the new britain stuff came in has some smooth jaw proto pliers, several screwdrivers, cutters, pliers, needle nose, etc. there are 2 pair of sargent parallel pliers in there as well. not a bad find. ive done better, but everything i have left was free. im going to throw some extra tools in the plastic toolbox and put it on craigs for 10 bucks to get it out of the way.
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pauls_workshop
Well-known member
I love the old stuff and would value it more than you guys above are! - Paul
Although not certain, I think New Britain produced the private label sockets and ratchets for NAPA for many years. Their sockets are good quality; their ratchets from the 70's are even better, and I look for them whenever I'm hunting for old tools.
RM209
RM209
pauls_workshop
Well-known member
Yes, they did make these for NAPA for many years. I have a couple sockets they made for NAPA - very high quality. - Paul
