Old power tools you still have, and which still function.

[Benchwayze]

I'll start off with my original :

Stanley Bridges, aluminium bodied, 97 horsepower, black and yellow painted, power drill. (1/4 hp actually) :lol:

Still works and was regularly serviced, until the spares were no loner available. So I don't often use the drill. The collar won't fit modern drill-stands; and I haven't seen the chuck key lately! :mrgreen:

I used it constantly in an Arcoy stand, with a mortice attachment for using hollow square chisels. The Arcoy eventually cracked across the drill collar clamp, and welding wasn't successful! But I still have both and when I can look them out I'll photograph them,

Bought in 1963 BTW!

Over to you folks!

John

 

[Keith 66]

Bosch Jig saw bought in 1983, still going strong. Sealey ER150 Random orbital sander, bought in 1985 still going.
Wolf planer circa 1976 still going, Wolf gut buster drill cica 1958 still going.
Still have Dads Desoutter electric drill, that was new in 1947 & still works though it should be in a museum!

 

[Distinterior]

Kity 0618 Table saw from 1986 still going strong, 4 or 5 Elu power tools including an Elu radial arm saw, Flip Over saw (orange switches), routers etc all from the early/ mid 80's and a couple of black AEG/Atlas Copco mains drills before they changed the colour to Blue and the quality plummeted....

 

[Rorschach]

A wolf belt sander (pre-makita) that I got as a freebie here, works well and I plan on making good use of it.

1984 Myford Super 7, seen lots of use but works like a champ, on it's 2nd motor though as the previous owner let the first one fill with brass chips which burnt out the windings.

Several 90's B&D drills, still going strong though I suspect the plastic is getting brittle.

Tull International Drill press, probably from the 80's, also going strong on it's original motor.

 

[Sideways]

80's isn't very old guys
Bought most of my Elu and blue bosch then as a new home owner and all still running fine. Just change bearings and brushes when needed. Remember the gst60pbe for example ? Classic bosch jigsaw from the late 80's or maybe 90's !
Pre 80's non industrial tools didn't seem so robust. Not so many of the old blue or orange black & decker drills about now for instance.
Dad had a wolf sapphire drill from the 70's that I recently skipped. It gave good service and still ran but switches were poor and epoxy repaired casing.
I have a couple of palm sanders in all grey colour scheme - black and decker professional brand from before they made dewalt the sole professional label. Bullet proof tools with really good bearings and still going strong.
Does anyone remember b&d "proline". Sold as a slightly better grade of diy tool but not trade or industrial. We have one of their jigsaws someplace.
From when I was a kid, tools used to be classed as diy / trade / industrial. Diy was good for occasional use 10-20 minutes at a time maybe. Trade you'd expect a couple of hours use a day. Industrial rated you'd expect to be worked pretty much non stop 8 hours a day.
I used to think of tool purchases as a lifetime buy, these days much less so, esp with the rise of cordless. That said, I have a metabo 15.6v drill with nicad batteries that can still twist my arm off The 'impulse' mode is brilliant for those impossible holes or for drilling glass and tiles with a stock masonry bit.

 

[Trevanion]

Dad had a wolf sapphire drill from the 70's that I recently skipped.

I've got one of these! Used to be my main drilling machine alongside the eggbeater before I bought a set of Milwaukee drills with my first paycheck. It might be the oldest power tool that I have.

The oldest machine I have is a 1963 (I think) CVA MK1A toolroom Lathe. If anyone here knows even a little about this machine they know that they were built without cost being a factor, hence why they went out of business because they struggled to sell extremely overbuilt machines for the money it required to break even, let alone profit. They cost over £1000 back in the 60's which was enough to buy a decent house. It's a wonderful "little" machine that the previous owner converted to run on single phase but it still has enough power to take a 1/4" off the diameter of a mild steel bar on heavy feed in seconds. Very handy machine for the odd fix here and there, keeps everything else running.

 

[wallace]

Wadkin planer 1930 still going strong but that's cheating as its not what you meant is it
I did find an old Stanley bridges drill in my loft when I bought the house 20 years ago. it must be 60's?

 

[AndyT]

I've still got the same British made soldering iron that I was given as a birthday present when I was interested in electronics and stuff. It would have been about 1970.
And since then I acquired another, bigger one which must be a bit older.

 

[Benchwayze]

Wadkin planer 1930 still going strong but that's cheating as its not what you meant is it
I did find an old Stanley bridges drill in my loft when I bought the house 20 years ago. it must be 60's?

My P/T is a Sedgwick 1990s! Still going strong :lol:

As for the drill I'd think you are right Wallace. Mine is that vintage.

Cheers
John

 

[AES]

I've got a B&D model HD1000 Industrial circular saw, bought in October 1977 from Crawley Tools in Sussex. It's 7 and a quarter (184 mm) and I have several blades for it, including a couple of B&Ds own (tipped) blades with various TPIs.

It had a lot of use when I first bought it (I was building a 2 storey extension where I then lived) but was packed up for 5 years when I moved to Singapore. Since 1990 it's only had infrequent use 'cos generally I don't work with big timber sections, but when I need it (e.g. just recently I was repairing a big garden gate and needed to rip some 6 x 6, and last year I was helping a mate with his house extension in Germany). As I don't have a TS it comes in handy when I am cutting big stuff or big sheets.

It's a pretty rugged thing, with a well cast good quality blade housing and rotating guard (all light grey) plus blue plastic motor body and handle. But its rather heavy I find.

Funnily enough (timing of this thread) it's currently in pieces for a good clean and re lubrication, (the first ever in its life) and at the same time I'm adding a DE port to the blade housing to use with my shop vac (currently it has a simple slot in the blade housing and dust & muck goes everywhere). The motor brushes are in excellent shape and less than half worn.

It must come from a time when B&D stuff, at least the Industrial range, was good stuff. I guess it will outlast me, especially as it's only seldom used these days - it's had a pretty easy life compared with most site tools .

 

[DTR]

Myford ML7 with its original motor, 1951.
Walker Turner pillar drill with original motor, between 1942 and 1947.
BCA MkIII, 1954, but I've replaced the original motor as I don't have a 3-phase supply :lol:

 

[Inspector]

Another Black and Decker circular saw here. 7 1/4" blade in an all aluminium saw. My dad bought it in the mid 50's to make the cabinets in the house when I was a little rug rat. I used it when I got out of high school on my first job as a framing helper until I went into aviation. Gave it back to dad and he had it until he passed 5 years ago. It could use a little polishing, new blade and a new cord if I can find one, but it still works fine.

 

[Benchwayze]

I suppose I could include my Coronet Major lathe-based combination machine; much like the American ShopSmith. I bought it new in 1971 for £250.00 or thereabouts. Still fully operational with a lovely Brooks induction motor that just whispers; instead of screaming like a banshee! (Never heard a banshee mind so I am guessing!)
It planes, thicknesses, saws, cuts mortices, (horizontally) and of course turns. It's dismantled at present, for a facelift, when I can find the right shade of maroon paint! ;

John

 

[graduate_owner]

Not used much, but still working -
A Wolf drill with 1/4" chuck, all metal body, but not sure of age as aquired second hand.
A Black and Decker planer and circular saw ( 1982 ish). I do use these occasionally
A B and D single speed drill, bought new by my dad in 1971, again all metal body ( together with vertical stand, horizontal stand, sander and 5 1/4" circular saw attachments)
As for machinery, a Myford M series metal lathe, about 1950, and an ML8 wood lathe in yellow, so one of the early models ( later ones were silver, then finally green).

K

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have a Meddings bench drill which I paid £125 for inc. a vice, which is a gem. There's a plate on it that says Property of Bush Radio - which ceased to exist as a single entity in 1962. It'll probably outlast my children. Interestingly, I checked the brushes on my Bosch angle grinder for the first time a few weeks ago - they are about a quarter worn. It's had a lot of use since I paid a lot of money for it in a sale in 1985 ............ but how many power tools bought now will be running quite happily in 2051?

 

[LFS19]

Got a bosch green sander and a drill that were bought in 1993 still going great.
Aren’t they meant to have broken by now according to Bosch? =P~

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My big router is Bosch (actually my small one is as well) from 1991 - it still ploughs on.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Got a bosch green sander and a drill that were bought in 1993 still going great.
Aren’t they meant to have broken by now according to Bosch? =P~

I had a green Bosch drill for many years until I gave it to friend as I was upgrading. I "upgraded" to a blue Bosch that didn't last two years before burning out.

 

[large red]

35 year old Makita 9" Circular saw still use it, still works fine but it's heavy

 

[Sandyn]

A Black and Decker DNJ62, two speed power drill I bought in about 1975. Still works perfectly, about 46 years old. I also have a B&D jig saw from the same time, which also works.