yankee screwdriver bits

[Lons]

Funnily enough, i found some of those today while going through a box of old drill bits. If only i could find my Yankee to put them in. Another of my tools that has mysteriously disappeared.

I have one I haven't seen for a long time, got me wonering now as well. :?

 

[Bod]

Yes beware, Yankee's were made in 3 different sizes, based on bit diameter. They are not interchangeable.
Blooming nuisance when you have a 130 and 131, and have to buy two!

Bod

 

[skipdiver]

I do have a yankee style driver that isn't a Stanley and has a black plastic handle, which is totally seized up. I only have the one Stanley if i can find it and wasn't aware that they had different bits for different sizes, despite owning one for years. We used to get the bits from the store when i made caravans for a living, so i never actually bought any. Everyone must have had the same sized driver because i can't ever remember asking for a specific size from the store man. I'm going back to pre cordless drill times now, so my memory may be letting me down.

 

[sunnybob]

I've just been out and checked.
I have a stanley 135B, made in germany. Wooden handle.

 

[lurker]

http://www.axminster.co.uk/hex-adaptor-for-yankee-screwdrivers-ax927317
Axminster do them.

Bod

Brilliant. I have 4 Yankees of various sizes and though I stil have a tobacco tin with numerous bits, I like the idea of the hex upgrade so I've just bought two of them for different sizes. I still use mine frequently when I want either lots of torque but at the same time want to feel the resistance towards the end of the screw. Usually on jobs I cant afford to make a single mistake on. I love them and will never get rid of them. Can't believe Stanley stopped production in 2007....boo

Ha! Mine are also in an old baccy tin. My Dad was a fisherman and used to bring home tins of Old Holborn and Golden Virginia tobacco. Got quite a few of them which i keep for the sake of nostalgia.

Mine are in Dad's tobacco tins too

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I do have a yankee style driver that isn't a Stanley and has a black plastic handle, which is totally seized up. I only have the one Stanley if i can find it and wasn't aware that they had different bits for different sizes, despite owning one for years. We used to get the bits from the store when i made caravans for a living, so i never actually bought any. Everyone must have had the same sized driver because i can't ever remember asking for a specific size from the store man. I'm going back to pre cordless drill times now, so my memory may be letting me down.

The ratchet style driver was an American invention in the late 1800's apparently but Stanley, with the Yankee range popularised it.

There were 3 sizes of shank for the bits which fitted the three different driver sizes. The drivers, in order of descending size were the 131 (big daddy)

the 130 (the one the vast majority of people had)

and a baby called the 133/135 for little screws.

the shank sizes were 8mm, 7 and 5.5m respectively but....

of course they were originally made with imperial sized bores in the driver so sometimes a new bit might need a bit of fettling with wet n dry if it doesn't quite fit.

The designation of A and B is simply to do with age. The older ones were model number A and the newer ones model number B. With the older ones having wooden handles and no triangle logo on the shaft. They were also made in various locations incl the US, here and ultimately in the Far East before production ended in 2007.

 

[bugbear]

The ratchet style driver was an American invention in the late 1800's apparently but Stanley, with the Yankee range popularised it.

I think North Bros make have taken a different view...

BugBear

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Well, in fairness I did credit that another manufacturer invented it! Having just wikipedia'd it, apparently Stanley acquired NB in 1946. I'd say that the next 50 years of production qualifies Stanley as having popularised it, at least for our generation. I'm sure if you asked a carpenter in 1945 who popularised them you'd get a different answer

 

[skipdiver]

I do have a yankee style driver that isn't a Stanley and has a black plastic handle, which is totally seized up. I only have the one Stanley if i can find it and wasn't aware that they had different bits for different sizes, despite owning one for years. We used to get the bits from the store when i made caravans for a living, so i never actually bought any. Everyone must have had the same sized driver because i can't ever remember asking for a specific size from the store man. I'm going back to pre cordless drill times now, so my memory may be letting me down.

The ratchet style driver was an American invention in the late 1800's apparently but Stanley, with the Yankee range popularised it.

There were 3 sizes of shank for the bits which fitted the three different driver sizes. The drivers, in order of descending size were the 131 (big daddy)

the 130 (the one the vast majority of people had)

and a baby called the 133/135 for little screws.

the shank sizes were 8mm, 7 and 5.5m respectively but....

of course they were originally made with imperial sized bores in the driver so sometimes a new bit might need a bit of fettling with wet n dry if it doesn't quite fit.

The designation of A and B is simply to do with age. The older ones were model number A and the newer ones model number B. With the older ones having wooden handles and no triangle logo on the shaft. They were also made in various locations incl the US, here and ultimately in the Far East before production ended in 2007.

Thanks for the info. I now suddenly want to find my Yankee and start using it again. It used to get a lot of hammer and was used daily. As i say, i also have one by a different brand which is inferior and has seized, not down to lack of lubrication either, something inside has gone. Think it must be the 130 i have because i know a bigger one was available, although i never got one of those. I think i may also have a small one somewhere, which i found in my shed among other things when i moved into my last house and seem to remember it having a set of small drill bits with it, which fit in a removable top. I don't think that one is a Stanley brand either.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Funny thing about the 2nd hand market for Yankee's......the bits on e bay seem to be quite expensive. But there are various models of the actual drivers for sale at under a tenner! So if you wanted to get a genuine Stanley then it looks like flea bay may be the right location.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I've two "Spiralux" Yankee 131 copies - they're perfectly good.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's an interesting point Phil - is anyone else still making a spiral ratchet screwdriver? (Like the name you mention).

I assumed Stanley had gone out of production because dril/drivers had killed the market? Maybe someone else still makes them???

 

[skipdiver]

I think the other one i have may be a Spiralux.

 

[Vann]

That's an interesting point Phil - is anyone else still making a spiral ratchet screwdriver?

Yes, apparently...

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 3411,43417

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Jolly nice they look too...German made.

If it were me though, I'd be buying a second hand Stanley off E bay for a tenner as those were 60 bucks

 

[clauskeller]

Another one:

https://www.fine-tools.com/schr2.html

 

[Billy Flitch]

Claus I think you will find that the driver sold by leevalley and fine-tools are the same tool, made by the firm Schoder in Wuppertal. The differance between the Yank and the Schroder is that the yank is a push fit for the bit and the Schroder is a chuck that has to be turned down to hold the bit.

By the By, when I look at a yank it just does'nt look right to me if it has'nt got a Jubilee clip on it.
Every one used to put one on them, because if you ever put the yank down on a flat surface it inverable rolled away till it fell off.
So put a jubilee clip on and it did'nt roll, easy peasy lemon squeezy.

 

[Blockplane]

A lot of the later ones acquired a Jubilee clip because the metal collar split - presumably they changed to an inferior metal.

 

[skipdiver]

A lot of the later ones acquired a Jubilee clip because the metal collar split - presumably they changed to an inferior metal.

Yes and didn't they have a little grub screw that sometimes went missing, which was contained by the Jubilee clip as an added bonus. Wish i knew where mine was. Possibly lost or in some box buried somewhere in my storage shed.

 

[Rhyolith]

That's an interesting point Phil - is anyone else still making a spiral ratchet screwdriver?

Yes, apparently...

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 3411,43417

Cheers, Vann.

Haha, think I have one of those. Got it at a car boot for 50p! Will check when I can find it