Replies

1. 
   riverr1 | Sep 07, 2003 03:09am | #1

   Doc,

   Saw a thing on the history channel about power tools. According to that, Fein was the first with a power saw made from a milk shake mixer type motor. They're still in business too.

   Also from the program was the circular saw blade was an idea from a Shaker women. The idea came from her spinning wheel.

   Don

1. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 07, 2003 06:38am | #2

   DON: Nawww the History channel had that all wrong I think it was your Buddies over at Jet that came out with the first circular saw.bet they stole the idea from someone else..LMAO... "TOO FUNNY"...

                                                                 ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..

1. 
   riverr1 | Sep 07, 2003 04:54pm | #3

   Doc,

   Just reporting what was said. Most came to market with one tool to start the business. Milwaukee was the hole shooter which it is still called, pc was the belt sander, etc.

   Actually, my guess would be that neither actually had the first tools. Some garage inventor(s) somewhere played around with these ideas long before any known product came to market.

   Don

   Here's Fein's achievement site:

   http://www.fein.ca/Achievements/index.htm

   Edited 9/7/2003 9:58:52 AM ET by Don C.

1. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 07, 2003 05:15pm | #4

   Don: Hmm Both B&D & Fein both claim to be the first ones out with a Electric Drill.. guess Fein was really the first & B&D was the first one here in the U.S.A.

                                           ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..

1. 
   riverr1 | Sep 07, 2003 05:21pm | #5

   Don't know. Fein also claims the first hand held electric saw, 1928, 4 years after skil saw. Maybe they're the first over there?

   Don

   Edited 9/7/2003 10:23:27 AM ET by Don C.

2. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 07, 2003 05:46pm | #6

   Don: See that Fein company is all screwed up cause its clear that Skil was pumping em out in 1924 & Fein didn't start making em until 1928..

                                      ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..

3. 
   riverr1 | Sep 07, 2003 05:49pm | #7

   I agree.

4. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 07, 2003 06:17pm | #8

   DON: IM glad you agree  :)  How you doing? we haven't chated in awhile,bet your busy.. I know I have been between work & my own place its a never ending cycle..   take care..      

                                  ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..

2. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 07, 2003 07:18pm | #9

   Here is some more info that I dug up..

   #8. Stanley Works  was founded im 1843 by fredrick trent Stanley New Britain Conn. they started out mfg Hardware, they started mfg Tools in 1857, in the 40s they had a fleet of converted motor coaches dubbed the Rolloramas which carried 1.300 diffrent samples that Stanley mfg.

   #9.Millers Falls Tool Co. was founded in 1861

   #10. Grizzly power tools was founded in 1983

   #11. Alonzo Galloway Decker who started the Black&Decker co, applied for pat Dec4 1914  for the first electric drill the pat was granted nov 6 1917

   #12. Craftsman /Sears started selling woodworking equipment in 1926

   Dunlap there other line of tools was named for a Tools & Hardware manager that started working there in 1927 ~ Tom Dunlap

   #13/ Dewalt ~ 1922 ~ Raymond E. Dewalt comes out with the first Radial arm saw 1924 Dewalt Products CO. is formed at Leola PA there first product is named the Dewalt Wonder Worker  1929 Dewalt moves there mfg to Lancaster Pa

   1960 Black & Decker buys Dewalt & it was down hill ever after  1989 Dewalt stops mfg Radial Arm Saws..

   #14.ToolKraft formed in 1938 but not officialy filed til 1948 they mfg under ToolKraft,PowerKraft for Montgomery Ward & Darra James  they made table & Radial arm saws, Drill presses.Band saws,sanders,Shapers.. they stoped mfg in 1984

   #15. Sprunger started mfg in 1943 sold out in late 60s & stoped mfg in 1984

   they prduced a lot of diffrent power tools..

            as I gather other info you can expect more postings..

                                   ToolDoc

   Proud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..
1. 
   EdHarrison | Sep 08, 2003 04:28am | #12

   Thanks for this thread, Tooldoc. I wonder who came out with the first handheld electric router, truly a revolutionary tool,..... I know Millers Falls had some early ones. Ed

1. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 08, 2003 05:31am | #13

   ED : Good queston guess I'll check & see I Know that as you mentioned MF, PC,Stanley & B&D  were all old mfgs of routers  but who had the first??

                                    ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..

2. 
   Steinmetz | Sep 13, 2003 07:10am | #17

   Ed, excuse me jumping in, but seems to me iIread in an old Popular Mechanics book that showed how to make one from a vacuum cleaner motor.( 1937 ish)

   Incidently I still have the Foredom type flexable shaft tool that I built from an old electric broom motor( Still works too!)  Stein.

   Edited 9/13/2003 12:12:07 AM ET by steinmetz

3. 
   lwilliams | Sep 08, 2003 02:02am | #10

   "#1. The first cordless drill was mfg in 1961 by the Black & Decker Mfg co. the idea came from NASA as they were looking for that type of a tool for the space program.."

   The first cordless drill I saw was from Black & Decker and it was at a time when they started to produce all kinds of cordless tools. The catch was that they still needed cords, they just didn't come with them. You had to supply your own.

1. 
   ToolDoc | Sep 08, 2003 04:20am | #11

   Larry: Leave it to B&D they sure were ahead of there time with Wonderfull ideas..

                                      ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Clubs & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..

4. 
   patricks13 | Sep 08, 2003 08:42pm | #14

   While Black and Decker did goof up the DeWalt line of saws they sold and inexpensive line of tools for the home owner that lasted a pretty well for how much they cost. My dad bought me a B&D drill in 1968 because he was tired of looking for his drill and it still works which is amazing considering how many times I have abused it.

    

   It was Mr. DeWalt that actually designed and build the first RAS from a need he saw on the job he was working at.

    

   Going from memory Sister Tabatha Babbitt designed the first circular saw in the form of a table saw. 
1. 
   BG | Sep 10, 2003 04:38pm | #15

   Pat S,

   Back in 66 I went to the B&D tool school in Towsand, MD.  At that time the home owner line of tools was preceeded with a 'U' in front of the number(U=utility model)..yes they were quite good ...used oil impregnated brass bearings instead of needle bearings...plastic instead of cast magnesium casings, etc.  I still have a 1/2" hammerdrill from those days..works well. 

   Their best tools back then were the electric hammer drills...the big ones..I think it was the #104  

1. 
   ETG | Sep 10, 2003 06:36pm | #16

   That's Towson Maryland - B&D actually started in Baltimore and moved to Towson about 60 years ago.  B&D like many brands produced 3 lines - homeowner, tradesman and industrial.  Today, most manufacturers have crafted two lines - a low end (actually lower than the original homewoner line) and a blend of homeowner and tradesman which is the high end today.  Finding an industrial portable tool is darn hard - the PC 503/504 belt sanders are an example but the B&D "Holegun" is long gone and the current models (now branded as DeWalt) won't take continuous duty work.  Black & Decker has a history of slash and trash - not just Dewalt, but Master Power and McCullough were run into the ground.

   What's really telling about the B&D battery drill is that they took over 30 years to develop a decent machine yet Makita quietly came out with a superb line in the early 80's that beat B&D hands down.  B&D is a second to market, purchase technology (to wit DeWalt) and not the innovators folks think they are.  I live in the shadows of their facilities so the conversation among their folks on the weekends can be quite interesting.  As we say, friends don't let friends buy DeWalt.