Whats it worth and to who? odd tools w/pics

[Ben Grunow]

A friend of mine gave me these and I jut wonder what they could be worth to somebody. Not really useful to me since the invention of electricity but in good shape and working none the less.

Any ideas?

58191

58192

58193

Thanks

Ben

[Richard Keller]

Don't underestimate the value of hand tools. Norm even uses that Yankee push drill still.

Richard

[Brian Hale]

Send me that Yankee and i'll put it to good use. ;)

Brian :)

[Steve Clardy]

First picture, far right tool is an old automotive valve adjusting tool.

[James Suzda]

The middle picture is of an expansion bit for hand drilling various diameter holes with a brace. (I cut the end off of mine and now use it in an electric drill.)
Jim

[Fred Voorhees]

I have a few of those yankee screwdrivers.

[John Schreiber]

Electrons are over-rated. I'd love to have an adjustable drill bit like that to go in my brace.

[Mark Stutz]

John,
I have come across soveral of these adjustable bits at various times and places, but shied away from them, fearing that they wouldn't work as well. I gather from your response that they actually work reasonably well?

Mark

[Ben Grunow]

What use is there for a yankee screwdriver anymore? I would like to use it as it is a nice size and in like new shape but I have (last count) 8 cordless drills, 4 corded and 1 drill press.

I used on e when I was a kid and all I remember was that it needed to be oiled well to work right but if you touched the oily shaft you were a mess and so was your work.

Steve- I think that tool is an old socket handle or drill driver handle but I could be wrong. Look here and let me know as I have never seen one. It does have a forward and reverse ratchet action though-pull out knob and rotate 180 to change directions. Made by Goodell Pratt Co., Greenfield Mass..

58241

58242

58243

What U think?

[John Schreiber]

Mark,

No I haven't used one, but I know they were produced for a long time by quality companies.

I also have a nice brace and no bits to use in it. And a green woodworking project in my future which would benefit from being able to dial in the hole size.

They look they would be dangerous at any speed to speak of though.

[Mike Cutler]

What use is there for a yankee screwdriver anymore? I would like to use it as it is a nice size and in like new shape but I have (last count) 8 cordless drills, 4 corded and 1 drill press.

Ben.
That Yankee Screwdriver in a tight application can be a godsend. A cordless drill/screwdriver limits the space in which it can work by it's size. The Yankee can get anywhere you can place your hand. It's still a very viable,and valuable tool. The "real ones" were much better than the clones.
Yankee also had a small drill index for the driver at one time. You could do some very fine precision drilling with it.
The fact that the screwdriver and the Irwin are still in their original boxes probably adds some "collectability" to them.

Give us first shot at the Yankee before you eBay it, If you decide not to keep it that is.;)

[Chris Bolton]

Electrons are over-rated. I'd love to have an adjustable drill bit like that to go in my brace.


I'm no Arnold Schwarzenegger (which in German means 'Black Plowman') but I can still out torque any electrically corded drill with a brace and bit.

[Jay Fields]

recent ebay listing

[Randal Stevenson]

What use is there for a yankee screwdriver anymore? I would like to use it as it is a nice size and in like new shape but I have (last count) 8 cordless drills, 4 corded and 1 drill press.

I used on e when I was a kid and all I remember was that it needed to be oiled well to work right but if you touched the oily shaft you were a mess and so was your work.

Steve- I think that tool is an old socket handle or drill driver handle but I could be wrong. Look here and let me know as I have never seen one. It does have a forward and reverse ratchet action though-pull out knob and rotate 180 to change directions. Made by Goodell Pratt Co., Greenfield Mass..

58241

58242

58243

What U think?

Looks like one of the old valve adjusting tools to me. Some models used a flat head bit, and later models (mainly imports), used a socket, on the ones I have seen.

Kinda like a tappet wrench, who uses them to adjust their valve tappets anymore?

[Jim Thiel]

They look they would be dangerous at any speed to speak of though.

Isn't that why we do things? Every opportunity to bloody oneself must be fully explored, as LOML often reminds me.

Jim

[Dave Anderson NH]

You've got some useful tools there Ben. Yankee drills are a boon when working in tight spots or when you just need to drive that one screw. I have 3 scattered around the house and use them all the time. As for the expansion bit, they excell at hogging out large holes in rough carpentry where you don't have drill bits of the proper size. The real beauty comes from the fact that whith a small shaft and larger cutter setting the chips eject easily and the hole doesn't clog. Besides, you have a single bit which can make an almost infinite variety of hole sizes. As an example, how many of us have drill bit set that can handle everything from 1" up to 2" by sixteenths? Even if we did, how much would the set cost us?

[Richard Butler]

I'm no Arnold Schwarzenegger (which in German means 'Black Plowman') but I can still out torque any electrically corded drill with a brace and bit.

I think you should further qualify that. We had a milwaukee drill motor at my first job that required two men to operate. One fellow would be at the end of a 4ft pipe stuck on the handle and the other guy pulled the trigger and held the back end up. That bad boy could snap a 1" tapered reamer in two.

[James Suzda]

John,
I have come across soveral of these adjustable bits at various times and places, but shied away from them, fearing that they wouldn't work as well. I gather from your response that they actually work reasonably well?

Mark
Hi,
I've used these bits for many years ago before there were hole saws and such. (When I got out of high school I worked with a plumber and electrician)
Although I've not used my expansion bit for years, I still have it in my tool box. Yes, they could be dangerous and shake a lot if you spun them too fast with an electric drill because they are not balanced. But, they are handy to drill odd sized holes.
Jim

[Mitchell Andrus]

Yep, for lapping valves to their seats. I've used one on my Model A Ford. Mine has a little crank at the top though, must be the deluxe version.

[Ben Grunow]

Nothing like some old, odd ball tools and a few pictures to feed the imagination and picture police. I think I will keep these tools as they were free and belonged to a friend father who is now paralyzed.

Someday I might go neander and they would be fun to use in the cdondition they are in. The bit is adjustable from 7/8" to 3" BTW and I have a 30 year old Milwaukee Hole Hawg with a 16" piece of 1" pipe for a handle and it will break your wrist, fingers or arm if you let it. It does not stop when drilling framing lumber with the 3 1/2" bit in it (not for knots or nails, ever) until you let go of the trigger. Whe drilling something in a tight spot we have a spotter hold the cord so he can unplug it if there is a problem.

Incidentally, when my father bought it in 1972, he dropped it into Long Island Sound (the ocean) in February and dove in to get it. 6' deep and it still works (so does he).

Thanks for the info and conversation.

Any one need a valve adjuster?

Ben

[Don Stanley]

Donate them to a local Museum if you don't want them.

-Don

[Jerry Olexa]

Interesting stuff. You could prob sell on EBay...