1/4 Drive Sets

[J.A.F.E.]

Nice set.

I'm with you not a big fan of QR.

[Davethorik]

Hickory- the case is surprisingly solid* despite the bulk.
*=the latch is one of the plain plastic belt buckle type. It has a white bend line and will fracture in the future.

J.A.F.E.- I like the RHFT best in 1/4. I had a Craftsman but gave it to a friend, also have an Allen brand. Both Cman and Allen are QR. I use it if it's there but, majority of my rats are non-QR.

[CRTDI]

Dave,

Your Master Mechanic set appears to be Easco sourced. If so, should be a quality set..nice find!

[CRTDI]

Action set.

[J.A.F.E.]

Very nice. Was there a connection between Action and Thorsen? The ratchets look similar.

[hickory n Steel]

Very nice. Was there a connection between Action and Thorsen? The ratchets look similar.

AA lists them as a budget line Thorsen introduced in 1957.

[Davethorik]

Dave,

Your Master Mechanic set appears to be Easco sourced. If so, should be a quality set..nice find!

Crtdi- my humble thanks, you have many nice sets!

I like the 1/4" best of the RHFT. The 4 current other RHFT I have, plus two I gave away in the past, were all QR.

The set is kinda odd. 3 largest sockets have detents, spinner does on male end but not female, extensions have a hole drilled in 1 side to be a detent. I figured the set to be 80s. Spinner doesn't have a thru-shank but 2 metal pieces like old Plomb spinners.

[CRTDI]

A little Bon E Con set.

















A very Herbrandish looking ratchet....   A bit of a rough factory finish, but it's got a butter smooth action.





A comparison pic with an early model Herbrand ratchet. The Herbrand has a vertical
movement shift selector where as the Bon E Con has a horizontal movement shift selector.

[kwoswalt99]

I think that is a Herbrand rat.

[Snaparxon]

Didn't Bonney and Herbrand get absorbed in to the Triangle Corporation?

[hickory n Steel]

Didn't Bonney and Herbrand get absorbed in to the Triangle Corporation?

I was thinking Bon-e-con probably had to be a Bonney economy line, and if they merged with herbrand then my assumption could be correct.

[AnsonJ]

Wright Allied Set:

I bought this set brand new in the late 80s at Mill's Fleet Farm in Antigo Wisconsin.  I forget what I paid for it, but this is a really nice little 1/4" set







Anson

[J.A.F.E.]

Quite a nice set.

[Uncle Buck]

Not as nice as crtdi's...lol...
But I recently snagged this Master Mechanic USA 1/4 set.
Non-QR RHFT, female drive spinner.

I worked for True value during the years those sets were sold. I bought by pop a basic 3/8" drive set very much like that one in a blow molded case. Some years later I found him a larger 3/8" metal box that was made to hold a lot of extras like deep sockets, more extensions and a break bar and t handle. Sets like the one shown were great quality, made by Easco at the time and peer to Craftsman of that era too. Thanks for sharing.

[Uncle Buck]

Wright Allied Set:

I bought this set brand new in the late 80s at Mill's Fleet Farm in Antigo Wisconsin.  I forget what I paid for it, but this is a really nice little 1/4" set







Anson

Harry Epstein's some 25 or so years ago sold a set that was a twin to the Wright set and branded Cougar. I guess their economy line, but all the quality was the same for them as well. Pop used the crap out of that little Cougar set and got a lot of use from it.