1/4 Drive Sets

[d42jeep]

One would think that I would have found one of those sockets by now. It's certainly not for a lack of trying.
-Don

[CRTDI]

Holy moly!!!.....    That's quite the collection....

[CRTDI]

cycle, RE: your previous posts.

Haven't seen the Giller set with the Walden style box before....that's pretty cool.
 
Digging the "DI "set in the None Better box....looks really nice. 

I've been jonesing for a Firestone set for quite a while but have come up empty....so super jealous.

You have a real interesting collection of later mixed history U.S.A. stuff that I myself would normally not collect. You've made me realize that I'm probably a 1/4" set snob. I might have to venture off the reservation for some enlightenment, but I don't believe I could ever consider a set in a blow molded case....I have a real disdain for these plastic space wasting cases.

[J.A.F.E.]

This keeps getting better and better to the point I am out of adjectives and superlatives for what you guys are posting. Most impressive is all I can say.

I really appreciate you posing all this.

[hickory n Steel]

A U.S. made Truecraft 1/4" drive SAE set. The sockets are all 1/4" square drive. The bits are all 1/4" hex drive. The reversible ratcheting driver handle (with a storage compartment in the handle) and all the sockets are marked "U.S.A.". The bits have no markings other than their sizes.

That ratchet driver looks Western Forge to me, they made this exact driver with Craftsman handles Husky handles and I'm sure many others.
Tooth count isn't very high or anything but mine is nice and smooth and isn't stiff at all.

[GreyOwl]

Can't seem to post a pic from my phone or iPad so will try again later.

[J.A.F.E.]

Can't seem to post a pic from my phone or iPad so will try again later.

Thank you for trying.

[four.cycle]

CRTDI - thanks. The Firestone set was definitely an indulgence. I figured I got lucky on that one - it appears to be all there and it's in excellent condition (other than the exterior of the box.)

As for the blow-molded cases: I am certainly no fan of that style box. As you note, they waste a lot of space, and (for the most part) they don't allow the user to add anything to the set (although I noticed that S-K started making little pockets for "extras" in some of their later-production sets.) There's nothing quite like being able to "customize" your own set depending upon your own individual needs. (see photo below)
Another issue is that they're inevitably prone to failure: hinges break, latches fail.
That said, they are what they are - and most of those above are the original boxes the sets came in, so I prefer to leave them that way. Fortunately I've been able to round up dozens of metal boxes for those sets I have which are loose pieces.

hickory and Steel - interesting observation on that Truecraft driver set. Western Forge would not have occurred to me. I was quite surprised to find a U.S. made item with the Truecraft brand name on it, as my understanding previously was that all of their product line was outsourced from offshore. I don't have a Craftsman driver of that sort, so I cannot make a visual comparison. The action (as I recall) was fairly nice - as with several others above, it appears to have seen little or no use. I've grabbed it a few times recently when I got a call for some simple repair job - it was actually nice to work with.

d42jeep - thanks very much. I don't feel so bad now about my own obsession with Walden. I might have about six or eight of those 1/4" sets, but nowhere near twenty!
It must be something about the brand or the name. For reasons which defy explanation, I think I have three PM21 3/8" drive sets - the one with the wonky male-to-male "extension" that uses the female-to-female "connector".

CRTDI - as I noted above, the best box is the one in which you can add what you need to have. This old 7602 Indestro set kind of grew a life of its own over the last four decades - this is my go-to user set:

[hickory n Steel]

Here's my 1/4" ( also does the precisions )  bit driver set.

[hickory n Steel]

CRTDI - thanks. The Firestone set was definitely an indulgence. I figured I got lucky on that one - it appears to be all there and it's in excellent condition (other than the exterior of the box.)

As for the blow-molded cases: I am certainly no fan of that style box. As you note, they waste a lot of space, and (for the most part) they don't allow the user to add anything to the set (although I noticed that S-K started making little pockets for "extras" in some of their later-production sets.) There's nothing quite like being able to "customize" your own set depending upon your own individual needs. (see photo below)
Another issue is that they're inevitably prone to failure: hinges break, latches fail.
That said, they are what they are - and most of those above are the original boxes the sets came in, so I prefer to leave them that way. Fortunately I've been able to round up dozens of metal boxes for those sets I have which are loose pieces.

hickory and Steel - interesting observation on that Truecraft driver set. Western Forge would not have occurred to me. I was quite surprised to find a U.S. made item with the Truecraft brand name on it, as my understanding previously was that all of their product line was outsourced from offshore. I don't have a Craftsman driver of that sort, so I cannot make a visual comparison. The action (as I recall) was fairly nice - as with several others above, it appears to have seen little or no use. I've grabbed it a few times recently when I got a call for some simple repair job - it was actually nice to work with.

d42jeep - thanks very much. I don't feel so bad now about my own obsession with Walden. I might have about six or eight of those 1/4" sets, but nowhere near twenty!
It must be something about the brand or the name. For reasons which defy explanation, I think I have three PM21 3/8" drive sets - the one with the wonky male-to-male "extension" that uses the female-to-female "connector".

CRTDI - as I noted above, the best box is the one in which you can add what you need to have. This old 7602 Indestro set kind of grew a life of its own over the last four decades - this is my go-to user set:

Here's my WF bit driver, it originally had a fat rubberized Husky pro handle in it which I replaced with a Craftsman 4337.

[GreyOwl]

Another try from my laptop

[GreyOwl]

Finally worked. I don't know what was wrong from my phone and tablet'
This set belonged to my FIL who put the aweful orange paint on the case. Someday I want to strip and repaint the box the correct color.
I also have never seen another set with the frosted chrome finish instead of polished. Does this do anything for dating this set?

[slip knot]

Havent looked at this page in a few days and WOW. some really nice sets are showing up. I'm thinking some of you guys have some issues.

 Keep them coming.

[J.A.F.E.]

GreyOwl thank you for your persistence. Nice set and I think the only complete version I have seen!

The ratchet was made by MDF - Moore Drop Forge and there were two variations - yours has a sort of elongated tear drop shape in the neck transitioning from the head to the handle. The other variation is smooth in that area. Not sure which variation was first but in general I believe the MDF ratchets to be roughly post war to about early/mid 50's. The MDF ratchet and the Plomb made ratchet in my opinion are the best modern Craftsman ratchets. The earlier New Britain made was an excellent ratchet as well but that goes back a couple decades before yours.

I am guessing the satin finish was MDF and they likely made the set to all match but I am not the expert in dating Craftsman tools or IDing the OEM.

MDF was later bought by Easco who continued to make Craftsman tools until fairly recently.

[hickory n Steel]

Another try from my laptop

Real nice set, glad you were persistent and got it posted.