Story about home power tools

Posted by mm on March 24, 2008, 1:35 pm

Heard on the radio just now -- heard it before too -- that there was a
big influx into Baltimore of workers from West Virginia and Virginia
and Carolina during the war and maybe other times, and Black and
Decker used to rent power tools to the shipyard(s?) here. According
to someone quoting Mr. Decker, he noticed -- didn't say exactly when
-- that people were taking the tools home and bringing them back, and
he asked them why, and was told "I can get so much done with these
things at home." And after that, Black and Decker started selling the
tools through hardware stores.

Posted by hallerb@aol.com on March 24, 2008, 9:36 pm

> Heard on the radio just now -- heard it before too -- that there was a
> big influx into Baltimore of workers from West Virginia and Virginia
> and Carolina during the war and maybe other times, and Black and
> Decker used to rent power tools to the shipyard(s?) here. =EF=BF=BDAccordi=

> to someone quoting Mr. Decker, he noticed -- didn't say exactly when
> -- that people were taking the tools home and bringing them back, and
> he asked them why, and was told "I can get so much done with these
> things at home." =EF=BF=BDAnd after that, Black and Decker started selling=

the

> tools through hardware stores.

sad they cut to junk quality, B&D is known as disposable tools

Posted by dadiOH on March 25, 2008, 7:13 am

hallerb@aol.com wrote:

>> Heard on the radio just now -- heard it before too -- that there
>> was a big influx into Baltimore of workers from West Virginia and
>> Virginia and Carolina during the war and maybe other times, and
>> Black and Decker used to rent power tools to the shipyard(s?)
>> here. ?According to someone quoting Mr. Decker, he noticed --
>> didn't say exactly when -- that people were taking the tools home
>> and bringing them back, and he asked them why, and was told "I can
>> get so much done with these things at home." ?And after that,
>> Black and Decker started selling the tools through hardware stores.

> sad they cut to junk quality, B&D is known as disposable tools

B&D has various grades of tools as do many other manufacturers. I
have a B&D *industrial* 3/8" drill that has had much use for the last
20 years. I also have a B&D 7/8 HP router - the antecedant of the
Dewalt 610 - that has been used even more over almost 40 years. I
replaced its bearings about 10 years ago.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Posted by Tomes on March 25, 2008, 8:18 am

"dadiOH" :

>> mm :

>>> Heard on the radio just now -- heard it before too -- that there
>>> was a big influx into Baltimore of workers from West Virginia and
>>> Virginia and Carolina during the war and maybe other times, and
>>> Black and Decker used to rent power tools to the shipyard(s?)
>>> here. ?According to someone quoting Mr. Decker, he noticed --
>>> didn't say exactly when -- that people were taking the tools home
>>> and bringing them back, and he asked them why, and was told "I can
>>> get so much done with these things at home." ?And after that,
>>> Black and Decker started selling the tools through hardware stores.

>> sad they cut to junk quality, B&D is known as disposable tools

> B&D has various grades of tools as do many other manufacturers. I
> have a B&D *industrial* 3/8" drill that has had much use for the last
> 20 years. I also have a B&D 7/8 HP router - the antecedant of the
> Dewalt 610 - that has been used even more over almost 40 years. I
> replaced its bearings about 10 years ago.

But that is exactly the point, isn't it. Your excellent stuff is really old
and not the current stuff.
Tomes

Posted by dadiOH on March 25, 2008, 12:47 pm

Tomes wrote:

> "dadiOH" :

>>> mm :
>>>> Heard on the radio just now -- heard it before too -- that there
>>>> was a big influx into Baltimore of workers from West Virginia and
>>>> Virginia and Carolina during the war and maybe other times, and
>>>> Black and Decker used to rent power tools to the shipyard(s?)
>>>> here. ?According to someone quoting Mr. Decker, he noticed --
>>>> didn't say exactly when -- that people were taking the tools home
>>>> and bringing them back, and he asked them why, and was told "I
>>>> can get so much done with these things at home." ?And after that,
>>>> Black and Decker started selling the tools through hardware
>>>> stores.
>>> sad they cut to junk quality, B&D is known as disposable tools

>> B&D has various grades of tools as do many other manufacturers. I
>> have a B&D *industrial* 3/8" drill that has had much use for the
>> last 20 years. I also have a B&D 7/8 HP router - the antecedant
>> of the Dewalt 610 - that has been used even more over almost 40
>> years. I replaced its bearings about 10 years ago.

> But that is exactly the point, isn't it. Your excellent stuff is
> really old and not the current stuff.

OP said B&G started retailing during "the war" (presumably, WW2) and
the person to whom I posted said it was a shame they diminished the
quality (presumably, when they started retailing). I was pointing out
that was not the case at least as recently as 20 years ago, probably
less. Besides, they still make the good stuff, just marketed under
different names...DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Delta...

The Dewalt 610 router was exactly same as my ancient B&D except it
could use 1/2" collets, was a bit more powerful and had a tab over
part of the power switch. I'd love to find a motor unit from one.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

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