Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Matt42
TDR MEMBER
X4 on the 18 volt DeWalt cordless. I have just about all of them at home, except the jigsaw and the caulking gun. I also use them at work. There is a military specification for a roll-up solar charger for DeWalt 18 volt batteries. Depending on sun conditions, it'll charge between four and eight batteries in four to eight hours. Fewer batteries charge faster. When you consider the theaters of operations where solar charging is what's available, this makes sense. The price? If you have to ask, you can't afford it. It would cost about the same to install a small Onan generator in your truck. But when lives depend on a field repair that needs a cordless tool, the $3500 solar charger is dirt cheap.
A long time ago, I worked part time at Montgomery Ward to put my way through college. I sold hardware and electrical. Ward's PowrKraft brand of hand and power tools competed head-to-head with Sears Craftsman. The PowrKraft arc welders were made by 20th Century, and the oxy-acetylene welders were Harris. Bench power tools were made by ToolKraft in Massachusetts, which is long gone I think. (The company, not the state. ) The power hand tools were made by Wen at the entry level, and McGraw-Edison at the pro level. I am in the final stages of actually wearing out one of the upper-end routers.
Ward's mechanics hand tools were made by Stanley, if they were screwdrivers. Sockets, ratchets and wrenches were almost all made by Wright Forging, and they are still around. In about 1972, as a means of adding a little to the bottom line, Wards cheapened the mechanics tools line by dropping Wright and contracting with Hydrometals. We were told that Hydrometals was "the same company as Thorsen. " Maybe it was, but the tools--especially the ratchets--were junk. Wards honored the lifetime guarantee. Returns were so frequent that we never had individual ratchets on the shelf. They all went out as replacements. Then we had to cannibalize sets to replace ratchets. That left us with sets that had no ratchet, and those represented inventory that could never be sold.
My job now takes me to many odd places, though mostly I sit at a desk on Mahogany Row and telecommute to the East Coast while watching traffic accidents out the window. When I can, I check pawn shops and yard sales for real Craftsman, PowrKraft and Wright hand tools. The real PowrKraft and Wright ratchets have handles that appear to be wrapped in tire rubber. Those were hard to sell at the time, but they have held up well over 40 years. And they are comfortable to use all day long.
When looking at Montgomery Ward tools, there's a code in the article number. I'll use 84 W 3456 as an example. I used to have many of the actual numbers memorized, but this isn't one of them
84 is the department number, e. g. hardware. 83 was electrical. 75 was paint, I think. W is the abbreviation for the vendor or manufacturer, in this case, Wright Forging. Whatever the tool is, it'll be good. Then the last four to six digits indicate what the tool is, anywhere from a 3/4 inch combination wrench to a 3/8 inch drive 1/2 inch six point socket.
When the line changed to Hydrometals, the article number stayed the same, but the letter code changed. So 84 W 3456 became 84 H 3456. If it was a ratchet, it would be amazing if it was still around now. If it was a box wrench, it might be OK.
Over the last decade, I've amassed a motley collection of full sets of non-matching boonie box tools. Some PowrKraft, some Craftsman, some Wright, some S-K, some Lectrolite, some Bonney, and so on, but all US made. I kind of miss selling those doggone tools for two bucks an hour.
