Garage Hangout

Tools And The Shop => Mechanic Hand Tools We Use => Topic started by: goodfellow on Jan 19, 2025, 07:40 PM

Title: Montgomery Ward DOE PowrKraft Wrenches
Post by: goodfellow on Jan 19, 2025, 07:40 PM
These are getting pretty rare; because since the early 1970's open ends became less and less popular. This is an early SAE Thorsen set (ca. 1975) and still includes a 19/32. The set is perfect and I still use it a lot. In the late 70's most of the larger PowrKraft open end sets were special order only from the Montgomery Ward tool catalog.

EDIT: The reason for buying PowrKraft was two-fold

1) the tools were much less expensive than Sears Craftsman, and
2) there was no raised panel, so the wrenches felt better and were more comfortable

(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Wrenches/PICT0540Medium.jpg)

(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Wrenches/PICT0541Medium.jpg)

(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Wrenches/PICT0542Medium.jpg)

(http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo18/goodfellow_2004/Wrenches/PICT0543Medium.jpg)
Title: Re: Montgomery Ward DOE PowrKraft Wrenches
Post by: Uncle Buck on Feb 04, 2025, 06:11 PM
I have a few of those myself.  I suspect those were Thorsen sourced. Toward the end, there was no mistaking them as Thorsen sourced. AA would tell us for sure though.
Title: Re: Montgomery Ward DOE PowrKraft Wrenches
Post by: goodfellow on Feb 05, 2025, 05:27 AM
Quote from: Uncle Buck on Feb 04, 2025, 06:11 PMI have a few of those myself.  I suspect those were Thorsen sourced. Toward the end, there was no mistaking them as Thorsen sourced. AA would tell us for sure though.

They are Thorsen Buck. It was an attempt to streamline the price and the brand with a new look and feel on all their mechanics tools. The new PowrKraft branding campaign worked for a while through the 1980's, but by the early 1990's the writing was on the wall for Montgomery Ward.