Spreading the Bonney affliction!

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

A member messaged me and complained (i.e. thanked me) about how I got him "addicted" to Bonney tools. I said I was sorry (not). So, I thought I'd help spread the Bonney bug around some more.

Here's my set of long DBE's in metric, satin combos in SAE, and a trio of rats.

CobraChevelle · Dec 23, 2014

I inherited some 1/4 ratchets and wrenches. I never heard of them before this but they looked like they were good quality back then.

Scout Driver · Dec 23, 2014

Nice tools. Your DBE wrenches are especially sweet!

Scott

woody 73 · Dec 23, 2014

Just curious but would you like me to post a story on bonney tools or would you guys not be interested?

u118224 · Dec 23, 2014

There's just something about the shape, heft and feel of a Bonney wrench that I haven't seen duplicated. I wish I had more of them. Pure quality.

sonvolt · Dec 23, 2014

woody 73 said:
Just curious but would you like me to post a story on bonney tools or would you guys not be interested?

Post it ! Love my Bonney line wrenches

McFarmer · Dec 23, 2014

I have some of those DBE wrenches, never seen better.

lakota · Dec 23, 2014

Got a few Bonney, (my first), combo's at an estate sale for $1.00 each. Full polish 3/8', 1/2" and 9/16''. A pleasure to hold and use. :thumbup:

methomas70 · Dec 23, 2014

Last year, I got a set of 1960's vintage long combos in SAE.
They're now my go-to's.

Bonneyman-love the metric DBEs!

TOOL FANATIK · Dec 23, 2014

I have 1 single full polish Bonney combo wrench and I love the look and feel...tho I can't use it for anything. I searched for them before, they're discontinued right?

TOOL FANATIK · Dec 23, 2014

Yea...I definitely love the look and feel of this wrench...even more than my superkromes...wish they still made them.

TheGrooveking · Dec 23, 2014

My favorite wrenches of all!

TheGrooveking

JohnK007 · Dec 23, 2014

Here's my contribution to the thread. 6 through 32mm

View media item 46221
View media item 46219

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

Lots of nice tools, guys. :thumbup:

And thanks for the kind words.

The DBE's in metric are really scarce. SAE's can usually be gotten reasonable, but certain metric sizes are rarer than hens teeth.

Here's my (incomplete) SAE DBE's. The 3/4" biggie on the bottom is a beast!

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

woody 73 said:
Just curious but would you like me to post a story on bonney tools or would you guys not be interested?

Post it up! I'd be interested. :thumbup:

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

TOOL FANATIK said:
I have 1 single full polish Bonney combo wrench and I love the look and feel...tho I can't use it for anything. I searched for them before, they're discontinued right?

Yes, they were closed down in 1994 due to Chinese competition. Yet NOS stashes still keep popping up - 20 years later. Very tough, very strong wrenches. Unfortunately, the secret of Bonney has gotten out, and alot of folks are buying them up quick. Prices have gone up, and tools put up for sale go fast.
Though, I do still find them at pawn shops and estate sales. Here's a spare set of angle wrenches I put together from here and there over a few years for around $20.

Is your 1" a full polish (#1170) or a satin finish (#23732)?

sonvolt · Dec 23, 2014

I have a set of NOS crowfoot sockets and a few line wrenches and sockets awesome quality

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

sonvolt said:
I have a set of NOS crowfoot sockets and a few line wrenches and sockets awesome quality

I don't have any Bonney crowsfeet. Post up some pics, please!

TOOL FANATIK · Dec 23, 2014

bonneyman said:
Yes, they were closed down in 1994 due to Chinese competition. Yet NOS stashes still keep popping up - 20 years later. Very tough, very strong wrenches. Unfortunately, the secret of Bonney has gotten out, and alot of folks are buying them up quick. Prices have gone up, and tools put up for sale go fast.
Though, I do still find them at pawn shops and estate sales. Here's a spare set of angle wrenches I put together from here and there over a few years for around $20.

Is your 1" a full polish (#1170) or a satin finish (#23732)?

Epsteins has select Bonney wrenches on his website.

sonvolt · Dec 23, 2014

bonneyman said:
I don't have any Bonney crowsfeet. Post up some pics, please!

Ok, I will see what I can do tomorrow !

bob15 · Dec 23, 2014

Here are a few Bonney sets i have

Long and short full polish:

long satin finish:

Bigger wrenches (that is a 1/4" Bonney on the open end of the 1 3/4)

1/2 drive shallow & deep:

Tubing wrenches:

8 point wrench and a starter wrench

bob15 · Dec 23, 2014

bonneyman said:
I don't have any Bonney crowsfeet. Post up some pics, please!

Crowfeet sets:

NOS 1/4" drive sets:

DOE:

The lobular socket design (the original "Flank Drive"):

egnorant · Dec 23, 2014

I had never heard of Bonney before I joined this site. And I had just vowed to curb my tool purchases until I had my shop set up and tools organized but I did add Bonney to my "If I Happen To Stumble across Some" list.

I also noticed that in my TONS of hand tools there was a very short list of tool brands not represented...Bonney was one and it planted a bug in my newly repressed OCD.

Then I found this:

I did "stumble across a Bonney 2804-L 3/8 and 7/16 double box end wrench but in order to get it I had to buy 37 wrenches...and a Craftsman Crown Top toolbox. But it was only $15.00 so my Bonney collection had begun. Now with a wrench and a tool box I have a good start!

This is a good thing...Isn't it?

Bruce

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

bob 15 - WOW!!!! Loving those big double flare ends.
My Loc-Rite DFE's stop at 7/8" I have the older, regular style of DFE's up to 1 1/8"
Also, great close-up of the socket ends. :thumbup:

egnorant: Now you know what you've been missing.
The logo on the Bonney boxes was used from 1947 to at least 1963. Can't really nail it down any closer than that. Post war for sure. :drool:

bob15 · Dec 23, 2014

I didn't include the 3/8 drive, the 3/4" drive 9both conventional and Loc-Rite) and the duplicate DOE wrench set in my jacket (goes to 13/16) or the duplicate combo wrench sets i have.

i guess Bonney is my favorite wrench & socket.......

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

Bonney sockets with Loc-Rite broaching had a distinctive marking on them. There's a little triangle under the "Y" in Bonney. (Drive accessories also had this feature). Dead give-away for Bonney sockets made after Triangle Tools Corp bought them (1967 thru their closing in 1994)

rapid robert · Dec 23, 2014

woody 73 said:
Just curious but would you like me to post a story on bonney tools or would you guys not be interested?

Always ready to learn more about tools! Post it!

bonneyman · Dec 23, 2014

bob15 said:
I didn't include the 3/8 drive, the 3/4" drive 9both conventional and Loc-Rite) and the duplicate DOE wrench set in my jacket (goes to 13/16) or the duplicate combo wrench sets i have.

i guess Bonney is my favorite wrench & socket.......

I have to be honest here - and this may come as a shock to Bonney fans, but - I never really liked Bonney ratchets! Too big a head, too wobbly and clunky feeling for my taste. I have a set simply because, well, my name. But I much prefer S-K ratchets. :lol_hitti

My sockets sets cover from 1/4" thru 3/8" to 1/2" drive. SAE and/or metric, shallow and/or deeps.

No 3/4" or 1" drive. :sad:

NathanB · Dec 23, 2014

I have a few nos wrenches from hje, wouldn't mind completing the set one day. They are great wrenches

rusty65 · Dec 23, 2014

that bonney tool box looks familiar.

pauls_workshop · Dec 24, 2014

bonneyman said:
I have to be honest here - and this may come as a shock to Bonney fans, but - I never really liked Bonney ratchets! Too big a head, too wobbly and clunky feeling for my taste. I have a set simply because, well, my name. But I much prefer S-K ratchets.

My sockets sets cover from 1/4" thru 3/8" to 1/2" drive. SAE and/or metric, shallow and/or deeps.

No 3/4" or 1" drive.

Heresy Bonneyman!! Hypocrite! Blasphemer! You must love all Bonney EQUALLY! You can't pick and choose like that! :eyecrazy:

This thread is getting interesting. I love old US tools and just getting into some Bonney. Those double ended box are expensive though on ebay and that's for rusty ones! I got a few open ended wrenches and some sockets so far, but also have a couple Utica pliers! - Paul

bonneyman · Dec 24, 2014

pauls_workshop said:
Heresy Bonneyman!! Hypocrite! Blasphemer! You must love all Bonney EQUALLY! You can't pick and choose like that!

This thread is getting interesting. I love old US tools and just getting into some Bonney. Those double ended box are expensive though on ebay and that's for rusty ones! I got a few open ended wrenches and some sockets so far, but also have a couple Utica pliers! - Paul

Yeah, my Bonney sockets squeal when I press them onto my S-K ratchet. :lol:

twertsy · Dec 24, 2014

I just snagged this lot for $50. Thoughts?

bonneyman · Dec 24, 2014

twertsy said:
I just snagged this lot for $50. Thoughts?

Nice! Prolly 50's vintage.
I have a 3/8" flex ratchet with that handle.

bob15 · Dec 24, 2014

twertsy said:
I just snagged this lot for $50. Thoughts?

I agree it is probably from the 1950's. Just be aware that the sockets aren't Loc-Rite and are the conventional style.

The Loc-Rites are rounded (see my post above with just the socket)

twertsy · Dec 24, 2014

bob15 said:
I agree it is probably from the 1950's. Just be aware that the sockets aren't Loc-Rite and are the conventional style.

The Loc-Rites are rounded (see my post above with just the socket)

Appreciate the nugget Bob! I'm a Bonney-Beginner!

twertsy · Dec 24, 2014

I've got to go back to the local pawn shop on Friday. There were 10+ "shield B" wrenches in their junk drawer two days ago but I didn't know what they were until I saw this thread!

dnschmidt · Dec 24, 2014

Hey, I've got some Bonney stuff. I don't think I ever used these tools at all. Once I got into Porsche's I had little need for SAE tools. Still shinny.

twertsy · Dec 24, 2014

dnschmidt said:
Hey, I've got some Bonney stuff. I don't think I ever used these tools at all. Once I got into Porsche's I had little need for SAE tools. Still shinny.

I only use SAE, what do you want for them?

bonneyman · Dec 25, 2014

dnschmidt said:
Hey, I've got some Bonney stuff. I don't think I ever used these tools at all. Once I got into Porsche's I had little need for SAE tools. Still shinny.

Those sets are beautiful!
The only down-side with Bonney was they didn't make every style in every size. Like your set of double flare wrenches. They didn't make them in metric - only in SAE. How I wish they had made metrics when I'm working on the Toyota brakes!
Though, HVAC is my bread-and-butter, and (luckily) that industry hasn't gone over to metric fasteners - yet. So Bonney SAE tools fit just perfectly.
Here's my set of short DFE's in Loc-Rite, and my old school full size DFE's in standard broaching.

Spreading the Bonney affliction!

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