Post up your Powr-Kraft and other Wards tools

d42jeep · Dec 31, 2025

A couple of recent arrivals. The tin snips are from the free ranch clean out. I was careful to preserve the markings. Evaporust would have made them disappear.

My 1/4” drive sets all seem to have ended up with Thorsen based spinners. This Wright sourced spinner that came from eBay solves that problem.

-Don

four.cycle · Dec 31, 2025

d42jeep said:
Evaporust would have made them disappear.

ooooo I did not know that.

d42jeep · Dec 31, 2025

I once removed all the markings from a feeler gauge that way making it pretty useless. A pair of Utica pliers as well.
-Don

four.cycle · Dec 31, 2025

^ I did the same thing spraying "409" onto the face of a 19th-century German 8-day wind-up clock when I was about 13.
Repainted all the numbers back onto the face with a tiny brush and black acrylic paint.
Wasn't aware Evaporust would remove that "laser etch" stuff.

I have a Gilfillan feeler gauge that was rusted solid. Soaked it with Kroil and MMO for over a week just to be able to get the blades to unfold. Really glad I didn't resort to the Evaporust now that I know that.

nz44tool · Dec 31, 2025

four.cycle said:
ooooo I did not know that.

d42jeep said:
Evaporust would have made them disappear.

Yep. We need a campaign to bring back stamping! So much better!

TheRealZeus · Dec 31, 2025

nz44tool said:
Yep. We need a campaign to bring back stamping! So much better!

Printmaking courses are still available in most art colleges I believe.

TheRealZeus · Dec 31, 2025

Craft stores got copper plates, and you’re cookin’ with fire. Of all the presses I’ve seen, my college professor said “nothing beats cinder block(s) for a press.

MAD · Jan 8, 2026

I don't think anyone posted this one yet.

Powr Kraft 84-6464 Transit level

d42jeep · Jan 9, 2026

I found this Barcalo sourced Wards DOE wrench at today’s estate sale.

-Don

Bryan Burns · Jan 10, 2026

Here are mine. Wards Master tools are equivalent in quality to vintage CRAFTSMAN but don't have the same name recognition. Just my honest opinion.

d42jeep · Jan 10, 2026

I finally got around to adding my new spinner to my Wright sourced Powr-Kraft 1/4” drive set.

-Don

four.cycle · Jan 10, 2026

Bryan Burns said:
. Wards Master tools are equivalent in quality to vintage CRAFTSMAN

In some cases, arguably better. Wards and Pennys were both trying to go for Sears' market share of tools.

Tom "Python" Aycock · Jan 10, 2026

d42jeep said:
I finally got around to adding my new spinner to my Wright sourced Powr-Kraft 1/4” drive set.
-Don

I just got done moving Thorsen sourced sockets out of a Wright sourced box and putting them into a Thorsen made plastic Powrkraft box. Then added Wright sourced sockets into the correct box. I'm figuring my 1/4 drive sockets marked Montgomery Ward and Powrkraft are newer and they'll go into my newer combination sets.

d42jeep · Jan 24, 2026

I was surprised to see this mostly unused Thorsen supplied socket set at today’s estate sale. It seemed totally complete.

-Don

Tom "Python" Aycock · Jan 24, 2026

d42jeep said:
I was surprised to see this mostly unused Thorsen supplied socket set at today’s estate sale. It seemed totally complete.
-Don

With a breaker bar...lucky!

d42jeep · Jan 24, 2026

The previous owner of the socket set must have been a frequent Wards shopper. I found a Powr-Kraft carry box, a tiny Phillips screwdriver and a Wards Master Quality groove joint pair of pliers at the same sale.

I knocked some of the surface rust off of the pliers.

-Don

d42jeep · Jan 26, 2026

I spent a little time today cleaning up my new (to me) carry box.

-Don

d42jeep · Jan 31, 2026

Although otherwise unremarkable, I was happy to find this Powr-Kraft drill index only missing a few of the smaller bits.

-Don

d42jeep · Feb 6, 2026

Here are the Powr-Kraft finds from yesterday’s estate sale.

Cleaned up the hex set.

Here is the wood chisel.

The Barcalo supplied 1” combo wrench.

The Thorsen supplied wrenches.

-Don

d42jeep · Mar 1, 2026

I found this Made in USA 10“ hacksaw blade in the sleeve at yesterday’s estate sale.

-Don

genog · Mar 7, 2026

Saw this very interesting and rather amusing Powr Kraft Reciprocating Saw today at the Flea Market

I believe there's something that's Not Quite Right with the blade end of it.....

Mintgrun · Mar 8, 2026

That's basically an early version of a Sawzall. The foot, or blade end design is a bit odd, but looks correct, compared to other online examples. The handle shape makes me think it was made by WEN.

Okay, here's a WEN version currently on ePay.

I've got one of their jigsaws sitting up on a shelf with other 'display tools.'

RTM · Mar 8, 2026

genog said:
believe there's something that's Not Quite Right with the blade end of it.

From this angle, looks like there is a jigsaw sized blade in it, not a Sawzall sized blade.

genog · Mar 9, 2026

Here's a little Powr Kraft vise
I grabbed the image from a Craigslist posting

genog · Mar 9, 2026

And....

Tom "Python" Aycock · Mar 14, 2026

Just received this box today. I searched through all 21 pages of thread and don't see one like it. Due to its size, im sure its at least a 1/2" drive set. Lemme know if ya know...

rust in the eye · Mar 14, 2026

Examples of PowrKraft, Lakeside, Riverside and Speed Master
How many house brands did these guys offer?
These items are FS

d42jeep · Mar 15, 2026

This is from BK’s manufacturers list.

Ward / Ward, Montgomery, Chicago, IL / est. 1872 / primarily mail-order retailer with several private-label brands: "Chromium Vanadium", Eclipse, Lakeside, Powr Kraft, Riverside, Speedmaster, Ward Master, Wardmastr, Wards Master Quality, all outsourced from various manufacturers /

-Don

d42jeep · Mar 21, 2026

I found this 1-1/8” Wright supplied Powr-Kraft 1/2” drive socket at this morning’s tool sale.

-Don

jmarkwolf · Mar 25, 2026

I have a couple Wards Powr Kraft, a 15/16 and 13/16, I acquired along with a toolbox (pic below) that I have no intention to collect the reminder of the set.

I'd be willing to trade for other tools if anyone is willing to do some horse trading, perhaps some genuine Crescent adjustable wrenches.

d42jeep · Mar 28, 2026

I ran out of room in the Garage Sale thread but I found these Powr-Kraft tools at an estate sale yesterday.

They didn’t require much cleanup.

The new 3/8” drive torque wrench alongside the 1/2” drive one in the basement.

-Don

genog · Apr 4, 2026

Saw this Powr Kraft phillips today at the Flea Market

d42jeep · Apr 19, 2026

I found these Powr-Kraft snips at a family living estate sale yesterday. I gently removed the loose rust, filed the nicks in the cutting area and wiped them down with fluid film. They are ready to go back to work.
As found.

Gently cleaned up and sharpened.

-Don

four.cycle · Apr 19, 2026

^ That baby-blue color almost matches the handle on that hacksaw I sent down to you.
Did Powr-Kraft have a " baby blue" era?

alfadan · Apr 19, 2026

Here's a little power hacksaw I've been playing with. Made by Dayton.

TheRealZeus · Apr 19, 2026

four.cycle said:
^ That baby-blue color almost matches the handle on that hacksaw I sent down to you.
Did Powr-Kraft have a " baby blue" era?

I noticed this as well, and it seems predominantly apparent with th “84-…..” series model merchandising.

four.cycle · Apr 19, 2026

Don's Powr-Kraft baby blue hacksaw

just seemed like such an odd choice of color for a hand tool, but what do I know?

d42jeep · Apr 24, 2026

Here is a soldering gun in a blue case found at today’s estate sale.

-Don

d42jeep · Apr 26, 2026

I’m not sure what I was thinking when I picked up this plane at an estate sale yesterday. My cleanup effort consisted of blowing it off with compressed air.

-Don

nz44tool · Apr 26, 2026

d42jeep said:
I’m not sure what I was thinking when I picked up this plane at an estate sale yesterday. My cleanup effort consisted of blowing it off with compressed air.
-Don

Nice! ...looks like it would clean up pretty well.

Post up your Powr-Kraft and other Wards tools

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