On 12/26/2011 9:54 AM, notbob wrote:
On 2011-12-26, wrote:
My father left me several tools (Craftsman drill press, Craftsman radial arm
saw, Rockwell 14 band saw, unknown brand shaper) that are 50 years old or older.
I don't have a shop, room for a shop, or the skills necessary to align and
maintain these tools. Are tools of this vintage generally desirable or are they
junk?

I'd say no.

I worked with a group of cabinet makers that were hired for a large
project. All power tools were supplied, mostly Craftsmen. This way
back in '72. They cabinet makers and carpenters complained mightily
about the poor performance and quality of the Craftman tools, table
saws, radial saws, planners, etc. Later, around 78', I had the
displeasure of using a Craftsman floor sized drill press. Personally,
I wouldn't spend five cents for anything Craftsman has made in the
last 50 yrs. Jes my opinion.

'72 is only 40 years; the OP says they're at least 50...if so, that can
make worlds of difference. It also depends greatly on just which models
they are--even then, Craftsman had a wide range of products from
entry-level to not bad at all for home/light commercial use.

The Rockwell bandsaw is a classic; that it's in the collection would
make me tend to think OP's father wasn't strapped and perhaps bought
higher end. I still recommend he get some local input from somebody
who's into woodworking before jumping the gun or at least post pictures
and link thereto to rec.woodworking; there's a bunch over there w/ wide
range of gear to check against.

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