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Rockwell tools

10K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  BigJim 
#1 ·
When I was a kid my dad had a Rockwell electric drill. Then the brand disappeared and the name revived a few years ago (according to Wikipedia).

I'm just curious about the quality of Rockwell tools. Are they any good? Or just another name that's not really in contention with Milwaukee, DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Bosch, etc.
 
#2 ·
I have and have had several Rockwell tools and they all were and are good tools. The larger stationary tools are really good tools, the small hand tools are somewhat out dated and aren't as good as some modern tools. The hand tools don't have a good ground like the newer ones do and can knock the stew out of you sometimes and some of them are not really strong or are so strong they will break your arm.
 
#5 ·
One of the reasons I'm interested is because when I was a kid (another 'when I was a kid,') there was a mansion set back from the road and when we'd drive past my dad would always say, "That's the Rockwell homestead," and I was appropriately awed that someone famous would have lived near us.
 
#6 ·
I inherited a 10" Rockwell table saw from my FIL.

iffy fence.
crudest raise/lower & tilt mechanical design on record.
stamped metal top.
and the final killer - all the cranks & knobs were plastic; well, broken plastic.

I was going to tear it down clean&rebuild&lube everything - then came the issue of custom making all new handles & knobs - cheaper to buy a new one.....

I haven't paid any attention to their 21st Century offerings - based on history the Rockwell brand is on par with Harbor Freight.
 
#7 ·
Are you sure you don't have Rockwell tools mixed up with something else? Rockwell tools were the same thing as the old timey Dewalt, Delta, Porter Cable. These tools were built like a tank, nothing HF has could ever came even close to the older Rockwell tools. Check out this Rockwell Joiner, it is like the one I had and tell me it is like anything HF has:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rockwell-8-Inch-Jointer-/121984743259 :smile3:
 
#11 ·
I just did a search and looked at some of the Rockwell table saws that you are talking about, you are right, that saw was the biggest piece of junk made, it was also call Homecraft at that time also and I have never seen any thing Homecraft made worth having. I stand corrected.

My mine went back to the old Rockwell tools when they were as good as it got. I had forgotten they made Homecraft tools which were total junk, IMHO.

Here is a quote of information on the Rockwell/Homecraft tools:

"The 1946 buy out of Homecraft from The Arcade Manufacturing Company was one of Rockwell's greatest contributions to the future of the company and brought Delta back into a sharp focus on the light duty tools for the hobby market. In the long run though, their eventual dependency of the lighter duty machines though did the hobbyist woodworker more damage than good."
 
#14 ·
Steve Neul said:
I hate to bash any brand of tools but everything Rockwell I've bought made in the 21st century has been bad to junk. Perhaps I just got lemons but I've suspended buying the brand.
I'm with you.
I bought Rockwell Multi-Functional tool when it first came out. Used it a lot but the blade would vibrate loose no matter how hard I tightened the set screw.
I got a Makita 18v free when I bought a combo kit as a replacement to the Rockwell.
Rockwell changed the blade mount in new models but I'm done with the brand. Rockwell should change the name of the tool as it can't do one thing right let alone multifunction. .
 
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