This โOld Toolsโ mini-series has gotten pretty popular, so we went deep down and pulled out a drill from 1947, a Mall Drill Model 143-T, one-speed corded drill. This tool was actually purchased when my grandfatherย got out of the Army right after World War II ended. He used it forย his antenna installation business, where it was employed heavily upย until 1969. After that, this tool saw part-time usage for the next 20ย years. For the past 20 or so years, it has seen only occasional use,ย mostly due to the advent of cordless technology and variable speedย tools with integrated brakes.
Mall Drill Model 143-T Still Working
But when we fired up thisย tool, not knowing what to expect, what absolutely floored us was howย perfectly smooth and straight the shaft still spins (check out ourย video below). On top of that, the body has held up all these yearsย due to the alloys used (possibly Magnesium-based).
This tool lookedย great โ incredibly well-built and rugged. It had been regularlyย lubricated and could have used a good tear-down, but the fact that itย was still going after 60+ years is a testimony to the work ethic andย build quality of American tools (Mall Tool Company was out ofย Chicago). The other interesting thing about this 1.5-amp drill wasย that it could run on both AC and DC current, making itย extremely useful in industrial environments when access to DCย generators was possible and tools could be run in that manner. I alsoย loved the sound of this drill โ itโs a machine.
This is yet another really, really old, but really awesome, power tool.
