The post below about the shop press got me to thinking. I know I am old but got to be some on here old enough to remember, before Harbor freight. There was an outfit in North Carolina. Guy would drive up to your shop and his pitch was we have been to a show and had these left and I will make you a great deal. Shop press was always one of the items, Thing was you could go to motel and find a tractor and trailer and for several mornings the guys would be up there loading there truck. They always drove sharp new pickups so must have made good money. That was back in the 50s and 60s. I have one of the presses that is still working today. Lot less that a thousand dollars also.
- Thread starter jm.
- Start date
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
I bought a load of those tools back in the late 70's.
Still have the floor jack and engine stand. The cherry picker hoist and press got loaned out and never returned, the man died and I never pursued getting them back.
They were not top of the line, but sure have no complaints for what I paid.
Still have the floor jack and engine stand. The cherry picker hoist and press got loaned out and never returned, the man died and I never pursued getting them back.
They were not top of the line, but sure have no complaints for what I paid.
One was International Tool and Equipment Greenville SC jm is right. There were several of these guys driving through IN, OH and KY selling these tools. Was probably all made in the same plant. Still have an engine cherry picker from them, but have replaced the hydraulic cylinder a time or two.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
I used to live way up in the sticks, bought tools by mail order. I used to buy some tools from US General Supply, anyone remember them? Good American made tools. Then I bought a big drill press from Enco, a good tool. When I retired I bought some tools from HF, because I couldn't borrow them from work anymore, hammer drill, die grinder,sawzall, etc. They all have worked well for me.
Tom from IL
Member
I bought one of the presses from the NC outfit many years ago. I think the name of the company was "Red Arrow" something or other.
Traditional Farmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- Virginia
The ones around my area were called Travelers from SC sold tools and were known to come back at night to pick up a few things spotted during the day.
K Effective
Well-known Member
They showed up around here as Chuck Hornier Tool Sales, and erected a giant big top tent in the bowling alley parking lot. Mostly stuff from the Land of Almost Right, Dad did like to shop. We used to call it "Horney Chuck's"
I bought my first big air compressor there- a 6hp, two cylinder, belt driven 80 gallon upright tank unit, that puts out over 90cfm at 100psi. It has been surprisingly reliable and still is working in the shop, for under $300 if I recall correctly...
I bought my first big air compressor there- a 6hp, two cylinder, belt driven 80 gallon upright tank unit, that puts out over 90cfm at 100psi. It has been surprisingly reliable and still is working in the shop, for under $300 if I recall correctly...
Keith Molden
Well-known Member
They always wanted to get back home and would give you a good deal just to help them get their truck unloaded. You'd see them the next day with a full load selling again. Also had painters from down south wanting to paint your building roofs. That was some good paint (till it rained) then it would run off the roof. We didn't deal with them much at all. I did get my shop roof painted for free just for their advertisement because I was on a main road. Believe it or not it is still on that roof and it's been well over 20 years.
in-too-deep
Well-known Member
Guy stopped by with that story at work once. He had generator, pressure washer, water pump, air compressor all cheap crap with knock-off Hondas. I sent him packing but a couple years earlier a different guy stroked boss's ego enough and he bought everything in his truck. Been fixing that crap for years.
mtf
Member
- Location
- Bottom of the Bluegrass State
I bought a ten ton porta power from that fellow about 25 years ago. Still works fine, but case is starting to wear out. Nathan
K Different folks, Chuck Hormer was from Indiana and more or less after the pick up peddlers. He originally started out renting a National Guard Armory, or VFW hall and advertise tool AUCTION , would hold up a crescent wrench and auction it when it sold for $3.50 would ask how many more want one for that price. Thing is they had a guy in the audience that knew what the bid had to be so they could pass them around. Very seldom di they slip up. That went on for several years and folks finally wised up so they changed to setting one of each thing out in the building they rented. You walked thru with a pad and made your order and on check-out you went out to the truck or trucks and they gave you your stuff. Lots of times you might have bought a punch/chisel set with 10 pieces in it, only to get home and find the one you got only had 6 pieces , but sometimes it went the other way. I know a guy that got in with one of the guys working the truck, he got some deals before the guy got fired. Most of the stuff was pre Harbor Freight or before HF really had a lot off stores. Most time of less quality for sure.
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
http://www.carolinaequipment.com/presses.html
Carolina Industrial Equipment
309B Hawkins Rd. Travelers Rest, SC 29690
I have brought several transmission jacks and a engine crane from them, My uncle got in tight with them he could buy direct... They has some china junk but their transmission jacks and engine cranes were nice they made a few pieces like engine cranes and presses themselves they were well built...
Clear out here in eastern Oregon, about three years ago a couple guys pulled in with brand new diesel generator, pressure washer, air compressor and who knows what else with the story about coming from a show and wanting to empty their pickup load cheap. I think the brand name was Titan. Sent them to a couple other farmers as a joke. Saw them around a few times with the same pickup load.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
Wow! What a drought, no rain in twenty years?
Yep, here in Nevada an outfit called Cummings Tools would send out a flyer to everyones mailbox about two weeks before they would show up in town with a couple of semi tractor-trailer loads of tools and miscellaneous equipment, most of it was cheap foreign made junk. I bought some stuff from them, mostly things that weren't available locally. They'd be in Town for a week. I'd go back at the end of the last day (when they were packing up to leave) and make them an offer to buy all of the broken, returned, or defective Angle Grinders & Accessories. For $20. I usually came away with a large box with about two dozen Grinders with parts, pieces, and Accessories. I'd take it all home and switch, swap, & repair the various parts and pieces until I ended up with about 8-10 good working units and a lot of spare parts. I still have about half a dozen that are working great. LOL !
DMartin9N-2N
Member
I recall a similar outfit used to visit the West Tenn. area, setting up a display like a flea market in available buildings or fairgrounds. I believe the name was Homier, from (I think) somewhere south of here. I bought one of their small drill presses, also a small hydraulic press, they work ok for my light usage.
Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
1948CaseVAI
Well-known Member
"Travellers" is the name of a branch of Gypsies. Not sure that is the same group you are talking about but the MO fits. We used to catch them sealing driveways with used motor oil. IIRC the travellers are "headquartered" in one of the Carolinas.
fixerupper
Well-known Member
A neighbor of mine bought a cheap $20 4" angle grinder from an outfit like that a few years ago. The smoke came out of it the first time he used it. He knew what he might be up against when he bought it so he wasn't upset about it. Just chalked it up to experience.
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