I set out some time ago to purchase an eggbeater drill, searching out what was available at the turn of the century, the last one, not this one, and what I should expect to pay for one.
There seems to be two manufactures that stand out as the drill of choice; Miller Falls and Goodall/Pratt.
Both of these manufacturers produced drills with the supposedly fragile open spoked main gear. I say “supposedly fragile” because of the number of unbroken ones I have seen for sale throughout this quest. Man, there sure are a lot of them. While I’m sure the solid main gear examples are great, there is something about that spoked gear that just does it for me. Great looking stuff, those gears.
Early examples of Miller Falls appear to have a lighter gear casting than their later versions. Goodall/Pratt seem to have stuck with their original light version until both switched to a solid gear in much later examples.
The Miller Falls style of frame is simple, round cornered and reasonably robust. Goodall/Pratt, on the other hand, have a frame casting with a bit more style to it; with its pinched waist and heart-shaped curves. The Miller Falls does appear to be the better made of the two, though.
Both manufacturers produced models with a solid handle, or a hollow storage handle. Miller Falls wins in this category, hands down, especially some of their very early examples that I have come across that have an absolutely beautiful mushroomed shaped cap. Man, those things are gorgeous.
So what’s my beef with inconsistencies?
Since getting into this tool collecting nonsense, the gospel according to the MWTCA gods has been beaten into me…
So I have to ask, what the hell is with this…
Great looking tool. The guy does great work. The point here is; why can an old eggbeater be rebuilt and repainted and as a result, demand a higher price in the marketplace, but a plane or a saw can’t.
Peace,
Mitchell