Meteors not Merits

[kxxr]

Out in the garage I was thinking of a couple of posts about wrenches but all I could remember was that it started with M. So, I took a shot of these Meteors, and got back inside to see that you were talking about Merits. But, since I took the pictures, you'll have to suffer through it.
Meteors: don't know nuthin' about 'em.

[eddie hudson]

I believe Meteor is from Buffalo. I seem to remember someone on the old board had problems with that brand.

[kxxr]

Problems like not so good quality wise? or Problems finding info about them?

[Papaw]

You might find something here---> http://books.google.com/books?id=AdkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA302&lpg=PA302&dq=meteor+wrench&source=bl&ots=IiMrNnbS-J&sig=Z3uUEc138Vix2nL2QhNBoc7Do1Q&hl=en&ei=9wM8TriuG7OCsAKZ9v0C&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=meteor%20wrench&f=false
Meteor was in Buffalo.

[lzenglish]

I have a complete set of these in the blue plastic roll-up. I don't believe these were ever meant to be for heavy duty use, but more for the bench top, or ignition applications. But, they were made in the good old USA, so I'm happy to have an example of them as well.

Wayne

[kxxr]

You might find something here---> http://books.google.com/books?id=AdkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA302&lpg=PA302&dq=meteor+wrench&source=bl&ots=IiMrNnbS-J&sig=Z3uUEc138Vix2nL2QhNBoc7Do1Q&hl=en&ei=9wM8TriuG7OCsAKZ9v0C&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=meteor%20wrench&f=false
Meteor was in Buffalo.

Wow! Those old magazine ads are great. The Meteor wrench set there costs about the same as a Purolator oil filter refill, that's gotta be a quality clue there. The Indestro, Snap On and Bonney ads don't mention their prices ( if you have to ask ....). Scroll down a notch or two and look at the South Bend lathe. We all need one of those. And, up a few notches and you can compare the fancy Whizzer motorcycles to the clunky chunky Cushman Scooter. What would you have to give for a Whizzer in that condition today? Should have bought a couple dozen of them at $200 (well, my dad should have, I wasn't quite on the scene yet in 1951). Wonder what product will be the Whizzer of 50 years from now?
 Everything on those pages says times have changed, but nothing says it quite so much as this ad:

How many seconds do you think you'd be still standing after you pulled that thing out of it's case at your next local political rally? The times have changed. Still, even in 1951, that thing had to be a bad idea. Who wouldn't be a little nervous standing at the podium with that thing out in the crowd.

[Branson]

Hey.  On page 277, there's an ad for that Delta table  saw/jointer combination!  Looks like the same base, too.

And two ShopSmith clones elsewhere.  Blast from the past.

[kxxr]

Thanks Branson, for pointing that one out. I had noticed that Delta ad, there was a lot of good stuff around in 1951. I frittered away at least 45 minutes reading those ads.
Papaw has shown a very handy trick there.
For those that have never tried it, type your topic into google, be it Delta or Meteor or whatever, but include the terms Popular Mechanics and you'll get those good ol' back pages full of ads. Often that will be the only evidence that something like the Meteor Wrench was ever heard of (besides the one you have in your hand). It's also a good way to figure out when something first showed up on the scene. For example, I wanted to find the vintage of a Stanley Workmaster ratchet I had gotten. I did the above trick and, there it was, a little article in popular mechanics in 1984 about Stanley's introduction of the Workmaster with the 'flip' selector.