Dropped $600 on a power hammer from the 1950s

Picked up a 1950s Little Giant power hammer off a guy in Ohio for $600. Ran like a champ for about two months, then the clutch started slipping bad. Tore it apart and found the bronze bearing was basically dust. Spent another $200 on a replacement part and had to machine it down myself with a hand file over three weekends. Anyone else ever buy old iron that looked good but needed way more work than you planned?

2 comments

2 Comments

adamgreen1d ago

His old clutch bearing lasted almost 60 years before it gave out. Thats way more than most modern parts will ever do. You spent $200 and three weekends fixing something that will probably outlive your grandkids. I see that as a good deal, not a problem. Old iron like that is built to be rebuilt, not tossed in a landfill like a Harbor Freight unit. Sounds like you got a solid machine for cheap and just had to do the normal maintenance it deserved.

lane.cameron1d ago

Sixty years is already impressive (longer than most marriages, honestly). But here's the kicker - that $200 clutch job probably cost less in real dollars than what that machine's original owner paid for a single tune-up back in '63. I'd bet my left arm that bearing will still be rolling smooth when my grandkids are complaining about having to fix my old welder (which will probably run on hopes and dreams by then).