Old School

I went to a garage sale last summer and found an old B&D drill from the 50’s, and the gal behind the table said “they don’t make ‘em like that anymore!” Obviously this is a true statement, but her tone implied that perhaps her old drill is somehow superior to a drill today. Lets think about that for a minute.

Today I was walking around the office and noticed our “Black & Decker History” poster. One of the ads from 1955 touts a standard corded drill for $44. That’s “fourty-four” 1955 dollars! I quick internet search tells me that $44 in 1955 is worth roughly $320 2006 dollars. A corded drill with similar specs sells for about $30 today, less than one-tenth of the inflation-adjusted drill we sold in the mid-50’s. A DeWalt professional contractor-grade corded drill is $65-100, still at least 1/3 of the price of our drill in the “good ol’ days.”

Modern drills are less than half the weight of an old metal housing like that. Their handles are much more comfortable and much less prone to dropping during use. Their weight is better balanced and their power–which is also greater than older drills–is much easier to control. Modern drills have variable-speed triggers while these old units only had an on-off style trigger. New drills have dozens of other features, like keyless chucks, percussive (hammer) drilling, variable clutch, and many others.

At least you’d think that a metal housing like the ones on these older units would at least make the product more durable, right? It can, under certain circumstances. But a good quality plastic housing is far more durable than is needed even for the most demanding professional situations, as all of our constant testing shows. You’re also less likely to get electrocuted if you should accidentally drill into the mains!

So lets recap: a modern tool is far superior in almost every conceivable regard, and literally an order of magnitude cheaper. It’s better for the consumer, more profitable for the manufacturer/retailer, and it’s safer for workers and the environment. So next time you hear someone pining for some idealistic time-gone-by when “things were better,” see if you can get them to quantify their sentiment. I’ll bet they’ll struggle!

I love old tools. I like their simplicity and honesty. I have a lathe from my great-uncle’s attic that was probably bought in the 50’s, and I love it! I don’t love everything about newer tools, but at B&D I’ve learned a new appreciation for modern technology and some of the genuine advantages it can offer.