Push Drills & Push Drivers

[OilyRascal]

*Found* this push drill in the garage.  I spent to much time this morning cleaning it up and getting it back to a usuable state.  I wish I had Lauver's plastic polishing methods/abilities/patience.  It is not marked with a model number or part number.  1950s vintage?  Anybody know who made this for Craftsman?  It had three drill bits when I acquired it.  Any information on what bits may have been original?  Only drill bits?

I like the size and I'm thinking it would be very handy for pilot holes in finish work.

[gibsontool]

Oily. I have a couple of these which I think are both marked Craftsman. I am out at my lake cabin for a few more days but when I get into town I'll have a look as I think both have several bits in them.Nothing saying whats in them are original but I have a few vintage Cman catalogs which may show them and shed some light on original contents. Jim

[HeelSpur]

I believe I have one of these still in its box, I'll double check in a bit.

[HeelSpur]

Mine is in a red box with a plastic cover and the cover is pretty dirty & worn but I did get a number off it.

#4220

Don't know if that helps or not.

[OilyRascal]

............but I did get a number off it.

#4220

Don't know if that helps or not.

It helped!  From that I was able to determine the drill was made by Miller Falls; the likes of which is their Model 100.  From what I've read the MF 100 was produced from 1948 to 1968.



A picture of the EIGHT drill points that shipped with the MF 100.  Still unable to determine the specific sizes.

[Bill Houghton]

I like the size and I'm thinking it would be very handy for pilot holes in finish work.

In my opinion, push drills are one of the finest developments of 19th century woodworking technology.  Yes, handy for pilot holes almost anywhere.  They are beyond compare when your lifemate asks you to install blinds, curtain rods, or other such household attachments, because you can put one in your back pocket or tool pouch and pop up and down the ladder without the weight and awkwardness of an eggbeater or power drill.

Every once in a while, when I'm installing a metal electrical box on a flat surface, I have to relieve the surface material behind the ground screw hole, so the screw will go in easily.  A push drill can ream out wood, plaster, etc. without damaging the threads in the metal box.

If the bits that came with that drill aren't the sizes you need*, though, you may discover that it's very, very hard to find bits that fit the drill, and  that it may be easier and cheaper to pick up a Stanley push drill with its bits.

But do make use of this, and see what you think.

*I find the bits in the smaller half of the range most useful, with the smallest bits most useful of all.  Trouble is, they're also the ones that break first, partly because of their size, partly, I suspect, because everyone else has found them most useful.

[rusty]

MF catalog (1960) says MF100 shipped with 8 points

1/16,  5/64,  3/32,  7/64
1/8,    9/64,  5/32,  11/64

Not included, but available,
3/8 countersink,
3 or 4 different phillips screwdriver bits.
6 different flat screwdriver bits

Bits from the 185 and 170 series push drills do not fit...
(these have a notch &  half cut area  on the end)

[OilyRascal]

Well I guess that answers the size question.  Thanks, Rusty!

In my opinion, push drills are one of the finest developments of 19th century woodworking technology.  Yes, handy for pilot holes almost anywhere.  They are beyond compare when your lifemate asks you to install blinds, curtain rods, or other such household attachments, because you can put one in your back pocket or tool pouch and pop up and down the ladder without the weight and awkwardness of an eggbeater or power drill.

I was thinking this Craftsman was "light weight" when I picked it up.....appreciate for me it's weight was nice relative to a 18V lithium Dewalt.........those big 40lb fake hammer drill type.

As it turns out, it seems this push drill may be on the larger side as far as push DRILLS are concerned.  While handy relative to a 18V, probably not the best size for me so I'm planning to keep looking for my perfect hand drill lifemate. 

Seems you are very correct on the financials of the replacement drill bits.   Thanks for the info/perspective.

[packardv8]

I've got a drawer full of push drill/Yankee drills, from 6" to 16" long.  I have to remind myself they're there and use them were appropriate.  I just finished installing an outside plastic vent cap which had four screws.  The push drill would have been much better than the battery 1/2" drill I took up the ladder.

The other problem is keeping the various drill and screwdriver bits sorted as there are a half-dozen different patterns and diameters.

jack vines

[pacmot]

The Craftsman 4220 was manufactured by Millers Falls and is similar to the MF No.100 push drill but uses a different chuck. The 4220 was one of MF's first push drills to use a spring-loaded collar on a ball-lock chuck. It's very similar to the chuck on later Yankee push drills and the bits are interchangeable. The Yankee-type bits were manufactured for a longer time and are easier to find today than the "cross" or "old-style" bits that fit the slotted 2-jaw chuck in push drills like the MF No.100. The MF No.100A, sold from 1968 onward has a spring chuck like the 4220. IMHO, the 4220 is one of the smoothest and best built push drills I've used. It's also one the heaviest. Among the push drills you are likely to find, the later Yankee Handyman No.46 with the aluminum body is the lightest one that has a storage handle. The Yankee No.49 is pretty simple and light too. Push drills can be handy for drilling blind holes in soft materials like wood, plastic and plaster. Most bits are 1/16" to 11/64" by 64ths. Later Yankee Bell System tools came with #30 and #33 twist drills, and sometimes 3/16" and 1/4" brazed-carbide spade bits. You can avoid bending or breaking the smaller-diameter bits by not using the full stroke of the tool - only push down half-way. Five or six pushes is slower than just two or three, but it's still faster than changing out a broken bit. Small holes don't usually need to be as deep as holes for big screws anyway. Remember, with push drills, properly sharpened bits make all the difference. Enjoy.