Hand Drills 2 through 4D

This listing has been developed from information found in Millers Falls catalogs. The features listed for each drill may differ from actual examples. While the company typically stressed new features in its catalogs, it seldom mentioned the disappearance of a feature or the addition of a feature that had become so commonly accepted that it was no longer noteworthy. Then too, production practices varied from catalog copy and illustrations were slow to be updated. By the latter 1960s, catalog copy had become so vague that a detailed description of features is not possible.

No. 2 (early frame)

No. 2 hand drill, early frame Single-speed hand drill

  1. 1878 — wrap-around, malleable iron frame; rosewood head and crank handle, Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 1/16 to 1/4 inch. Black enameled frame and drive gear; bright parts are nickel plated.
  2. ca. 1880 — as above, but hollow head for bit storage; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points.
  3. ca. 1885 — drive gear painted red.

Illustration from 1887 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
  1. 13 inches (1878)
  2. 14 1/2 inches (1885)
 single pinion
  1. solid head (ca. 1877)
  2. hollow (ca. 1880)
 ca. 1877 1894

No. 2

No. 2 hand drill Single-speed hand drill

  1. 1894— malleable iron frame; offset crank; rosewood head and crank handle; no side handle; adjustable friction roller; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 1/16 to 1/4 inch; and shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points. Black enameled frame and drive gear painted red; bright parts are nickel plated.
  2. 1896 — as above, but cocobolo head and handles; detachable, elongated side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 17/64 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points.
  3. 1899 — as above, but head is now flat-topped to allow for use as a breast drill; detachable, egg-shaped side handle.
  4. 1907 — as above, but detachable, mushroom-shaped, side handle; Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch.
  5. 1910 — as above, but elongated crank handle; star-type trademark on crank.
  6. 1914 — as above, but tropical hardwood head and handles.
  7. 1917 — as above, but head is cocobolo, side and crank handles are not.
  8. 1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.
  9. 1922 — as above, but Ryther's chuck.
  10. ca. 1929 — as above, but reinforced spindle housing.
  11. 1931 — as above, but trademarks display Greenfield, rather than Millers Falls location.
  12. 1935 — as above, but tropical hardwood head; and detachable, chef's cap side handle.
  13. 1938 — as above, but adjustable friction roller replaced by idler pinion.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
  1. 14 1/4 inches (1894)
  2. 14 inches (1899)
  3. 14 1/2 inches (1907)
  1. single pinion (1894)
  2. double (1938)
 hollow head 1894 1957

No. 2A

No. 2A hand drill Single-speed hand drill

Iron frame; tropical hardwood head; detachable, chef's cap side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; three-jaw, spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Black enameled frame; drive gear painted red; bright parts nickel plated.

Later production with die cast frame.

Illustration from 1960 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
14 1/2 inches double pinion hollow head 1957 1968

No. 2B

No. 2B hand drill Single-speed hand drill

  1. 1912 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and handles; head is flat-topped to allow for use as a breast drill; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; adjustable friction roller; Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch. Black enameled frame; star-type trademark on crank; drive gear painted gray with red stripe; bright parts are nickel plated.
  2. 1917 — as above, but drive gear painted red.
  3. 1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.
  4. 1922 — as above, but Ryther's chuck.
  5. ca. 1929 — as above, but reinforced spindle housing.
  6. 1931 — as above, but trademarks display Greenfield, rather than Millers Falls location.
  7. 1938 — as above, but detachable, chef's cap side handle; adjustable friction roller replaced by idler pinion; head with mushroom-shaped top.
  8. 1949 — as above, but head no longer with mushroom-shaped top

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
  1. 14 1/2 inches (1912)
  2. 15 inches (1938)
  1. single pinion (1912)
  2. double (1938)
 solid head 1912 1968

No. 2D

No. 2D hand drill Single-speed hand drill

Malleable iron frame; head is cocobolo, side and crank handles are not; head is flat-topped to allow for use as a breast drill; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; adjustable friction roller; Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8; shipped with six twist drills. Black enameled frame; drive gear painted red; and bright parts are nickel plated.

Identical to No. 2 except shipped with twist drills.

Illustration is that of drill No. 2 from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
14 1/2 inches single pinion hollow head 1922 1929

No. 2-01

No. 2-01 hand drill Single-speed hand drill

  1. 1968 — iron frame; tropical hardwood head, crank and side handles are not; detachable, chef's cap side handle; three-jaw, spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch. Frame is black enameled; drive gear painted red; bright parts nickel plated.
  2. 1971 — as above, but die-cast frame.
  3. 1974 — head is no longer tropical hardwood.

Formerly model no. 2A.

Illustration from 1974 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
14 1/2 inches double pinion hollow head 1968 after 1984

No. 2-02

No. 2-02 hand drill Single-speed hand drill

Die cast frame; tropical hardwood head, crank and side handles are not; detachable, chef's cap side handle; thee-jaw, spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch. Frame is black enameled; drive gear painted red; bright parts nickel plated.

Formerly model no. 2B.

Illustration created by editing image of drill No. 2A.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
15 inches double pinion solid head 1968 1969

No. 3 (early frame)

No. 3 hand drill, early frame Single-speed hand drill

Malleable iron frame; short spindle; rosewood head and crank handle; crank handle attached to a tapered handle rather to drive gear; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 0 to 1/8 inch.

Identical the early No. 1 except for a longer crank handle and elongated hollow head (to hold twist drills).

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
11 5/8 inches single pinion hollow head 1886 1894

No. 3

No. 3 hand drill Single-speed hand drill

  1. 1905 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and handles; detachable, teardrop-shaped side handle; rotating barrel-type lock allows access to storage area in hollow head; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Drive gear japanned; bright parts are nickel plated.
  2. 1910 — as above, but detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; star-type trademark on crank.
  3. 1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.
  4. 1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.
  5. 1925 — as above, but Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch.

The elongated compartment created by the barrel-type lock and hollowed handle allows for the storage of longer twist drills.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
11 inches single pinion hollow head 1905 1933

No. 3A

No. 3A hand drill Single-speed hand drill

  1. 1912 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and handles; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; rotating barrel-type lock allows access to storage area in hollow head; drive gear has extra wide rim which can be grasped between thumb and finger for delicate work; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Drive gear enameled gray with red stripe; bright parts are nickel plated.
  2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.

Identical to No. 03, except for wide rim gear.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
11 inches double pinion hollow head 1912 1922

No. 3B

No. 3B hand drill Single-speed hand drill

Malleable iron frame; long spindle; rosewood head and crank handle; crank handle attached to a tapered handle rather to drive gear; Pratt's two-jaw chuck adjustable from 0 to 1/8 inch.

Basically a No. 3 (first version) with an additional pinion.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
11 5/8 inches double pinion hollow head 1886 1894

No. 4

No. 4 hand drill Small single-speed hand drill

  1. 1881 — cast iron frame, collet holds drill points in place, other details unavailable.
  2. 1885 — as above, with rosewood crank handle; shipped with six diamond-shaped drill points.
  3. Later — as above, but cast crank extension on drive gear.

Popular with jewelers and scroll saw enthusiasts.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
8 inches single pinion integral to frame ca. 1881 1933

No. 4D

No. 4D hand drill Small single-speed hand drill

  1. 1912 — cast iron frame; drive gear and frame are gray enameled; hardwood crank handle; nickeled, two-jaw, springless chuck adjustable from 1/64 to 1/8 inch.
  2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear and frame are black enameled.

"Designed especially for manual training use."

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length Pinion Gear(s) Head Start Date End Date
8 inches single pinion integral to frame 1912 1933