Hand Drills 94 through 353

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. 94

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1927 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; Ryther's chuck adjustable 0 to 1/4 inch. Drive gear painted red; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1931 — as above, but trademarks display Greenfield, rather than Millers Falls location.
3. 1935 — as above, but mahogany-stained hardwood head and crank handle.

A basic, economy-priced drill with a steel frame.

Illustration from 1936 catalog, where drill is listed as discontinued.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 1/4 inches	single pinion	solid	1927	1936

No. 98

Two-speed hand drill.

1. 1913 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and handles; flat-topped head may be detached by loosening check nut and pressing on plunger to provide access to bit storage; detachable side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; bent adjustable friction roll; Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable 0 to 3/8 inch. Speed change controlled by knurled ring shifter; two pinions and shifting device are enclosed. Frame enameled black and drive gear gray with red stripe; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear is enameled red.
3. 1917 — as above, but adjustable friction roll replaced by unenclosed idler pinion.

Identical to model 980 except for shape of head.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

For a comparison of the adjustable friction rolls of the Millers Falls No. 98 and the Goodell-Pratt No. 5 1/2 see George Langford's wiper comparison page.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
15 1/4 inches	2 pinions (1913) 3 pinions (1917)	hollow head	1913	1922

No. 104 (first model)

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1915 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; urn-shaped, 'gripfast' head; non-adjustable gear guide; three-jaw, spring-type chuck is adjustable from 0 to 3/16; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Black enameled frame; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1910 — as above, but star-type trademark on crank.
3. 1921 — as above, but drive gear is enameled red; triangular trademark.
4. 1922 — as above, but Ryther three-jaw, protected-spring chuck.
5. 1925 — as above, but head is now round-topped.

The urn-shaped head used on the earliest examples of model 104 was referred to as the 'Gripfast' design.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 1/2 inches	single pinion	hollow head	1915	1935

No. 104 (Buck Rogers model)

Single-speed hand drill.

Die cast frame and gear cover; red tenite head and crank handle; main gear and pinion entirely enclosed; spindle runs in 'oilite' bushing against thrust bearing; three-jaw, spring-type chuck is adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Gray enameled frame; lettering on gear enclosure may be red or black; bright parts are nickel plated.

This is the smaller of the so-called 'Buck Rogers' hand drills.

Illustration from 1955 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 5/8 inches	single pinion	hollow head	1949	1960

No. 105

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1914 — malleable iron frame; tropical hardwood head and handles; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; screw-type adjustable equalizer bearing; Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable 0 to 1/4 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Frame and drive gear enameled black; star-type trademark on crank; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.
3. 1917 — as above, but cocobolo head and handles.
4. 1921 — as above, but head is cocobolo, side and crank handles are not; triangular trademark.
5. 1922 — as above, but Ryther's chuck.

No. 105 was a No. 1 with a spring-type chuck.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 1/2 inches	single pinion	hollow	1914	1925

No. 107

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1914 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and handles; elongated, detachable side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; screw-type adjustable equalizer bearing; Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable 0 to 1/4 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Rotatable cap on head provides access to eight drill points, each in its own compartment. Frame and drive gear enameled black; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 3/4 inches	single pinion	hollow head	1914	1919

No. 198

Ratcheting two-speed hand drill.

1. 1913 — malleable iron frame; stained hardwood head and handles; flat-topped head may be detached by loosening check nut and pressing on plunger to provide access to bit storage; detachable side handle; ball thrust bearing on spindle; bent adjustable friction roll; Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable 0 to 3/8 inch. Speed change controlled by knurled ring shifter; ratchet controlled by rotating the cap to a small boss on the crank handle; pinions and shifting device are enclosed. Frame enameled black and drive gear gray with red stripe; bright parts nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear enameled red.

Identical to model 1980 except for shape of head.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
15 3/4 inches	two pinions	hollow head	1913	1922

No. 303

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1913 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Drive gear painted black; star-type trademark on crank; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.
3. 1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.
4. 1925 — as above, but Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 1/4 inches	single pinion	hollow head	1913	1935

No. 304

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1915 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; three-jaw, spring-type chuck is adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Bright parts are nickel plated.

The urn-shaped head of the model 304 was referred to as the 'Gripfast' design.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 1/2 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1915	1922

No. 306

Ratcheting single-speed hand drill.

1. 1914 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and handle; head may be detached by loosening check nut and pressing on plunger to provide access to bit storage; drive gear is of solid rather than open construction; ball thrust bearings; pinion gears nearly enclosed; and Parsons' spring-type chuck is adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch. Equipped with a ratchet controlled by rotating the cap to a small boss on the crank handle. Drive gear enameled gray with red trim; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear painted red.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 1/2 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1914	1922

No. 307

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1915 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable 0 to 1/4 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Rotatable cap on head provides access to eight drill points, each in its own compartment. Frame enameled black; drive gear red; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1917 — as above, but Parsons' spring-type chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16; detachable, mushroom-shaped side handle.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 3/4 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1915	1922

No. 308

Single-speed hand drill.

Die cast frame and gear cover; red tenite head and crank handle; main gear and pinion entirely enclosed; spindle runs in 'oilite' bushing against thrust bearing; three-jaw, spring-type chuck is adjustable from 0 to 3/8 inch; shipped with eight fluted drill points. Gray enameled frame; lettering on gear enclosure may be red or black; bright parts are nickel plated.

This is the larger of the so-called 'Buck Rogers' hand drills.

Illustration from 1955 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
13 7/8 inches	single pinion	hollow head	1949	1957

No. 313

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1913 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; McCoy's springless chuck adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Drive gear painted black; star-type trademark on crank; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear is enameled red.
3. 1921 — as above, but triangular trademark.
4. 1925 — as above, but Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0-1/4 inch.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 1/4 inches	double pinion	solid head	1913	1929

No. 315

Ratcheting single-speed hand drill.

Steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; ratchet controlled by rotating the cap to a small boss on the crank handle; Ryther's chuck adjustable 0 to 1/4 inch. Drive gear enameled red; bright parts are nickel plated.

"For drilling in cramped quarters... and particularly serviceable for light automobile repair work."

Illustration from 1922 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 1/2 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1922	1935

No. 316

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1914 — steel frame; stained hardwood head and crank handle; head may be detached by loosening check nut and pressing on plunger to provide access to bit storage; ball thrust bearings; pinion gears nearly enclosed; Parsons' spring-type chuck is adjustable from 0 to 1/4 inch. Drive gear enameled black; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1915 — as above, but drive gear enameled red.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
12 1/2 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1914	1922

No. 343

Single-speed hand drill.

1. 1914 — steel frame; knurled metal end handle with removable cap, enameled hardwood crank handle; McCoy's springless chuck is adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Star-type trademark on crank; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1917 — as above, but head painted black.
3. 1921 — as above, but drive gear enameled red; triangular trademark.
4. 1925 — as above, but Ryther's chuck adjustable from 0-1/4 inch.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1914	1929

No. 353

Ratcheting single-speed hand drill.

1. 1914 — steel frame; knurled metal end handle with removable cap, enameled hardwood crank handle; McCoy's springless chuck is adjustable from 0 to 3/16 inch. Equipped with a ratchet controlled by rotating the cap to a small boss on the crank handle. Drive gear enameled black with red stripe; bright parts are nickel plated.
2. 1917 — with head painted black.

Illustration from 1915 catalog.

Length	Pinion Gear(s)	Head	Start Date	End Date
11 inches	double pinion	hollow head	1914	1922

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