Heirloom drill needs no electricity

My cordless drill is often out of juice. My Stanley/Yankee push drill model # 03-043 never is, unless I am too.

The model #03-043 is spring loaded, and when you push down on the top of the handle it spins a small drill bit, held in a small chuck, on the tool’s other end. When you ease up on the handle, the bit spins in the other direction and the handle pops up, ready to be pushed again. Imagine a miniature, spinning pogo stick, and you’ll get the idea, sort of.

The model # 03-043 is brass plated chrome, and extremely well made. I have no idea how old mine is, but I bought it second hand in 1978 when I started my carpentry career, and it (the push drill, not necessarily me) is still going strong. I was tickled to death to find another one at a tag sale last year for $1.

Another cool feature is that inside the handle and underneath are slots that hold the 10 different sized bits.

Bad news first: Stanley stopped making the model #03-043 several years ago. You may wonder why I keep repeating the model number, and the reason is because I want you to remember it and because Stanley (and others) make a real crappy substitute, the model number of which I won’t even mention.

Good news second: Garrett Wade, that purveyor of ultra-high end tools, has secured a number of the model # 03-043 push drills. They aren’t cheap, but good tools aren’t. You’ll probably want to order an extra set of bits when you buy the drill because who knows when they’ll go out of stock.  This is a tool you’ll pass along to one of your kids.