Vintage Windmill and Wind Generator Forum

Here's what I found in my Books. Elgin made a wrench with Elgin WP & P Co. embossed on it. Elgin Wund Power & Pump Co. Dempster according to his price list made 23 different wrenches. One of them has DMM Co embossed on it. Dempister Mill Manufacturing Co. Stover mad 9 different wrenches and he said 4 of them were windmill wrenches. The others are for their gas engines. Challenge made 9 different wrenches. There was a G.M. Marshall company in Kilbourn Wis. they made the Marshall Radial Windmill. An ad said we send 2 malleable iron wrenches with each mill that will turn every bolt and nut on our windmills. He didn't show any Aermotor wrenches which I wondered about since they made gas engines. I can't say in my 50 years of looking I've ever seen one either. Some of the Dempster wrenches could have been for the head and tower. Same as the Challenge wrenches. I did notice the Stover wrenches for the windmill only fit one size nut or bolt except for one it was an open end with a different size on each end, one of them had for plunger embossed on it. Most implement wrenches have multiple sizes on them. I'm reluctant to post the pictures from the book, it says no coping allowed. I'm going to see if I can contact the author and get permission.

Thanks a lot Wayne for the info. It would be nice to see what they look like so I can keep my eyes open. Where can I buy a book like yours ?

link to aermotor drill
https://www.ebay.com/itm/384761029512?c ... Norzn3uorc

I found one of those drills probably around 8 years ago. I believe they were used to help drill the tower you were stubbing. !!

The name of the book is " The History of Old Time Farm Implement Companies and the Wrenches They Issued. Author P. T. Rathbone. He seems to have done a ton of searching because of all the info in the books. It is a 3 volume set. He seems to have covered all bases and since he doesn't mention Aermotor makes me think they never made a wrench. My take on why windmill manufactures didn't fill the need to supply wrenches, is to drill a well and erect a windmill and get water flowing wasn't a do it yourself job. You hired a professional, they had tools. When you the farmer bought a plow, planter, cultivater and other implements you were going to be the go to person to keep it working. So they gave them tools to help with the task. Here is a tool of mine. I've seen it called the windmill wrench. When you climb a tower you don't want to carry a lot of tools. This was pliers. wire cutters, screw driver, pry bar and even has an adjustable wrench.

Wayne, very clever

Saw this Samson one for sale. Likely for an implement…

There was a tractor named Samson Sivagrip exceedingly rare maybe some connection. Michael where is that wrench for sale?

Saw it on eBay $60 was the asking price.

I'd also wonder about the wrench being connected to the Samson tractor. Stover made Samson windmills and gas engines, buy all I can find the gas engines were tagged with the Stover name. The unique thing about Aermotor making the drill and I wouldn't be surprised about making a wrench. You think about who they sold many of there windmills to. People that already had a windmill with a tower. when the sold you a windmill with a stub tower you might need to drill some holes to get it to fit.