The Armour Archive

I am thinking about getting a Roper Whitney #5.

Is it better to get a new one or an older one? (Assuming all of the dies are included.)

I have an old and a new and the old is better quality, higher precision fitted parts and all over a lot nicer. Get a used one if possible and buy some extra dies. You will loose or break some along the way.

I only have the old one (I think it is WWII vintage actually by the only numbers I can find on it... is that possible? ) works amazing.

We did have a version from the 70s in my old metal shop at work and it was great as well.

Great customer service as well.

RPM

bigfredb wrote:I am thinking about getting a Roper Whitney #5.

Stop thinking and do it. It's not really an optional tool.

Is it better to get a new one or an older one? (Assuming all of the dies are included.)

Get the ones you can. Brand new is good because they come with a full set of dies.
Old is good because you get them at a discount.

I own three #5jrs and a HF knock off, and I use them all. It is really convenient to have all the holes you use regularly already inside tools waiting to get used. That way you can punch a 1/8" hole, then a 3/16" hole, and then a 1/8" hole, in that order, in about 30 seconds, without five minutes of tool changes.

I also have three big punches, so that I can do 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" holes on demand, too.

the "old" design had two plates instead of the solid lever bar.
The lever bar is a better option and has "less wiggle" over time.

They take a ton of abuse before wearing out unless your punching hard metal or heavier gauge steel.
Used run $30-40 on eBay with shipping, new nearly twice that.

The larger #7 or #8 is overall a better option but tooling is harder to find in eBay.

The Chinese 5jr knockoffs have the same size punch and die sets and work.
If you have a lathe punch and die sets are fairly simple to make.

There are three other similar tools.
parker kalon
Bernard
And a third hydro or some such

The whitney is easier to find parts for.