Grease Bucket

NW Ohio Tim · Aug 31, 2009

Hey Guys,

We were cleaning out the barn the other day and ran accross this.

It's a grease bucket with a coupling on the bottom for filling grease guns.

Here's a mirror image of the bottom of the lid, so you can read it

How old do you think it is and are/were they rare?? I never saw one before.

I'm going to throw it out unless I find out it's rare, then I'll donate it to a grease museum somewhere.

Thanks,

Tim K in NW Ohio ~ Tired after welding gate posts all day.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 1, 2009

I remember those from when I was in grade school, mid to late 50's. Can't remember the brand, maybe Kendall. Dad used Quaker State and Havoline oil, so it may have been one of those. They weren't as good as they seemed, because sooner or later the fitting on the bottom of the pail would loosen up and start leaking air, and you were right back to sticking the gun into the grease from the top and dealing with the resulting mess. There used to be a few empty ones around the farm, but they were probably in the barn when it burned in '82, and I don't remember seeing any since.

thurlow · Sep 1, 2009

My recollection also; we quit using 'em in the mid-'50s.........and they never really worked good after the first few 'guns' full.

fixerupper · Sep 1, 2009

If the Superior name is the same as the one I'm familiar with, then the pail was made for the Superior MFG Company at Albert City Iowa. Superior was founded here at Albert City by a Swedish immigrant machinist by the name of Ed Sundholm,back around the time of WW2 or before, and reportedly manufactured the first high pressure grease gun. The company has been sold and I think the new owner moved everything to Ohio if I have it right. I wish Big JT was here right now cause he knows more about it but he's traveling over seas at this moment.

The only museum of Superior products that I know of is a display on the grounds at the Albert City Threshing Show. They might be interested in this pail. I've never seen one like this, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.Jim
Threshing shows web site

greenbeanman in Kansas · Sep 1, 2009

Might make for an interesting display to go along with a showing of old machinery. Hook up a gun to the bucket, etc.

We had an Alemite grease pump that could be used to either grease zerks or fill guns. Sold it at dad's estate auction and the buyer took only the brass handle. It was a hand pump unit with no air fittings, etc. Oval in shape and held a 5 gallon bucket of grease.

NW Ohio Tim · Sep 1, 2009

Thanks for the replies guys. Looks like the 50's is the proper time frame.

Jim, I emailed the Threshing website you provided. It just happened they were having a meeting tonight and will decide if they want the bucket. Thanks for providing it.

I'll post the outcome as soon as I find out.

Thanks again

Tim K in NW Ohio ~ SHould have the barn ready for pigs in the morning.

caterpillar guy · Sep 2, 2009

Ours has a pump for the hole in the middle workd great and have had id for over 20 years just put the fitting in the pipe end and pump grease into the gun go grease whatever you were going to grease. Also have the old Alemite gun mentioned for greasing the track rollers on the cats with a tee in the line to fill grease guns too.

Leroy · Sep 2, 2009

Forgot all about them. After a couple of guns full the grease would not work down and all you were doing was trying to suck grease and getting a vacume. Had to remove lid and manually push the grease down so it was just easier to stick the gun in the top and draw the grease in that way. Think there are still some guns made for filling that way laying around, they did not have a place to screw a filler plug in the pump part of the gun for the grease pump filler that sat on the top of the bucket and worked decent but you still had to push the grease down in the bucket as that pump would end up pulling air after a few fills. The seals in the gun were made different than a gun for a tube and you could not get a tube in them. Never thought about including some in my display of antique hand tools.

NW Ohio Tim · Sep 2, 2009

Here's how I fill my guns now

We bought this place at auction and alot of stuff was never taken out of buildings to sell. This pump was one of the items. I just cleaned it up/out last spring. I don't know how I ever lived without.

We were still filling guns out of a bucket because of the price of tube grease. This pump makes it so much nicer. I have a tube gun for specialty lubes that I don't use much of.

By the way, this type of pump will work on either type of gun, if it's the tube type, just leave the empty cartridge in it and fill.

Tim K in NW Ohio ~ Where it's almost fun to fill grease guns now.

Grease Bucket

NW Ohio Tim

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Anonymous-0

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thurlow

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fixerupper

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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NW Ohio Tim

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caterpillar guy

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Leroy

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NW Ohio Tim

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