Trying to figure out who makes what tools is difficult. For example, Delta Tools is part of the Apex Tool group, which includes some lesser-known brands such as Dotco, Weller, and Lufkin. Rockwell is part of Positec, which also owns Worx. So, was Rockwell Delta ever one company?
Yes. In 1919 Herbert Tautz started the Delta Specialty Company, focusing on smaller tools for the home market.
- In 1945, Delta was acquired by Rockwell Manufacturing Company. Rockwell kept the name Delta, calling it the Delta Power Tool Division of Rockwell.
That is why the older Delta Band Saw models are often called Rockwell Delta Band Saws.
- In 1981, Pentair bought Rockwell. Pentair dropped the Rockwell name and called the new company Delta Machinery.
- In 2005, Pentair sold Delta Machinery to Black and Decker
- In 2011, Black and Decker sold Delta machinery again, this time to a Taiwanese company
Although Delta tools are manufactured overseas, the company continues to do some production work in the United States, with a plant based in South Carolina. That’s a long way from Wisconsin, where Herbert Tautz started Delta.
Therefore, a Rockwell Delta Band Saw and a Delta Band Saw were made by the same company but at different times. If you see a Rockwell, it was built before 1961. If it still works, the owner probably won’t part with it.
