Sears, Roebuck & Co. is a giant department store chain that historically has done a big mail-order business. Especially in rural areas, they were an important source of home-shop woodworking machinery. Most of the machinery that they sold was made by other manufacturers. For a history of the company and much more information on the woodworking machinery they sold (under the Sears name, usually with a brand name of Craftsman, Companion, or Dunlap), see the entry for Craftsman.
Most of our Sears-related catalogs and manuals can be found under the "Publication Reprints" tab of our Craftsman entry.
In the 1920s and '30s, some electric motors were sold under the Power Chief and Challenge names. Pictures and publications for these motors can be uploaded here under the "Sears, Roebuck & Co." name.
Information Sources
- 1924 catalog (pre-Craftsman), showing drill presses, and a big combination machine (tablesaw, bandsaw, mortiser, etc.) for $510. A "wagon shop special" combination machine cost $245.