The garage history desk
The real stories behind the machines in America's garages
Tillers, tractors, pickups, chainsaws and tool brands: who built them, why they disappeared, what they are worth today and where to find parts. Researched from period magazines, owner's manuals, court records and company filings.
Brands
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Featured long read · 6 min
What Happened to Homelite Chainsaws?
From generators in Port Chester, New York, to the 12-pound XL-12 and three million saws, then Textron, John Deere and a Hong Kong toolmaker. Where the Homelite name ended up.
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Recently updated
- 12 Nov 2026What Happened to the Troy-Bilt Horse Tiller?
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- 12 Nov 2026What Happened to Poulan Chainsaws?
- 12 Nov 2026What Happened to Homelite Chainsaws?
- 12 Nov 2026What Happened to Bolens Tractors?
- 12 Nov 2026The Craftsman Radial Arm Saw Recall: 3.7 Million Saws and the Guard They Never Had
New here? Start with these
What Happened to the Troy-Bilt Horse Tiller?
The rear-tine tiller America bought by mail-order coupon, the 1982 boardroom coup, the 2001 bankruptcy, and who owns Troy-Bilt today.
What Happened to Bolens Tractors?
How the Port Washington, Wisconsin garden tractor pioneer passed through five owners and became a name without a factory.
What Happened to Poulan Chainsaws?
From a hammered truck fender in East Texas to the Micro 25 on every hardware shelf, and why the Arkansas factory closed in 2023.
Guides and tools
Model-year guides, serial-number decoders and value guides are being checked against period documents now. See how we check them.
How we research
Every page starts from period sources: dealer advertisements, owner's manuals, trade directories, government notices, court and bankruptcy records and company annual reports. Each fact is checked against at least two sources where it can be. When we cannot confirm something, we say so instead of guessing, and we list our sources at the bottom of every page.