In 1892 the Pierce Engine Co. was established by Andrew J. Pierce to manufacture stationary and marine engines. In 1895 they introduced an automobile—there is no connection whatsoever to the much better-known Pierce-Arrow—though not more than a handful were sold. By 1903 they began supplying engines to the Wisconsin Wheel Works for their runabout automobile, the "Mitchell", which quickly led to a merger between the two businesses to create the Mitchell-Pierce Motor Co.; A. J. Pierce was vice-president and superintendent of the new company.

Somehow—the details are a topic of continuing research—the Racine Gas Engine Co. emerged out of the above-mentioned companies by 1907 while their automobile business was bought by J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co. in 1910.

In 1907 The Racine Gas Engine Co. introduced a power hacksaw, which was the start of a product line that would continue for nearly a century. From their very first models they used an orbital motion to lift the blade on the backstroke, and cut by pulling the blade through the cut rather than pushing, which minimized blade buckling.

In 1910 the Racine Gas Engine Co. changed its name to Racine Tool & Machine Co. Under this name the company expanded and in about 1920 introduced what was likely the first 14-inch bandsaw designed to cut both wood and metal. During the 1930s they introduced their first hydraulic models of power hacksaw. The hydraulic models expanded to dominate the company's product line, and by 1938 they had hydraulic models ranging in price from $585 to nearly $2000. Their non-hydraulic models spanned $165 to $800. Eventually they would begin selling hydraulic components as well.

In 1951 the name changed again, to reflect their growing business in hydraulics: Racine Hydraulics & Machinery, Inc. Besides power hacksaws and hydraulic components they also made products for the railroad industry. In 1968 they were acquired by Rex Chainbelt of Milwaukee, who sold off most of the company but kept the Racine operations which it operated as their Racine Hydraulics division. We do not yet know exactly what happened to their power hacksaw line.

In about 1979 or shortly before, KASTO, Inc. purchased the Racine line of power hacksaws, and then changed their name to KASTO-Racine, Inc. In about 2000 the original owner of those Racine assets bought them back. KASTO-Racine went back to being KASTO, Inc., and Racine Tool & Machine Co. lived again under that name. A few years later Racine went under for a second and final time, and this time the assets were acquired by Burge Machine, Inc., which operated that line as the Racine Tool & Machine, Inc. Div. of Burge Machine, Inc.. Burge eventually decided to divest themselves of that division. A buyer could not be found so all the assets were scrapped. Parts and service are no longer available for Racine saws.

Information Sources

• 1893-06-08 The Iron Trade Review page 9, article on "The Pierce Gas Engine" from the Pierce Engine Co. of Racine.
• May 1899 Modern Machinery page 2a lists Pierce Gas Engine Co. as an advertiser. An advertisement from "Pierce Engine Co." appears on page 39, and gives the business address as 32 Clark Street, Racine.
• 1903 issue of The Motor World (Volume 6 page 879).

  Racine Plants United

  Wisconsin Wheel Works and Pierce Engine Co. Consolidate—New Touring Model.

  The Wisconsin wheel Works, makers of the Wisconsin automobile and the Mitchell motor bicycle, and the Pierce Engine Co., both of Racine, Wis., have been consolidated under the name of the Mitchell-Pierce Motor Co., with headquarters at Racine. The Pierce Engine Co. has been making the motors for the Western Wheel Works. The officers of the new company will be W. T. Lewis, president; A. J. Pierce, vice-president and superintendent, and W. Mitchell Lewis, treasurer and manager. company will offer next year a new model touring car, in addition to their Wisconsin runabout. The new car will have a three cylinder, air cooled engine of 15 horsepower. Its weight will be 2,480 pounds, and its selling price $2,500. A distinctive feature will be the cooling of the cylinder heads by means of a blower, from which separate pipes will lead to the cylinder heads near the exhaust valve.

• 1903 issue of Hardware page 42.

  Racine, Wis.—The Wisconsin Wheel Works, having merged into the Mitchell-Pierce Motor Co., Racine, Wis., have discontinued the manufacture of bicycles, and henceforth will be devoted to the production of motor bicycles and motor cars; its bicycle effects were sold to the Great Western Mfg. Co., of La Porte, Ind.

1903 issue of The Horseless Age (Volume 12 page 319).

Mitchell-Pierce Motor Company, a merger of the Wisconsin Wheel Works and the Pierce Engine Company, has been admitted to membership in the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers . A. J. Pierce, of the Pierce Engine Company, has been identified with the gas engine business for eighteen years, and built his first automobile in 1893.

• American Machinist, Vol. 30, No. 52, Dec. 26, 1907, Pg. 993-994.
• 1952 issue of The Bulb Horn (Volumes 13-15 page 8).

  ...Wisconsin Wheel Works merged with the Pierce Engine Co. in September, 1903 to become the Mitchell-Pierce Co. An A.L.A.M. license was acquired and the name was soon changed to Pierce-Racine.

  PIERCE-RACINE A. J. Pierce had built first gas engine at Racine as early as 1886. He produced several gas engines for motor launches, and in 1895 exhibited a motor carriage powered by one of these engines. The Pierce-Engine Co. was formed in 1899. The first car models announced by the Wisconsin Wheel Co. in 1903 were named Mitchell, like their motor bicycle forebears. Later, to avoid confusion with the product of the new Mitchell Motor Car Co. the name was changed to Pierce-Racine. Pierce was a champion of the 2-stroke engine. The Pierce-Racine was never built in large quantities. In 1909 the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Co. purchased a controlling interest and in 1911 the car was renamed Case. As such a fine reputation for reliability and quality was established. The Case was withdrawn from the market in 1925...

• 1977 book Racine: Growth and Change in a Wisconsin County, by Nicholas C. Burckel, page 319.

  The Hydraulics Components Division of Rexnord was founded in 1906 as the Racine Gas Engine Company. The name changed to Racine Tool and Machinery in 1910 when the firm began to make cutting tools and changed again in 1951 to Racine Hydraulics & Machinery. In 1968 the firm was acquired by Rex Chainbelt of Milwaukee. The machinery and railroad products operations were sold by the parent, and the Racine operations became Racine Hydraulics Division. Since 1972 it has operated as the Hydraulics Components Division of Rexnord. Employment in the two Racine area plants was about 550 in mid-1976, with about 330 of these being production workers.

• Wikipedia articles on Pierce-Racine automobile.