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Tool box opinion

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Fehrion_sit

10+ Year Contributor
274
0
Oct 6, 2009
chalfont, Pennsylvania
hey guys, im a subaru tech, still own a DSM though :D , but im looking for a new tool box at work and like most DSM guys, i dont have money to blow. im looking at 40" boxes and wanted to know if anyone has anything good or bad to say about the craftsman box(es), i want something nicer than HF .. but snap on boxes cost too much WTF

ive read a few links on here already on tool boxes, being that its for work, i want a review from someone who has a box like this at work! not those random ones on sears website. i have a 26" snap on 5 drawer that came with the kit from school and its overflowing, i can barely close the lid, if anyone knows a good 26" box, id look into that too!

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

im open for anything!
 
Look for snap on with craigslist man. I got a 30 something inch for $75 LOL. But there is nothing wrong with craftsman. Literally anything craftsman. I used it way before snap on and it lasted with no complaints.
 
Actually the General boxes at HF are some of the nicest boxes I have ever seen. It'd pound my Craftsman shit to pieces. Personally I find Craftsman boxes to be flimsy. The drawer rails are shit unless you get ball bearing and even then they still are kinda shitty. I don't like how small a gauge the metal is. The General boxes are sturdy and the drawers don't twist like Craftsman.
 
its too big for my bay at work is the biggest problem with the General tool Boxes, but i completely agree with how thin the gauge metal is on Craftsman .. that is compared to my Snap On box
 
I forget what size (width) they are, but I have a MAC box as well as a craftsman box.
I have the top of the MAC on the Craftsman and vice versa... for my two cents on boxes

I bought the $300 double stack Craftsman 12 years ago and for the first 7 years I was working out of a Garage.
The MAC came from a room mate who picked it up used, it's going on 20+years old. He bought it from a Body man (and he was a body man) and it spent the first 15-17 years in a garage.

They both work the same, and have held up as well as the other. Actually, some of the craftsman drawers now work better than the MAC. A lot of the MAC drawers like to stick, even with a light load. Neither one is ball bearings.

If I was buying again had to pick between the two, I might only choose the MAC because it's larger. Otherwise the Craftsman has held up fine, especially for $300
 
ive read that one 99gst, and from what i gather, all the guys who are happy with the Craftsman boxes, bought them 10+ years ago when the metal quality was much much higher. i used to think waterloo made their boxes but now seeing how weak they are, im having second thoughts about buying the 13 drawer craftsman, regardless of the great price
 
buy a high end one used on CL. you can find some awesome deals.
 
At work i bought me a nice snap on box for $3500, which actually isn't bad to be from snap on...Now a new cornwell guy just started his own franchise and is selling this really nice decent size (not sure of dimensions), for just $1000, I think that's a steal man, almost the same size as mines too:ohdamn:...Now at home I have me a craftsman toolbox that i bought for $400 and it works just as great.
 
Well from my personal experience craftsman aint bad at all. Like wise Snap-on boxs are well made and nice as hell but you pay the price. At home i got a small double stack craftsman roller that my gf bought me. I agree with the thin metal as others have said but for the most part its serving its perpose well. Now at work i have a small Snap-on roller and i love it. Just need a bigger one due to all the "special" tools im am needing for the different helicopters i work on. Price to quality Snap-on is crazy expensive and i cant see paying that much for a box the size i need when i bought my spyder for less. As for the 'us general' boxes that harbor freight sells many people at my work have them and love them and the price is bearable compaired to Snap-on or a good quality craftsman. Now to touch on another brand that has been said, waterloo, they used to be just as good of quality as Snap-on but several years ago they sold the company and since then the quality hasnt been the same but still a good box. Hope that helps in your decision making.
 
I have a double bay tech series from mac. I love it. All the techs at my job have mac boxes and not one complaint. Theyre sturdy and durable. Id look into mac and matco as well, my father in law has a triple bay matco box and its really nice.
 
I have the medium kobalt series ss box and it has been a good box. I'd recommend the largest one and order it witout the fridge and you'll have tins of room. These can be had on craigslist for great prices.
 
Most tool boxes are the same....They're usually made of steel, they're square, and hold tools in drawers. Seriously though the HF ones are actually pretty nice and tough to beat for the price. I bought a Craftsman box used for $300 when I started working at the garage. Buy whatever one fits your needs. Spending thousands on a box has always seemed silly to me. The kid I work with has a Snap-On box. Its just the bottom half so far but it is very nice. Essentially its the same as mine though. The steel isn't any thicker, the drawers aren't any deeper or wider, it does have nicer paint, but he paid $4k for it!!!! The money is better spent on the tools that go into it if you ask me.

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

That's the one I have only without the roller bearings and about 20 years older. It's full now but I've been looking to add onto it with either a center chest or a side cabinet. If you have a Sears Outlet nearby you can check there too. Sometimes they get nice boxes in stock that have minor dents/scratches but are brand new otherwise, and usually at a severely discounted price.
 
Cornwell makes good stuff. I had a cornwell box when I worked at the ford dealership. It was nice, cheap, great quality, and comparable to snap on. I'm not really a snap on fan though. It's all way overpriced. Matco, Snap-On, and Cornwell are all great. It's really just the prices that are different. Same stuff pretty much. Craftsman boxes are junk. Only thing I buy that's made by craftsman is hand tools. Everything else is kinda cheap IMO.
 
I was a Toyota tech and I have a Mac double bank bottom box that I got for $2600 and the snap man wanted 4000 for a similar box. I like my Mac and was growing out of it like you but my cheapest option to expand was buy a large roll cart with drawers and top and now im good. I would look in too Cornwell as well.
 
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