Dr. Hess wrote: Oh, the stainless chests at Lowe's are in-between. They look nice.
+1. I'd have one of these if I had room. My ex bought one (she does have the room). It's nice.
Dr. Hess wrote: Oh, the stainless chests at Lowe's are in-between. They look nice.
+1. I'd have one of these if I had room. My ex bought one (she does have the room). It's nice.
What's a $3000 Snap-On tool box? 
I dunno what they run nowadays, but the last time I looked, some of 'em were $50k. That is a five with four zeros before the decimal. In dollars. US dollars.
I had one of those old NAPA boxes that I loved but traded it and a Craftsman box for a Martini 924 lol. I bought a Matco 4S that was really really nice but way overkill for what I do. So a guy who bought my old snowblower asked if it was for sale and I'm back in an old garage sale craftsman cabinet. I use a Matco roll around one drawer cart and a craftsman roll around 4 drawer cart most of the time anyway.
Why not buy a used Snap-on, MAC, or Macto tool box? I have seen quiet a few nice ones pop up on craigslist and other forums for much less than retail.
I haven't read the replies, so maybe it's been said.
If you're looking for something between a $300 HF box and a $3,000 snap on box, how about a used snap on, mac, or marco box?
Craftsman Ball Bearing Pro
I used this every day for about a year straight, It would not have made it two. I still use it weekly, with a much lighter load. It is a great box, for a non daily user. Can be had cheap , and cheaper used. Worth it for sure...
I use these every day. The cart is a de-badged US General from HF. I love this thing, I paid 160 if I remember, and I beat the snot out of it. No issues at all. I cant wait to buy one for home. The lock sucks but I re-locked it to match the big box. I would buy a HF big red box in a heartbeat, beyond worth the money. The Snap-On is great. Snagged it used from a coworker who basically was giving it away, really. If needed for daily use I would not hesitate to buy another quality USED Snap-On box. Not a chance in hell I would ever buy one at full boat retail though.
Used quality box>HF red box>NAPA brand box>Newer Craftsman box>cardboard box
What's a $3000 Snap-On tool box? I dunno what they run nowadays, but the last time I looked, some of 'em were $50k. That is a five with four zeros before the decimal. In dollars. US dollars.
And some people make a LOT of money with their hands. But if you go to most shops of any sort you see people mostly using stuff in the 1-10k range. Granted, it may have more than that worth of tools inside. Very few people are of the personality type to buy the boxes you speak of even if they can afford to.
My wife gave me a craftsman roll away as a wedding present. We sold it in one of our moves.
stupid.
Ross413 wrote:
What is the deal with that wall?!
Also, to kind of stay on topic, my work box is a used SnapOn. I've been pretty happy with it. My home boxes are Craftsman that have been acquired at various times over the years before I could afford nice stuff. While they're nowhere near as nice as the SnapOn, they hold my tools all the same.
The HF red box that I bought a couple of years ago to replace the 90s Craftsman that I had before is wonderful. I just don't see why you'd need to spend more than that. All it does is hold tools.
I'm sure people have already chimed in to say Kobalt/Lowes makes some nice stuff - and my local Sam's Club has some really nice stuff with soft stop roller bearing drawers for more than the Lowes stuff but much less than SnapOn.
In reply to STM317:
That wall is amazing. 3/4 of our whole shop is like that, all except for the truck bay addition. It was an old quarry and the walls look like they just threw scrap stuff up and painted it to make it stay. It is constantly crumbling down. about once a year I pull the box and scrape up most of a 5 gallon bucket of wall debris... It has character.
On topic... The HF cart is great. The Snap-On guy constantly gives me e36m3 about it and was almost upset when I de-badged it. He thought I was trying to make it "look more Snap-On". The similar cart from Snap-On, Mac, or Matco would be from 800-1500 bucks. NO WAY, this thing actually works well, I would buy another HF red box in a heartbeat.
Thanks Ross
Just a home garage amateur guy here, but my red HF cart and 44" box are great. I have the cart pretty loaded and it just eats it up, drawers are smooth. I don't see a reason to spend more unless you don't like the looks or have very specific fitment needs.
I have an old Craftsman that was made by Beach. I was given a pair of Snap On cabinets that have stainless steel workbench tops. They came out of a tool and die shop that was closing up and the owner told my buddy to take them if he wanted them. He did. Last year I picked up another box from TSC. The Snap On boxes are by far the nicest but not nice enough to justify the price. Between my car addiction and living on a farm the boxes see near daily use. The old Craftsman boxes are still working flawlessly. The TSC box has stuff in it I don't use as often since it just doesn't have the quality feel the other one do. I guess my take away would be to echo what some other people are saying and look for quality used stuff.
Gah, everytime I read one of these threads it sells me on the HF boxes. I just want something that will last a lifetime and not have to worry about it. I don't get that feel with the HF but let me triple check and compare to the Lowes/ Milwaukee ones mentioned here.
Another vote for looking for a used Snap-On box. The $50,000 boxes mentioned earlier are those giant ones, I assume you don't need one that big. I have a small Snap-On roller cabinet I bought used many years ago and have been happy with it.
Vigo wrote: And some people make a LOT of money with their hands. But if you go to most shops of any sort you see people mostly using stuff in the 1-10k range. Granted, it may have more than that worth of tools inside. Very few people are of the personality type to buy the boxes you speak of even if they can afford to.
I have a Matco box that I paid $1500 for, used, in 1997. It probably has $20k of tools in it. There's a lot of stuff I borrow because I have a mental block regarding spending what some things cost. ($500 for a set of 1/4" drive sockets? Err, let me check my wallet...)
Obligitory meme:
My 15-20 YO Sears serves me just fine and it's not ball bearing.
As a professional mechanic, my 47 year old Craftsman three piece stack never made me a dime. Just stored the tools which did assist me to earn a good lifestyle as a flat rate mechanic. Retired now, cleaned and repainted the boxes which I still use in my home garage.
I just want something that will last a lifetime and not have to worry about it. I don't get that feel with the HF but let me triple check and compare to the Lowes/ Milwaukee ones mentioned here.
Well, lasting a lifetime really depends on how you use/treat it. If you want something bombproof you are really looking for an expensive box. DEFINITELY check out the Milwaukee (home depot) stuff, i was surprised how much i liked it. I think the bottom boxes are kinda weak without the top box because of the lack of 'drawer diversity' but they've alleviated that somewhat with the 'workbench' type pieces.
jamscal wrote: Obligitory meme:
It's funny because it's true.
I feel really bad for anybody just starting out today. When I started ten years ago, I thought it was bad. Now everything is like 4x more expensive but wages haven't gone up 4x. Who is buying these $400-500 socket sets and $300 wrench sets and stuff like that?
I understand that even the dealership guys are hurting compared to when anybody with a pulse and a desire to work hard could pull down over $100k/year.
(1996 was ten years ago, right?)
Two pages, and no one has said, "don't call me Shirley?" This place is slipping.
Doesn't look like there are any Menards in FL, none in AR either, I miss that store. To the best of my knowledge the Masterforce brand is only available at Menards.They do ship though, even tool chests. I guess I probably wouldn't buy one blindly, based solely on some random dude on the internet's recommendation either though.
Masterforce and Montezuma are the same though (if you can believe what you read on the internet) so maybe look at Montezuma too.
I looked long and hard at HF's offerings, I believe I made the right choice.
Those latching handles are handy as a shirt pocket.
Tom_Spangler wrote: I just don't see why you'd need to spend more than that. All it does is hold tools.
That's what I thought when I started wrenching. I bought a used Craftsman box from another tech. It was fallinyapart in a year. Then I bought a new Craftsman box. Non roller bearing. It didn't last much longer.
That's when I stepped up to a used mac or Matco box. Oh what a difference! They dont just hold tools. They have to be able to support lots of weight while the drawers are sliding a d fully extended. That's what kills them. My socket, air tool, and hammer drawers habe a LOT of weight in them.
That beind said, for home use, there are cheaper alternatives out there.
These things are often on clearance at the big box stores for $250 or so. Very versatile and they give you another work surface. I bought a smaller tool box to go on top for all my wrenches, and it is working very well for me so far and I am in it for less than $325.
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