Tool box question.

[UP Guy]

All good stuff. Thank you.

 

[dfkrug]

I just bought two Husky units from Home Depot. They seem to be made by the same
factory that makes the higher end Sears/Craftsman stuff, though the Husky was a lot cheaper than the Sears
normal price (you generally need to get Sears stuff on sale for it to be reasonable). The Husky cost $139
for the rolling base unit with 4 drawers, and another $99 for the top unit with 5-6 drawers. Bearing slides
and all that and heavy casters on the lower unit. Painted black.

I got what I think are the same units a few months ago. $199 + tax.

Fantastic deal, and great quality. Ball-bearing drawers with closed detents.

I was looking for 6 mo for a good used Snapon, Matco, Crapsman, etc, but nothing was right. The
cheap HarborFright units have no bbs, and the better ones were much more $. Same with
Lowes.

Just sold my 60s vintage Huot rolling cabinet for $50.....no bbs on the drawers.

20-25 y ago, I bought a HuskyProfessional from HD, and it is fine, but no bbs. Best deal
around back then, too.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have a variety of Craftsman roll a way cabinets, and would say the mid priced ball bearing units are the best deal imo. I have over twenty of these cabinets in the shop and on my service trucks and have had decent service from them. The cheap ones won't hold up well and cabinet door bottom units are not convenient for storage. The mid priced 40" unit with a full width top drawer, stack of 26" drawers on the left and stack of 12" drawers on the right would be my favorite single unit.

If you can find a good deal on a used cabinet of any brand that would be the best deal. Snap On is a good unit but costly for a home shop, I need too many to be able to afford them. The various brands like Husky seem good too, but I require specific dimensions to mount to my trucks frame work. Since I started with the Craftsman (made by Waterloo) I need to stay with them.

The 40" unit on the driver side rear is pictured below. With ball bearing slides individual drawer locks, one full width drawer and one deep drawer can hold lots of tools for a home shop.

 

[AaronS]

I bought this beast at Menard's a couple of years ago and am very happy with it. Very well built.

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/tool-storage/tool-chests-boxes/masterforce-36-tool-chest-cabinet-combo/p-1851828.htm

 

[s219]

I have a variety of Craftsman roll a way cabinets, and would say the mid priced ball bearing units are the best deal imo. I have over twenty of these cabinets in the shop and on my service trucks and have had decent service from them. The cheap ones won't hold up well and cabinet door bottom units are not convenient for storage. The mid priced 40" unit with a full width top drawer, stack of 26" drawers on the left and stack of 12" drawers on the right would be my favorite single unit.

If you can find a good deal on a used cabinet of any brand that would be the best deal. Snap On is a good unit but costly for a home shop, I need too many to be able to afford them. The various brands like Husky seem good too, but I require specific dimensions to mount to my trucks frame work. Since I started with the Craftsman (made by Waterloo) I need to stay with them.

The 40" unit on the driver side rear is pictured below. With ball bearing slides individual drawer locks, one full width drawer and one deep drawer can hold lots of tools for a home shop.

Interesting, I have never seen shop toolboxes on a truck like that -- how do they hold up to rain/weather and road spray?

 

[George2615]

I've had good luck with Craftsman. I have 2 stand up rolling cabinets since the 70's. I used them when I worked in dealership garages for over ten years and in my own garage for the rest. They've held up well over the years and were reasonably priced. I have been thinking of replacing them with a wider roll around but haven't because the old ones still roll around fine.

 

[Will_C]

I have a 3 pieced medium priced Craftsman unit my mother bought for me 20 years ago. My fathers's Craftsman boxes are 40 years old and are still used my brother.

I am just a typical homeowner, but my father ran and brother runs a excavation business out of those toolboxes.

Will

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[jenkinsph]

Interesting, I have never seen shop toolboxes on a truck like that -- how do they hold up to rain/weather and road spray?

Hold up pretty well, that truck pictured above is a 1999 built the truck and body up about 16 years ago. On occasion I have had a little water get in but no harm done. One of the problems with a conventional service body is organizing small parts and tools, cabinets are not near as easy to organize as drawers. The drawers hold everything in place without the parts moving which causes a lot of wear and damage to them.

 

[94BULLITT]

Look for a used snap on craigslist. If you want something new a little cart like this will hold a lot of tools. http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/tools.asp?tool=storage&Group_ID=683099&store=snapon-store The Husky boxes from depot are probably the nicest boxes you will get from a box store.

 

[Scrambler82]

I too like the Craftsman units.
The newer ball bearing draws and quick releases are great.

I found a deep top box and mid chest, both ball bearing draw type, at a small yard sale for $150 for both, the guy was getting rid of them so he could switch over to the black box color and his wife wanted the red stuff gone, funny what you can find at yard sales.

Check out local sales and hope for the best.

Another thought, I was at Harbor Frieght, checked out the hanging side box, ball bearing draws, quick draw releases, similar red color as the Craftsman red, all in all not a bad looking and operating box for less than Sears wants for a similar box. In fact the draw arrangement in the HF Box was better.
Check out your local Harbor Fright and see what they have.