Which tool chest should I buy?

Which would you recommend?

  • New 41” craftsman combo for $678

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 41” lower box for $389

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 52” lower box for $439

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    32
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I wouldn't be surprised if the Kobalt and Craftsman boxes were all made in the same factory and just went to a different paint line. Same with Husky.
 
Another vote for Snap On. I'd paint to match your car(?). Always get bigger if possible.
Gonna be kinda hard to match the paint of my car… lol

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You will never get the storage space from any of thoughs other boxes compaired to the Snap On unless you get 2 of them, so twice the price.
 
Whichever has real drawer slides, bring 100 lb of weight and test it.

I have 30 year old lower end craftsman with the slot type slides and the heavy drawers with c clamps and monkey wrenches is a bear to open
 
This thread got me curious as to what is out there in the Marketplace in my area and I had not realized how much basic boxes are going for used.... Then I went to the HF website and was surprised. I have a couple of there boxes and a couple of Husky boxes and man how everything has went up....

I am not so sure now that I would spend the money on the budget boxes and look for a used Snap-on and such. Kennedy is another that was geared towards Industrial mechanics but they don't come up used often. But based on what I see that Snap-on you are talking about may not be a bad deal if you want to clean it up....

JW
 
The current Craftsman and Kobalt boxes are all made in China. From what I have seen, the Harbor Freight boxes are just as well made, if not better made, than the current batch of Craftsman and Kobalt options. Same for Husky. Costco has some nice stainless steel tool boxes, although it looks like they're a little more expensive than your current selections.

For the new toolboxes my suggestion would be to look at them in person, check the drawer slides, layout etc and think about what you like best. Look at the weight ratings for the drawers, the harbor freight boxes are better than a lot of the Craftsman boxes on that accord. Heck the Harbor Freight boxes have better weight capacities than some of the new Snap-On boxes (which are not all made in the US anymore).

As for the used Snap-on box, it looks pretty rough. I have a bunch of tool boxes, a newer stainless steel Craftsman box from about 10 years ago and then some 70's era Snap on, Craftsman and Matco tool boxes of similar vintage. Of those the Snap on and Matco boxes have the better drawer slides, the Craftsman boxes from the seventies (ish) have drawer slides I'm not a fan of, they just feel cheap. The drawer slides on the Snap-On and Matco boxes can be repaired, but the only place to really get those parts is from a Snap-On truck. And despite the lifetime warranty the older slides are a different design than anything that has been used for the last couple decades, so, you may not be able to get parts for a specific slide type. They can be repaired if they're not too hammered, I pulled apart the slides on the Matco box, cleaned and lubricated them and they work a lot better than before. But they're still not all perfect. If you really want to restore an older tool box you can check out The Garage Journal, lots of info there about restoring older tool boxes. It can be pretty involved, you could easily end up spending a lot of time restoring a tool box that you could have spent working on your car.

So, my advice for the used tool boxes is to make sure you check them out in person and test all the drawers. If the slides are a little sticky they can be cleaned and lubricated. But if they're jammed or the drawers are bent up it can be a lot more time consuming to repair them. And usually used Snap-On boxes cost a fortune, people always want a mint for them even if they're beat to hell. So even though I like to buy the older, better made tools and stuff I don't always recommend buying used tool boxes. I've done it, but like I said I'd be picky about checking them out. If they're beat to hell you'd be better off with a newer one from Harbor Freight. Your time it worth something too, and you could easily spend days just cleaning up an old box only to find it had a drawer or two that will never be quite right.
 
I like that Kobalt box.....but I don't like Lowes. I'd find something comparable from Home Depot.
 
I hear the harbor freight boxes they are making now are pretty damn good for the money. They are stepping up their quality the past couple years to try to compete with the chain stores.
Craftsman tool boxes are junk, always have been. I would get the snap on box for that price you cant go wrong.
Whatever you get, make sure its got ball bearing sliders on the drawers.
 
I have mr Snap on KRL and my tools from when I was in the wrenching business professionally, also have my single bank "home box" mac bottom and snap on top. When possible buy the best you can afford. Even if it is antiquer snap on. that old snap on was made in usa with better parts and metal etc.The newer boxes are more than likely made overseas with cheaper bearings etc. Youll notice when you have to roll it around with all the weight in it how the casters and drawer bearings are etc.
 
I had older but still made overseas Craftsman box, they are junk....... I needed a new box after. looking around as much as it broke my heart I bought a HF, it cost me about $700 the roller cabinet type and I use the top as a work bench. Im limited for space and this works......Ive accumulated a lot of tools and this box is over loaded but the slides feel fine and the box is well made......Its not Snap On but I dont use it everyday
Now having said that what I will tell you is I started out as a millwright in a power generation plant.... I was given a Kennedy cabinet box that was mounted on a roller cart..... We had as much tools as could be possible fit in these drawers....Nothing was laid out nicely as we had a lot of tools and not much room plus these boxes were being pushed up and down ramps and over gratings
There was a open space in front of the tool box on the cart that we all made homemade steel boxes, usually ten gauge steel and in mine I had heavy stuff, 2 foot pipe wrench, sledge hammers, larger combo wrenches 1 1/4 and up. to 2 inch, 3/4 drive socket sets and other stuff.
Those boxes were pushed to job locations throughout the plant and they took a beating.....They were used and abused and did not fail.......Kennedy is IMO the best tool box made for industrial applications.....Maybe not the best choice for automotive work however were a box is more stationary
 
As a tech and former snap on franchise owner, I would absolutely invest in the snap on box. There are still parts and accessories for a lot of the old boxes, and many of them can be converted to ball bearing slides with ease (if they are that old). All of which are lifetime warranty. My only word of caution is to make sure the seams in the drawers are all still welded fully, i.e. make sure the box was not beat up too badly inside the drawers, as these are often discontinued.
 
The Snap On will be a investment. Buy it if it's not trash.
 
Wow. As usual, a good question bring a huge variety of opinions from knowledgeable members. I spent 30 years with this Craftsman box and then the smaller roller box. I'm completely pleased with them, although they are friction slides (not roller slides). They have never let me down. And that was with the drawers horribly overloaded the entire time.

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When I retired, I added a new Craftsman box circa 2014 or so with roller slides and it's also been stellar. I know many dislike Craftsman boxes, but I'm a fan and have been pleased with my boxes. YMMV...:D

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I have seven boxes. The "highest end" is a Blue Point roll cart. The newest one is a HF roll chest with a wood top I can use for a work bench.
 
I'm in the process of upgrading my box(a 30 year old Matco) for more space. Aside from the space having a deep drawer for sockets to stand up was high on the list. I decided on the US general. The only down side is waiting on the top
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because of the green color.
 
I bought my Snap on boxes in 1976. Top and bottom cost $1200 total.The largest boxes they had at the time.
I made $10 payments weekly. Never thought I'd ever get them paid for.
 
Buy the best quality and biggest you have space for and can afford. (that goes without saying) I would stay away from the Snappy box the OP posted a pic of. It's a clam and their economy box. Painting a tool box is a POS of a job. Most all, except for the cheapest models will have roller drawer slides. That's always a plus. If the box has a big top drawer, make sure your deep sockets will stand upright on a clip rail or pegged holder. Some don't.
 
I should have kept this one but no room in my garage for it.

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I like my Husky 52". Kids and wife got it for me last Christmas. My buddy is snap on. His doesnt have the quiet close drawers. He had it painted to match his sublime green custom ram. I like the fact he could trade his in but he has alot of money in it. Both are nice. i quess its all about what you like and can afford.

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