My Pawn Shop Mac tool cart; new to me!

[billymade]

I spied to this tool cart on friday; I am in the process of redoing a older Snap-On cart with two drawers but I rationalized buying this one and using it right away.... because getting the other one is taking so long! LOL!

Anyway, I got up this morning and another guy was looking at it and I took out my debit card and paid $150 on the spot! It doesn't seem too bad; it is heavy gauge steel and is made in China! This was somewhat of a impulse buy and it wasn't the normal "killer deal" I usually get at the flea markets but "oh, well"! :)

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/cartfront.jpg?t=1232254080
Whoever owned it; looks like they sprayed undercoating or bed liner material on top to create a "work surface"; or is this the way they came?

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/carttopopen.jpg?t=1232254144
The lid opens (this unlocks the drawers) and two cantilever drawer sections open up.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/carttopcloseup.jpg?t=1232254205
I took the tumbler/lock out; this is because one of the first things I did was break off the key in the lock! Hopefully, I can have the local locksmith make me a new one or worst case scenario, contact mac for a new one. I took out all the ball bearing sliders, degreased them and pushed in all the mounting tabs so they would move anymore and tightened up all the structural bolts on the cart and really made the whole box more solid. The drawers work much better and seem to be much easier to use.

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/cartlock.jpg?t=1232254377
One problem I am having was this linkage to the lock bar was messed up and all bent to hell. I have a feeling that something is missing; because the top will just fall down and bend this linkage and require re-bending again; the drawers weren't locking properly; some tweaking fixed that!

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/MB155UC.jpg?t=1232254497
http://www.mactools.com/product/tabid/120/p-319298-mb155uc.aspx
I couldn't find any part #'s or any id marks on the cart at all; the mac tools website has this box which looks similar! I'm assuming this might be it; from the looks of things, my cart maybe having the linkage problem... because the lid is supposed to be supported by a shock of some sort! Does anyone have a cart like mine; can you tell me if I am supposed to have a shock system or some other support system to stop the lid from falling? Any info appreciated! :)

Overall the cart doens't seem to bad; I wasn't anticipating the lid/linkage problem or me breaking off the key for the lock! Otherwide I guess its ok... what do you guys think? :confused:

PS: anyone know who the OEM is for this? If I can't get parts from Mac I will try to contact them as well...

[zuspiel]

I really like the color and the cantilever sections. I'm sure with some foam I could put half an army of wrenches in there :D
Also, the deep drawer is a real plus in my book.

Maybe they added the shock in the current model to prevent the problem with the lid. It doesn't look like yours ever had a shock in that place...

Nice find and I think it's perfectly ok to sometimes just treat yourself :beer:

[billymade]

Thanks for helping with my buyers remorse and add weight to my purchasing rationalizations or is it ir-rationalizations?! :)

[zuspiel]

Isn't that what toolaholics anonymous, err GJ, is here for? :D

Just enjoy!

[Diesel-Mech]

Looks like a nice little box plus the little problems give you something to tinker with. I keep having the strange urge to find one of these to hack the legs off of and use as a top box since they seem to be much cheaper than a comparable top box with the same features

[nordstar]

Its a pretty nice cart. It might not be perfect but it is very usable. It looks like it just needs some clean up and few new liners. As for the locking drawer linkage, I just might be tempted to remove it if it became too much trouble to fix.

[bchee]

I am in the process of redoing a older Snap-On cart with two drawers but I rationalized buying this one and using it right away.... because getting the other one is taking so long! LOL!


I like the color and the cantilever feature. I hate to be a downer, but it sounds like you got this one to use right away, but it's already giving you trouble!

I also think the support shock may have been added to later models.

[billymade]

I'm starting to think; that maybe sunex, might be the OEM. http://www.sunextools.com/documents/SunexTools_ShopEquipt.pdf
Yeah, now you know why I was starting to get the buyers remorse feelings, today... after I started "fixing" all the issues this thing has... :)

[Delray]

Looks like a good buy! Name brand tool storage always brings a premium price. I would have been real tempted to take it home. You may find a lock cylinder at a hardware store. The cylinder might be harder to find at a reasonable price.

[billymade]

I actually have the lock/key/cylinder; I just broke the key off inside it! I got the remainder of the key out and now just need a duplicate key! Hopefully, I can find one locally; otherwise I'll see how good Mac Tools customer service is! :) Anyone know if I am missing some parts and who the OEM is? So far Sunex is my choice of who I think the OEM is; they keys look similar to the Sunex products I am seeing on the web as well..

[Delray]

Could the missing lift cylinder have something to do with the locking problem? It looks like the bottom of the lift cylinder was attached to the locking bar.

[Merkava_4]

I'm pretty sure a locksmith can get the broken key out no problem. I'm wondering about the strip of metal on the lock bar with the two phillips screws ... I'm wondering if it was there originally.

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I actually have the lock/key/cylinder; I just broken the key off inside it! I got the remainder of the key out and now just need a duplicate key! Hopefully, I can find one locally; otherwise I'll see how good Mac Tools customer service is! :)

Good looking toolcart!

Let us know how Mac customer service treats you if you need to go that route. I still need to call them about a key for a Mac rollaway I bought last month.

[Chris Adams]

How does the cart lid stay open? Can't see from the pics any mechanism to hold it up. Are there any visible missing parts? Like a mount for a gas piston? Although if it is indeed a Sunex don't they use a catch on the lock bar?
I think you need to get it mechanically functional before considering painting.

[billymade]

Yeah, thats the problem I am having right now.. I'm trying to figure out what parts are missing; from the Mac pic, it looks like they use a shock or some sort of linkage to keep it up. I'll contact Mac and see if I get anywhere...

[mkdive]

Thats a great cart for a really decent price! Color is bad azz also. Cant go wrong with blue IMHO.:thumbup:

[Stick]

I've owned two of those carts, the older version, and the current version that they sell now. Your cart is the older version, it should have a bent tab held in by the screws where the linkage is that secures the lower drawers (hard to tell from the pics if yours has it or not). You squeeze the tab inward to lower and close the top of the cart. The newer version is the gas strut model shown on the mac tools website. The top was sprayed on yours, they come with a large mac tools logo on the lid that would be right side up when the lid was opened.

Great carts, and sometimes I still wish I had one of them, but I tend to buy/sell carts according to the job I am working on. I've probably owned five or six different styles by now, and am using a cheapy $100 basic metal cart from mac now.

Edit: As far as I'm concerned, your cart is the better of the two versions, the gas strut takes up valuable room inside when loaded with tools, and you are trying to shut the lid. It does look like you are missing the tab that holds the cart open, it should be held in place by the two stainless phillips screws. Just get a piece of 14ga metal and screw it in place, then bend so that the side view looks like |\, where the "|" piece is the linkage, and the "\" is the tab that holds the lid open.

[billymade]

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/maclock.jpg?t=1232855344

A little update; I was at the flea market and a locksmith was there and was able to make me some new keys! The replacement keys are much stronger and won't break like the cheaply made original ones; I am still waiting for a email response from Mac tools! I probably should just call them; in the past I have emailed them and haven't always gotten a response back from them... I also have been cleaning up the box; it has a weird over spray all over it and the aluminum door pulls cleaned up with thinner and polishing with fine steel wool.
Stick, thanks for the info... I thought maybe I was missing some parts; do you know who the OEM is for these carts? I don't know if Mac will have replacement parts... we'll see; I am also thinking of removing all the black stuff off the top of the cart... it is gooey undercoating. I think that will be allot of work though!

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/billymade/cartlock.jpg?t=1232254377 does the "tab" attach to this linkage with the screws? I'm still a little unclear on how the tab work but it sounds like I am definitely missing some extra parts... there isn't anything attached behind this linkage by the way... its "gone"! :(

[Stick]

Yeah, the tab attached with those two phillips screws, and when you squeeze it against the linkage, it would drop down into the same slot so you could close the lid. From the picture, it looks like they might have just cut the silver piece right where the bend was on the tab.

And you are saying that the linkage doesn't lock the drawers when the lid is down? If so, they definitely removed pieces.

[jay uk]

:thumbup: Good find there im considering one of these i know where theres one where the guy has left the trade its the blue point one in blue not my fave colour may paint it cranberry if that new harley box arrives later on ,I have a non drawer new cart it does annoy me to think that we pay premium price and its just a rebadged import shame on snapon!

[billymade]

Stick, so you are saying the part that is "missing" is actually the silver part that is screwed down now on the linkage? In that case I guess the piece is broken and this is what is left! Yes, the linkage was bent badly when I got it (in particular the part above/behind that screws, that the paint is flaking off of, from being bent so many times); so, the drawers weren't locking because of this (the linkage wasn't going down far enough, when the lid was closed; so, the internal lock bar wasn't engaging the drawers to lock them), I "straightened" the piece that connects to the lid (the second piece that the two screws go into and has the "pin" that connects to the lid) and now the drawers close correctly! I think I would like to replace these parts: silver "lock" piece you are referring to, linkage part that connects to the lid and the "pin" that connects the lid. I can reuse the old pieces but new ones that haven't been weakened through repeated bending would be nice! Lemme, see if Mac customer service is any help; do you know who the OEM is for these carts?

[billymade]

UPDATE: I called Mac tools and while they pretty much admitted this was a common problem with this cart; they did not have any repair parts aside from slides or casters. If anyone would be willing to take some pics of the parts I am missing; I would really appreciate it! Apparently, this thing only had a 1 year warranty and it has been superseded by the above 155UC model.... bummer all the way around! The customer service was good, people I talked to were nice but weren't able to do anything about my situation, however!

[zuspiel]

Sorry to hear that. It doesn't sound hard to fabricate the tab, but it would sure help to have pic... :)
Hope you get it working as it should.

[billymade]

Oh, we have a mechanic here that needed his ratchets rebuilt; no mac truck anymore, they sent me a kit for (2) of his ratchets and threw in a extra rebuild kit for each one as well.... all at no cost! Not bad; now if they would have had the parts I needed, I would have been happy! Oh, well.... :)

[-B-]

Nice cart nice price wish I could find one like it, around me. Pawn shops around here are flooded with abused power tools at inflated prices ( $10 under new stupid crack monkey pawn shops)