billymade
Well-known member
Where is your new Craftsman tool box that you bought at the 50% off sale made?
1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. China
5. Don't know
1. USA
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. China
5. Don't know
Where are your new Craftsman tool boxes made? Poll!
- Thread starter billymade
- Start date
wantedabiggergarage
Member Emeritus
A while back on another board, they said you could tell by the prefix. I don't have the list but they said there were three. One (the old one) made here, one made by Waterloo in Mexico, and one made for them in China (I believe the last was all the stainless boxes, and may have been a 706 prefix).
I wish I had the specifics (can't find that post), sorry.
I wish I had the specifics (can't find that post), sorry.
Nealcrenshaw
Well-known member
Never,never,never Buy A Crapsman Toolbox.they're Paper Thin!
I know the silver 1940's reproduction box that was out a couple of years ago was made in Mexico.
We are talking about hand held tool boxes, right?
The cabs and chests say that they are made in the U.S. with global (or foreign, can't remember which) components. Look at the bottom of the advertising card they set on top of the chests.........the card that has the price and features, at the bottom is where I noticed it. Couldn't find anywhere on the actual chest or cab where it was labeled with country of origin......except for stainless and they said China.
We are talking about hand held tool boxes, right?
The cabs and chests say that they are made in the U.S. with global (or foreign, can't remember which) components. Look at the bottom of the advertising card they set on top of the chests.........the card that has the price and features, at the bottom is where I noticed it. Couldn't find anywhere on the actual chest or cab where it was labeled with country of origin......except for stainless and they said China.
Checking the OEM prefix list (found it somewhere on Google), Waterloo has two prefixes for Sears:
609 and 706
I know the manual that came with my stainless box had 706 as the prefix, the packaging itself said made in China, and whats stamped on the toolbox (if anything) will be determined after I get home from work.
Too bad I guess I should have bought the black one to have a genuine US Waterloo box, but the stainless one I got seems to be in good shape and built as well as the other boxes I saw at Sears (and some people might say its built better, I dont know about that though)
-Chris
609 and 706
I know the manual that came with my stainless box had 706 as the prefix, the packaging itself said made in China, and whats stamped on the toolbox (if anything) will be determined after I get home from work.
Too bad I guess I should have bought the black one to have a genuine US Waterloo box, but the stainless one I got seems to be in good shape and built as well as the other boxes I saw at Sears (and some people might say its built better, I dont know about that though)
-Chris
speed bump
Well-known member
They are? I have a Craftsman 6 drawer ball bearing chest that is at about 90% of what I can stuff in there and its logged alot of miles in the back of a pick up truck and still is just fine. I looked at a old used SO box before I bought this one and it wasn't any less flimsy than the one I have now.
nextdoorhobo
Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2007
- Messages
- 21
for the black combo, I contacted waterloo directly and straight from the horses mouth:
The 59623 (top) is made in Sedalia, Missouri, the 59624 (bottom) made in Nogales, Mexico.
ugh.... well 1 out of 2 isn't so bad...
The 59623 (top) is made in Sedalia, Missouri, the 59624 (bottom) made in Nogales, Mexico.
ugh.... well 1 out of 2 isn't so bad...
Major Ramifications
Well-known member
I disagree.
Also, thanks to whoever started this thread, as I was wondering the same thing about the 42" Ball Bearing Griplatch combo they had on sale for 50% off.
nextdoorhobo
Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2007
- Messages
- 21
I feel like an idiot quoting my own post, but I also contacted sears just to make sure and this is what they have to say...
We appreciate your recent purchase of the Craftsman 23 Drawer, 40 in.
Combo - Black. We show the Country of Origin as being the United States.
We hope this information is helpful.
here you go race fans:
Stainless bottom box, 42" wide model 59567, made in CHINA. no pics yet, but there is a "made in china" QC sticker on the upper left of the back panel (upper right when looking straight at the box).
Did not see any "made by waterloo" markings anywhere though.
Regardless, the helper I had moving it was pretty impressed by the build and the weight of it, and this was a guy who owns only Matco stuff. So, for 50% off I guess it wasnt too bad. Just ashame that the black one might be made in US still.
-Chris
Stainless bottom box, 42" wide model 59567, made in CHINA. no pics yet, but there is a "made in china" QC sticker on the upper left of the back panel (upper right when looking straight at the box).
Did not see any "made by waterloo" markings anywhere though.
Regardless, the helper I had moving it was pretty impressed by the build and the weight of it, and this was a guy who owns only Matco stuff. So, for 50% off I guess it wasnt too bad. Just ashame that the black one might be made in US still.
-Chris
krusty the clown
Member Emeritus
here's a link to an article about the waterloo plant in mo.
http://www.braner.com/braner/installations/26/01.html
http://www.braner.com/braner/installations/26/01.html
MD11Driver
Well-known member
Yeah, I looked long and hard at Craftsman vs Snap on, cause for the price of my Snap-on cabinet (Made in Canada), I was able to get more than 2 times the cabinet from Sears, but the quality difference was dramatic.. and I decided my tools will just have to be more crowded!
The high end Craftsman boxes are not bad, I think most grip latch and professional are made in Canada, but that could change in a blink, the lower end stuff is all China ,look at the displays in Sears, they are damaged, out of square and falling apart, that's how my last spare box came, it's not from them being displays 3/4's of the line is just becoming junk.
One of the drawers seems "off" on my stainless 42". Since its only one drawer, I dont think the whole roller is out of square, but I havent investigated any further. The rest of the outside of the box seems in excellent shape, so it doesnt seem to be a shipping issue.
Someone said buying a China-made Craftsman box is no better than buying the HF box. This might be true, the difference in my case is that HF is 50 miles away, and I have to think finding a decent shape HF box is probably harder than finding a decent shape Craftsman box.
I didnt buy a Craftsman Pro, but this is definitely a whole lot better than their homeowner line. The griplatch is nice, and Chinese or not, compared to any other locally available box the Craftsman wins. Im not an auto mechanic, so a tool truck brand box is complete overkill.
Someone said buying a China-made Craftsman box is no better than buying the HF box. This might be true, the difference in my case is that HF is 50 miles away, and I have to think finding a decent shape HF box is probably harder than finding a decent shape Craftsman box.
I didnt buy a Craftsman Pro, but this is definitely a whole lot better than their homeowner line. The griplatch is nice, and Chinese or not, compared to any other locally available box the Craftsman wins. Im not an auto mechanic, so a tool truck brand box is complete overkill.
I feel like an idiot quoting my own post, but I also contacted sears just to make sure and this is what they have to say...
We appreciate your recent purchase of the Craftsman 23 Drawer, 40 in.
Combo - Black. We show the Country of Origin as being the United States.
We hope this information is helpful.
Sears also told me the S•K stubby ratcheting screwdriver set I recently bought is made in USA...but we all (including S•K) know better.
Abodyracer
Well-known member
I have a 42" Stainless top box that has a "Mada in china" sticker on the lower right corner on the back side.
nissan_crawler
Well-known member
Would you quit spewing this ****?
This thing gets ran up and down a 1/4 mile long hangar and concrete ramp all the time for over 6.5 years. No problems. Looks like it did the day I bought it.
My dad has probably 2000 lbs of tools in an 25 year old slide 26" toolbox, still works fine, and got beat around on the farm for years.
Hundreds of mechanics at work have Craftsman boxes, many have had them for over 20 years, no issues.
If you have problems with a toolbox, perhaps you should learn how to take care of your things.
eschoendorff
Well-known member
Would you quit spewing this ****?
This thing gets ran up and down a 1/4 mile long hangar and concrete ramp all the time for over 6.5 years. No problems. Looks like it did the day I bought it.
My dad has probably 2000 lbs of tools in an 25 year old slide 26" toolbox, still works fine, and got beat around on the farm for years.
Hundreds of mechanics at work have Craftsman boxes, many have had them for over 20 years, no issues.
If you have problems with a toolbox, perhaps you should learn how to take care of your things.
I still love that setup. One of the coolest Craftsman toolboxes I have ever seen.
madjack
Well-known member
Looking at the sears and waterloo boxes in my shop I noticed how similar they were. I poped of the waterloo and the Craftsman emblems and found that the pegs matched. The emblems are interchangable. I looked closer and they are the same box. Must have came off the same line.
nissan_crawler
Well-known member
Waterloo makes most craftsman, has for years, nothing new there. Mine pictured above is a waterloo, although much nicer than the waterloo version, imho. Better lock, latch, etc.
urchinhead
Member
I went to Sears two days ago (May 26th, 2010 for posterity) with the intention of purchasing a 20" tool box for work. Every single hand-held tool box was manufactured in either Mexico or China, except for a few plastic wrench cases that were made in the United States.
Sad.
Does anyone know where the the 20" Knaack boxes are made? And the 20 inch Ridgid ones for that matter?
Sad.
Does anyone know where the the 20" Knaack boxes are made? And the 20 inch Ridgid ones for that matter?
crewchief888
Well-known member
My dad has probably 2000 lbs of tools in an 25 year old slide 26" toolbox, still works fine, and got beat around on the farm for years.
Hundreds of mechanics at work have Craftsman boxes, many have had them for over 20 years, no issues.
i havent looked at a CM pro box, but i'd be willing to bet that the pro boxes are probably made with similar guage steel that a 20-30 year old box was made with.
i have a '70 CM top box that is very well made, and had a mid 70's CM roller cab that i had no issues with.
many new boxes just aint made the way they used to, lighter guage steel is the main culprit IMHO.
Hundreds of mechanics at work have Craftsman boxes, many have had them for over 20 years, no issues.
i havent looked at a CM pro box, but i'd be willing to bet that the pro boxes are probably made with similar guage steel that a 20-30 year old box was made with.
i have a '70 CM top box that is very well made, and had a mid 70's CM roller cab that i had no issues with.
many new boxes just aint made the way they used to, lighter guage steel is the main culprit IMHO.