twertsy
Well-known member
+ 1 in a freakin' hurry and Amen, brother!
Guess who will be driving right through Winston-Salem today............
The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!
- Thread starter mjozefow
- Start date
Guess who will be driving right through Winston-Salem today............
BrettJ74
Well-known member
Here is a cool and unique box I picked up last night.. After talking with the guy for a hour I ended up picking it up for $50. Had never here of Lyon but it is very similar to a Kennedy, and of very nice quality.
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Rileysan
Well-known member
Nice box. Isn't that the same company that makes lockers and metal cabinets? Didn't know they made tool boxes.Here is a cool and unique box I picked up last night.. After talking with the guy for a hour I ended up picking it up for $50. Had never here of Lyon but it is very similar to a Kennedy, and of very nice quality.
.
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Brian
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Guess who will be driving right through Winston-Salem today............
Hope you get it, I'm near Charlotte and have been thinking about driving over all week.
There is also a snapon Taco that looks to be in good condition in Raleigh, but price needs a lot of work.
twertsy
Well-known member
My destination is Charlotte today, then on to Tuscaloosa on Sunday. Unfortunately, I'm not going to have room to pick up that box. Any other trip I'd take the truck, but not today, sadly.
Cope
Well-known member
I don't need another box and I am out of room, but I'd have bought that in a heartbeat.
BrettJ74
Well-known member
I believe so, I know that Drives Had/Has a large cabinet/locker thing that is huge , but I have never seen any Tool Boxes either. But I as well picked it up ASAP
mcmlvif100
Well-known member
+ 1 in a freakin' hurry and Amen, brother!
Here's hoping that someone on GJ gets it and shares LOTS of pictures. Would love to hear the story behind it.
smschriefer
Well-known member
Here is a cool and unique box I picked up last night.. After talking with the guy for a hour I ended up picking it up for $50. Had never here of Lyon but it is very similar to a Kennedy, and of very nice quality.
.
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That is a nice box. It appears to be an MBC box. Same design as MAC and MATCO used among others in the 80's.
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I'll let you know tomorrow, 15july. I am picking up the 32 Snap-on tomorrow. On hold for me.
and no not paying asking price. It go good with my other 32
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mcmlvif100
Well-known member
I'll let you know tomorrow, 15july. I am picking up the 32 Snap-on tomorrow. On hold for me.
It go good with my other 32
Awesome!
d42jeep
Well-known member
I picked up a nice Kennedy lower chest at a sale in Minden, Nevada this morning. The owner said he bought it in the '60s.
-Don
-Don
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txlonghorn1989
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Nice Kennedy toolbox in fantastic condition! Saw CL ad today for a Kennedy topbox today that looked like it had been drug to work every day behind his truck. Wanted $100.
twertsy
Well-known member
What's the general obsession with Kennedy? Out of 80 or so boxes, I don't own a single one. Every one I've ever laid my hands on feels cheap. I don't get why anyone would want one, let alone pay the prices that are usually asked?
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Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
Me neither. If it's the same company, they updated/fancified their logo. I have a number of Lyon pieces, mainly steel stackable parts bins (you know, the reach-in-and-grab-from-the-front kind...) and this tote (photos below). All my pieces are much older than this tool/machinists' box. Lyon was a huge WWII supplier and was around before the war, too.
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bl00
Well-known member
https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/d/vintage-stahlwille-tool/6220021557.html
Posting this since they don't seem to show too often. They had a second one also, but it looks like that ad is already gone.
Posting this since they don't seem to show too often. They had a second one also, but it looks like that ad is already gone.
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tombell572
Well-known member
My Lyon boxes are shown on post 7216, page 361 of this thread. The guy I bought them from said he bought them new in the late 1980's. In searching the Lyon corporate site before buying these, I didn't see any current reference to tool boxes, only their lines of shop cabinetry and storage furniture. Lyon tool boxes don't appear to be very common--mine are well built and I'm extremely pleased with them.
Tom B.
Tom B.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
What about them feels cheap to you? While the majority of Kennedy's out there have friction slides, within that class of box they are well made and work well.
I know some don't like the wrinkle paint, but that does not detract from build quality...
I have a lot of Kennedy (22); mostly machinist in roller, top and intermediate classes, but a number of automotive including 2 rollers, an intermediate, a couple of tops. 5 carry boxes too. Never really had a complaint. One of the tops and the intermediate were my race track boxes for years. Certainly as good or better than any non-roller slide box Craftsman ever made, and far better than Craftsman's current crop, regardless of slides.
I have loaded the drawers extremely heavily at times and they are holding up perfectly well (One reasonably deep drawer is crammed to the top with tin snips and I can tell you its very heavy...)
Rileysan
Well-known member
I own a few Kennedy boxes that more-or-less fell into my lap. While they aren't tool truck quality, the don't feel cheap to me - with one exception. I have a Kennedy made S-k machinist tool chest that never would have come home with me if not for the price. It was like-new but was so cheaply made I would have guessed it was Chinese made junk. I also have the same style box made for Craftsman (heritage era) that's as solid and heavy duty as any box I'v ever owned.
I also own 2 carpenter's tool boxes from Kennedy and I love the feel and design.
My best guess is that the quality took a turn for the worse over the years and that, like Sears Craftsman, they are living off their reputation from decades past.
Still, if you can get them for a good price, I say do it!
Brian
twertsy
Well-known member
I don't know what to say guys. To me, compare the same era Kennedy with a Watetloo, Pressteel, MBC, etc and they just don't measure up, at least in my opinion.
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
So can you give specifics? I own all the above, and with the exception of MBC** , don't see the difference you claim? 
**MBC was a cut above by any standard, and led directly to the heavy duty truck boxes we see today...
**MBC was a cut above by any standard, and led directly to the heavy duty truck boxes we see today...
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
I like Kennedy boxes. I would echo what Outlaw said, they're not truck brand quality, but for solid friction slide boxes, I think they're great quality.
The only Kennedy I currently own is a cantilever box. I don't see Kennedy boxes around often, and when I do they're usually priced too high.
davethorik
Well-known member
Kennedy boxes are leaps and bounds above any Craftsman box, generally speaking. Around here, they are common, but price fluctuates wildly. Usually the cantilever/hand carry boxes command a premium, same with individual machinist chests, while complete rollers can be had more affordably. The biggest downside is that seems like 80% of Kennedy rollers are the 7 drawer with the storage area at bottom, which I'm not a fan of ( I have one and it just becomes a junk catch-all, whatever you need is usually buried in the back requiring you dig it all out).
BrettJ74
Well-known member
Tom, those are a nice set of boxes. The handles on mine look the same but mine are gold colored, and the P. O. of this box referenced about the same time period about 35 years ago he said. He said he had bought a smaller Kennedy and a guy he worked with bought the Lyon, the Lyon turned out to be to big for the guy so they ended up swapping. Now I just have to try and find that matching bottom box.
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twertsy
Well-known member
Again, my opinion, and certainly not criticizing others preferences.So can you give specifics? I own all the above, and with the exception of MBC** , don't see the difference you claim?
**MBC was a cut above by any standard, and led directly to the heavy duty truck boxes we see today...
First, they are hideous looking. I don't like the pulls on the mechanics boxes at all. The machinist chests drawers never slid smoothly. They just feel shabby, even tinny, at least the ones I've laid hands on. I walk by them all the time without so much as a second glance and I probably wouldn't take one for free. I think Beatcad may have offered me one a while back when searching for extra space, and I still don't own one.
Again, not being purjorative, it's simply my preferences.
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Kennedy were really popular in the mechanical trades, machinist and industrial sector. They are no frills but built quite well, especially the more modern ones with snap in friction slides. I'm not a fan of the tiny drawer machinist chests, but they are still popular in machinists circles, however becoming less and less these days. They don't work too well for modern machining unlike when they were first designed. They will always be to some, "The" classic tool box though.
Also realize that majority of Kennedy sales are not to individuals, but to companies where tools and boxes are supplied. They are the lower cost option to industrial cabinets but certainly not cheap for the average guy when you compare to other options. This they have a low used value compared to new price.
Also realize that majority of Kennedy sales are not to individuals, but to companies where tools and boxes are supplied. They are the lower cost option to industrial cabinets but certainly not cheap for the average guy when you compare to other options. This they have a low used value compared to new price.
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I have a tank of a early 80' matco that is identical in construction.We'll Gents here's that 32 Snap-on. I'll get some better pictures tomorrow. Pretty clean I must say. Only issue is the top drawer has a wicked warp to it. I'll have to figure out the best way to get it back true. Open to any suggestions if you got any?
The lady bought from a fella that was 90 years old. He was selling his complete shop so she bought him out. She said that he was a jack of all trades kind of fella. It's been in Winston Salem, NC since the old timer bought it.
Has the side tool rack as well and it's only missing the security bar that goes in front of the drawers. That's easy to replicate, which I will do.
The lady bought from a fella that was 90 years old. He was selling his complete shop so she bought him out. She said that he was a jack of all trades kind of fella. It's been in Winston Salem, NC since the old timer bought it.
Has the side tool rack as well and it's only missing the security bar that goes in front of the drawers. That's easy to replicate, which I will do.
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twertsy
Well-known member
That is such a cool box. Congrats and if I'd had my truck, Ida fought you for it!
That drawer is going to take heat to fix.
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mcmlvif100
Well-known member
^^^ This ^^^
So cool! There are some interesting little details like what appear to be socket and wrench clips in the top drawer.
Congratulations. Am envious.
Hahaha I read your post saying you didn't have your truck and did a big sigh of relief cause the day before you posted that you didn't have it I called her and asked if she would hold it. She said she would she would hold it only if it didn't sell by Friday night.. the rest well is history..
They are. They are not stock. They were welded in. Reason the top drawer is so warped along with looks to be welded patch work. I'll post better pictures tomorrow
twertsy
Well-known member
When I saw those in there I figured it was what caused the warping. Definitely worth the time to fix it though.
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Most definitely worth fixing. The guy welded a small piece of round bar about about 1/4 inch tall right in the center of the drawer and I believe that's what cause the warp.
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
It's still usable but I can feel it wearing into the top track if that makes sense?
Private Lugnutz
Well-known member
It does make sense. The only reason I ask is because the fix (re-heating the welds and using hammer on dolly) could do more damage than good.
This is very true. And I know it takes some skills to heat and beat metal straight again without damaging it.. There's a fabricating shop next to my place and thought about taking it to them to see what they think and thought about also hitting up a auto body shop. My skills in straiting metal is very small when it comes to heat and cooling. I can admit that..
thehorse13
Well-known member
Congrats on this pickup. I certainly would have been a contender if it was a little closer to home.
Heat is likely the best way to get the drawer warp fixed but you can also try very targeted hammer work with a dolly.
Al Borland
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I don't see the reason for the Kennedy hate.
It's a box for a purpose. I have my father in law's old Kennedy. He was a machinist/modelmaker. the box works well for what he used it for. the small drawers kept measuring tools neat and organized, the lower drawers held basic hand tools, neatly laid out. No reason for 150 pounds of tools in a single drawer, and the smaller drawers kept you from overloading and possibly damaging measuring instruments.
It's not a mechanic's box, it's not a millwright's box. Definitely not good for a pipefitter or a rigger, but as a machinist's box, it's great.
It's a box for a purpose. I have my father in law's old Kennedy. He was a machinist/modelmaker. the box works well for what he used it for. the small drawers kept measuring tools neat and organized, the lower drawers held basic hand tools, neatly laid out. No reason for 150 pounds of tools in a single drawer, and the smaller drawers kept you from overloading and possibly damaging measuring instruments.
It's not a mechanic's box, it's not a millwright's box. Definitely not good for a pipefitter or a rigger, but as a machinist's box, it's great.