What Should I Offer for this Taco Cart

[Griff79]

Greetings GJ,

I am looking to make a rolling workbench to use since my shop space is limited to a suburban one car garage for now. As I am formulating my plan and best use of space, I think it is a good idea to have as many tools as I can on casters to free up the floor.

I really liked ScottsGT's version of Robert Haas's rolling workbench to use as a guide.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...highlight=thinking+building+rolling+workbench

I decided to go with a domestic used toolbox as the foundation of the workbench, going to build a frame for support and place a butcher block on top to work on.

Shopping around CL I found this Taco Cart and a second Snappy box for $1600. The Taco Cart could be perfect for this application but the price seems high. I don't need or want the top chest so what should I offer for just the rolling cabinet? I have seen prices ranging from sub $500 to $2k. Should I buy the whole lot and sell the cabinet? This seems like a hassle.

Here is a link to the CL ad. I have not gone out to see it in person yet so I don't know the actual condition.

https://boulder.craigslist.org/tls/d/longmont-large-snap-on-rolling-tool/6959035658.html

Thanks for your advice,
Griff

 

[mike93lx]

I wouldn't get your hopes up to split them up. Selling a top box alone will probably be hard,as you've noted. If it will be hard for you to do, why would the current seller want to do the same?

 

[crewchief888]

I don't think the price is outrageous, but not a screaming deal either.


i'd say the taco cart is mid 80's, and looks to be clean. the top box is a little older.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

It is more than what You are looking for, and more than You want to pay.. It is priced reasonable for someone who desires it as is. In this case; that Someone does not appear to be You.

 

[3 Gun Shooter]

Does the bottom box have ball bearing drawer slides? I am pretty sure they were sold both ways with that logo (mid 80's). The top box is older from the 70's, spo it is not worth more than $200-250.

 

[twertsy]

The most I've ever paid for a Taco is $400. They're just not that desirable for a user because the typical user does not have the space to fully utilize them.

 

[FJ 432]

Taco carts are hard to find in Denver. I sold a Waterloo version last weekend for $200 and it went within 2 hours.

That one is older with friction slides but I would have to say that it's priced too high. This one is a much better deal:

https://denver.craigslist.org/tls/d/longmont-snap-on-tool-box/6952652142.html

 

[gnpenning]

One of my co workers bought that top box new in the early 80s. He had the matching bottom. I always liked the layout. Tried buying it from him when he quit.

 

[LNKMK8]

That is the cleanest Taco Cart I've personally seen listed... I've only seen a couple in the Kansas City area in the past year or two and they were beat pretty badly. The price is up there but so is the condition; I'd see if you could work the price down a few hundred and then sell the top box yourself (should bring around $300). I've worked deals where I contacted them and just said if they get to a point where they are willing to accept a lower offer to let me know and then I let it sit for a while. I'll follow up a few weeks later, and often they are ready to negotiate more. I think $1200 would really be top of market for that in my area. Best of luck, its a unique box.

 

[rsanter]

That set is way overpriced.
Even in that condition he will have a very hard time getting $1000 for just the bottom and the top is worth $300 or perhaps less.
The bottom at $600 would be reasonable for most areas

IMO you are going the wrong way, I would be looking for 2-3 of the snap on 33” wide boxes and then configure them how you want it to be setup

 

[dr_clyde]

If I needed that box, I'd be ok with paying his asking price. Its not out of line for what he has IMO.

The tricky bit is that box is either super valuable or completely worthless depending on who's looking at it.

Those boxes are hard to find in good condition and are kind of a boutique item. Pretty useless for a guy who doesn't have the space for it, but awesome for industrial maintenance or airplane hangar work where you're rolling the box to your work area all the time.

If you can't stomach his asking price, I'd offer $1200 and see what he says.

 

[seber]

Even down here in Texas that KRA is not worth even half what he is asking. I recently purchased the set with normal roller box below and same top box for $340. It needed some slides but I managed to straighten them. It didn't look as nice but that is just a paint job. Couple hours with a rattle can.

 

[Packard V8]

Yes, both are exceptionally clean.
No, they're not going for $1650 in our area.
Maybe, $1000 absolute tops.

I am looking to make a rolling workbench to use since my shop space is limited to a suburban one car garage for now. As I am formulating my plan and best use of space, I think it is a good idea to have as many tools as I can on casters to free up the floor.

Those boxes . . . a boutique item. Pretty useless for a guy who doesn't have the space for it, but awesome for industrial maintenance or airplane hangar work where you're rolling the box to your work area all the time.

Many small drawers have their place. It's nice to have one wide box, but equally utilitarian to have several narrower boxes with small drawers. Smaller tools and tooling are difficult to keep sorted in wide, deep drawers.

jack vines

X2 - I had a friend who lusted for a taco wagon, but when he got it, found it was a total PITA in the space he was working. It's gone now and replaced by:

IMO you are going the wrong way, I would be looking for 2-3 of the snap on 33” wide boxes and then configure them how you want it to be setup

jack vines

 

[LNKMK8]

Here is what $600 will buy you in Kansas City:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/491059411667910/

 

[Fcvapor05]

Taco carts are hard to find in Denver. I sold a Waterloo version last weekend for $200 and it went within 2 hours.

That one is older with friction slides but I would have to say that it's priced too high. This one is a much better deal:

https://denver.craigslist.org/tls/d/longmont-snap-on-tool-box/6952652142.html

A KRL722 would make a terrible workbench base- way too tall.

With that said I'm about to move to Denver... I wish I could trade my orange KRL722 (I hate orange but the price was right) for that one. Much prettier to my eye.

 

[Griff79]

It is more than what You are looking for, and more than You want to pay.. It is priced reasonable for someone who desires it as is. In this case; that Someone does not appear to be You.

Why do you feel it is more box than what I am looking for?

The most I've ever paid for a Taco is $400. They're just not that desirable for a user because the typical user does not have the space to fully utilize them.

Understood, The reason I was thinking this was a good model for me is that it is highly maneuverable and when I have it out in the driveway or the middle of the garage I could access storage from 3 sides

Does the bottom box have ball bearing drawer slides? I am pretty sure they were sold both ways with that logo (mid 80's). The top box is older from the 70's, spo it is not worth more than $200-250.

Not sure yet, I need to take a look

 

[Griff79]

That is the cleanest Taco Cart I've personally seen listed... I've only seen a couple in the Kansas City area in the past year or two and they were beat pretty badly. The price is up there but so is the condition; I'd see if you could work the price down a few hundred and then sell the top box yourself (should bring around $300). I've worked deals where I contacted them and just said if they get to a point where they are willing to accept a lower offer to let me know and then I let it sit for a while. I'll follow up a few weeks later, and often they are ready to negotiate more. I think $1200 would really be top of market for that in my area. Best of luck, its a unique box.

This is the tact I am going to take. We will see if it works

That set is way overpriced.
Even in that condition he will have a very hard time getting $1000 for just the bottom and the top is worth $300 or perhaps less.
The bottom at $600 would be reasonable for most areas

$600 for the KR 560 is the price range I am hoping to get to

IMO you are going the wrong way, I would be looking for 2-3 of the snap on 33” wide boxes and then configure them how you want it to be setup

I don't think I can use multiple boxes for my application. I need it to be super movable

 

[Griff79]

I wouldn't get your hopes up to split them up. Selling a top box alone will probably be hard,as you've noted. If it will be hard for you to do, why would the current seller want to do the same?

This is my understanding as well, it seems that top chests are harder to sell than bottom boxes. Maybe we like booty better than *****?

Taco carts are hard to find in Denver. I sold a Waterloo version last weekend for $200 and it went within 2 hours.

That one is older with friction slides but I would have to say that it's priced too high. This one is a much better deal:

Denver is a difficult city to find bargains, people are unrealistic here

If I needed that box, I'd be ok with paying his asking price. Its not out of line for what he has IMO.

The tricky bit is that box is either super valuable or completely worthless depending on who's looking at it.

Those boxes are hard to find in good condition and are kind of a boutique item. Pretty useless for a guy who doesn't have the space for it, but awesome for industrial maintenance or airplane hangar work where you're rolling the box to your work area all the time.

If you can't stomach his asking price, I'd offer $1200 and see what he says.

I think this line of thinking is spot on, thanks

 

[mike93lx]

How are multiple smaller boxes less mobile that that huge thing?

I think something like that is a bad idea for a small shop. Very inflexible. If it doesn't work out, you are stuck selling it. With a couple smaller boxes, you can reconfigure as needed

 

[Griff79]

How are multiple smaller boxes less mobile that that huge thing?

I think something like that is a bad idea for a small shop. Very inflexible. If it doesn't work out, you are stuck selling it. With a couple smaller boxes, you can reconfigure as needed

You may have a point, my thought was to attach a 60” x 30” butcher block top that’s 3” thick to a tool box to serve as my workbench.

Griff

 

[mike93lx]

3" thick? Why the heck would you need that much?

 

[Griff79]

3" thick? Why the heck would you need that much?

That’s what I have. I received 2 large butcher block counter tops for a friend that redid his commercial kitchen. I just went and measured it 2.25 thick.