tooltrader
Active member
Someone just asked me to start a new thread on this Harbor Freight toolbox because there were so many questions about it when I posted it on the “show us your toolbox” thread. So here it is. I just bought the new 72" Harbor Frieght toolbox for a total of $1364.00 (tax and everything). I purchased it in a local store with a 20% off coupon. Orginal price was $1599.00. This is the EXACT same toolbox sold by Northern Tool for over $1000.00 more ($2600.00 + $350.00 freight delivery). You can read the reviews of it at northerntool.com
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200343086_200343086
and see what the others said about and paid for this same toolbox. Sears is now selling the exact same toolbox for $4000.00. The Sears part number is 81345. It is made at the same factory in China with just a different name plate on it. It is a great toolbox made with 18 guage steel. I had a two bay Matco toolbox (MB8525 -14drawer) and needed to upgrade to something larger to fit all my tools, I simply outgrew the two bay toolbox. This 20 drawer (72"x29"x46") toolbox is very well built. Weighs 880 pounds. Drawers are 26.5” deep. The drawers are "GripLatch" just like the professional series on Sears Craftsman (I actually like this better than the "detent" of the Matco toolbox because rolling it around the drawers would sometimes open because of the heavy tool weight inside). Some of the specs can be downloaded on an adobe attachment for the manual on the Harbor Freight website by putting in the item number 67428. I would say it is about 85% as good as a Matco or Snap-On box. Meaning it has a very nice finish it just has a couple of small welds every so often (very nit picky) you can see along the seams (these are hidden on Matco) and I had to put a top mat on it because the one it came with was very thin. I also had to replace the drawer liners with better ones. That is about the only difference. Again, it has very heavy duty steel (18 guage) and a heavy feel when you pull the drawers although they do move with ease from the ball bearings. It has all roller bearing drawers, spring casters, and hevy duty steel with powder coat paint. It only comes in red but it didn't matter to me. I would never pay full price for a new Matco, Mac, or Snap-On toolbox. It's just far too much money. I paid $1500.00 for my Matco box used after 10 years (it was in excellent condition), however I got a deal on it. A used three bay Matco or similar, in very good condition, is around $3000.00. I only buy American made tools because they are the best (no offense to those who but HF tools) and I've had too many problems over the years with Chinese or other foreign made tools breaking at the worst posible time. The toolbox Harbor Freight makes is obviously made in China but it is very well built and very heavy duty (and all I'm using it for is to store my tools in). I know it will last me the rest of my life even with a lot of use, however I am not a professional mechanaic. Just a shadetree mechanic-do it yourself kind of guy. This is an incredible buy for a toolbox this size and of this quality. Here are some pictures of the toolbox. I took the "US General" name plate off the Harbor Frieght toolbox and replaced it with a Craftsman emblem/plate. I grew up on Craftsman tools. My dad used them and passed them down to me and now I have a HUGE collection of Craftsman tools. I just had to have the Craftsman emblem on the toolbox. I tried to be as descriptive as possible. If there are any other questions, just ask away.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200343086_200343086
and see what the others said about and paid for this same toolbox. Sears is now selling the exact same toolbox for $4000.00. The Sears part number is 81345. It is made at the same factory in China with just a different name plate on it. It is a great toolbox made with 18 guage steel. I had a two bay Matco toolbox (MB8525 -14drawer) and needed to upgrade to something larger to fit all my tools, I simply outgrew the two bay toolbox. This 20 drawer (72"x29"x46") toolbox is very well built. Weighs 880 pounds. Drawers are 26.5” deep. The drawers are "GripLatch" just like the professional series on Sears Craftsman (I actually like this better than the "detent" of the Matco toolbox because rolling it around the drawers would sometimes open because of the heavy tool weight inside). Some of the specs can be downloaded on an adobe attachment for the manual on the Harbor Freight website by putting in the item number 67428. I would say it is about 85% as good as a Matco or Snap-On box. Meaning it has a very nice finish it just has a couple of small welds every so often (very nit picky) you can see along the seams (these are hidden on Matco) and I had to put a top mat on it because the one it came with was very thin. I also had to replace the drawer liners with better ones. That is about the only difference. Again, it has very heavy duty steel (18 guage) and a heavy feel when you pull the drawers although they do move with ease from the ball bearings. It has all roller bearing drawers, spring casters, and hevy duty steel with powder coat paint. It only comes in red but it didn't matter to me. I would never pay full price for a new Matco, Mac, or Snap-On toolbox. It's just far too much money. I paid $1500.00 for my Matco box used after 10 years (it was in excellent condition), however I got a deal on it. A used three bay Matco or similar, in very good condition, is around $3000.00. I only buy American made tools because they are the best (no offense to those who but HF tools) and I've had too many problems over the years with Chinese or other foreign made tools breaking at the worst posible time. The toolbox Harbor Freight makes is obviously made in China but it is very well built and very heavy duty (and all I'm using it for is to store my tools in). I know it will last me the rest of my life even with a lot of use, however I am not a professional mechanaic. Just a shadetree mechanic-do it yourself kind of guy. This is an incredible buy for a toolbox this size and of this quality. Here are some pictures of the toolbox. I took the "US General" name plate off the Harbor Frieght toolbox and replaced it with a Craftsman emblem/plate. I grew up on Craftsman tools. My dad used them and passed them down to me and now I have a HUGE collection of Craftsman tools. I just had to have the Craftsman emblem on the toolbox. I tried to be as descriptive as possible. If there are any other questions, just ask away.
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