Yet another tool box post...Excel

First off, I did a search, and nothing really popped up about Excel 41" boxes.

I'm going to pull the trigger on new boxes within the next couple weeks. The US General box from HF is at the top of my list, but this one has caught my eye too...
http://cgi.ebay.com/HEAVY-DUTY-TOOL-CABINET-CHEST-TBR-4013-42X18X61-Teal-/350277007840?pt=Tool_Boxes_Storage&hash=item518e22f9e0
Although the auction doesn't specify it, those boxes are made by Excel. Does anyone have 41" Excel boxes, and if so, how do you like them? Have they held up well?

I can get the HF lower, upper, and side cabinets for a bit less than this Excel set, but I'm really digging that color. I would hate to pay more just for a color if the actual product is inferior though.

do you have menards store??? they have Masterforce boxes as green color... but if you dont have menards store then sorry...

ramtuff said:

First off, I did a search, and nothing really popped up about Excel 41" boxes.

I'm going to pull the trigger on new boxes within the next couple weeks. The US General box from HF is at the top of my list, but this one has caught my eye too...
http://cgi.ebay.com/HEAVY-DUTY-TOOL-CABINET-CHEST-TBR-4013-42X18X61-Teal-/350277007840?pt=Tool_Boxes_Storage&hash=item518e22f9e0
Although the auction doesn't specify it, those boxes are made by Excel. Does anyone have 41" Excel boxes, and if so, how do you like them? Have they held up well?

I can get the HF lower, upper, and side cabinets for a bit less than this Excel set, but I'm really digging that color. I would hate to pay more just for a color if the actual product is inferior though.

Click to expand...

the hf boxes arent too bad, I saw one when I was at killington the other day it was that shallow double bank they sell the 40" one maybe, a little shallow for my liking but not bad as far as quality.

Deafautotech said:

do you have menards store??? they have Masterforce boxes as green color... but if you dont have menards store then sorry...

Click to expand...

tractor supply has "masterhand" also which are similar to that excel and id bet the same as "masterforce"

Nope, there isn't a single Menard's in the state. I'll look into the Masterforce boxes though...I'm sure they're sold elsewhere.

I do have a Tractor Supply near me, so I'll see what they have as well.

Thanks guys!


Ok, so I went to Excel's website (I should have started there...duh)...
http://www.excel-hardware.com/index.asp...and they have a page listing where you can buy their boxes. Listed among them is Harbor Freight! Hmmmmmm

I've been trying to find out who makes the US General boxes with no luck, and now I'm wondering if they're rebranded Excels.

That bottom section looks nearly identical to the US General/HF box.

As does the top...even the handles are of the same design. I sent an e-mail to Excel asking them about it. I'll report back what I find out.

The guy from Excel seems a bit shifty. He won't give me a yes or no answer about the US General boxes being the same (all he says is they are "very similar") and won't tell me which Excel products Harbor Freight carries. So either they don't want to let people know that their products are being sold under another name for cheaper (then why put Harbor Freight down as a vendor?) or Harbor Freight doesn't actually carry any of their products (again, then why put HF down as a vendor?).

ramtuff said:

The guy from Excel seems a bit shifty. He won't give me a yes or no answer about the US General boxes being the same (all he says is they are "very similar") and won't tell me which Excel products Harbor Freight carries. So either they don't want to let people know that their products are being sold under another name for cheaper (then why put Harbor Freight down as a vendor?) or Harbor Freight doesn't actually carry any of their products (again, then why put HF down as a vendor?).

Click to expand...

He's not really shifty.
I've been in their facility, it's about 50 miles from me.
I've even bought a box from them, but it was an intermediate box, very low priced.

He can't really tell you because it's not the way they work.



Much of their stuff comes in from China, much of it in bulk parts that they assemble at the location.
Who they sell to, and who they work for is proprietary information thus not to be discussed.
Pain, but when you combine Chinese business plans and techniques with California anti-business policy...
Many of the boxes on display in their showroom where similar but bigger than HF stuff.
Put simply, they buy from the same bulk vendors as other places, like Menards, HF, the indepenant tool stores, etc. And they also assemble their own stuff.
I have three red intermediate boxes, all would have the exact same description in an add. One from them, one from HF one from another vendor in the Midwest.
They all 'look' the same. They are all just slightly different. Drawers will almost interchange, slides are mostly the same, etc.
It's an Asian building thing.
They take a plan and materials, then each facility builds it the way they want.
Thus they are 'virtually, almost, kinda' the same. But maybe a little different...

Anyway, their quality is at least as good as the HF stuff, but shipping usually costs too much to bother if you have an HF down the street.

Adding; the free shipping is true, but the stuff is much cheaper if you are standing in their showroom...

4x4gearhead said:

the hf boxes arent too bad, I saw one when I was at killington the other day it was that shallow double bank they sell the 40" one maybe, a little shallow for my liking but not bad as far as quality.

tractor supply has "masterhand" also which are similar to that excel and id bet the same as "masterforce"

Click to expand...

Is there a HF in Killington VT?! Or were you at the Mtn or some shop/site that had one?

Thanks for that. I didn't mean to say that he IS shifty, just that I couldn't get a yes or no out of him. Poor wording on my part.

I'm sure they're much cheaper in their showroom, but that's 3000 miles away from me, so showroom pricing doesn't help me any. I've found these boxes at several other places online, and some are cheaper, but then they nail you with $300+ shipping which brings the total cost over that E-bay auction. I haven't found another vendor for these that's cheaper than that auction.

I think I may just say to hell with it, and pop for the HF boxes. $650 (or $850 with the side cabinet) vs. $999 leaves me with some cash to drop on new tools.

While I don't work in the toolbox or toolbox retail biz, I am fairly certain that Torin makes the Harbor Freight stuff. Or, rather, one company makes both Torin and US General. Look at these Torin boxes, sold through Northern Tool...

Torin (HF Storehouse) 26 inch
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200321987_200321987

Torin (US General) 41 Inch
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200365337_200365337

Torin (US General) 72 Inch
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200343086_200343086

Torin (US General) Service Cart
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332047_200332047

Of course, I've never seen an Excel toolbox. They may all be related.

Without a doubt, those are the same boxes. lol. Good catch. Chances are, all three "brands" come from the same factory in China.

Note; this is also on northerntool.com

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200408995_200408995