Anybody have a SK Toolbox?

[dnroe]

I am looking at buying a SK toolbox and curious if anyone has one or can vouch for their quality. The box is 41.5" wide and 24" deep. So far I have only seen the top and it is in pretty nice shape. Its red with the stainless drawer pulls and the top box has wide drawers on the left with a narrow bank of drawers on the right. The owner believes it is about 10 years old. He is bringing the bottom to his house tonight for me to look at but claims it is in equal condition and has full width drawers. The drawers are ballbearing and are really smooth and have almost no endplay to them when extended. If I had to guess I would say the top box weighs close to 200 lbs. He had a snap on box sitting next to it and the quality and construction seemed spot on with the SK box.

So my question is would anyone recomend this box? I have been looking at the montezuma 56" combo but I could get this box for about half the price. The SK is narrower but it is a full 4" deeper so not much difference in storage (plenty big enough for my tools). Also how does the quality on the SK professional boxes compare to a snappy? And finally what would be a good price for both parties involved?

 

[dnroe]

Does nobody have anything good to say about a SK box or is there just no one with any experience with them. Going to try to buy it tonight and would love to hear some feedback on them first.

 

[american lockpicker]

Is it made in France?

 

[dnroe]

The box had the sticker on the inside of the top lid but I didnt look close enough to see where it was made. Would made in France be good or bad? From the quality I would say it might be made in America.

 

[mrholeshot]

The only one I've evr seen was only 18 deep and just looked like a rebranded waterloo. I've never seen the 24 deep one

 

[crewchief888]

i've never seen an SK box other than ahand carry box...

 

[dnroe]

Wish I would have taken a picture of then. I knew I had never seen one but I figured they were pretty common. Seems the quality is good and it is a good size for my uses so I think I am going to go ahead and get it. I will try to post some pics tomorrow if anyone is interested. Price wise its about the same as a new craftsman roller bearing box but this thing is so much heavier and stronger feeling that I think its a fair price.

 

[Theloniousmonk]

if it is a newer "hercules" box, then it's most likely a Waterloo magnum variant... if it is their "limited edition" box w/ the socket fist sticker, then it seems to be a waterloo Traxx box. All the boxes in my SK cat. from 2001 look like waterloo or international boxes... I'm sure the box is of decent quality.

you better post a pic or two!

 

[dnroe]

Okay so I picked up the box last night and it was all me and the guy could do to get it in the truck. We were able to carry the top but we had to push the bottom from his trailer on ramps into the truck. Used the hoist at home and was able to unload it by myself. All in all I am pretty happy with it. The box seems to be in good shape. Hopefully today I will get a chance to start cleaning it up and try to start filling it and see how I like the layout.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Congrats to your "new" box!
I´m looking forward to see some pics once you got it "sorted"!

 

[DRhodes]

I really like that box. Congrats.

 

[Theloniousmonk]

Really nice box! congrats!

 

[mrholeshot]

Very Cool!!!!

 

[lauver]

Gang,

For the record, I look for tool boxes all the time at pawn shops, flea markets, swap meets, garage sales, and CL. I gotta say, I have never seen an SK box (small, large, vintage, modern, professional, or etc) in my neck of the woods. Are these boxes unpopular, poorly marketed, over priced, highly coveted, or what? Any speculation? I run into lot's of SK tools, but not the boxes.

Do you guys see many SK boxes?

 

[Theloniousmonk]

Gang,

For the record, I look for tool boxes all the time at pawn shops, flea markets, swap meets, garage sales, and CL. I gotta say, I have never seen an SK box (small, large, vintage, modern, professional, etc) in my neck of the woods. Are these boxes unpopular, poorly marketed, over priced, highly coveted, or what? Any speculation? I run into lot's of SK tools, but not the boxes.

Do you guys see many SK boxes?

i think all of the above - i've only seen one smaller top chest, the rest are in catalogs and online...

 

[Beerman]

Gang,

For the record, I look for tool boxes all the time at pawn shops, flea markets, swap meets, garage sales, and CL. I gotta say, I have never seen an SK box (small, large, vintage, modern, professional, etc) in my neck of the woods. Are these boxes unpopular, poorly marketed, over priced, highly coveted, or what? Any speculation? I run into lot's of SK tools, but not the boxes.

Do you guys see many SK boxes?

I had a SK top chest, made back when they were owned by Dresser. It actually was labeled "SK" and in smaller print "by Dresser Industries" on the badge on the box.

It's been my experience that SK is primarily a brand that was big in the mid-west. Given that they were based out of Chicago until they went belly-up last year, that's not surprising.

I live in the SE and you just don't see much SK around here at the pawn/estate/flea market scene. It does happen, but not often. I imagine, if you looked at the pawn/estate/flea markets in the Milwaukee or Cleveland areas, you'd find much more.

FWIW.



Beerman

 

[billymade]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresser_Industries

Interesting history; wayne, ingersoll rand and presumably SK all played a role in mergers over the years....

 

[lowbucktruck]

Wow! Nice box! I like that drawer layout. Congrats on that score!!!

 

[air]

Do you guys see many SK boxes?

Never seen one that big, but I've seen smaller, older SK boxes. There was an old Sherman Klove box on craigslist in my area recently for cheap, but it looked beat to ****.

 

[dnroe]

Thanks for all the compliments I feel much better about my purchase now. It does have some fading issues which I will try to buff & wax out but probably not much I can do about it. I really didnt notice it until I was looking at the pictures so the flash must make it stand out more. Needs a good cleaning and a few small adjustments to get all the drawers working properly. I havent found anything so far indicating who it was manufactured by or a COO. 24" didnt seem like a deep box until I got it in place and realized the thing must have 4 times as much storage as my old 26" wide craftsman. I was dead set on the 56" montezuma in blue but this thing is growing on me. I will post some cleaned up pictures in the future.

 

[Jallred]

Nice chest. They look very similar to the ones in the Wright tools book. I happened to just be looking at them about an hour ago. I don't know who makes Wright boxes but I do like the looks of them.

 

[bobcatdan]

It's an intermational, most likely made in Cananda. Same company that makes Wright boxes. If you go to international's website, its on there. I'm sure it is a well made box. Before SK rebadged waterloos at the end, that was the top of the line SK box. Cool find.

 

[airbuff101]

Gang,

For the record, I look for tool boxes all the time at pawn shops, flea markets, swap meets, garage sales, and CL. I gotta say, I have never seen an SK box (small, large, vintage, modern, professional, or etc) in my neck of the woods. Are these boxes unpopular, poorly marketed, over priced, highly coveted, or what? Any speculation? I run into lot's of SK tools, but not the boxes.

Do you guys see many SK boxes?

Gary,
SK had a couple of nice pro toolboxes in the 90's and that is probably when Dnroe's was bought. They were Waterloo upper end lines I think but may well have been International as other folks have said.
I think the reason that you don't see many is that they were primarily sold by Independant Tool Trucks & Stores, WD's etc. I suppose some auto parts or farm stores here and there. None of those retailers had much in the way of easy financing typically. $1500-3000 boxes were hard to move or finance personally so the Big 3 Tool truck companies owned that market as they do today.
Rob
Here's some catalog pictures from the late 90's:

 

[bobcatdan]

Those in the catalog look lile rem line. Priced out a rem line like the 40" in the late 90's.

 

[thrifty bill]

I saw that box myself on C/L, and would have been all over it but I was out of town. Nice score!!!

 

[Even 11]

I know a guy who has a 26" S-K roller in green that is much older than the one you scored but that it for S-Ks that I have seen bigger than a hand carry! Nice score, looks like a hell of a box no matter who made it!!

-Dane

 

[dnroe]

I have the box cleaned up a little bit and have put it to use in the shop. So far I really like it. Just getting used to the new layout comparet to my old craftsman 26" that I have had for the past 10 years or so. All I did was clean it up with a little wax on the paint. I only have one in drawer picture but you guys have seen plenty of those before.

 

[SK Guy]

I have the same upper box that I got from a dealer when SK was going under around year 2000. Got a great deal on it and it was new still in the box. It is a well built box and I agree with you that it is extremely heavy. All my mechanic tools are SK. I started buying them back in the 70's.

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

I have never really seen SK toolboxes besides the small green metal cases..
BTW Congrats great looking box enjoy it..

 

[1982fxr]

Those in the catalog look lile rem line. Priced out a rem line like the 40" in the late 90's.

I had one of those, dark green. Have seen a couple others for sale over the years.

I take that back, it was Cornwell badged, and Cornwell told me it was supplied by SK.

 

[bonneyman]

I have never really seen SK toolboxes besides the small green metal cases..
BTW Congrats great looking box enjoy it..

+1