Beach Toolbox is back!

[mikedodge]

I am in Canada and use a Beach top and bottom professionally at work and I have an old Mac (made by Beach) at home.

I would consider these boxes “medium duty”.

I notice a lot of these boxes made by Beach crack at the corners. This is why I classify them as medium duty.

I’ve lubed the friction slides with dry graphite and they slide excellent but i’d really like to get a box with bb slides one day. I will most likely end up with Snapon master series one day, but for now these will suffice.

I've been in a few shops now where they're in daily use probably by the person who bought it new, including a heavy duty truck shop. I scored one of mine off one of them but he was a body guy so it probably saw less use then one ones in the service areas.

The Mac branded ones have to be an oddity, one of my side cabinets is a Mac but has different handles.

 

[CROmech]

Lista and vidmars are just as good if not better than rousseau, and I would dare say better than Snapon as well in any metric except style.

Stor-loc builds a MM box that has the drawer chassis like lista/vidmar but some custom frame to make them like a large snapon.

I’ve handled all 3 and would say they are all on par with each other. Don’t know if you have handled a Rousseau, but I have, and they are built like tanks.

 

[CROmech]

I've been in a few shops now where they're in daily use probably by the person who bought it new, including a heavy duty truck shop. I scored one of mine off one of them but he was a body guy so it probably saw less use then one ones in the service areas.

The Mac branded ones have to be an oddity, one of my side cabinets is a Mac but has different handles.

Same, some of the old timers have Beaches since new but have not held up as well as the old Snapons. They’re all cracked at the corners and the drawers are all wonky!

 

[Firebrick43]

I’ve handled all 3 and would say they are all on par with each other. Don’t know if you have handled a Rousseau, but I have, and they are built like tanks.

I have handled rousseaus, quite a few of them, had a whole bank of them(maybe a dozen?) at the tool room where I worked for 16 years. Also had hundreds of listas and vidmar in the plant.

I personally own two listas (i would rate number one) 3 vidmars, and do have a 2004 snap on. Snap on is nice but no way in hell would it carry the weight per drawer that a chassis system like lista/vidmar/rousseaus would carry or as smoothly.

I might put the rousseaus above the vidmars simply because they are completely devoid of style in any form or fashion. Not that listas or rousseasus exude it in any great amount either.

 

[CROmech]

I have handled rousseaus, quite a few of them, had a whole bank of them(maybe a dozen?) at the tool room where I worked for 16 years. Also had hundreds of listas and vidmar in the plant.

I personally own two listas (i would rate number one) 3 vidmars, and do have a 2004 snap on. Snap on is nice but no way in hell would it carry the weight per drawer that a chassis system like lista/vidmar/rousseaus would carry or as smoothly.

I might put the rousseaus above the vidmars simply because they are completely devoid of style in any form or fashion. Not that listas or rousseasus exude it in any great amount either.

I agree, i’d put Lista #1. Their drawers are so stout and smooth. Great design.

 

[daryljones]

Hi guys I am in need of some help I have a beach tool box I am looking to sell but have no idea about what box it is or how much it would be worth as it was passed down to me through family all I can find out is that it's about 38years old , this seems to be the best place to come with the knowledge you guys have so any help would be appreciated
thank you.

 

[worldcargo]

Hi guys I am in need of some help I have a beach tool box I am looking to sell but have no idea about what box it is or how much it would be worth as it was passed down to me through family all I can find out is that it's about 38years old , this seems to be the best place to come with the knowledge you guys have so any help would be appreciated
thank you.

 

[worldcargo]

B26 mechanics chest on top
B22 mechanics chest in middle
B27 roller cabinet on bottom

 

[daryljones]

B26 mechanics chest on top
B22 mechanics chest in middle
B27 roller cabinet on bottom

Thank you buddy any idea how much there worth if anything

 

[lilredex]

I have bought those B26 boxes for $25 to $75.
B22 for $50 to $75 and that bottom roller for around $50. Would be worth more with additional drawers, like a B89. In immaculate condition they are worth more.

Had a lead on an 18" (B22) and was ready to pay upwards of $100, but somebody else got it.

Anyone have a catalogue sheet on that 18" riser box shown?

 

[worldcargo]

They’re definitely worth something! I bought the same combination a couple years ago for $200.

 

[deccicator]

Hi There,

Newbie Here;

May someone please give me a model number of this insanely well built Tool Box ?

I see that the bottom maybe the Model B27.

Thanks guys and have a great day !

 

[lilredex]

Take a look at post #247 and save the catalogue. That riser looks to be the deep (18") version of a B22, like I show above. Never did find a model number or catalogue page for that one.

Don't forget to post your location, welcome aboard!

 

[mikedodge]

Bottom is B27, middle B22, top is B 26. The top and bottom are the most common boxes.

I think the middle box is the normal shallow one. It looks to be a fair bit if space in front of it.

 

[deccicator]

Thanks guys; this helps me a lot !

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Somehow I ended up with a bunch of Beach boxes without planning it. And they happened to all be in the same area today.

 

[The Cobbler]

Nice score!

 

[JunkNstuf]

Here is a good read on the history of Beach Industries , the sale to Stanley Tools & their demise.

We used to make things in this country. #42: Beach Industries, Smiths Falls, Ontario

progress-is-fine.blogspot.com

 

[scooby074]

Here is a good read on the history of Beach Industries , the sale to Stanley Tools & their demise.

We used to make things in this country. #42: Beach Industries, Smiths Falls, Ontario

progress-is-fine.blogspot.com

The closure of the Smiths Falls plant was announced on Canada Day, when most of the employees were off work enjoying the national holiday.

Seriously, **** Stanley Tools. What a massively ****** thing to do.

 

[JunkNstuf]

The closure of the Smiths Falls plant was announced on Canada Day, when most of the employees were off work enjoying the national holiday.

Seriously, **** Stanley Tools. What a massively ****** thing to do.

Agreed. Stanley has a long history of treating employees like ****. They are the bottom of the barrel . Most of their modern day tools are **** anyway & easy to avoid.

 

[LWB]

I almost feel dirty for having mostly Dewalt power tools but they've been good to me.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Companies come and go, nothing lasts forever. Everyone wants money, preferably as much as they can get, so owners sell out, or their kids do, or their partners do.. why shouldn't they get their pay out? Free country right? Live by the sword and die by the sword.

I don't like it, but it is what it is.

 

[Etchase]

If I remember correctly Beach was ready to or actually had closed its doors when Stanley rescued it and kept it open and continuing to employ Canadians for a decade or more. Quite a good story really. They recently rescued Waterloo which had actually shut down. I don’t think you will find the Americans employed there thinking Stanley miss treated them. Stanley employees more Americans than any other tool company. They make arguably the best tool in almost every category, and certainly in storage with Lista and Vidmar in addition to the Waterloo plant. I support them.

 

[tool_scrounge]

If I remember correctly Beach was ready to or actually had closed its doors when Stanley rescued it and kept it open and continuing to employ Canadians for a decade or more. Quite a good story really. They recently rescued Waterloo which had actually shut down. I don’t think you will find the Americans employed there thinking Stanley miss treated them. Stanley employees more Americans than any other tool company. They make arguably the best tool in almost every category, and certainly in storage with Lista and Vidmar in addition to the Waterloo plant. I support them.

I was sad to see Vidmar and US Lista go from “made in USA” to “made in US A with global components “. However, Equipto is still ”made in USA” so I like to buy their cabinets for work.

 

[Etchase]

^ pretty much a requirement in a litigious world where some supplier might source plastic pellets by the truck load without traceability. I’m not sure the wording change reflects a change in manufacturing practice. It’s a global economy and if you want to keep deliveries reasonable, your supply chain needs to reflect that. Snap on sells some boxes that may utilize domestic components, but their delivery times are frequently 6 months and more. Stanley kept delivery and prices reasonable even during Covid and in volume.

 

[JunkNstuf]

If I remember correctly Beach was ready to or actually had closed its doors when Stanley rescued it and kept it open and continuing to employ Canadians for a decade or more. Quite a good story really. They recently rescued Waterloo which had actually shut down. I don’t think you will find the Americans employed there thinking Stanley miss treated them. Stanley employees more Americans than any other tool company. They make arguably the best tool in almost every category, and certainly in storage with Lista and Vidmar in addition to the Waterloo plant. I support them.

No, Stanley acquired Beach in 1987 when the plant was booming & the owner was retiring
so they didn’t “rescue” the plant.
I’m sure policies & opinions vary on each plant site as with any large corporation but as a former Stanley employee long before they closed the plant I worked at, I can say they were the worst company i‘ve worked for In my career.

 

[lilredex]

If anyone is looking for Beach tool box keys, this may be a source.

Beach 901 to 1000 Tool Box Replacement Key | AcmeKey.ca USA & Canada

AcmeKey.ca Est.1965. Fast shipping: USA, Canada & Worldwide of Beach, Craftsman, Huskey Mac Proto 901 to 1000 series easy replacement keys for Tool Boxes. For lost or missing keys we make easy replacement key copies by the code number stamped on the original key or on the face of the lock.

acmekey.ca

Here is a back up catalogue source, in addition to post #247 above.

Beach Steel Boxes : Beach Industries, Ltd. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

8 p., illus., 27.6 cm, trade catalog

archive.org

Yeah, I know another disappointing post.......they really are dead and gone (Beach).

 

[PeterSpencer]

New to group. A lot of beach enthusiasts at my work. We put on some serious mileage on these wheels.

 

[LWB]

New to group. A lot of beach enthusiasts at my work. We put on some serious mileage on these wheels.

What do you do? Nice lineup!

 

[PeterSpencer]

What do you do? Nice lineup!

Electrical Contractors in a factory. Three more guys have beach's with sidecarts, but weren't tidy enough. Had to cut them from the photoshoot.

 

[lilredex]

Anyone in the Toronto area interested in an elusive Beach B710 workbench..........there is one on FBMP if you can ignore the diatribe. If I had the room, it would already be in my garage.

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[mikedodge]

Anyone in the Toronto area interested in an elusive Beach B710 workbench..........there is one on FBMP if you can ignore the diatribe. If I had the room, it would already be in my garage.

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Very cool. Too bad it's been repainted. I was looking for one for a while before finally finding one.

 

[lilredex]

Another B710 Beach workbench, if you are local.

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[AMC87]

Hey guys, first post here. I just bought one of the Beach workbenches off marketplace. Does anyone know what era these were from?View attachment 2392916

 

[lilredex]

Welcome! Don't forget to post your location.

My guess is they were sold in the seventies and eighties. Attached is the catalogue page for those.

 

[AMC87]

Welcome! Don't forget to post your location.

My guess is they were sold in the seventies and eighties. Attached is the catalogue page for those.

This is great, thank you!

Vancouver(ish), BC here.

 

[AMC87]

May as well post my boxes while I’m here. I no longer have the older top box/smaller bottom, as I gave them to my mother-in-law after her father passed away (the top was his - fun sticker included). One day I’ll luck out on marketplace or whatever and find an older top to switch out the newer version with.

 

[PlanB]

Very nice

 

[mikedodge]

I'm always kind of torn, I like those big top boxes for the extra drawer size but like how when you use the shorter boxes it gives you that nice handy shelf space in front of it to put the tools as you're getting them out or putting them away.

I saw one of those work benches a week or so ago but it was missing the doors and top.

 

[Jazz1]

May as well post my boxes while I’m here. I no longer have the older top box/smaller bottom, as I gave them to my mother-in-law after her father passed away (the top was his - fun sticker included). One day I’ll luck out on marketplace or whatever and find an older top to switch out the newer version with.

There’s a top box same in my area I’d like but $400 cuz it’s full of tools that I don’t need or want