moronmountain
Well-known member
SO, Matco, Cornwell, or ???????
Best tool chests?
- Thread starter moronmountain
- Start date
Zrexxer
Well-known member
Ford, Chevy, Dodge?
arkangel06
Banned
So
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skeletonizer
Well-known member
Blond, brunette, red head.
tonydanzah
Well-known member
bewbs.......
To give you a honest answer you need to give alot more information, If money isnt a option Snap on and Matco are first rate in my experience. If money is a option and your not a everyday user you can buy used and or grab a Harbor Freight box as they are not as bad as some here might insinuate. There definitely not the caliper of the Truck brands but for the general user they are OK. I would defitely look used before i would buy a HF set but that is my beliefs, as there are lots of used boxes on the market.
garfunkle24
Well-known member
One of each please.
OP
moronmountain
Well-known member
I'm looking for something more "high end." I was looking at the Classic 78 and Heritage series from SO, but I saw a good deal on a used Matco on CL, and was wondering how good they were. As far as SO goes, is the Heritage series almost as good as the Classic other than having lighter metal on a few panels, or are there other differences that make the Classic series a much better choice?
OP
moronmountain
Well-known member
Don't make me put up pictures of my wife to get you guys to answer seriously! =p
OP
moronmountain
Well-known member
So what about the KRA's?
OP
moronmountain
Well-known member
The best tool chests are the red ones from HF, and they are best because they hold tools just fine and leave money in your wallet to buy the tools.
FYI the middle girl in the trio is "Willow" from Buffy the vampire slayer, you should see just how hot she looks as evil Willow.
FYI the middle girl in the trio is "Willow" from Buffy the vampire slayer, you should see just how hot she looks as evil Willow.
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arkangel06
Banned
KRA's are not as good before you buy a kra I would look at mac and matco boxes I have heard nothing good about cornwell.
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
Cornwell boxes are good...problem is it's hard to warranty stuff on them.
arkangel06
Banned
Even the new non us made waterloos they are selling?
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
I don't know about those...I'm thinking about the older Cornwell boxes...like Justin MC's.
arkangel06
Banned
I dont know how good the older ones are but if your buying new then I wouldn't choose cornwell.
i like my montezuma tool chests. my crossover sits just fine on an hf roller cabinet also.
don't forget about that time at band camp either.
johnnywhale
Member
I have Snap On but would buy Lista next time, bulletproof and cheaper. Sometimes they're on CL.
I agree 100% with you on the Lista, or you could also look for a Vidmar. Both are excellent boxes, and can be easily customized in their drawer size and dividers. I've been keeping an eye on CL and ebay trying to find a nice Lista or Vidmar in my area.
senlow
Well-known member
Lista is the best that I've used.
jeepnut24
Well-known member
Lista is what I will be looking for when the time comes for a new/bigger box....
Wrenchette
Well-known member
Snap On.
I like being able to open a drawer without breaking a nail.
I like being able to open a drawer without breaking a nail.
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
Brandon_K
Well-known member
Brandon_K
Well-known member
I'm partial to Snappy. I've had a KRA, an older KR and a KRL. The KRA was a great box, but I outgrew it. It's not as flashy as the KRL's, but it worked great. The KR box that I have is also built like a tank. I like being able to pack a wide drawer with Hansen socket trays and still be able to open it without issue. My buddy has a Jeff Gordon edition (gag) Mac box that is also well built. We would routinely pull open a side drawer and sit on it to eat lunch (our stations were next to each other). I can't say I've ever been a fan of Matco boxes. I have no experience with Cornwell or Lista.
I have friends that bought the Costco stainless special, some love it, some hate it. Same goes for the HF boxes.
It depends on how much it gets used and what kind of weight you're putting in a drawer. Someone with a full set of shallow / mid / deep sockets in 6pt, 12pt and a full set of impacts in every drive available is going to be more expecting than someone that has a set of shallow / deep 6pt's.
New or used? I would buy a used tool-truck brand box over a new Craftsman or HF any day of the week. At a past job, we had two shop boxes, 1 older Craftsman and 1 newer Craftsman. That OLD Craftsman was a great box! Even the drawers absolutely stacked with wrenches would open and close a treat. The new CM with a basic set of standard and metric wrenches, well you nearly had to attach a come-a-long to it.
Is this going to be the only box you ever buy? Is there an upgrade down the line or will you simply buy an additional box? In my case, I upgraded from a KRA 2306 to a KRL1023 within a year or two. I got basically what I paid for it back in trade. The CM, HF and other cheaper lines don't hold value quite as well, so that is something to consider if you ever plan on trading it in towards a new cab.
My final 2c, if you have the money and don't mind blowing it, by all means get yourself a new Snappy KRL. If you're on a budget, take a look for a used Snappy box. I usually see at least 3 or 4 good quality tool-truck brand boxes for sale on Craigslist a week. Some are very fairly priced, some not so much. It's worth a look.
I have friends that bought the Costco stainless special, some love it, some hate it. Same goes for the HF boxes.
It depends on how much it gets used and what kind of weight you're putting in a drawer. Someone with a full set of shallow / mid / deep sockets in 6pt, 12pt and a full set of impacts in every drive available is going to be more expecting than someone that has a set of shallow / deep 6pt's.
New or used? I would buy a used tool-truck brand box over a new Craftsman or HF any day of the week. At a past job, we had two shop boxes, 1 older Craftsman and 1 newer Craftsman. That OLD Craftsman was a great box! Even the drawers absolutely stacked with wrenches would open and close a treat. The new CM with a basic set of standard and metric wrenches, well you nearly had to attach a come-a-long to it.
Is this going to be the only box you ever buy? Is there an upgrade down the line or will you simply buy an additional box? In my case, I upgraded from a KRA 2306 to a KRL1023 within a year or two. I got basically what I paid for it back in trade. The CM, HF and other cheaper lines don't hold value quite as well, so that is something to consider if you ever plan on trading it in towards a new cab.
My final 2c, if you have the money and don't mind blowing it, by all means get yourself a new Snappy KRL. If you're on a budget, take a look for a used Snappy box. I usually see at least 3 or 4 good quality tool-truck brand boxes for sale on Craigslist a week. Some are very fairly priced, some not so much. It's worth a look.
nolatoolguy
Banned
nolatoolguy
Banned
You asked..
Well we know what your daughter does when her friends are over...........
Isn't she also the fiesty band geek in American pie?
Brandon_K
Well-known member
Yes, that's Alyson Hannigan. She's also in How I Met Your Mother.
One wicked gourgeous Irish woman! I def have a thing for redheaded Irish..
trunk monkey
Active member
I would go with Snap-On or Matco. If you are looking at older boxes Do they have drawer slides, or Roller Berrings? I know the KRL Snap-On bottom boxes top drawer will hold 500 Lbs. Like a few others have said, are you going to make a liveing out of this box? Or is this going to be a weekend warrior box in your garage? I have about $19,000 in to my Snap-On box, that's not includeing tools.
As far as the sheet metal thickness I hear so many people talking about. The Snap-On boxes do have a thinner metal, BUT the metal is harder. They order their coils from the steel mill with more carbon added. They did this to lighten up the boxes but still maintain the strenght.
What ever box you by, do your self a favor and get it bigger than you need. It dosn't make any sence to buy a box you will just fill up as soon as you get it. You want at least 2 or 3 empty drawers. This gives you room to grow your tool inventory. I currently have a KRL 1032 with lockers, hutch, & over head lockers. I have only 3 drawers in my lockers that aren't filled.
Stay away from the Mac TECH series, I owned one of these POS and you may as well buy a high end Craftsman.
As far as the sheet metal thickness I hear so many people talking about. The Snap-On boxes do have a thinner metal, BUT the metal is harder. They order their coils from the steel mill with more carbon added. They did this to lighten up the boxes but still maintain the strenght.
What ever box you by, do your self a favor and get it bigger than you need. It dosn't make any sence to buy a box you will just fill up as soon as you get it. You want at least 2 or 3 empty drawers. This gives you room to grow your tool inventory. I currently have a KRL 1032 with lockers, hutch, & over head lockers. I have only 3 drawers in my lockers that aren't filled.
Stay away from the Mac TECH series, I owned one of these POS and you may as well buy a high end Craftsman.
poprockcrusher
Banned
Snap on kr
Wrenchette
Well-known member
RbrtAWhyt
Well-known member
Merkava_4
Banned
nissan_crawler
Well-known member
I put my vote in for Montezuma or Lista.
crewchief888
Well-known member
blonde
2 please
Snap On.
I like being able to open a drawer without breaking a nail.
theres a definite plus
poprockcrusher
Banned
STANLEY vidmar