Craftsman 26'' 9 drawer bottom box?

[thebreeze2012]

I'm wondering if anyone here has one, or knows about them?

I recently inherited my Dads, and have been looking for some info about them, but they seem to be very rare. I believe this is the box he bought around 1995.

I'm in the process of finishing cleaning up the slides, I pulled the drawers, and slides, and they will be clean as new when I'm done.

 

[CJ7VFR]

If it is the red tool box, then I have the same Craftsman 26 inch wide 9 drawer bottom tool box as part of my garage tool box setup. I also have the 8 drawer upper tool box that has the lid, and a center two drawer intermediate box.

I bought the bottom box and upper tool box back in 1992 when I bought my Jeep CJ-7. I wanted a tool box combo that would hold all my tools for working on the Jeep, and it has proven to be a great investment.

The center two drawer intermediate box was purchased 5 years ago back in 2014 and it has been a great addition to my set. I needed a few more drawers to hold some new tools so I went back to Sears to get the center box.

The only difference I can see in the 2014 box is that the drawers are black, where as the drawers on the bottom box and upper tool box are more of a very dark gray color. I don't know of the color faded a bit over the years on the older boxes, but you can see difference. Although it is hard to see unless you know it is there.

The red color is exactly the same on both the old and new boxes, so that is nice. Also, even though there is 22 years between purchasing the boxes, the newer center box is still made from the same thickness metal as the original boxes. So that was a plus when buying it.

If your dad did not already have this, I would suggest you get some rubber drawer liners to put in the drawers. I put that in as soon as I got the boxes and it has really helped keep the tools from sliding around when you open and close the drawers.

Those Craftsman tool boxes are really nice I have to say. The metal seems to be thicker than most of the tool boxes I see around today. And the drawers can hold a lot of heavy stuff. I know I have a few of them overloaded with tools, but they still function smooth.

Once you get yours cleaned up and filled with tools, you will be able to enjoy it for decades to come, just like your dad did. Every time you take out a tool, or put one away, it will remind you of your dad!

Below is my Craftsman tool box set up in my garage. If you look, you can see the slight difference in the color of the drawers on the center box.

And just for reference, yes, I can see into the top tool box just fine. My 5'-3" wife can not!

Jim

 

[CGarage]

I have an older Craftsman box given to me by a retired and former automotive technician (mechanic) turned home+commercial air conditioning tycoon who was a good friend of mine. He passed away last year and I love having his Craftsman box because it is so symbolic and representative of him. Born in Ohio in the early 1930s, he joined the US Army just after WW2 and was taught Electronics. By the 1960s, he was making $100K+ a year wrenching in Chicago because he knew his subject well and worked at a large Chrysler and then Ford dealership who loaned out his special electrical expertise to surrounding dealerships.
I agree, older Craftsman boxes have thick steel and are well made. I am not at all impressed with the new Craftsman stuff showing up at Lowe’s. How times have changed.

 

[1982fxr]

I'm wondering if anyone here has one, or knows about them?

I recently inherited my Dads, and have been looking for some info about them, but they seem to be very rare. I believe this is the box he bought around 1995.

I'm in the process of finishing cleaning up the slides, I pulled the drawers, and slides, and they will be clean as new when I'm done.

If it's mid 90's it was made by Waterloo.

 

[71goldss]

I purchased the 26” nine drawer bottom box, and matching 18” deep top box new around 1988, and used it as my only home box until just a few years ago. Great boxes, but I got spoiled with the ball bearing slides that came on the new boxes that I had added in recent years. I ended up giving the Craftsman combo to my son who needed a box for home use. He’s very happy with it.

 

[jeffmoss26]

neat, don't think I have ever seen one of those.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I bought mine new in 1994. The middle box was in like new shape when I got it. I restored the top box.

 

[WNYflyer]

Both purchased 7/31/95
Top box @ $170
Bottom box @ $230

Yes I still have the receipts

Since these are in the basement rather than the garage they have seen little use.

View media item 99366

 

[thebreeze2012]

Thanks guys, that's the one...

It has the small side box mentioned a few days ago, and a top box, and a side locker. My dad was a heavy equipment mechanic and bought this at his last work place, then retired about 13 years ago. It seems very well built, it was loaded down pretty good, along with another 26'' 6 drawer set up. I'm suprised how good of condition the slides are in, very,very, little wear, just dirty as heck, I haven't started cleaning the top box yet.

I'm keeping it for sure, me and dad has worked out of this box a whole lot together. Every year I visited on vacation we where working on something. It has a lot of sentimental value.. This one and the 26'' 5 drawer my dad bought me as a birthday gift around 1988.

 

[thebreeze2012]

Thanks WNYflyer for the price, are you sure that wasn't on close out or something? That seems awfully cheap. I would like to hear what the others paid. I would guess a box like that would cost close to a thousand now a days, just for the bottom.

 

[DFB]

How drawer options often changed. I have 2000 catalog and that same 9 style drawer is still in there but was only offered in the machinist brown wrinkle finish. #65088N

In the Red there was very different 9 drawer then... the top 2 were split with two 2" stacked on one side and one 4" on the other.

The rest were all full length one 2", two 3", one 4" and two 6"

There was even one taller...one an 11 drawer

I have that same top chest on my tower stack that I bought also bought back in the 80's it sits on top of an intermediate 4 drawer and 3 drawer bottom with a lower lockble storage compartment


Very nice set up have there. Looks to be well cared for. I would keep it and enjoy it also especially with the sentimental value.

I also do have the ball bearing boxes too also all Craftsman...ya we're spoiled with that

 

[thebreeze2012]

Thanks DFB, it looks the full size 9 drawer where from about 1988 to 1996 for sure, possibly up to 1999, in the red color.

What was the price on the brown machinist 9 drawer in 2000?

What are you guys using the top 3 shallow drawers for?

 

[71goldss]

What are you guys using the top 3 shallow drawers for?

The very top drawer on mine is actually a pull out shelf/work area. A nice feature at times, but mostly a pita when the shelf is loaded and then needing tools from the drawers right below it! Not a very well thought out design!

 

[DFB]

The brown wrinkle 9 drawer bottom was $349.99 in the 2000 Craftsman Power and Hand Tool Catalog

Just for comparison a standard 8 drawer bottom roller cabinet in Black was $259

And that year they also offered a Midnight Blue paint series in both ball bearing and friction slide boxes.

The friction slide version lower cabinet was also an 8 drawer model and was listed $244.99...slightly less than the black.

The Red 8 drawer with friction slides was $299.99.

New version of the 9 drawer was $309.99 and the largest 11 drawer roll away was $319.99 all friction slides.

And the ball bearing version of the 8 drawer tallest they offered in 26" wide was $379.99 in RED and $409.99 in BLACK

I feel fortunate to have found this 20 year old catalog packed in a box with some old shop manuals for some vehicles I had in the past. I was generally solid with Craftsman most of my younger life, do wish I had more of them to peruse

 

[DFB]

As for the top drawer question I found out pretty early on Craftsman 2" deep drawers are kind of worthless for me for many things unless it's just a single layer of small items and with wrenches of any large size 1" and up usually cant stand them on edge either have to lay them flat or use a deeper drawer. And tools in plastic storage cases usually needs a 4" deep minimum.

The wide side of my 40" is generally the same as a 26". I don't have 2" drawers in my lower but the top chest does have 3. I just store screwdrivers, nut drivers, scraping tools and magnetic pickup tools in them.

I'm in the process of reorganizing my old 26" 3pc tower it has more 2 inch drawers than anything so it's been taking some thought.

I'm mostly resigning it to hold all my electrical electronic stuff. Crimp terminal, wire ties, laser sensor tools, DMM's, code reader and battery tester. I probably also put some Harley specialty tools I have stored now in a large handled tool box, as it sits in the motorcycle assembly area of my garage away from the main garage door bay where my John Deere CUT sits awaits the snowstorms for the winter here

 

[Coach James]

Thanks WNYflyer for the price, are you sure that wasn't on close out or something? That seems awfully cheap. I would like to hear what the others paid. I would guess a box like that would cost close to a thousand now a days, just for the bottom.

I put the $230 in an inflation calculator and it came out to $388 in today's dollars. If it is a heavy, well made box, still not a bad price.

Coach

 

[CJ7VFR]

...What are you guys using the top 3 shallow drawers for?

I use the top shallow drawer for all my screwdrivers, nut drivers, and torx drivers, as well as some punches, awls and picks.

The second shallow drawer is all my SAE wrenches.

The third shallow drawer is all my Metric wrenches.

All these items are pretty low profile and fit into the shallow drawers very nicely. And because I have the drawers lined with rubber liners, everything stays pretty put unless I open or close the drawers too hard.

Jim

 

[Flyordie]

If it's mid 90's it was made by Waterloo.

100% correct.

 

[thebreeze2012]

Thank you very much for the all that info... It looks like that box would be about $520 in today's dollars. I miss them old catalogs, especially around christmas..

It's showing a $90 difference between the 8 drawer and 9 drawer, I assume the 9 drawer is taller then the 8 drawer? This 9 drawer is about 6'' taller then my other two 26'' boxes.

 

[CJ7VFR]

If it's mid 90's it was made by Waterloo.

Since Waterloo Industries was purchased by SBD back in 2017, does this mean the new Craftsman branded tool boxes are made by the same factory that made them back in the 1990's?

Jim

 

[DFB]

Thank you very much for the all that info... It looks like that box would be about $520 in today's dollars. I miss them old catalogs, especially around christmas..

It's showing a $90 difference between the 8 drawer and 9 drawer, I assume the 9 drawer is taller then the 8 drawer? This 9 drawer is about 6'' taller then my other two 26'' boxes.[b/]

According to the 2000 catalog the 5 drawer, 8 drawer, 9 drawer and also the 11 drawer have the same overall dimensions 26" x 18" x 41 1/4'"

Whether friction slide or ball bearing style. All have 5" x2"" casters



There was two shorter boxes offered in either 5 or 6 drawer combination @ 35"

The 3 drawer lower box like I have (with lower bulk storage compartment) is also found in the catalog is 33 3/4" high

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I have a more current 5 drawer one, very similar to those earlier ones and that I purchased like maybe 3 years ago, so no longer an exact match with the small details, like the funky spoked caster wheels , oversized name badge and of course the draw pulls are a little different...much larger. But its okay as they are not side by side but on opposite walls of the garage bay.

I dunno if it's the 2000 series or not though it certainly looks the same but online at the Lowes website they claim 100lb drawer ratings,

I remember for fact mine was 75lb rated and that is what it also says at the Sears Craftsman website.

Just to note in the year 2000 catalog even the drawers with ball bearing slides only had a 50lb rating listed

 

[dkroth]

I have a 9-drawer with ball bearings. Purchased in '95 or '96.





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