Friction slide toolbox

[Brucegbombara]

Hey guys I'm looking at a toolbox. It's from the late 80's its a MAC and it has friction slides. Are ball bearing that much better than friction? Can friction hold a decent amount of weight? The box is almost brand new, I haven't seen it in person yet, but wanted to hear what you guys had to say. I heard the old MAC boxes are good. Is that true? Please weigh in I'd like to hear what you guys have to say. Thanks

 

[Homoudont]

Are you a DIYer or a Pro? I'm a DIYer and friction slides are fine for me. I keep the slides clean and lube them up and they work fine. Sure the Ball bearing slides are nicer, but for the infrequent use mine are subjected too, they work great.

 

[kippieland]

I just moved up from a frictional slide Craftsman box to a ball-bearing box. I am a DIY'er as well. My box had the steel glides not the quiet glides like some sears boxes have. It could only hold 25lbs per drawer...unfortunately, I was WAY over that and the drawers told that everytime I used it. Another thing that bothered me was how much socket etc., moved around in the box because of the extra force to shut the drawers....made it hard to find the sockets size I wanted if they weren't in an organizer. Just me though.

I am not sure the drawer rating on the particular box you are looking for, so I can't answer that, but I think it depends on what you are going to do with it. If its an every now and then use, I am sure it will be fine. If you are going to use it more frequently, then maybe not...up to you. Though I can't imagine a MAC box that would only hold 25lbs per drawer!

 

[Jim85IROC]

My father has been in and out of his cheap friction slide tool boxes every day for 25 years (auto body shop owner) and never had one fail. In fact, due to the sandblasting he's done over the years in the garage, the few ball bearing tool boxes he had didn't usually last very long, which is why he went to the cheap ones 25 years ago.

 

[Givl Reggin]

Once you use ball bearings you will never want to go back to friction slides. There is a world of difference.

 

[Toolman12]

On a friction slide the heavier the drawer will result in a harder pull for you when i moved to ball bearing i almost tore the drawer out first time you get used to fast and never look back work is hard enough to have to work to get your tools

 

[Brucegbombara]

I'm only a DIYer. I'm sure it would be fine for me, I just like others people's opinions on stuff I don't know too much about

 

[kblazer87]

I have a couple of the Snap on boxes from the early 80's with the friction slides. I also have a couple of the Craftsman ball bearing and a Snap on ball bearing box. All of them work. The non ball bearing slides are stiffer and require more effort to pull out, but I don't have to "fight" them because I keep them cleaned and lubed. That is the important part. If that box is what you want then get it. Keep the runners cleaned and lubed and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Larwyn]

I'm sure the "best of the best" have ball bearing slides. But I kind of like the simplicity, fewer moving parts, and ease of maintenance with friction slides. I own both, they both work for me.

 

[Outlawmws]

I also have both breeds; keep them properly lubed and you should have no issues.

 

[larry_g]

Once you use ball bearings you will never want to go back to friction slides. There is a world of difference.

I'm sure the above is true and I will not tempt fate by trying a BB slide. I have never owned anything but friction slides and I have always been able to get the job done. I'm afraid that if I get one BB slide box all the others I have will no longer be suitable.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[crewchief888]

i have boxes dating from the early 70's through late 90's. most with friction slides, a few with BB slides.
a good friction slide will last for many many years, a crappy friction slide will be falling apart in no time.

 

[Chris Adams]

I think the real problem is, if you have BOTH.

I was 'happy' with five friction slide boxes. Used them for years, didn't spend much time thinking about it.
Then I got one ball bearing box. The other boxes got stiffer, more reluctant, cheaper feeling by the day...

Six months later I had 1 friction box, which I hated to use.
Silly, but the way it was.
Now I won't even consider a cheap ball bearing slide unless it's smooth.


In a practical sense, if you have mixed ball and friction, you will always be yanking too hard on the BB drawers, and slamming them.
Or pulling, and cursing the friction drawers.

As to actual reliability? I have SnapOn, Mac, Matco, Blue Point, Craftsman and generic BB boxes. Virtually ALL of them have had multiple slide replacements.
I've only had to replace ONE friction slide in my life, and brother, had it been abused.

You can trash a BB slide in about one second. I'm working on a KRL slide tonight, guy slammed the overloaded drawer shut, once, really hard. Stop bent, cage exploded, bearings everywhere.
Do the same thing with friction, (you really can't) and big deal.

Friction slides lightly oiled, kept reasonably clean, are a lifetime of reliable yanking too hard or pushing hard

 

[plierwire]

I actually prefer a GOOD friction slide to ball bearings.

 

[dwm]

I have mostly ball-bearing boxes, but I don't have any issues with the friction sliders I have. One is a Snap-On chest I've had for about 30 years, the other is a small Craftsman roller I've had for... I don't know, I think about 20 years. I don't put heavy stuff in the Craftsman now. It'll hold it, but it's easier to use the slides if they're not overloaded. That roller has deeper drawers than my tool cabinets, so I use it for bulk stuff. For example, two of the drawers are dedicated to sandpaper and another has bags of sponges, boxes of nitrile gloves and a couple of rolls of shop towels. Another has my face masks and extra filters and a couple of bags of microfiber towels. The last drawer has all of my tape measures, a couple of combination squares, some engineer squares, chalk line, crayons/leadholders/etc. If you're like me, there's a plenty of random stuff to store and there's nothing wrong with using a flimsier box to organize it so you always know where it is! Not implying all friction sliders are flimsy... the Snap-On one I have is not. But I like having places to put things where they won't get covered in dust, burned by flying sparks/slag/whatever, walk away, etc. Inexpensive cabinets are just fine for holding this kind of stuff, I don't need a KRL or a Lista to hold it.

 

[FergusonTO35]

The old Mac boxes have the best friction slides I've ever used. I would rather have them than the really flimsy ball bearing slides alot of newer boxes have.

 

[fatfillup]

I like both as long as they are quality. Sure BB is nicer, but I have some old boxes with friction slides that get the job done quite well and smoothly.

It may boil down to the type of person you are and I am not making judgments here. Some folks have to have the best, and price doesn't bother them. Others, like me, want the deal and are willing to sacrifice some niceness to save some $'s. At work, and I don't turn wrenches that much at the shop anymore, I have an old Vulcan friction slide box that works great. I have at least 7 or 8 SO, Mac or Matco boxes for sale most all the time and could certainly trade up to the latest and greatest, but it doesn't mean that much to me. I am going to upgrade to a bigger SO box, but it isn't A KRL and it's one that may be tough to sell. It will do what I need it too.

So if the Mac is good quality, don't let the slides deter you. Note, Mac did make a pretty cheap line also that was no better then Cman.

 

[Musicinabottle]

What should you use to lube the friction slides? Oil or grease? Mine were oiled by the previous owner.

 

[Rickster]

The short answer is hell yea, they're way better. When I got my first Snap-on ball bearing toolbox the difference was remarkable. Opening fully loaded drawers with just one finger was well worth the extra money!

 

[Outlawmws]

What should you use to lube the friction slides? Oil or grease? Mine were oiled by the previous owner.

Neither.

Beeswax, or you can get a similar material with "Door-Eaze" sold in any auto parts store.

 

[davethorik]

What should you use to lube the friction slides? Oil or grease? Mine were oiled by the previous owner.

I've had good luck with Penray 7001 red aerosol grease on my Kennedy friction slides.

http://penray.com/products/red-grease-2/

 

[Parrothead]

I would take a cheap ball bearing slide over a friction slide any day and I've had both.

 

[Wamsutta]

What should you use to lube the friction slides?

LPS Dry Film PTFE

 

[plinker]

The manual for my KR557/KR537 said to use paraffin wax, Imperial sizing wax would likely be better.

 

[Mikeske]

I had a el cheap 27” Waterloo tool box and used it professionally for 34 years and it had friction slides that actually was very similar to the Craftsman box of that era and I never had a issue with the slides. The poor box did suffer from terminal rust on the bottom and all I did is add a 1/4” aluminum plate to the bottom with high quality casters that my boss gave me. I hen I retired I bought as a retirement gift to my self a new ball bearing slide 44” top and bottom HF with side box and locker.

So what if it got friction slides they were used for decades and never were a issue if properly built.

 

[Musicinabottle]

Right on. I bought an older Mac box that has friction slides that work exceptionally well, but were flooded with oil, as in oil in every drawer. I'll be cleaning up all the excess oil tonight or in the wee hours of tomorrow morning )2 hours from now) and try to get some drawer liners in it. Also need to get one of the lid stops replaced or just fabricate something. I really like the box because it has a lever inside that locks or unlocks the drawers so that you can close the lid and yet still access the drawers, or flip the lever to lock them.

 

[Packard V8]

This discussion focuses only on the slides and ignores the width/depth/load of the drawers.

Yes, for the smaller drawers in the smaller boxes of the past, friction slides are just fine. I've got a dozen smaller boxes with friction slides which have been used without issue, some for fifty years.

No, today's wide, deep drawers when fully loaded would be impossible with friction slides.

Maybe, we should ask the more detailed question. "I'm considering this box, will be loading it this heavy, using it this often. Who has used one and what do you think of it?"

Parrothead wrote, "I would take a cheap ball bearing slide over a friction slide any day and I've had both."

Your opinion and welcome to it. JMHO, but a cheap ball bearing slide box can be a nasty flimsy thing I wouldn't take as a gift; a solid old truck box with friction slides is a thing of beauty to use.

jack vines

 

[Musicinabottle]

This discussion focuses only on the slides and ignores the width/depth/load of the drawers.

Yes, for the smaller drawers in the smaller boxes of the past, friction slides are just fine. I've got a dozen smaller boxes with friction slides which have been used without issue, some for fifty years.

No, today's wide, deep drawers when fully loaded would be impossible with friction slides.

Maybe, we should ask the more detailed question. "I'm considering this box, will be loading it this heavy, using it this often. Who has used one and what do you think of it?"

Your opinion and welcome to it. JMHO, but a cheap ball bearing slide box can be a nasty flimsy thing I wouldn't take as a gift; a solid old truck box with friction slides is a thing of beauty to use.

jack vines

I'm going to agree with you all the way on that.

 

[ChaseDE]

My 70'S-80's snappy's are friction slides, probably never greased when my grandad used them and they still slide, even with a big bottom drawer full of heavy *** hammers.

 

[ChaseDE]

picture for reference, that bottom drawer was half emptied out when the pic was taken, so double the amount of stupid heavy hammers and air tools

and you can see how beat up and dirty the box

 

[RCL]

My old MAC box with friction slides has never given me any problems.
Have lubricated with bees wax.

 

[Mr_B]

about 30" wide drawers most I want with friction, nothing wrong with decent friction slides and if box a good one, drawer layout nice for your needs and price a steal don't miss out on it over the slides.
Clean and lube them before loading the box and you be more than happy.
Don't over pay for the box as friction slides have a stigma (as this thread shows) and they don't sell well .

 

[yjWrangler]

I use my 1976 Snap-On box everyday at work, it works fine. Sure it could be better with ball bearings, but with the right lube it's good enough for who it's for.