trpearcy
Well-known member
Hello everyone,
I've been reading this forum for a long time, and I've greatly appreciated the advice/reviews/etc that everyone contributes.
I've worked on my cars and equipment since I was 15 years old, and I've slowly been collecting all the tools I need over the last 8 years. Now, I'm getting ready to start a garage with a buddy. Starting a business takes a long time, and in the meantime, I got a job as a diesel mechanic.
Long tool story short, I didn't want to take my cman box to work, because it's my first box (about 5 years old and USA made), and I figured I'd need something bigger anyways. So, I got the 44 inch HF box. I'm kind of on a budget, so right now I just have the chest, and later on I'll be adding the top box and the side attachments.
I had been looking at the new line of cman boxes, and I thought that they'd be well made, because my old cman box is very well made and has lasted for 5 years of daily use. But, I was wrong. I went and did some research in store, and I was really surprised by how bad the boxes felt. The side walls are thin, the lids don't always close well (they don't line up with the box itself), the casters are pathetic, and most importantly, the drawers feel super flimsy and cheap.
After I decided not to get cman, I started looking around on here and found Mister Moose's review of several different boxes, and I went to look at the Harbor Freight box. It was on sale for 369, so after inspecting it in store I decided that it defiantly is the best deal for the money.
So here are some pics:
I know my small tool collection is lacking, but I'm slowly building it as I go.
So a few quick notes on the box:
-It comes fully assembled, and it weights 350lbs unloaded. Unpacking it is a pain, because it comes on a wooden frame, and it has to be lifted out of the frame. Defiantly a 2-3 person job.
-It comes with drawer liners and the mat for the top. (the drawer liners are foam instead of the gripper stuff that you can buy in a roll. I may be relining it later on.
-The casters are well made, and it seems to roll well, even on my garage floor which is littered with the stuff that falls off cars during winter
-The handle on the side can be mounted on either side. It is sturdy and I'm comfortable pulling it around by the handle
-Even with a decent amount of weight in the drawers they all open well and without any jumping or grabbing.
-The drawer locks are nice, but they need to get broken in. When I first got it, you could pull the whole box sideways just trying to get a drawer open. After 3 weeks of use it seems to be loosening up.
If anyone has anything they'd like to know about the box, or any other pics they'd like, let me know.
I've been reading this forum for a long time, and I've greatly appreciated the advice/reviews/etc that everyone contributes.
I've worked on my cars and equipment since I was 15 years old, and I've slowly been collecting all the tools I need over the last 8 years. Now, I'm getting ready to start a garage with a buddy. Starting a business takes a long time, and in the meantime, I got a job as a diesel mechanic.
Long tool story short, I didn't want to take my cman box to work, because it's my first box (about 5 years old and USA made), and I figured I'd need something bigger anyways. So, I got the 44 inch HF box. I'm kind of on a budget, so right now I just have the chest, and later on I'll be adding the top box and the side attachments.
I had been looking at the new line of cman boxes, and I thought that they'd be well made, because my old cman box is very well made and has lasted for 5 years of daily use. But, I was wrong. I went and did some research in store, and I was really surprised by how bad the boxes felt. The side walls are thin, the lids don't always close well (they don't line up with the box itself), the casters are pathetic, and most importantly, the drawers feel super flimsy and cheap.
After I decided not to get cman, I started looking around on here and found Mister Moose's review of several different boxes, and I went to look at the Harbor Freight box. It was on sale for 369, so after inspecting it in store I decided that it defiantly is the best deal for the money.
So here are some pics:
I know my small tool collection is lacking, but I'm slowly building it as I go.
So a few quick notes on the box:
-It comes fully assembled, and it weights 350lbs unloaded. Unpacking it is a pain, because it comes on a wooden frame, and it has to be lifted out of the frame. Defiantly a 2-3 person job.
-It comes with drawer liners and the mat for the top. (the drawer liners are foam instead of the gripper stuff that you can buy in a roll. I may be relining it later on.
-The casters are well made, and it seems to roll well, even on my garage floor which is littered with the stuff that falls off cars during winter
-The handle on the side can be mounted on either side. It is sturdy and I'm comfortable pulling it around by the handle
-Even with a decent amount of weight in the drawers they all open well and without any jumping or grabbing.
-The drawer locks are nice, but they need to get broken in. When I first got it, you could pull the whole box sideways just trying to get a drawer open. After 3 weeks of use it seems to be loosening up.
If anyone has anything they'd like to know about the box, or any other pics they'd like, let me know.
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