Harbor Freight toolbox Versus Snap-On, MAC, Matco, etc.

[Mickey O]

A while back someone was saying you can't compare Snap-On and the other USA made tools against Harbor Freight, it wouldn't be a fair comparison. Well it appears Harbor Freight themselves is doing it, Similar cabinets sold nationwide for over $5,000!"

 

[Scooterfish]

Similar cabinets sold nationwide for over $5,000!"

Similar meaning red with drawers?

 

[Bart Simpson]

Similar cabinets sold nationwide for over $5,000!"

Similar meaning red with drawers?

Kind of what I was thinking.

H.F.'s definition of similar is ..........???

 

[mrshaun]

i do have a few guys with these boxes and they are doing just fine, except for locks. they had to buy 7 at a time just to replace one.
I will take them in trade if I sell a box to someone. they re-sell well.

 

[fordbroncodave]

looks like a mac tech series box lol

 

[Stick Figure]

Tool Box - Roller Cabinet, Professional; 46"; 11; Blue
Product Line: Tool Storage
Part Number: TSS 462411BBL
Price:
Price
Unit
:
:
$2938.49
Each
Availability:
Call NAPA Store at (909) 384-1432
Features & Benefits Ball Bearing Slides On All Drawers.; Tubular High-Security Lock, 2 Keys.; Heavy-Duty, Non-Slip Drawer Liner In Every Drawer, Top Mat, Tubular Steel Side Handle & 6" x 2" Casters.
Warranty Warranty PDF
Attributes # of Drawers : 11
Toolbox Color : Blue
Toolbox Series : Professional
Toolbox Width : 46"
Compatible with What Other Toolboxes : 462408TBL
Toolbox Caster Size : 6" x 2"
Toolbox Drawer Slides Type : Ball Bearing
Toolbox Finish : Powder Coat Paint
Toolbox Height : 44.5"
Toolbox Length : 24"
Toolbox Load Weight : 2700 lbs
Toolbox Lock Type : Tubular
Toolbox Material : Steel
Toolbox Metal Gauge : 18 Body/20 Drawers
Toolbox Weight : 450 lbs
Material Safety Data Sheet There is no MSDS for this item

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=TSS462411BBL_0059143451#





I don't think you are comparing to the right boxes.

 

[tonydanzah]

That small print has been in the ad as long as i have seen the flyer.

 

[atari]

I have one, I actually sold my 2 full craftsman stacks (one quiet glide and one friction) for 300$ and together with my 40$ i walked out of HF with a much nicer tool box. I think 5K is an exaggeration but I think its a much better value then some members on this forum are willing to admit too. I cant wait to get the top box!

 

[fordbroncodave]

i'd love to get that side locker even though it doesn't match my current snap on box

 

[Mickey O]

That small print has been in the ad as long as i have seen the flyer.

I don't often look at the Harbor Freight sales flyer but I'm looking for some cheap wire ties for shipping stuff and since all the ones I see are imports might as well by the cheapest ones.

 

[Mickey O]

I have one, I actually sold my 2 full craftsman stacks (one quiet glide and one friction) for 300$ and together with my 40$ i walked out of HF with a much nicer tool box. I think 5K is an exaggeration but I think its a much better value then some members on this forum are willing to admit too. I cant wait to get the top box!

I don't, I'd use a USA made cardboard box before one of those.

 

[Hiball]

I don't often look at the Harbor Freight sales flyer but I'm looking for some cheap wire ties for shipping stuff and since all the ones I see are imports might as well by the cheapest ones.

Sigh... The Great Mickey is slipping. You are Letting the cost and availability factor in to getting the job done. This is the first step down the road of owning a harbor freight complete set of toolboxes. Congrats!!




P.s I think the Harbor freight boxes for the money offer alot of storage space, If i had the need and was lacking on funds i wouldnt sweat owning a set. As Mrshaun said they re-sell well, Thanks for being honest shaun and coming from a Snappy dealer it makes your opinion on the matter important and Honest in this particular case.

 

[Mickey O]

Sigh... The Great Mickey is slipping. You are Letting the cost and availability factor in to getting the job done.

I don't know anywhere to get USA made wire ties that aren't the super expensive ones. These ones are going to be used to ship stuff and will be cut off and disposed of and I will buy them at the lowest price to minimize money going to China. Plus I'd hate to use quality USA made one that are just going to be cut off in a few days.

This is the first step down the road of owning a harbor freight complete set of toolboxes. Congrats!!

Never happen, if I was going to get a Chinese box I'd get the Menards version but the money saved would not be worth having to look at them everyday. I'll even be getting rid of my Harbor Freight plastic socket holders (all bought with the 20% off coupon) when I get all my sockets sorted out and know how many USA made ones to order.

 

[c_mccann]

Mickey- Is it kinda like dressing your super model girlfriend in a burlap sack (chineese made), putting SO wrenches in a HF box?? My ego gets in the way as well, though I perfer the SO boxes a bit cheaper....

 

[atari]

...... Can you still get a cardboard box made in the USA?

 

[aar0s]

Mickey- Is it kinda like dressing your super model girlfriend in a burlap sack (chineese made), putting SO wrenches in a HF box?? My ego gets in the way as well, though I perfer the SO boxes a bit cheaper....

Id rather have a cheep tool box with good, high quality tools than a SO box thats either empty cause i dont have money for tools or full cheep tools. thats just me though.

 

[Mickey O]

...... Can you still get a cardboard box made in the USA?

Yes you can, I just bought a pile from Uline, and boy there's a huge difference in the boxes as well, we've got them beat on that front as well.

 

[Mickey O]

Id rather have a cheep tool box with good, high quality tools than a SO box thats either empty cause i dont have money for tools or full cheep tools. thats just me though.

Anything wrong with a quality USA made box filled with quality USA made tools? The box doesn't have to be a Snap-On (although I got my Snap-On boxes for just a little more than what the HF costs), there are other USA makers, Kennedy for example, you can always buy used (I did). What you can't do is replace jobs, with equivalent jobs, when lost to other countries.

 

[aar0s]

Absolutely nothing wrong with a domestically produced box filled with tools made by Americans, if you can afford it.

 

[Auzivision]

I have 2 stacks of 3 Craftsman boxes and would gladly trade them in for these if they weren't like 4 years worth of Christmas gifts from my wife. Another fail this week trying to move them to the other side of the garage; several of the caster were/are frozen (and no I didn’t have the lock on).

A few of my friends have these and they love them. They appear to be a good deal without taking into account the price. With price included in the equation, there is no better value on the market for the average garage as in that area attached to a residence (not garage as a place that swap money for repairs).

There are lots of boxes costing 2X, 4X, 10X, and 20X the price. Plenty of people have and will invested significantly more money then go on to bash these without really knowing them first hand. I have yet to meet anyone that actually owns these who wasn’t satisfied.

 

[atari]

Absolutely nothing wrong with a domestically produced box filled with tools made by Americans, if you can afford it.

Yep. I happen to have a foreign made box full of quality US made tools, Some times you have to compromise. Strangely enough that's what I had before the US General box only the sockets were in 3 drawers. Oh, and the drawer slides were not as nice.

 

[atari]

Oh and its easy to say "I would rather" when you have a snap on box already. I would rather put gas in my Canadian built car, but we all have different priority's

 

[Bart Simpson]

I don't, I'd use a USA made cardboard box before one of those.

Damn that was funny !

 

[Aberdale]

Mickey- Is it kinda like dressing your super model girlfriend in a burlap sack (chineese made), putting SO wrenches in a HF box?? My ego gets in the way as well, though I perfer the SO boxes a bit cheaper....

Supermodels in burlap bags sound hot to me . . . I don't even care if the supermodels (or the burlap bags) are Chinese! Where can I get them?

Dale

 

[Aberdale]

Actually I seriously considered making a wall/workbench with the HF boxes. For some reason, I just can't do it. The last time I came close, I ended up buying used MAC boxes from CL instead. Every time I go out in the shop, I smile when those MAC boxes are staring back at me. I just can't imagine the feeling would be the same with HF boxes.

Dale

 

[K5blazer83]

there are other USA makers, Kennedy for example

I do believe Armstrong also makes their boxes here.

 

[KEH]

Concerning the blue NAPA box, posted earlier, today I went to a good, well stocked NAPA store which had a blue, 41 inch wide chest and cabinet combo. Price $799, down from $899. I couldn't find any COO sticker and assumed from that and the price that it was made in China. The clerk(good, alert, helpful clerks in that store, BTW) lookedit up on his computer and sure enough it was made in China. It was a very nice box with roller glides and much nicer than the HF box.

KEH

 

[ry57pont]

Wow my snap - on looks just like the harbor freight box-RB

 

[stricht8]

Actually I seriously considered making a wall/workbench with the HF boxes. For some reason, I just can't do it. The last time I came close, I ended up buying used MAC boxes from CL instead. Every time I go out in the shop, I smile when those MAC boxes are staring back at me. I just can't imagine the feeling would be the same with HF boxes.

Dale

Exactly how I feel.

 

[arkangel06]

Even the lower end Cman boxes up here are made in Canada by international.

 

[oldtools]

I have 2 stacks of 3 Craftsman boxes and would gladly trade them in for these if they weren't like 4 years worth of Christmas gifts from my wife. Another fail this week trying to move them to the other side of the garage; several of the caster were/are frozen (and no I didn’t have the lock on).

A few of my friends have these and they love them. They appear to be a good deal without taking into account the price. With price included in the equation, there is no better value on the market for the average garage as in that area attached to a residence (not garage as a place that swap money for repairs).

There are lots of boxes costing 2X, 4X, 10X, and 20X the price. Plenty of people have and will invested significantly more money then go on to bash these without really knowing them first hand. I have yet to meet anyone that actually owns these who wasn’t satisfied.

I wasn't too impress with my cman boxes as well. Will upgrade to a better box later.

 

[Berick]

I don't, I'd use a USA made cardboard box before one of those.

I don't know anywhere to get USA made wire ties that aren't the super expensive ones. These ones are going to be used to ship stuff and will be cut off and disposed of and I will buy them at the lowest price to minimize money going to China. Plus I'd hate to use quality USA made one that are just going to be cut off in a few days.


I was looking for some reviews or feedback on Harbor Freight tool boxes when I came across this thread.

Even when faced with the worst recession since the "dirty 30's" you still keep that stubborn pride! lol Not a bad thing but I wouldn't be so hasty about not giving your hard earned money to the chinese for a decent toolbox. They don't make a bad product for the money and not everyone can afford the American made "3-4x-the-price" toolbox. Of course I guess you could just go and finance a new American made toolbox. You should be thankful Mickey that so many people do buy from the Chinese...... it's bailing your country out of debt right now!

 

[Jim85IROC]

I have a Mac upper on top of a HF 42" lower. The Mac is a better made box, but the HF is a far better value. I've put some serious weight on those HF drawers and they do just fine. If I had the box on an uneven, non-level surface where it could twist, I could maybe see an issue, but on my flat garage floor, the HF box is a beast. Yeah, the Mac has heavier gauge construction, and I feel less twist & slop in the drawer slides, but again, those benefits don't mean much to me because they'll never add any value in my environment.

 

[archirelic]

Holy thread revival batman!

 

[myamoto1]

...you can always buy used (I did). What you can't do is replace jobs, with equivalent jobs, when lost to other countries.

I'm all for buying US when I can and when it makes sense. However, I'm not sure how you buying a used US box has any bearing on keeping American jobs. Now if the guy you bought it from replaced it with a new US made box you might be able to stretch the argument to your point. However, buying a new China box from a store staffed by hard working US employees does more for the US economy than your "buy used" approach.

Not trying to start an argument, rather clarifying the economics of your statement.

 

[Hiball]

I'm all for buying US when I can and when it makes sense. However, I'm not sure how you buying a used US box has any bearing on keeping American jobs. Now if the guy you bought it from replaced it with a new US made box you might be able to stretch the argument to your point. However, buying a new China box from a store staffed by hard working US employees does more for the US economy than your "buy used" approach.

Not trying to start an argument, rather clarifying the economics of your statement.

Anything wrong with a quality USA made box filled with quality USA made tools? The box doesn't have to be a Snap-On (although I got my Snap-On boxes for just a little more than what the HF costs), there are other USA makers, Kennedy for example, you can always buy used (I did). What you can't do is replace jobs, with equivalent jobs, when lost to other countries.

I believe you left out the Important part of Mickeys statement, Obviously Buying Used doesnt benefit New Manufacturing (<-- Depends how you look at it) but as Mickey stated there are US Made options and when these jobs are gone they dont come back very often. I do agree that even Pedaling imports creates alot of Jobs for US worker, but do we really want to be known as the Country that can only Unpack **** from Containers?

 

[hatt]

Kennedy looks to be 3-4x the price of Harbor Freight boxes. That's the difference between someone being about to afford a decent large box vs no box. Before I get labeled Mr. China, I found GJ looking for decent American made tools since Craftsman is doing their thing. You have to look at all the angles. $1500+ toolboxes aren't in the cards for most people.

 

[glockman]

Why don't you just skip buying the SO box and spend the $5k paying a domestic mechanic. Add the $16k for the SO tools and I'm pretty sure you could pay to have every repair done for a lifetime. The reason American jobs are going over seas is unins, taxes and politics, not because people are buying Chinese products. Doing what you can with what you can get your hands on is THE American way!! I personally think the cheaper tools and the Internet are prompting more people to repair their own stuff.

 

[Hiball]

Kennedy looks to be 3-4x the price of Harbor Freight boxes. That's the difference between someone being about to afford a decent large box vs no box. Before I get labeled Mr. China, I found GJ looking for decent American made tools since Craftsman is doing their thing. You have to look at all the angles. $1500+ toolboxes aren't in the cards for most people.

I have No intentions of Labeling anyone "Mr.China" I also dont care what anyone else spends there money on. I can only control my purchases, Its up to every consumer to choose where there money goes and for what reasons. In this sitsuation if you feel your needs are best suited by buying the HF box verus New/Used USA brand thats your choice.

I personally think the cheaper tools and the Internet are prompting more people to repair their own stuff.

I agree... coupled with the fact that People dont have excess money laying around. I know personally i try and repair everything around my house, I think the most important thing is that a "Man must know his limitations".

 

[geologist]

If you don't mind the "hassle" of cleaning it up and possibly repainting it, you can find a lot of NICE older Snappy tool boxes on CL and elsewhere relatively cheap. That way, you get a good tool box, the Snap-On addicts are satisfied, and you kept your money right here.