HF or Craftsman tool chest?

[thammel]

I'm aware of the sale of the harbor freight tool chest - you can get a top/bottom set that's about 41" wide and 60" tall for $680. Through today Sears has a Craftsman top/bottom set of the ball bearing drawer/griplatch on sale at half price for $750. I've looked at them both briefly and lean toward the craftsman.

Any comments perhaps from owners of either?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Guzzi]

I can't say about the quality of the HF box as I don't have one, but I looked at them last year. I went with the 40" Griplatch instead and have no complaints after 1 year. It's not a tank or particularly solid, but I don't move mine (actually use two with a wood bench top as a work bench), so it's fine. I just liked the finish on the Cman better than HF. Also I got the bottom boxes for $450 each (50% off), and the salesman told me they have that sale every year on that box, so I wouldn't be worried about missing out on the $750 deal too much.

 

[sanddrag]

This comes up quite often and just about every time most say the HF is the better box hands down. I have the HF 13-drawer and some other craftsman boxes and I would have to agree. I don't have any top of the line Craftsman boxes but the ones I do have just feel cheap to me, compared to the HF.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

If you like the Craftsman boxes, 75 bucks is a small price to pay for the rest of your life.

 

[Jvvmusme]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

 

[Wes28376]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

You are right. The difference between craftsman and HF boxes is huge because the HF box is much better quality than the craftsman.

After reading the reviews of the HF box on this forum and seeing a friends HF box loaded down with tools I sold my craftsman box and picked up the HF. The HF box has better slides and is made of thicker metal.

 

[SuperSocket]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

Have you even used a HF box?

 

[Slowboat]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

Ahh yeah - I sold my Craftsman that we failing after one year of easy use, and got the HF box - I couldn't be happier with the switch. It's a night and day difference between the two.

 

[allinon72]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

The difference between HF and craftsman is indeed huge...the HF uses thicker metal, has better bearings, feels more solid, is cheaper, and has a better drawer layout.

 

[P.Allan]

From what I read if you think your getting American made with the Craftsman think again

 

[speed bump]

After having a HF bottom box for about 2.5 years I have decided I won't buy another: **** ball bearing slides, plastic drawer locks that are either way to soft or way to hard depending on the temperature, and the lacking drawer layout have driven me nuts for long enough. As far as the Craftsman boxes being pathetic my 3.5 year old Cman top box still works just as good as advertised.

Out of the two I would take the Griplatch in a heartbeat (and still might be picking one up if it looks like I am going to be spending another 15 days this month at work).

 

[Buckgnarly]

After having a HF bottom box for about 2.5 years I have decided I won't buy another: **** ball bearing slides, plastic drawer locks that are either way to soft or way to hard depending on the temperature, and the lacking drawer layout have driven me nuts for long enough. As far as the Craftsman boxes being pathetic my 3.5 year old Cman top box still works just as good as advertised.

Out of the two I would take the Griplatch in a heartbeat (and still might be picking one up if it looks like I am going to be spending another 15 days this month at work).

Gotta agree with the Griplatch. Had a SS bottom and loved it. Still have a 3 drawer mid that has a ton of ratchet/extensions/sockets and has held up GREAT!

The HF just did not feel as smooth as the Griplatch (yes, I know they are better loaded but I just did not like the feel), but I will say that it is better than the friction slides that come on the lower end boxes.

Pick the one you like better and be done with it. You'll find tons of "fans" of all tools on here but only one person can decide, that's you.

 

[Cobra6]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

I am always skeptical of "always" - a lot of Crapsman stuff is cheap-made and doesn't hold up -
In the HF vs. Craftsman ratchet showdown, the HF won hands down in every category.

 

[meissen]

As others said, it's all personal preference. I love my harbor freight toolchest, but I've never had bad luck with Craftsman either.

 

[JMartel]

Yeah, after playing with the in-store demos, when I buy a chest it'll be the HF boxes. Built better than most of Craftsman stuff. Only Cman stuff that's as good is their top of the line stuff that costs 2-3x as much.

 

[jfull]

I'll chime in on this one. HF is better than craftsman, no question. I had a craftsman at home for a few years...just to store stuff like paint brushes, odds and ends, etc...nothing heavy. The drawers have failed, and the wheels are terrible. I like the HF much better. The only downside is I hate the HF name, i'd rather have craftsman name...but thats not really much of a step...so go with the better box - HF.

I'm throwing in another edit - I have the big craftsman box...top, mid, lower...the one you see for like 300 on sale...i also have their small portable box w/ 2 drawers...my dad owns the 3 drawer portable as well...all junk...think metal poor drawer glides, etc...i'd try my luck w/ HF over CF. One of these days I feel like I am just going to toss my 2 drawer in the trash or sell it to a neighbor for 5 bucks or something, i hate that stupid thing, i'd rather toss my tools in a bucket than that worthless piece.

 

[grizzlyToolz]

i bought HF cheaper us gen box that sells for around 200$ i can't complain i loaded it down with everything i could stuff in it. including bolts and nuts and mixed unorganized ****. worked fine then sold it for a hatatchi miter/compound saw

as far i know the guy is still rocking it.

 

[grizzlyToolz]

some of their stuff is worth it. now if they came out with a tool box like lowes has with the cd player speaker combo/ fridge i'd prob pass .

 

[c/o say]

I love my HF but the paint ***** if that is a big turn off for you buy the craftsman or some other brand.

 

[ironheadtom]

I bought one of the wide Cman top boxes earlier this year. The one with two rows of drawers side by side. I've always had older Cman stuff and was happy with it so I didn't bother to pay close attention to it at the store. It turned out to be the biggest, flimsiest, steaming piece of **** I've ever owned and after using it for two months I dumped it. Since then I've been checking out the HF boxes and in my opinion they are way more solid for the money. Only thing is, as previously mentioned, I don't like the flat wrinkle finish on the lower end boxes.

 

[filtered]

I've had my 41" griplatch combo for 6 or 7 months now. I'm not a pro just a home user. I don't move it often and i've had absolutely no issues with mine. The slides are just fine even over loaded. The griplatch feature is great. I played with a HF box once. The slides didn't feel as smooth. I also bought my griplatch for a lot less than $680. The only thing I did like about the HF is the full width draw. I do plan on picking up a full width single drawer when I find one on sale.

In the end it's your money, buy what you're going to be happy with, i'm happy with my craftsman.

 

[thammel]

So here are my conclusions after looking at the CM and HF boxes in the stores:

The one to go for is the 56" HF Industrial quality one. I think it's much better than the 41" HF boxes. I like the

- gloss paint more than the matte paint
- metal gauge - seems thicker than on the 41" HF box
- positive drawer latches
- better casters
- deeper drawers
- extruded aluminum drawer edges more than the plastic ones on the 41".

too bad HF doesn't offer a matching top box. This would be the way to go.

Tom

 

[yjWrangler]

Love my HF box other than the paint.

 

[1WickedEvo]

After reading a bunch of comments on this forum, I went off to HF, back home then returned a Craftsman chest.

Craftsman Series 2000 41" 6 drawer ($300)
- Casters were horrible
- Color does not match my existing chest
- Top/front side of the chest was off by 1/8" from the bottom
- Slides on this model are sturdier then the HFs

I hate returning anything but after checking out the US General 44"chest at HF, it just made more sense for my needs. I'm now waiting for a price drop before I pull the trigger on (2) 44's

Hope this helps.

 

[gunguy]

Have you had the opportunity to go through this thread? May help in the decision making.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153445&highlight=tool+chest+comparisons

Jim

 

[gunguy]

Meant to add - I have a 42" HF purchased new about 10 years ago. Added the top chest about a year later. I've had zero issues with it. Only modification I've made is to it is to mount swivel castors to all four corners with the locking ones under the drawer face side. Makes it easier to move around and position it.

I added two 5-drawer side cabinets about 2 years ago and all is holding up well.

Jim

 

[1982fxr]

This thread is 7 years old so the boxes being mentioned are not the same as what’s in the store today, fwiw

 

[Arps]

Talking about new boxes, the HF box is way better for sure.

 

[tcianci]

I bought my HF 42" top and bottom and side cab about 1 year before they came out with the US General Series 2. I don't think you can find a better box for the money than the Series 2. My HF box is loaded and then some, drawers work great although I do agree that the latching system is not consistent drawer to drawer but it's small potatoes.
Mine has a gloss red powder coat finish. I actually gave away my SO bottom box, side cab and a Huot top chest when I got the HF.

There's a thread on here by a member called Mister Moose. He has gone through a lot of trouble to detail the comparison between major boxes.

 

[DFB]

Ya pretty much a moot point now with Sears Craftsman down the tubes and HF really ramping up their game

 

[Partsguy57]

I am always skeptical of "always" - a lot of Crapsman stuff is cheap-made and doesn't hold up -
In the HF vs. Craftsman ratchet showdown, the HF won hands down in every category.

Lmao.... " a lot of crapsman stuff is cheap-made and doesn't hold up" and what do you think harbor freight stuff is? High quality? Lmao and no I'm not a fan of craftsman.... I've got a pretty good idea of what a good box is... have fun debating which is the cheapest of the cheap... cheers

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[Magnum440d100]

This board is going to get tired of me posting my junk boxes haha

I went with the HF 41” bottom box because it felt more solid all around. For the top box, I went Craftsman because it has power, and the top lid is large enough for my drills and drill chargers. As far as if the slides aren’t strong enough? I had a low buck craftsman one the the slide broke. The higher end stuff feels better. But to be on the safe side, I will only be using the top box for screwdrivers, pliers, light stuff. It won’t get loaded down like the harbor freight box.....

 

[JUNK-MAN]

HF, unless you want to spring for one of those newer craftsman pro series boxes.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[vaultdweller]

I’ve got a top, middle, bottom craftsman box set that I got when I was about 20, say 2001-2003. I’ve used the piss out of it and it’s still in great shape. I used the bottom as my roll around at work for a long time and never had any isssues. About 2 years ago I found an Evolv 2 chest set for $80 new at sears. It’s extra storage but thinner steel than my original box. If resale is a factor, I think you’d be able to move the CM over the HF.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Always craftsman. Even 200 bucks of difference I would go for the craftsman. The box is something you will be using every day and the difference between HF and craftsman is huge.

 

[monster1]

Lmao.... " a lot of crapsman stuff is cheap-made and doesn't hold up" and what do you think harbor freight stuff is? High quality? Lmao and no I'm not a fan of craftsman.... I've got a pretty good idea of what a good box is... have fun debating which is the cheapest of the cheap... cheers

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

True. But we arent talking about a 3 dollar screwdriver set made in Pakistan. Yes. Harbor freight is still full of some junk, but they have some solid gems in that store. Their US General boxes being one of those gems. I've owned the older craftsman boxes and now the older US General series. I'll take HF over craftsman any day. You can't buy half the box for twice the price.

 

[PugetDude]

Keep in mind that Sears has quit circling the drain and is now officially in the sewer since this thread was started in 2011. Shifts the purchasing dynamic a bit in favor of HF, IMO.

One thing that hasn't changed is another SnapOn fanboy showing up to **** on a thread that has nothing to do with SnapOn. Again.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Lmao.... " a lot of crapsman stuff is cheap-made and doesn't hold up" and what do you think harbor freight stuff is? High quality? Lmao and no I'm not a fan of craftsman.... I've got a pretty good idea of what a good box is... have fun debating which is the cheapest of the cheap... cheers

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

congrats? glad you could add this excellent information to the thread

 

[Jtels85]

congrats? glad you could add this excellent information to the thread

Ever notice some of the fan boys are complete dicks?

Average Joe - “Hey guys, I’m looking for a safe, affordable sedan for my family. Should I look at a new Camry or a Malibu”?

Fan Boy - “HAHAHA LOL at those pieces of ****, you should buy a Ferrari, HAHAHAHA I’M better than you and will say/do anything to make that known, HAHAHAHA”.

That’s what you look/sound like. Smh. Most people aren’t going to plop down the money for tool truck **** when DIY brands serve them just fine. I have a difficult time grasping the mentality of some on this board. You have Snap-On, good for you?

I have a newer Craftsman 2000 series chest from Lowe’s (26”) top and bottom, 10 drawers. It’s holding up well under DIY garage conditions. I’ve moved it around several times and the casters are holding up. The drawers open and close smoothly. I don’t have any experience with US General, but the latest CM offerings at Lowe’s appear to be better quality than some of the garbage Sears was peddling. I would encourage anyone in the market to not discount Craftsman completely.

 

[Honkey84]

I had the tall Craftsman box set that was bought in 2005ish, these ones were over 6' tall. After 10years of moderate use in my shop the slides began to fail. Mind you, these weren't over loaded by any means.

I bought used first generation HF US general boxes and they have been great! Slides work smoothly and the layout is much better.