How is your HF tool box holding up, oldest?

[SMKS]

I'm only a DIY'er, but I'm quite an active DIY'er and I have a lot of tools, so my HF box is pretty well loaded and gets used a good amount.

Long story short, it's been a great purchase. I bought mine back when you could still use the 20% off coupons on them, so I only paid $279.

I bought mine about 6 years ago. I have the previous model with the old drawer handle design and the crinkle finish.

The only wear on mine is the rubber detents for the top drawer are worn. The drawer will pop open a couple inches if it's on an unlevel surface. I just shimmed the front wheels with a piece of cardboard. That leveled out the box so the top drawer stays closed.

I know I could remove the top drawer and adjust the metal around the detent for a tighter fit, but I don't care enough to do that. My solution works fine since I rarely move the box. I just lock it when I move it so the top drawer won't open.

My box came with a bad caster from the factory. They mailed me a new one in about a week. That's the only thing I've replaced on it.

 

[mopar_johnny]

I had the black 4 drawer cart and loved it but I outgrew that one, so I sold it to my bro in law and bought the red 5 drawer. I've had it now for about 2 years and it has held up prefectly. I'm just a DIYer but it sees regular use. My only complaint is the shocks for the top cover don't always open fully in the cold Minnesota winters in my garage without having to pull it the rest of the way up, but that's not that big of a deal.

 

[cabin fever]

my 44" is about 3 years old now, and works like new (rarely ever gets moved, and I have a work bench built over top of it, so it doesn't see much abuse.

the side locker is about 2 years old, and same thing. Works great. The drawers are little harder to open, but I imagine they will loosen over time.

I bought my son the 5 drawer one with the flip up lid about 2 years ago to take go kart racing. It gets some serious abuse moving in and out of the trailer. We got home from racing one time, and it didn't get strapped down, and fell over. Broke the latch, but other then that, its still going strong, and is pretty much over loaded.

All in All, I think they are well worth the $$$. Maybe not as nice as a snap on, but I could buy 4 or 5 of them for what the snap on costs too.

 

[Farmall450]

Mine was just purchased this summer, but's still like new.

I did make a nice Stainless Steel top for it, which is also waterproof (with flanges on 3 sides) so **** cannot get underneath.

EDIT: My detents are also a bit weak, I've noticed on occasion when I lock it one may not get locked because it was out. I think when I push in the top drawer (loaded down with sockets & extensions & breaker bars/torque wrenches) pops open some of the other ones.

But for the price, it rocks. I only wish I had gotten a bigger one, but the 56" is too much more $$ for less space, and I didn't have the room.

I guess it's 2 years now, still going strong.

 

[skeletonizer]

I've had my 44" since 2009, no issues at all. the drawers are loaded up pretty heavy.

That old PROTO is sweet...

 

[Vantastic]

I got mine back when you could use the 20% off coupon. Its the biggest best box I could afford. Someday I'll have a better box that is deeper but I have no complaints about it.

And, yea that Proto!

 

[gte718p]

Six years and counting on mine as a DIY box. Three cross country moves and a flood later and still kicking.

I built mine into my welding table a couple of years ago. Still enjoy it.

 

[upstateny918]

Three years here. Both the box and the side drawers, every drawer is loaded heavy. Tipped over once onto its back while in transport...loaded. Only casualty was nearly center of the main box the top lip got jammed maybe 3/8" of an inch. The rubber mat ontop doesnt take well to oils.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Had my 56 top chest a year now in a diy setting. Only complaint is the hidden drawer latches. 2 have broken now, other people opening the drawers so not sure if they pulled without tripping the latch or not, but 2 gone. looking for a fix for this. 2 screws and they come out, b ut where to get replacement ones?? Does anyone have a harbour freight part number

 

[Farmall450]

I guess it's 2 years now, still going strong.

3.5

 

[FigureItOut]

My now retired 5 drawer, though not especially old, held up to pretty extreme conditions. It got rolled onto a trailer every day, tightened down and driven around, often on bumpy dirt roads, every day for about a year. I didn't notice any significant warpage or damage to the drawers or frame.

I did have some 1/4" & 3/8" reinforcements in the bottom tray portion, but still pretty damn impressed how it held up.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[bcradio]

All of mine are still doing great at about 5 years now. No reason why they wouldn't as they are good boxes.

 

[CoogarXR]

I have the 27" unit:

I've had it almost a year, and it's still good as new. I'm pretty easy on it though.

 

[Parrothead]

I've had mine for a little under 3 years and it works just the same as the day I brought it home. It's in a DIY environment so not exactly hard use.

 

[Greg85mcss]

I had the 4 drawer for about 4 years. Detents were gone after 2 & I demoted it to stationary use when I got the 5 drawer. I recently sold it just to help out a guy that needed it but still very solid. After 2 years the 5 drawer is like new except for the lid struts. I use it daily in an auto shop & have another one at home. That one doesn't get used very much so it's a good way to judge how good of shape the one at work is in.


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[Ditchdigger]

I had the 44" for 8 years. Most of that millwrighting and pushing it around a large facility overloaded with heavy stuff. It then moved with me to an auto restoration shop where it had a much lighter load for the last 3 years. I outgrew it and upgraded. The drawers would slide open if it wasn't on a perfectly level surface during the last year and it tried to tip over on me when this happened with the top 3 large drawers.

I upgraded to the 56" box. I have had it for about 2 years. One drawer slider on a lightly loaded pliers drawer went bad. It took 12 weeks to get a replacement from HF and now the new one is getting stiff just like the old one did. Perhaps something is misaligned inside? I can't see how it could be the same rail both times otherwise. I have had the drawer locks fall apart a few times and have been able to reinstall them until one fell into a channel inside the box that I cannot get to to retrieve the pieces.

I did notice the newer 56" box at the store has a different design on the latches that shouldn't be able to come apart this way. If I didn't think it would take another 12 weeks to get them I would try and order the updated parts.

 

[Dozerhand]

44 inch. Probably 3 or 4 years old now. Still like new. However it lives in the house.

 

[chris142]

I over loaded mine at work. Rolled it all around . I replaced it and took it home because I ran out of room in it.

 

[MrElectric03]

The bottom 44" is about 5 years old and never had an issue. I added the top and side locker a year ago when I moved out of my service truck and the thing is certainly overloaded now but still in great shape. Wishing I would have gotten the 56" now. The only issue I had was that when I bought the bottom the included keys were wrong but I had no need to lock it in my garage. Now I have kids so considering buying the lock set.

My Dads 44" box is still holding up great as well. The bottom was mine 11 years ago in a heavy equipment shop for 8 months, then we used it at home going into it almost every weekend and added the top at some point. He still uses it and has never replaced a drawer slide or anything.

 

[Tonellin]

26" roller is 5 years old and has performed flawless, though I do wish I got the red 30" cart. 26" 16 drawer is only about 2 years ago and has been great as well. No problems with either

 

[bigarmzz]

I love my hf 44" box, just bought the matching top a few days ago

 

[hdpusher]

I have had my 44 inch since 2010 without any issues and its been used hard. It has been knocked over twice only suffering minor dents and scratches. I will also say its easier to oil the wheels while its lying on its back.....

 

[Provincial]

I have the 44" bottom box. I bought it about 3-1/2 years ago. I use it in my shop maintaining equipment on our tree farm. Kind of halfway between hobby and commercial use. It stays in one place.

My only problems with it have been that the plastic/paper trim in the handles drifts out the ends and I have to push it back in all the time, and the rubber drawer liners shift to the back, especially when there are heavy tools in that drawer.

 

[Gerald O]

I have 2, the older one is at least 10 years old, crinkle finish paint and slightly different construction than the newer one. On the old one the rubber on all the casters has decomposed and is falling off the steel wheels in chunks. Makes it totally un-rollable. A friend is doing the workbench conversion with 2 of his new ones, so I'm going to get his casters.
The other problem is the drawers won't stay closed. Even on a level floor almost every drawer wants to creep open. This may be related to the bad casters tilting the box. I have to place objects in front of the box to keep the drawers closed or they'll all open one after another and the box will fall over.

 

[ezover]

Only long-term problem I've had with my HF 44" is that the drawer detents don't detent much anymore. I have to be a bit gentle closing the drawer or it will pop back open. Other than that, will keep the box for many more years, I hope.

mine were to tight when I bought it and I had to bend them out some. the draws slide out, you can bend those tabs in a little.

 

[valentine]

My 44" Top and Bottom are about 5 years old. I'm not a pro but it pretty much gets daily use from me and my sons. No problems other than the struts,which hold up the lid on the top box, don't always work as they should. Sometimes I have to open and close the lid a couple of times in order to get it to close all the way. Other than that I cant really say that I have any complaints about it at all. I'm not abusive with my things but I'm not pampering it either. It's loaded with lots of heavy tools and has performed about as well as I had hoped it would. If I wanted a box I could brag about, this wouldn't be it unless I was bragging about how much money it saved me over something from a tool truck. Two thumbs up !

-Valentine

 

[malibulvr]

We have at least 20 guys with them and they get rolled around a huge plant on a daily basis. These are all packed, some almost ten years old and none have broken down, great product.

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[bigjeff94]

Just bought my 44" this summer when I was home from school. Can't vouch for how long lasting it is but so far I love it.

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[pendragon1998]

Red 5 drawer is my oldest, bought in 2012, IIRC. Home use and taken care of (not wheeled around). The shocks went in 2015, but I swapped them for the snap-on lid stops and have had no other problems except I outgrew it and got a 44 for other stuff.

 

[slodat]

I bought my first almost 11 years ago. It has held mill tooling and plenty of other heavy items with ease. It has the side extension drawer cabinet as well. I continue to be pleased with it.

Earlier this year I added two 56” bottom cabinets, a 56” top and four 44” bottom cabinets. I am really happy with them. Went a long way to making the shop look nice, too.

Most recent 44” went in my metal fab room.