John Deere Toolboxes

[badger08]

Everyone, just joined the forum - I came across the forum a couple months ago and now that it's winter time and with more on the computer I find myself on her alot reading (and spending money)!

I am wondering if anyone has any of the John Deere line toolboxes? And if so, how have then been, and how are they built. My local dealer doesn't have any but they do the triangular boxes that are the portable type. I am wanting a toolbox as I keep acquiring tools and want them all in one location. Growing up on a farm and being interested in old vintage John Deere stuff it would be neat to have the John Deere boxes but I'm not so committed they have to be John Deere. I'm open to ideas, I've read the threads on Harbor Freight, and of course Snap-On, but for a box probably sitting in on spot it's whole life and when it does get moved maybe just over where I'm working I want it to be nice but not $5000 nice.

So if anyone has any of their chest's I'd like to hear what you think of them! I've emailed Waterloo as I believe that's who makes them but they really won't say much, and I've been at the Waterloo plant seeing a neighbor's tractor being built and see a few Waterloo boxes out on the floor next to the assembly line.

John Deere days is coming up, so spending over $1000 gets you 10% off so that helps and tax rebate is due any day!

I'm looking at: AC-3618CH-G and AC-3618CB-G

Which is the 36 inch width which I think would be enough, Dad's chest is a 30. But I've thought for the extra 120ish the 46 inch is tempting too.

I'd be curious what people think of the drawers, and the latches they talk about on the website, does the top need to be open to open the drawers?

Here is the link: https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/home_and_workshop_products/tool_storage/tool_storage.page?

 

[scootr29]

Looks like a lot of those boxes are Montezuma boxes which are made in China....I just purchased a Montezuma from AutoZone for $790. You can see pictures of my purchases here...

https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/home_and_workshop_products/tool_storage/portable_and_road_tool_boxes/ac_3617tb_g/ac_3617tb_g.page?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277296&page=3

You may find a lot of those boxes cheaper at other stores....unless you need John Deere on them look elsewhere...

 

[badger08]

Looks like a lot of those boxes are Montezuma boxes which are made in China....I just purchased a Montezuma from AutoZone for $790. You can see pictures of my purchases here...

https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/home_and_workshop_products/tool_storage/portable_and_road_tool_boxes/ac_3617tb_g/ac_3617tb_g.page?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=277296&page=3

You may find a lot of those boxes cheaper at other stores....unless you need John Deere on them look elsewhere...

They are VERY similiar - that being the 'road box' thought I wonder if the top chests and bottom chests are indeed Waterloo made or not. Like I say I'm almost thinking go without the John Deere, but then I've been looking at others too and it's kinda been a toss up. I think my dealer would order me one and I can go look at it and if i don't like it they just sell it off the floor.

Thanks for the info!

 

[warmpancakes]

5.4.3.2.1.....

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I've fondled the 46" at one of the dealers here, pretty sure I've posted pics of it here a while back...its a nice box. As said above, I believe they are Montezuma boxes. Being a green guy, I've got to say they dang good looking boxes!

I wont try to talk you out of it, but I can explain why I never got one....Long term support...its fine & dandy today to have a shiny nice box...but if JD changes suppliers like they do from time to time (I got a JD Grill to prove it...mine is an OMC, todays supplier is Weber)....well when they do, where does that leave you for support in terms of parts and such if you need anything?

I ran into some crazy deals on my SO truck...so my boxes were "Chosen for me" so to speak...but if I would have gotten a box it would have been a "Tractor Green" KRL1022 or 1023...Warmpancakes just informed us that that was one of the colors being discontinued.. so yeah I did cry a little...LOL...I have a quote here for a KRSC100 in Tractor Green I got last fall....

 

[badger08]

Spudland_Dave - are you saying Snap-On make a John Deere Greenish color but that it's going away, hence they are discontinuing it?

Agreed on the long term parts support, I never really thought of that, even though I'm always ordering parts for things and surprised the things they do actually carry or can get. I was hoping a toolbox if bought well built you wouldn't need parts for but I'm sure there are little things .

I will have to talk to my friend who works for Deere and buys quite a few Snap-On tools, see what the driver is like and maybe go from there! Thanks for the input!

 

[Ridge Runner]

And, here I was halfway expecting this thread to be a discourse on the boxes you can get for keeping on farm machinery.

 

[PowderKeg]

If you're anywhere near a Menards, swing by and check out their MasterForce Boxes - same as the Deere's without the extra $$$ for the name and JD Green paint. Saw the Deere boxes at the Louisville Farm Show and cringed at the cost. My 36" dark green combo stack was $600 out the door on sale almost 5 years ago.

https://www.menards.com/main/masterforce-tool-storage/c-12199.htm

I've been very pleased with the drawer layout, capacity, and solid build of mine. Only frustration has been that it has friction stops to keep the drawers closed instead of the latches, and a few are weak with heavily loaded drawers - had to level the stack up on a not-so-level floor or a couple drawers in the lower unit would auto-open Not a big deal to me as I don't move it around, but things could get ugly if I tried it without locking the lower unit first. I'm fairly sure I could warranty the slides, just never have gotten around to it.

The new ones have a few more differences compared to my older stack, apparent improvements to an already good set (especially for drawer retention....). The latches on the outside of the drawer sides are a much better idea than Craftsman's, which are/were on the inside - too easy to get tools jammed under the latch in a packed drawer. New ones supposedly have two slides per side on the deeper drawers which mine doesn't, but then I haven't had any negative issues with heavy loading in those drawers after almost 5 years.

Pretty well regarded for non-truck boxes - several discussion threads can be found here on the MasterForce boxes.

 

[John in OH]

I don't have a JD toolbox, but, I agree they do look pretty sharp! Don't know anything about quality.

You might want to take a look at the two near-JD green tool chests in the following thread, page 760, posts #15181 and 15190:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466&page=760

Give a lot of thought to drawer size, quantity and layout. I'm a fan of many shallow drawers with lots of depth (front-to-back). My current CMan GripLatch has lots of shallow drawers, but lacks the front-to-back depth (currently only 18") that I now think would very desirable.