Just bought the HF 72" Box and have a question

[perfect]

I've been interested in buying the 72" HF glossy red toolbox for several months now and have been waiting for a good "Black Friday" deal to finally pull the trigger. The price hadn't changed from it's usual $1200 on Friday and I was disappointed ... but today the price dropped $100 and that was all I needed to convince myself to finally buy this box! Note - I'm a total shady tree mechanic and this is going to replace my nearly 6.5' tall Craftsman 27" tool cabinet that is absolutely packed to the gills with tools. I'm so excited - merry to me!!

My questions follow... - I know that this large tool box required freight delivery and will also likely require a "gate charge". I understand that the gate charge is in lieu of me having my own forklift or several strong dudes to lift the box off of the delivery truck. Can I expect that the delivery company will have a forklift of their own and can/will help me maneuver it into my garage? If not - how damn hard would this be to move on a slight incline 30ft to a garage? Also, I read through the manual and understand that some assembly is required - but I'm really not clear on how exactly how assembled this will arrive. I assume that all of the drawers will be installed in the box and that I'll have to mount typical hardware like the casters and the pull handles. Has anybody ever had a HF large toolbox delivered that can help me understand this process better.

Oh - and for search purposes. I ordered the Harbor Freight US U.S. General Pro Item # 61656 (72 in. 18 Drawer Glossy Red Industrial Roller Cabinet). The price was $1100.

 

[stikman56]

Don't know about the 72" .I bought the 56" and it was all together except for the handle. They roll really easy on solid ground.

 

[perfect]

Don't know about the 72" .I bought the 56" and it was all together except for the handle. They roll really easy on solid ground.

If the casters are already mounted when it's delivered than I sure hope that it will!

I'll probably buy a pair of the $8 HF wooden dollies with which to set it on and roll it into the garage in case the casters aren't already installed.

 

[Bullitt427]

44" come with casters installed. Cannot imagine the 72 would be any different.

Josh

 

[stikman56]

44" come with casters installed. Cannot imagine the 72 would be any different.

Josh

This is true. I have the 44" as well. The 56" rolls easier. They are assembled except for the drawer mat and the handles from what I remember. The 72" will most likely have a bulk roll of the mat in it and you cut to fit just like the 56" box does.

 

[ishiboo]

I've been interested in buying the 72" HF glossy red toolbox for several months now and have been waiting for a good "Black Friday" deal to finally pull the trigger. The price hadn't changed from it's usual $1200 on Friday and I was disappointed ... but today the price dropped $100 and that was all I needed to convince myself to finally buy this box! Note - I'm a total shady tree mechanic and this is going to replace my nearly 6.5' tall Craftsman 27" tool cabinet that is absolutely packed to the gills with tools. I'm so excited - merry to me!!

My questions follow... - I know that this large tool box required freight delivery and will also likely require a "gate charge". I understand that the gate charge is in lieu of me having my own forklift or several strong dudes to lift the box off of the delivery truck. Can I expect that the delivery company will have a forklift of their own and can/will help me maneuver it into my garage? If not - how damn hard would this be to move on a slight incline 30ft to a garage? Also, I read through the manual and understand that some assembly is required - but I'm really not clear on how exactly how assembled this will arrive. I assume that all of the drawers will be installed in the box and that I'll have to mount typical hardware like the casters and the pull handles. Has anybody ever had a HF large toolbox delivered that can help me understand this process better.

Oh - and for search purposes. I ordered the Harbor Freight US U.S. General Pro Item # 61656 (72 in. 18 Drawer Glossy Red Industrial Roller Cabinet). The price was $1100.

No, you cannot expect they will have a forklift - because they won't. Nor will they put it in your garage. A gate charge means the truck will have a LIFTGATE... a hydraulic platform on the back of the dry van only capable of lowering the box to the ground. You're responsible from there. I would borrow a pallet jack and one or two strong friends to get it up the driveway.

 

[vandezand]

Make sure to post pics when you get it loaded up

 

[stikman56]

No, you cannot expect they will have a forklift - because they won't. Nor will they put it in your garage. A gate charge means the truck will have a LIFTGATE... a hydraulic platform on the back of the dry van only capable of lowering the box to the ground. You're responsible from there. I would borrow a pallet jack and one or two strong friends to get it up the driveway.

This is true, it will be let down with a lift gate, however the drivers a lot of times have a manual pallet jack simply because they have to get it from wherever it happens to be in the truck at the time onto the lift gate and with heavy items, that's how it's done. Maybe you can slip him a bill to help you push it up in the garage on it's pallet,or you can take it off the pallet right where they leave it and roll it in the garage if that is an option. Not sure how steep it is.

 

[bigfunwmu]

Wheels on, drawers in, push handles in one of the drawers. Box will be on a pallet that holds the box up by the frame so it does not rest on the wheels. Lift gate will get the pallet on the ground at the end of the driveway. You may be able to talk the driver into helping you get it up the drive, but you can't count on it.

Have a buddy or two help you out getting it in. It is not easy to roll off the pallet without some help.

 

[jkwilson]

Often a good way to deal with a lift gate unload is to back a trailer up and have them lower the gate so you can drag the load off the gate onto the trailer. Then you can back into the building and unload with help.

 

[vandezand]

They should have you open the box to check for damages before you sign for it too. Make sure you check it over well so you don't get stuck returning it if something is wrong

 

[Steevo]

Often a good way to deal with a lift gate unload is to back a trailer up and have them lower the gate so you can drag the load off the gate onto the trailer. Then you can back into the building and unload with help.

I used to have a house with a long, downhill concrete driveway, and used this method multiple times. It is easy to get them to drop off the liftgate onto your trailer deck. It is really handy if you can't schedule help for exactly when the truck will be there, since you can leave it on the trailer until your help comes over to assist.

 

[ishiboo]

This is true, it will be let down with a lift gate, however the drivers a lot of times have a manual pallet jack simply because they have to get it from wherever it happens to be in the truck at the time onto the lift gate and with heavy items, that's how it's done. Maybe you can slip him a bill to help you push it up in the garage on it's pallet,or you can take it off the pallet right where they leave it and roll it in the garage if that is an option. Not sure how steep it is.

Sure, and you can call the freight company and check IF they can guarantee the existence of a pallet jack. I doubt most will say for sure they will have one though.

Hate to be stuck with a 660lb pallet in the road until you can figure out how to move it

 

[perfect]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess when I have to inspect the box I'll be taking apart the pallet anyway. If it has wheels than I'll probably just try and get it set up on the wheels and try to drag it in myself. Worst case...I'll use my truck and some moving carpets to gently push it up the driveway (which isn't too steep - but steep enough that it will require some effort).

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[ishiboo]

That sounds crazy. Definitely have some help handy.

 

[bigfunwmu]

While the outter covering is **** wood and it comes off by hand, the box is up on blocks on the pallet. It won't just slide around on there or come off easily. Get a helper!

I got mine a couple weeks ago. This isn't easy to do on your own.

 

[Jlbc212]

I bought a slightly damaged 56" hf box this summer. It was still on the pallet at the store when I bought it. It took 4 people just to drop it from their loading platform behind the store onto the bed of my pickup truck. I managed to push it off my truck (after removing the tailgate) onto a pair of long loading ramps. I had to wedge the ramps between the back of the pickup bed and the edge of the garage concrete floor. Getting it off the pallet was another ordeal, but a floor jack, some blocking and a sawzall got it done.

If you need to move the box while it is still on the pallet and you have a fairly smooth driveway, you can do it yourself with 3 short lengths of black iron pipe, a large pry bar and some blocking. Use the pry bar to lift one end (the end toward the direction you need to move the pallet) of the pallet. Place a length of pipe under the pallet. Push the pallet so the pipe moves from the end toward the center. Insert another length of pipe at the same end. You should now be able to easily push the pallet. As the first length of pipe reaches the other end, place the third length at the end you started at.

 

[Formula]

It DOES come with the wheels installed. My neighbor bought this box and I saw it being delivered. He has a very slight incline on his driveway. The toolbox was still easy to roll up.

 

[danski0224]

My questions follow... - I know that this large tool box required freight delivery and will also likely require a "gate charge". I understand that the gate charge is in lieu of me having my own forklift or several strong dudes to lift the box off of the delivery truck. Can I expect that the delivery company will have a forklift of their own and can/will help me maneuver it into my garage? If not - how damn hard would this be to move on a slight incline 30ft to a garage? Also, I read through the manual and understand that some assembly is required - but I'm really not clear on how exactly how assembled this will arrive. I assume that all of the drawers will be installed in the box and that I'll have to mount typical hardware like the casters and the pull handles. Has anybody ever had a HF large toolbox delivered that can help me understand this process better.

The trucking company will not have a forklift on the truck.

You will be charged extra for (1) a residential delivery and (2) a liftgate.

The freight will be shipped to the local freight terminal, and then someone will contact you to make final arrangements. This is where you mention liftgate and pallet jack. Your delivery truck may have a pallet jack only if it is mentioned when the delivery is scheduled. Only specific routes or drivers will normally carry a pallet jack as part of a LTL service.

These LTL drivers typically do not have the time to help a customer futz with the load beyond getting it off the truck/liftgate. The trucking company is being paid to get it to the address and maybe off of the truck. Anything else is (1) goodwill on the part of the driver or (2) you are paying for it.

The pallet, blocking and dunnage on my 56" box seemed to weigh almost as much as the box itself. It was difficult to get off of the pallet by myself (not to mention out of the van). Your box has an additional pair of center wheels adding to the difficulty. If you attempt to roll your box off of the pallet yourself, you may bend the box at the center. There is blocking between the pallet and box to keep it off of the wheels for transport.

It may be a wise idea to have 4 furniture dollies to place near the corners of the pallet and roll the box on those once it is off the liftgate.

I would put the pallet on the dollies, uncrate it and inspect for damage, then pull all the drawers before moving it. You will cut the weight of the box in half or more by pulling the drawers.

The dollies have small wheels and will get hung up on gravel and expansion cuts.

I would not attempt to roll it by myself on dollies. If it goes over or if you lose it up the grade, gravity will win.

Another option is to arrange for you to go get the box at the trucking company freight terminal. They have forklifts there, and they will load the pallet onto your vehicle free of charge. These terminals are typically open 24/7 so you do not have to take time off of work for the delivery that is typically late because some prior retail residential customer had a delivery that was futzed with- you may have to call ahead to schedule a pickup so the freight can be unburied on the dock or out of the storage trailer. You will also save on any additional residential and liftgate delivery charges. You can rent a trailer or truck yourself (like on a weekend when buddies may be available and with a liftgate ) and it will be cheaper to get the crate from the freight depot than the added delivery charges.

 

[mikec35]

If the trucking company says the driver does not have a pallet jack, you can rent one for a day. You could also get some short lengths of pvc pipe and roll it to the garage on the pipe. Put 3 under the box, one on each end and one in the middle. As you push towards the garage have someone remove the rear pipe and place it up front and repeat till you get there. This is assuming you have a smooth driveway and little incline like you stated. Good luck.

 

[perfect]

The trucking company will not have a forklift on the truck.

You will be charged extra for (1) a residential delivery and (2) a liftgate.

The freight will be shipped to the local freight terminal, and then someone will contact you to make final arrangements. This is where you mention liftgate and pallet jack. Your delivery truck may have a pallet jack only if it is mentioned when the delivery is scheduled. Only specific routes or drivers will normally carry a pallet jack as part of a LTL service.

These LTL drivers typically do not have the time to help a customer futz with the load beyond getting it off the truck/liftgate. The trucking company is being paid to get it to the address and maybe off of the truck. Anything else is (1) goodwill on the part of the driver or (2) you are paying for it.

The pallet, blocking and dunnage on my 56" box seemed to weigh almost as much as the box itself. It was difficult to get off of the pallet by myself (not to mention out of the van). Your box has an additional pair of center wheels adding to the difficulty. If you attempt to roll your box off of the pallet yourself, you may bend the box at the center. There is blocking between the pallet and box to keep it off of the wheels for transport.

It may be a wise idea to have 4 furniture dollies to place near the corners of the pallet and roll the box on those once it is off the liftgate.

I would put the pallet on the dollies, uncrate it and inspect for damage, then pull all the drawers before moving it. You will cut the weight of the box in half or more by pulling the drawers.

The dollies have small wheels and will get hung up on gravel and expansion cuts.

I would not attempt to roll it by myself on dollies. If it goes over or if you lose it up the grade, gravity will win.

Another option is to arrange for you to go get the box at the trucking company freight terminal. They have forklifts there, and they will load the pallet onto your vehicle free of charge. These terminals are typically open 24/7 so you do not have to take time off of work for the delivery that is typically late because some prior retail residential customer had a delivery that was futzed with- you may have to call ahead to schedule a pickup so the freight can be unburied on the dock or out of the storage trailer. You will also save on any additional residential and liftgate delivery charges. You can rent a trailer or truck yourself (like on a weekend when buddies may be available and with a liftgate ) and it will be cheaper to get the crate from the freight depot than the added delivery charges.

Thanks - this was really insightful (as is everybody's advice so far).

I'll try to arrange for a few friends to help me get this all sorted. I'm mostly concerned with getting it into my garage as I can slowly tear it down and get it on it's wheels from there. I agree that the best bet will probably be to pull all of the drawers out and then I can probably handle it with just myself and another person.

 

[akacoke]

the problem is not getting the box in your garage from the steep driveway. ive rolled 2 full size professional boxes fully loaded into my garage and 1 off of there. we talking well over 1200lbs for either one. you need to worry about getting the box off of the truck. i would pay extra for them to have liftgate and pallet jack.

 

[brownbagg]

if you find a machinist level in there, they go for about a $1000 buck, so be careful what you give away

 

[nicksL98]

I may have missed, do you have a paved driveway?

 

[perfect]

I may have missed, do you have a paved driveway?

Yes - paved driveway with a slight incline.

 

[perfect]

the problem is not getting the box in your garage from the steep driveway. ive rolled 2 full size professional boxes fully loaded into my garage and 1 off of there. we talking well over 1200lbs for either one. you need to worry about getting the box off of the truck. i would pay extra for them to have liftgate and pallet jack.

Thanks - to be clear I am absolutely going to pay for the liftgate service. I just wasn't sure what that would entail exactly. I'll make arrangements with the delivery company that I need the liftgate service and ask them to arrange for a pallet jack as well. If the pallet jack is as much an unreasonable request as others have said than I will just have to figure out a way to get the toolbox off of the pallet/crate and onto it's wheels.

No doubt I could be in for a challenge...but hopefully politeness and a $20 bill will make things go smoothly.

 

[Bullitt427]

This is true. I have the 44" as well. The 56" rolls easier. They are assembled except for the drawer mat and the handles from what I remember. The 72" will most likely have a bulk roll of the mat in it and you cut to fit just like the 56" box does.

Interesting. The 44" has all drawer liners and top mat in place. Only assembly is the handle.

Josh

 

[Duker]

It does come as others mentioned fully assembled excerpt for the handles. They were supposed to charge me for a lift gate service but they never did. The hardest thing will be getting it off of the blocks it is riding on if your by yourself which I was when mine was unloaded. I took a sawzall with a metal blade and cut the screws/nails of the blocks form between the blocks and the pallet and then pushed it off of the pallet into my garage.

 

[bigfunwmu]

Interesting. The 44" has all drawer liners and top mat in place. Only assembly is the handle.

Josh

56 seems to come with a couple rolls of stuff to cut and install. The 44 and 72 currently have precut foam liners.

 

[perfect]

Update: Con-Way Freight wanted $150 to bring it to my house and use a lift gate. That is there minimum charge - what a rip!

I've made arrangements to bring a trailer to the freight distribution center and will pick this up (and unload it/unbox it) with a few friends.

I'll post pics of the process in case anyone ever finds themselves in the same situation.

 

[22george]

If you have a truck, why not pick it up at the HF store and use ramps to unload it??

 

[moss9994]

That is what I wound up doing. Picking it up with a utility trailer at the truck terminal. They loaded it with a forklift.
My teenage son and I took it out of the box while still on the trailer. Rolled it down the ramp, no problems.
Really nice box by the way.

 

[meathooker]

I was able to use a hand truck on my 56. Got it in the shop, then propped an end up with the hand truck and pulled the blocks out. It was a pia solo, I can only imagine how hard the 72 is!

 

[perfect]

Update: I did receive the toolbox today. I had the freight company drop it off at my door as it was pouring rain and I didn't really feel like dealing with messing with this heavy toolbox all by myself.

They were easily able to use a pallet jack to roll it up the driveway and into my garage. A quick breakdown of the crate and lifting off the super sturdy and huge cardboard box revealed that everything was A-OK with the box and that there was no damage. It took some thinking and careful applications of lift and pressure (using a low profile car jack), but I was able to remove this heavy box from the "blocks" by myself. I simply jacked up one end at a time and pried up the blocks that held the wheels off the ground. I then sawed through the middle of the "pallet" with a hand saw and had no trouble pulling the toolbox out.

It is heavy and it is awesome. I'll post up some pictures when I have it all filled and in it's proper spot in the garage!

 

[Duker]

......It is heavy and it is awesome. I'll post up some pictures when I have it all filled and in it's proper spot in the garage!

The box is pretty awesome... I built a hutch for mine as I wanted to take advantage of vertical storage space as well since my shop is small. It has been a great addition for storage and I have used the work surface more than I thought I would.

 

[perfect]

The box is pretty awesome... I built a hutch for mine as I wanted to take advantage of vertical storage space as well since my shop is small. It has been a great addition for storage and I have used the work surface more than I thought I would.

That is awesome!!

I wish I had some of the necessary skills to make that. I've read your thread and that would be awesome to have.

 

[garrett1812]

http://www.harborfreight.com/movers-dolly-39757.html

 

[perfect]

Ok - so here is my write up on how the delivery and unpacking of this beast actually went about.

I tasked the freight company with bringing the toolbox to me since the weather was nasty and I really didn't have the support I felt necessary to get this secured and traveled on a trailer and into my garage - I am glad that I had the freight company do this as it actually saved me a lot of headache and time.

As you can see, the toolbox is quite wide and cumbersome. It took about 10 minutes for the delivery guy to actually maneuver this box around in his truck to get it onto the liftgate.

I did notice that some of the crate and the pallet bottom had been busted out - so I inspected the toolbox really carefully. This thing is packed really well and I was impressed that there wasn't a single scratch or nick on the entire thing. The broken crate side did it's job and absorbed some impact instead of the box.

Here are a few pictures that show how this toolbox arrives on this "pallet". As another user posted earlier - the toolbox is actually sitting on riser "blocks" that hold it firmly in place and keep the wheels from touching the ground. I used a small profile jack and some strategic reinforcing to lift the toolbox off of the riser "blocks". I then used a pry bar and hammer to remove the blocks which were nailed into the pallet. This was pretty quick and easy to do. I would then rest the toolbox back down on the pallet (which you'll notice is pre-notched for the wheels. I had to rest the wheels on 2x4's so that I could still pull the jack out from under the toolbox.

At this point a friend came over but really just drank a beer and watched as I did the rest myself anyway. Once I had the riser "blocks" removed and the wheels were resting on 2x4's, I had to actually cut the middle of the entire pallet (which is double thick plywood) in half. I used a regular hand saw as it was pretty quick work and I didn't want a tool to get caught in there. A few minutes of sawing away and the pallet was split in two. I was then able to slowly roll the very heavy toolbox down the 2x4 boards they were resting on and pull out each "end" of the pallet/plywood. The entire thing took about 45 minutes from start to finish.

I've already started migrating my tools over from my Craftsman stacker set and am so impressed with the toolbox and how it functions. I'm sure it's not quite as good as a Snap-On or MAC or Matco - but for a guy like me that just enjoys wrenching and building up my projects (currently a CTS-V) this box does exactly what I needed while still leaving plenty of money left over for car parts and, of course, - MORE TOOLS!!

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Wow. Very nice. Can't wait to see it full!

 

[ZRX61]

Point of order: While it's very nice to have the creeper hanging on the wall there, the rest of that **** belongs in the garden shed..