ssdave
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Lesson - Don't buy cheap tool boxes
- Thread starter ssdave
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vavet
Well-known member
Even if your loading them well within their rated capacity, you don't know what happened to it in its former life. If I understand correctly, you received this unit with no history of how it was used, where, by whom, etc.
Some people are just rough on equipment.
Some people are just rough on equipment.
Nineeightyone
Well-known member
Although I think the HF boxes are superior, I've been very pleased with my 52" Husky box. I wouldn't say the drawers are all loaded, but they definitely have their fair share of weight in them, and they have behaved just fine for the couple years I've had the box. They're not super heavy-duty boxes, and I know you get what you pay for, but overall I'm relatively happy with it given that it cost me all of $400.
bobcatdan
Well-known member
Of the toolboxes I have owned, the first one, cheap Waterloo, the bottom collapsed under the weight driving a caster into the bottom storage area. The second one, a red drawer craftsman from the 90's, slides tore out of the box frame by about 6 months. Next box was a 40" snap on. Overtime it need new ball bearing slides for one drawer. Warranty and the dealer changed them for me. Next and so far last box, a snap on krl. Grease zerk popped out of one caster. Dealer changed the entire caster under warranty.
vavet
Well-known member
Sorry OP, I misread your post and my response was therefore off base.
I was thinking you found the used tool box in the building. Upon re-reading, I realize you bought the box to fit the bench that you found in the building. My comment about some people being rough on equipment was aimed at the previous owner of the box, when I thought you were not the first owner of the box.
I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Hope there's no hard feelings.
KBigg
Well-known member
Its been a few years since I bought my last box but when I looked the Craftsmen and husky boxes were almost identical for build quality and materials. Maybe look into a US General box this time around or warranty the box you have and brace the work bench up so the weigh of it isn't sitting solely on the toolbox.
G1GRANDEUR
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2009
- Messages
- 2,094
to be honest, nowadays those big store boxes are pretty well built. go check it out in-person, you really don't have to spend high money for good box.
DFB
Well-known member
Those Craftsman boxes like shown in the attached photo are a shadow of the decades old 41" ball bearing boxes that have. I bought a regular 26" rollaway bottom a couple of years ago just to store cordless tools and its totally cheap compared to the old unit.
My old unit has one shallow drawer that holds nothing but 3/4" drive stuff like a full case set of old Tekton chromies along with a metal box of 3/4 shallow impacts and then some loose ones in there too. That's a bit of weight and even often leave the drawer open a lot with no ill effects.
The big drawer on the lower right is piled high has a full drill bit index 2 sets of tap and dies bushing and bearing driver left hand drill bits and two sets of thread chasers, the basic Kastar and a large Dorman axle thread set and a couple other things like a large pipe cutter and tool engraver.
Everything slides easy.
If I have anything to complain about its the oxidation of tools being stored in the cool garage I have during the summer. Not really an issue in the winter as its heated. I have greased the slides over time too.
I go with US General if I was buying again.
My old unit has one shallow drawer that holds nothing but 3/4" drive stuff like a full case set of old Tekton chromies along with a metal box of 3/4 shallow impacts and then some loose ones in there too. That's a bit of weight and even often leave the drawer open a lot with no ill effects.
The big drawer on the lower right is piled high has a full drill bit index 2 sets of tap and dies bushing and bearing driver left hand drill bits and two sets of thread chasers, the basic Kastar and a large Dorman axle thread set and a couple other things like a large pipe cutter and tool engraver.
Everything slides easy.
If I have anything to complain about its the oxidation of tools being stored in the cool garage I have during the summer. Not really an issue in the winter as its heated. I have greased the slides over time too.
I go with US General if I was buying again.
bpjr
Well-known member
I'm wondering if its a defective box? Maybe a weld broke loose? Is it still under warranty? I have three stacks of CM boxes, from old friction sliders with low weight capacity to the 100 lb drawer bb ones that look like yours. The lowers and mids are loaded to the max (I actually weighed the contents to check) and have stayed in shape for yrs.
taumac
Well-known member
Ok OP. When you put this box under box I assuming that you took off casters and put shims under to level front to back and side to side? Do you think that in process of doing that that just maybe you racked the box yourself? If your shimming just the corners then loading the box your probably flexing the box but doing that. A better way would be to place 2x4 under the box first and shim that.
You're right on. I figured the support points for the casters were the important part, so I used those as support points for the 2x blocking I put under them. No weight on the top, I just shimmed it up to minimal clearance from the bench top. The box is free standing, on it's caster support points, just like if it was a free standing box. Except I don't roll it around, it's fixed in place.
blue2golf
Member
Menard's Masterforce brand boxes work well and can be had for a good price when they are on sale.
Did some diagnostics on it tonight. The drawers that were binding were the small ones, and not as heavily loaded. What it appears, is that the sides end up twisting inwards under load, and the ball bearing slides come apart, the smaller slide popping out of the roller guide. I pulled the drawers out, re-inserted them, and they work again. The cabinet might be holding them a slight bit too far apart; hard to know for sure. Two of the big drawers creak and complain, but are still working.
I don't expect the $400 box to perform the same as a $4000 one; but I do expect it will perform to it's specifications, as well as the $400 box it is sold as is advertised to perform.
I don't expect the $400 box to perform the same as a $4000 one; but I do expect it will perform to it's specifications, as well as the $400 box it is sold as is advertised to perform.
taumac
Well-known member
Ok I see what is happening now. I notice at one point in time when looking at Craftsman boxes that the drawers did seem alittle flimsy. I was surprised the HF 44 did seem to be alittle sturdier. I have 4 44’s and if press down a on fronts I can see slides flex. It fact just noticed slides are only held in by 2 clips and one rivet. I could see adding another rivet on each side that attaches to the drawer. Looks like I found myself another project to do on my boxes. Thanks. LOL.
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fourjeepin
Well-known member
I have that Husky box and for the $200 I paid for it, it is great. I would not plan to load it up though. I use it in my basement for house tools, spares and inherited tools. The top drawer is a little wobbly but the rest feel sturdy.
techieman33
Well-known member
You can thank Waterloo and SBD for the HF and other foreign manufactuered boxes being built better than the junk they're putting out with their Made in USA with global materials stickers. They got the government to put tariffs on the cheaper boxes. Service carts and "industrial" boxes are excluded from that. So we're seeing lots of service carts and boxes that are deeper and using heavier gauge steel. That's the whole reason HF went to the series 2 boxes.
Miss the Pontiacs
Well-known member
I purchased the HD Husky, functions well enough only 2 problems from my view point.
The drawer walls are a bit light gauge as shortly after buying I noticed a few dents from the inside items hitting the drawer skin. So no additional damage would occur cut up some 1/4” plywood slabs and placed as a cushion on door fronts.
I sometime have to move the box from one garage to my other garage. When moving around the drawer locking mechanism doesn’t work that great.
But for the cost I plan on donating it to my wife to use for her stained glass work once I finish setting up my new garage. Should be good for a few points with the boss lady.
The drawer walls are a bit light gauge as shortly after buying I noticed a few dents from the inside items hitting the drawer skin. So no additional damage would occur cut up some 1/4” plywood slabs and placed as a cushion on door fronts.
I sometime have to move the box from one garage to my other garage. When moving around the drawer locking mechanism doesn’t work that great.
But for the cost I plan on donating it to my wife to use for her stained glass work once I finish setting up my new garage. Should be good for a few points with the boss lady.
ddawg16
Well-known member
I have the HF 44" box.....love that beast. 10X better than the Craftsman it replaced.
rrangus
Well-known member
When moving to another state my Mac box racked..
Last piece of Mac I bought. And no, it was not the cheaper box but a top of the line box
Last piece of Mac I bought. And no, it was not the cheaper box but a top of the line box
Wamsutta
Well-known member
The expensive boxes are cheap too. None of them are good enough for me. I want to see some serious thick sheet metal. 14 and 12 gage.
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
Transporting a box full of tools is tough on any box.
Their standard is 12 gauge and they will make anything you want. We had some boxes made to custom fit around an air compressor on a truck. We would use the drawer as step.
https://strong-hold.com/
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Wamsutta
Well-known member
ez-duzit
Well-known member
Zoro sent me 3 Waterloo tool chests; each one arrived badly damaged with no abuse visible to the shipping carton. Pure garbage unable to even withstand delivery, let alone normal use. These were all marked "assembled in USA from global components". Finally cancelled the order and went to an ancient Kennedy box.
Miss the Pontiacs
Well-known member
WHy don’t you guys just buy a surplus tank and cut drawers into it?
VinceG
Well-known member
Did you buy it new from a Dealer? it should be Warranted and they will replace it. had a coworker get a 20 year old Maximizer replaced because the caster mount bent moving it over a grate.
Billythekid1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2015
- Messages
- 240
Buy a used Snap-On lista or vidmar I overload them and they work great I should weigh what I have in one drawer just for shits and giggles it’s gotta be a ton
dthor68
Well-known member
I bought a cheap tool box and I could not be happier. I got the US General 44" box, series1. That box is the whole reason why I joined this forum. It is the reason I have spent every spare dime on more tools to fill it up. Thinking about getting another one.
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
One of the fellow millwrights box died, one of the stainless Costco ones. The company replaced it with a SPG made Westward . I was impressed by it. When my box had a run in with a 10,000 # forklift, I got the company to replace it. I went with a Westward like Martin got. Well mine was made in China, instead. Within a couple of months the corners cracked . It must have lacked the internal bracing necessary, or the sheet metal was just one step down. 20 years before I had a cheap Waterloo do the same thing, so I knew how to repair it. It did have double tracks on the bottom deep drawer, though
Next time you are in HD, get a ball bearing drawer track, there will be a time when your heavily loaded drawer track jams and spits out the bearing balls. They are easily enough to repair and put back together, but not loosing a ball bearing ball, is the difficult part. Then you can break apart your spare track and have a good supply.
Next time you are in HD, get a ball bearing drawer track, there will be a time when your heavily loaded drawer track jams and spits out the bearing balls. They are easily enough to repair and put back together, but not loosing a ball bearing ball, is the difficult part. Then you can break apart your spare track and have a good supply.
Downwindtracker 2
Well-known member
If you are on this forum, you can never have enough drawers
Cryptic1911
Well-known member
I just picked up an 84" toolvault from strictlytoolboxes.com and it's awesome. Much better than the spg made international box I used to have. I haven't been too impressed with anything that hd or lowes offer
1WickedEvo
Well-known member
I picked up a a 41” CM tool box with the wood top last December. Casters and sliders needed to be replaced. Almost kept it then I noticed that the box was wider on the bottom(concave). Box went back to Lowe’s, drove right over to HF and picked up a 44’ and never looked back. For home use they work fo me. I now own 2 44’s , a side cab and a 26. I’ve been adding some weight and noticed that opening and closing is much more easier. Once this heat dies down I’ll move over some more heavier tools from older boxes.