Looking for decent tool chest

[katit]

Folks, I'm looking for decent tool chest (rolling) for a home mechanic. Basically I maintain my cars and help friends. Not for work but I hate flimsy stuff.

I'm kind of limited on space, too. Thats why I think more smaller drawers.
I also don't need set top box for now as I have toolbox that I can set on top for now(sears #00961905000). I don't have much tools yet, but hate to not be able to grow.

I did look through archives and here is what I came out with:

Craftsman is OK.
Waterloo even better for smaller price.
Ball drawers is a must
Sams/Costco boxes looks good but not practical.

I'm thinking about
Waterloo Model TR11815
http://www.asedeals.com/tool_boxes_tr.html (search page for TR11815)

I think that would be good one to start with and then I can always buy set on top box.

What else in this price category (<$1k) can you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[Gregdoo]

I have that exact box, but with the Craftsman name on it. Waterloo makes the Craftsman boxes (at least in the US; it sounds like in the Canadian market Sears has a different manufacturer). I'm not sure Sears still offers this exact box anymore. They have a 13 and 14 drawer unit in the same size case. Personally, if I were looking to buy, I would like one of the newer units with the "full width drawer" as the top drawer for all for my sockets and ratchets.

As far as the box, it does a nice job. For my purposes, I find the large drawer on the lower right a waste of space, but that's just me. Maybe in your case it would be different. If I were in a mechanic shop environment, I would store aerosol products there, but I store mine on a shelf, so I can see the labels easier.

Depending on how frequently you use it, you may not really need the ball bearing slides. Yes, they are nice, but it adds $100 to the price. We often forget that the BB slides are a relatively new addition to tool storage. Even Snap-on used to offer very nice boxes with compound slides only a decade or two ago. As long as they are greased when new, they work well. I have the BB slides on mine and they work fine.

As in most things, it depends on what you want to do and how much you want to spend.

 

[katit]

Greg,

Good info, thanks!
$100 for ball bearings not a problem. I tried both types at Sears and think that it makes sence to get ball bearings.

Top drawer is good advice. I thought that I like it too.
Bottom right box looked like a waste of space. But after you mentioned cans - yes, I will probably put stuff like brake/carb cleaners, WD40 in there.

I can use bottom left for my air tools.

I want to keep all tools that have reference to "automotive" in this box.
No supplies as possible. May be dry supplies like hardware, wire. And small liquids like Locktite, RTV...

What do you have in this tool box?

And like I mentioned I want to spend less then $1000 if possible.


I also heard good things about
http://www.kennedymfg.com/kmc.htm

But who knows what happenns this days. Everything changes around..

 

[neblinc]

I bought the Harbor Freight "U.S. General " brand. It is always on sale for $399 and I used a 20% off coupon and got it for $319. My buddy went with me and I had him get the side drawer to go with it, he used a 20% off also.

So grand total was under $500 and really these things are pretty solid, if you have a store nearby it is worth a look.

Randy

 

[JohnZ]

Craftsman is OK.
Waterloo even better for smaller price.
Ball drawers is a must
Sams/Costco boxes looks good but not practical.

I'm thinking about
Waterloo Model TR11815
http://www.asedeals.com/tool_boxes_tr.html (search page for TR11815)

I have the Craftsman ball-bearing version of the TR11815 - it's the left side of my main bench in the photo; it's a service cart, but I left the casters off and use it with a matching ball-bearing rollaway without the casters as my main workbench. Lots of drawers - I use the box drawer at the lower right for adhesives, sealants, glue, etc. Nicely made - I'm happy with it.

 

[bmwpower]

How about a used Snap-on or Lista cabinet? Should be doable for under $1K.

 

[katit]

How about a used Snap-on or Lista cabinet? Should be doable for under $1K.

I wish I can find one
Nothing coming up. Guy was selling nice combo locally - I missed it.

P.S. I'm bmwcca member also

 

[justinmc]

How about a used Snap-on or Lista cabinet? Should be doable for under $1K.

I'd rather spend $1K on a 5-10 yr old nicely used/well kept snap-on, matco or mac unit vs. $1K on a brand new craftsman or even craftsman "pro" unit.

I have a Kobalt unit thats about 8 years old from when their stuff was built by Williams and the boxes were actually nice. I also have a 3 yr old Matco 50" wide unit right next to it. The Kobalt unit is nice/ok.. but its nowhere near the quality of the matco piece.

Keep in mind... most lower line boxes (craftsman, harbor freight, etc) are only 17-18" deep which leaves you with drawers that are only 15" or so deep. 15" isn't that deep when your trying to stuff a long cabinet screwdriver set in them. They also have narrower drawers overall.. alot of their drawers are only 22" wide or so. Snapon, Matco, Mac most units (except bottom of the line) are 20"+ depth w/ true 18" deep drawers. Look around Ebay within a 100 mile radius of you and I'm sure you'll find a box or 5 for sale. You could also try tracking down the local Matco, SnapOn, MAC dealer and see what they might have used kicking around on their truck.. but keep in mind they aren't going to really give you much of a deal. They take the stuff on trade, etc for 25% of new.. then resell it used for 75% or more of new. Crazy...

 

[justinmc]

I wish I can find one
Nothing coming up. Guy was selling nice combo locally - I missed it.

P.S. I'm bmwcca member also

I just realized you were in STL area. I have a guy over here with a "eh" snapon top/bottom box combo he was selling. I think he wanted $800 but I bet you could talk him down. Its non ball bearing but its deep and tall!

 

[katit]

I'm shopping for new ONLY because I gave up on looking. On eBay within 200 miles there is only few boxes and they all close to $2k

 

[katit]

I just realized you were in STL area. I have a guy over here with a "eh" snapon top/bottom box combo he was selling. I think he wanted $800 but I bet you could talk him down. Its non ball bearing but its deep and tall!

What is "eh" snapon?

I would like to talk to the guy

 

[justinmc]

What is "eh" snapon?

I would like to talk to the guy

Its in "eh" condition... he painted it pretty quick w/ some candy apple red paint and its a little beat up.. but its not bad for just using in your garage. Definately heavy duty. I'll get you some contact info.. I'll just call him up and make sure he still has it.

I was gonna sell this setup awhile back.. but decided against it. Now its sitting in my basement full of my "tools for sale" LOL..

 

[katit]

LOL. It was me contacting you about those boxes from craigslist.
too bad they are not for sale anymore.

He has exactly same setup?

 

[justinmc]

LOL. It was me contacting you about those boxes from craigslist.
too bad they are not for sale anymore.

He has exactly same setup?

Hahaha... now thats funny.

No no.. his setup is different. Its a newer/wider top and bottom box setup. Plus both are snapon.

call 913-962-5200 and ask to talk to Carlos. Tell him Justin @ Arrow told you he had a snapon toolbox set for sale. See what he says. He told me $800..

Thats a shop.. so it might take a couple mins for him to get to the phone.

 

[oldgoat]

SnapOn and Matco are nice, but they are also very proud of them price wise and for most it isn't worth it except for bragging rights. I have a Kennedy that I have used for 30 years and a Craftsman that is over 20 years old that are compound slide ones and done very well. The BB are nice but I haven't seen many that just plain don't feel sloppy when you get them pulled out. I saw on the Waterloo that the brown one was a crinkle finish, but I don't know what the red one is. My Kennedy has the crinkle finish and I hate it. It is almost impossible to keep clean. I would think that a lot depends on how much you use it and how heavy the tools are that you are planning on puting in the drawers. If you are planning on a lot of heavy tools like impact wrenches then the ball bearing might be worth it. My Kennedy finally wore through the slide because of all the heavy stuff I put in that one drawer and used to use it quite often. However that took about 25 years to do.

 

[Rickster]

You might want to check out the Kennedy boxes with the modular system. I bought a used Kennedy about a month ago. It was a 5 drawer with a lower bin area. Turns out their newer boxes, and this happened to be one, have a modular system built in so I was able to order new drawers and add roller slides to take the space of the bin. I could also move different size drawers up and/or down to customize the layout to my liking. I was able to put a 4'' drawer with roller slides at the top for my sockets.

 

[katit]

call and ask to talk to Carlos.

Today it was too late. But I think I will pass for now...
I have small garage (21x20) and I don't have any workbench. So I decided to get 40'+ wide box so it will be my work bench (I need wise only) Will have to drill through it

Therefore, I'm looking at wide chest and no top box for now. Until I move to bigger garage

I tend to agree with others on Snap-On being to pricey for advantage they give.

But I decided that I do need wide top drawer.
Craftsman industrial 46" wide looks sweet. But thats $2k...

 

[milly]

If you're only going to be using the boxes in your garage and are not planning on moving them around alot, Craftsman, Waterloo, Husky or any other "cheap" brand would suit you just fine. If you are a pro mechanic and have to move your box around on a daily basis, then Snap-On, Matco, and Mac boxes are probably the way to go. I know of techs around where I live that have had the same Snap-On and Mac boxes for over 20 years and have had no problems with them. Most of these guys work in big truck shops and have to move their boxes around from job to job, some even have to work out in the parking lot if a job won't fit in the building.

 

[...dave]

Sears has a red Craftsman ball bearing roller on sale this weekend, 40" wide, 12 drawers, for $550... if i were in the market for a chest right now, that's where my money would go. Don't forget, once you pay more for the Waterloo, unless that retailer is local, you then have to pay to ship that 200-pound beast... $$$

i checked out the Harbor Freight boxes, and was not happy with them... maybe the floor model had seen an unusual amount of abuse, but the slides were crummy on at least a quarter of the drawers. IMO, being at a price level in the same ballpark as Sears, Lowes, or Home Depot chests, that wasn't acceptable.

...dave

 

[katit]

Dave,

Do you have box number? Does it have top wide drawer? Sears charges for delivery AFAIK, right? Plus tax.

I already bought from asedeals.com and they ship for free (+40 for residential). I bought Bendpak scissor lift that will be installed next week and tend to agree with my wife that blue box will look better


I like TRX4112 in blue
http://www.asedeals.com/tool_boxes.html

TRX has advantages over TR:
TRX models have drawer liners included.
TR Models do not.
TRX Models have Posi-Latch drawer securing system
TRX models have heavy duty ball bearing slides.
TR series have standard ball bearing slides.
TRX series have interchangable drawer sytstem

 

[justinmc]

I like TRX4112 in blue
http://www.asedeals.com/tool_boxes.html

TRX has advantages over TR:
TRX models have drawer liners included.
TR Models do not.
TRX Models have Posi-Latch drawer securing system
TRX models have heavy duty ball bearing slides.
TR series have standard ball bearing slides.
TRX series have interchangable drawer sytstem

You might look at see if there are any Waterloo dealers over in/around STL.. I know the local guys sell that box for less than $909. Or at least I'm pretty sure. Its a nice box and coming w/ the liners and having the posi latch (similar to a roll n lock setup) is worth it. The craftsman stuff I think are made by waterloo but the metal in the Traxx series is more along the lines used in the craftsman professional vs. the lower line standard ball bearing stuff. Thicker grade sheet metal for the drawers, etc. Which is nice because the drawers are much more solid when you pull them open.

Go for it... get blue.. I'm a fan of the blue haha.

 

[katit]

You might look at see if there are any Waterloo dealers over in/around STL.. I know the local guys sell that box for less than $909. Or at least I'm pretty sure.

Can you name a few?
Waterloo website doesn't dealers information, have no idea who to contact except for Grainger and Lowes

 

[l_bilyk]

I have the TRX267

Lots of people here do. I like it, but i wish i bought the bigger one

 

[katit]

I like it, but i wish i bought the bigger one

Basically you saying I need to get TRX4112. Correct?

 

[l_bilyk]

or a 5213

but those seema bit expensive

I bought a TRX267 and a TRX2707 together for around $530 on sale

the real piss off about it is that i cant keep 6 hansen trays on top without removing some built in dividers... maybe one day I will

this shouldn't be a problem with the wider 4112/4111

 

[justinmc]

Can you name a few?
Waterloo website doesn't dealers information, have no idea who to contact except for Grainger and Lowes

Clark Tool sells Waterloo here in KC. They have I think 4 locations in/around KC now. Grainger is another one as you mentioned but their prices are a little more on the "buisness write off" side (i.e. buisnesses that don't care they just need it today) You might call Waterloo and see. I'm sure they can provide you with a list in your area... or just grab the Yellow Pages and look for Tool suppliers/dealers... let your fingers do the walkin! Might be a good way to find a local tool supplier and start a good relationship!

 

[katit]

or a 5213

but those seema bit expensive

Just bought diamond for my wife. She says 5213 looks good

Will check out local stores. Quick internet check showed ~1400

 

[SM Racing]

I went through this a little while ago. I looked at all the major brands, Cracksman, Kobalt, Husky, Matco, Snap-On, Mac, Waterloo, Kennedy, etc. Of all of the ones I looked at the big three were the best. The price was set accordingly. I looked at the junky box that Sams sells, pass. Cracksman wants too much for their boxes and they feel crappy. Couldn't justify spending taht kind of money when I could buy a better Snap On or MAC used for that price.

Anyway I bought the Harbor Freight box after looking at all the rest. It wieghs more than all of its competitors and has better build quality. The slides are decent, I don't like the detents and the krinkle finish. But otherwise I am very happy with it. The drawers are heavily loaded and haven't given me any trouble. I also use it everyday.

I don't know any techs that roll their boxes around the shop. When your box weighs 2000+ lbs you don't move it frequently. That is what Shop carts are for.

For the money and features the HF box can't be beat. For what you are looking at this is the best box. It is much cheaper than the big three and better quality that the Kobalt, Crapsman, Husky, etc. It has a nice big drawer up top that can fit big stuff if necessary.

Save your money and put it towards a bigger garage instead of a pimp *** toolbox, for now. That is what I did. I figure it was cheaper to buy this box up front and use my money to get more shop space than spend 3K on a tool box. When I go on the road this box will then reside in the trailer so it was not money wasted.

 

[katit]

Anyway I bought the Harbor Freight box after looking at all the rest. It wieghs more than all of its competitors and has better build quality. The slides are decent, I don't like the detents and the krinkle finish. But otherwise I am very happy with it. The drawers are heavily loaded and haven't given me any trouble. I also use it everyday.

Checked them out today.

Here is my conclusions... Lowes and Sears carry about the same quality stuff. (there was no non-affordable craftsman industrial on display)
I looked at Husky Pro at HD and liked it. As much as I liked... Harbor Freight one. And I liked Lowes and Sears less.

You correct that I should get big garage first.. Harbor freight 43' wide 13 ball bearing drawers with liners can't be beat for $400. I don't really like this paint, but I think it's a good deal for money.

 

[Da Bull]

Check these guys out

http://www.toolchassis.com/

http://www.sharkstainless.com/index.asp

 

[SM Racing]

The paint is one of my only complaints with the HF box. It is tough though. I haven't scratched it through the paint yet. But it does have some grease stains that I haven't tried to clean yet. I imagine it won't clean up that well.

 

[katit]

Now since I'm buying under budget I think maybe I should get top box as well

 

[markl]

I agree with the Harbor Freight boxes, even though so many people bash HF you just cant beat the price for the quality. I to shopped long and hard looking at Craftsman, Lowes, Home depot and came to the conclusion that the HF was of better quality, heavier construction and an all around better deal and more money left to fill it with more tools. Yea the wrinkle finish is the only thing I dont care for.

 

[katit]

Now, to make this deal even better - HF has 20% off coupons

 

[neblinc]

I opted for the side cabinet instead of the top cabinet for the HF I bought. I did not want to give up a large work area for laying down tools. There are enough drawers and storage to make me happy.

Randy

 

[markl]

Here are a few pics of my HF set. Thought i'd throw a few pics out to show some of the quality built in. You can see the double ball bearing slides on the full width drawer and the bottom deep drawer on the chest and the bottom drawers on the side cabinet. Not bad for the money, especially with 20% off coupons ! P.S. The top chest actually comes with a deep drawer, I swapped 2 shallow drawers from the bottom to the top and put the top deep in the bottom. Just personal preferance

 

[neblinc]

Markl-

Where did you get the socket trays? The ones I got from Sears are to far apart for my liking. Yours look like they make more sense in keeping them closer together.

Randy

 

[markl]

I bought the red one at HF, the ones to the far left I made from 1"x6" and wood dowel rods. I made them because I didnt like what anyone else offered. There are some more pics in this thread: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3576&highlight=socket+trayYou can make it to fit your drawers and sockets.

 

[I Love Grits]

Does anyone have the harbor freight part number for the chest like you have markl? Looked through the website, and couldnt find it. Thanks.

 

[markl]

The part # for the top is 92099-2VGA, the bottom part # is 90320-5VGA, hope this helps.