Mac Special edition tool boxes?

[WesM]

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone knows anything about the MAC Davey Allison Limited Edition Toolbox. I'm thinking about checking one out locally, but I cannot really find any info on them as far as size/specs go. The seller is also asking about $800

I do like the drawer layout. Are these good boxes? comparable to Snap On/matco?

I'm a machinist about to switch jobs, my old job provided us with tool boxes, but the new one will not. So I'm kinda shopping around in the sub $1000 price range to try and find something that could last me a 20-30 year career in machining. Machinist tools tend to be smaller, so the shallower drawers are a good thing.

 

[senlow]

That's probably a good box for your application. I'm partial to vintage Mac boxes from the '70s and '80s. I have a half dozen of them. The pictured box is early to mid '90s. I don't know if this box has friction or ball bearing slides. The friction slides are well made and will work fine, especially since the drawers won't be overloaded with mechanics tools.

Most of the machinists where I'm employed work out of boxes of similar size and configuration. The drawer layout is good for a machinist. Only one of the guys have one of those antiquated little Kennedy top boxes. Those are just about useless in a modern machine shop. They are too tiny to hold much of anything.

I worked out of a 34" wide Mac bottom box for about 18 years as an automotive machinist. It served me well and it's now in my home shop.

 

[WesM]

Hey thanks for the info. Yea I have a Kennedy top box right now on a cheesy craftsman roller, but I'm quickly outgrowing it.

 

[nadogail]

A successful workman will eventually outgrow the biggest tool box.

 

[WesM]

A successful workman will eventually outgrow the biggest tool box.

Lets just hope my tool box budget can keep up.

 

[WesM]

Do you guys think this MAC tool box would be superior quality to a Kennedy chest with ball bearing roller and friction slide top box?

 

[FJ 432]

My .02.

Yes. The MAC is designed/engineered for heavier tools.
No. Kennedy boxes are designed for machinist tools.

Personally I would hold off for a Kennedy set.

 

[WesM]

My .02.

Yes. The MAC is designed/engineered for heavier tools.
No. Kennedy boxes are designed for machinist tools.

Personally I would hold off for a Kennedy set.

Getting a Kennedy stack is definitely an option. I don't see them poping up much on the local adds, so I would probably have to buy the bottom roller at retail (around $700) and try to pick up a top box when it comes up. I have the journeyman top box, which is smaller that I could stick on top as an interim thing.

I guess I was just looking around to see if I could get more bang for my buck. The Kennedy lower boxes with ball bearing slides seem to be good quality, but the upper boxes with friction slides are nothing to write home about.