Mac Tech 1000 vs Harbor Freight 41/44 tool boxes

[jeepinerdeep]

I saw this pop up in my area on Craigslist:
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/4281903997.html

I know Harbor Freight offered the 44 in a few colors back in the day and I think yellow was one.

Any how, how does the Mac Tech 1000 stack up to the HF 44/41 box?

Thanks
Wes

The MAC Tech is a box that can still buy tops, top boxes. side cabinets and lockers for. If you replaced the missing drawer pulls and put something on top like even machine cut plain old carbon steel, you 'll have a very nice piece. You wouldn't lose a nickel if you wanted to sell it. Can you say all of that about the HF box??

Mine is 11 years old next month. No probs.Ever. I made my top out of apatung trailer flooring and parked it on there with some clear silicone for about 80 bucks from my buddy in the local trailer shop.

Offer 1000 cash, bet he bites. Still worth all of 1200 IMO.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

That's stupid expensive for what it is. I have the same box, but with Husky badges. Waterloo made them, and they were rebranded Mac, Husky, and I believe a few others as well. It's not a bad box, but that's really an awful price, unless you really want some banana yellow. I paid $400 for mine, in very good shape and with the top box. I like it well enough I doubt I'll ever sell it... if/when I upgrade at work, I'll probably use it to store cased tool sets, or take it home.

I'd buy the HF any day for that price though. Hell, you could probably damn near get into a KRL761 for that kinda money, and it's bigger all around and better built.

edit: Damn, am I off one series? If it's 25" deep I guess so! Drawer arrangement is almost identical to mine.

Yep, those were just labeled MAC TOOLS IIRC. A new guy bought one at my last employer, it was nice but like you said not super. THAT box would have made a better comparison to the HF than the suggested TECH 1000 series.

 

[Flivver250]

Wangstang, what do you think? It is your money. The Macimizer is the very best US made box in the business in my opinion. The Tech series is just a bit below but still very good. I think that box is Mac's best seller. The HF box brings to bear all of the awesome magnificience of the peoples republic of China. A lot of history and tradition stands behind Chinese made products.

 

[cyberslick188]

Tool boxes don't make you money.

Does it hold your tools? Yes? If so, get the cheapest one available that won't fall apart.

If thicker sheet metal and a slightly nicer slide is worth literally, no joke, 10 times the price, of a HF box that is universally well reviewed and has the same warranty then go for it.

In the same way you'd spend more money on a luxury item than a commodity even though functionally they are the same, it's your money. But if budget is a concern you lose every single day with the Mac, fine a box as it is.

At the end of the day it holds tools. Does the HF hold tools? Yes. Does the mac hold tools? Yes.

Why spend more for less then? Again, is slightly smoother slides worth that much more money at that much less storage?

Half the people on this forum shitting on the HF box are people still working off debts to the truck owners and trying to justify their impulse purchases. Get the HF box, make some actual money and live a better life instead of giving money to a name brand **********. On your death bed you won't care that you had a slightly nicer box than the next guy, you'll care about how you spent that difference of money on your family, loved ones, and yourself.

The resale value of the HF is the same resale value as the Mac, just as it with almost all tools. I'm not talking about necessarily this Mac vs this HF, but the attitude toward truck brand boxes in general. A snappy dual ratchet is honestly worth that price for that toughness, but it's out there making your money. That snappy box is an inside joke among truck drivers that helps the bottom line.

 

[Ad13]

The resale value of the HF is the same resale value as the Mac, just as it with almost all tools.

No. Just no.

 

[STANIMAL]

Tool boxes don't make you money.

Does it hold your tools? Yes? If so, get the cheapest one available that won't fall apart.

If thicker sheet metal and a slightly nicer slide is worth literally, no joke, 10 times the price, of a HF box that is universally well reviewed and has the same warranty then go for it.

In the same way you'd spend more money on a luxury item than a commodity even though functionally they are the same, it's your money. But if budget is a concern you lose every single day with the Mac, fine a box as it is.

At the end of the day it holds tools. Does the HF hold tools? Yes. Does the mac hold tools? Yes.

Why spend more for less then? Again, is slightly smoother slides worth that much more money at that much less storage?

Half the people on this forum shitting on the HF box are people still working off debts to the truck owners and trying to justify their impulse purchases. Get the HF box, make some actual money and live a better life instead of giving money to a name brand **********. On your death bed you won't care that you had a slightly nicer box than the next guy, you'll care about how you spent that difference of money on your family, loved ones, and yourself.

The resale value of the HF is the same resale value as the Mac, just as it with almost all tools. I'm not talking about necessarily this Mac vs this HF, but the attitude toward truck brand boxes in general. A snappy dual ratchet is honestly worth that price for that toughness, but it's out there making your money. That snappy box is an inside joke among truck drivers that helps the bottom line.

Thank you newbie . This is exactly what I've been saying . And yes , the truck boxes are huge money makers for the drivers . I could never justify paying that kind of money for a box . A person could buy a great car for that or put it into tools , with which one makes money .

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Tool boxes don't make you money.

Why spend more for less then? Again, is slightly smoother slides worth that much more money at that much less storage?

Yes they do "make" money..Having tools securely stored in a nice/neat/orderly fashion saves time...Time = Money. Look at the PowerCab for example, having all your cordless tools easily stored with a charging solution ensures all your tools are ready to go at a moments notice. If you really want to go cheap, why buy a box at all...I'm sure you can find 10-15 empty Tidy Cat pails, throw all your tools in them. One pail for metric, one for SAE, one for your screwdrivers..really nice because they have nice flip up lids...Play your cards right and you can even color coordinate lids, Red for SAE, Blue for metric


For the record, Spending Less always Gets you less. No way on god's green earth are you spending more for less here. Common Business Sense dictates you'll never pay less and get more.

The MAC Tech is a box that can still buy tops, top boxes. side cabinets and lockers for. If you replaced the missing drawer pulls and put something on top like even machine cut plain old carbon steel, you 'll have a very nice piece. You wouldn't lose a nickel if you wanted to sell it. Can you say all of that about the HF box??

Mine is 11 years old next month. No probs.Ever. I made my top out of apatung trailer flooring and parked it on there with some clear silicone for about 80 bucks from my buddy in the local trailer shop.

Offer 1000 cash, bet he bites. Still worth all of 1200 IMO.

Another excellent point. 10 years from now will HF be offering parts on this current 44"???? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say heck no. By then they will be sourcing from another communist factory.

Every single **bleepin** thread here where someone asks anything about boxes the HF-44 "Bible Thumpers" chime in and say everybody else is wasting their money, better off spending $359 on the 44" and blowing the rest on Booze & Hookers. Its his money, up to him what he wants to buy. Not shitting on the HF 44", FOR THE MONEY, I'll agree it cant be beat. To be honest, I've contemplated on more then one occasion buying one or two to make a built in workbench, wouldn't be for tools per se, mostly junk drawers type thing, but having something "permanent" with no future parts availability gives me the heebie-jeebies.
But saying somehow its just as good as a SO/MAC/Matco Box is just plain wrong. Begs another question, if people get so butthurt (Jealous) about Truck boxes, why isn't anyone ever offering the suggestion of getting a Montezuma or Extreme Tools box? From what I hear those are good boxes, and I bet Montezuma will be around 10 years from now to help you with service/parts as well.

 

[Hiball]

If thicker sheet metal and a slightly nicer slide is worth literally, no joke, 10 times the price, of a HF box that is universally well reviewed and has the same warranty then go for it.

True.. HF tool box has been Universally well reviewed.
Not True.. HF has 90 day warranty

At the end of the day it holds tools. Does the HF hold tools? Yes. Does the mac hold tools? Yes.

Why spend more for less then? Again, is slightly smoother slides worth that much more money at that much less storage?.

Comparing the HF to the Mac is not Fair, The MAC has much more storage.. Why are some here trying to compare the 2 boxes? Would you compare a 1200 sq ft home to a 2000 sq ft home?

Half the people on this forum shitting on the HF box are people still working off debts to the truck owners and trying to justify their impulse purchases. Get the HF box, make some actual money and live a better life instead of giving money to a name brand **********. On your death bed you won't care that you had a slightly nicer box than the next guy, you'll care about how you spent that difference of money on your family, loved ones, and yourself.

Heresay... Id be willing to bet better than 50% of the members who are "Shitting" on a Truck tool box have NEVER EVER EVEN SEEN ONE IN PERSON.. Im not even going to get into how someone else should spend there money, That's None of my business or YOURS.

The resale value of the HF is the same resale value as the Mac, just as it with almost all tools. I'm not talking about necessarily this Mac vs this HF, but the attitude toward truck brand boxes in general. A snappy dual ratchet is honestly worth that price for that toughness, but it's out there making your money. That snappy box is an inside joke among truck drivers that helps the bottom line.

That first part just isn't true, Im sorry ive bought and sold way too many tools to even remotely read that statement without laughing a little inside, And how can someone be so hypocritical and claim the Dual 80 Ratchet is worth it over the $9 minus 20% model? They both remove fasteners correct? Was that not your argument earlier?

I really think the HF boxes offer a lot of storage for the $$$, I just don't get the back and forth, Im not a fan mainly because I hate shallow drawers and secondly I have ALOT of tools and don't want multiple boxes, Especially when I can get by with 1 big one. Does this mean im in debt to a tool truck? Mortgaging my Future? LOL No... There are plenty of deals to be found, Lots of people fell into the trap and made Rash Purchases and the same can be said for Cars, Trucks, Houses, Atv's etc...

 

[Hiball]

Every single **bleepin** thread here where someone asks anything about boxes the HF-44 "Bible Thumpers" chime in and say everybody else is wasting their money, better off spending $359 on the 44" and blowing the rest on Booze & Hookers. Its his money, up to him what he wants to buy. Not shitting on the HF 44", FOR THE MONEY, I'll agree it cant be beat. To be honest, I've contemplated on more then one occasion buying one or two to make a built in workbench, wouldn't be for tools per se, mostly junk drawers type thing, but having something "permanent" with no future parts availability gives me the heebie-jeebies.
But saying somehow its just as good as a SO/MAC/Matco Box is just plain wrong. Begs another question, if people get so butthurt (Jealous) about Truck boxes, why isn't anyone ever offering the suggestion of getting a Montezuma or Extreme Tools box? From what I hear those are good boxes, and I bet Montezuma will be around 10 years from now to help you with service/parts as well.

Thanks for the Common sense approach..

 

[STANIMAL]

Does anyone know how long HF has been selling their 44 and 56 ?

 

[kythri]

Heresay... Id be willing to bet better than 50% of the members who are "Shitting" on a Truck tool box have NEVER EVER EVEN SEEN ONE IN PERSON..

Sadly, Hiball, this goes both ways. I'm quite positive that better than 50% of the members "shitting" on an HF box have never seen one in person.

Regardless of which end of the spectrum they're arguing for or against, you can usually identify these folks by their hyperbolic statements - there's some from both sides in this thread.

 

[Jamie V]

Tool boxes don't make you money.

Does it hold your tools? Yes? If so, get the cheapest one available that won't fall apart.

If thicker sheet metal and a slightly nicer slide is worth literally, no joke, 10 times the price, of a HF box that is universally well reviewed and has the same warranty then go for it.

In the same way you'd spend more money on a luxury item than a commodity even though functionally they are the same, it's your money. But if budget is a concern you lose every single day with the Mac, fine a box as it is.

At the end of the day it holds tools. Does the HF hold tools? Yes. Does the mac hold tools? Yes.

Why spend more for less then? Again, is slightly smoother slides worth that much more money at that much less storage?

Half the people on this forum shitting on the HF box are people still working off debts to the truck owners and trying to justify their impulse purchases. Get the HF box, make some actual money and live a better life instead of giving money to a name brand **********. On your death bed you won't care that you had a slightly nicer box than the next guy, you'll care about how you spent that difference of money on your family, loved ones, and yourself.

The resale value of the HF is the same resale value as the Mac, just as it with almost all tools. I'm not talking about necessarily this Mac vs this HF, but the attitude toward truck brand boxes in general. A snappy dual ratchet is honestly worth that price for that toughness, but it's out there making your money. That snappy box is an inside joke among truck drivers that helps the bottom line.

Me personally,

Mac=USA
HF=CHINA

I hope whatever you do for a living everyone doesn't just go with the cheaper overseas version. The reason this country is going down the toilet is because it citizens only care about the cheapest thing they can find. Sometimes spending a little extra money means an American citizen (like yourself) will have a job.

 

[Hiball]

Sadly, Hiball, this goes both ways. I'm quite positive that better than 50% of the members "shitting" on an HF box have never seen one in person.

Regardless of which end of the spectrum they're arguing for or against, you can usually identify these folks by their hyperbolic statements - there's some from both sides in this thread.

Absolutely.. NO Doubt in My Mind, I can Name Members who have Hatred for both brands on both sides of the Isle and normally it doesn't take long for them to pop up in a Thread where brands are compared. And for me personally, When all you do is come in and Bash Brand A or Brand B your Credibility is ****. I want my reviews to be based off of Real Life Assessments, Not the cheapest, Not the Most Expensive, Not where the item was manufactured etc...

 

[Skin]

Tool boxes don't make you money.

Does it hold your tools? Yes? If so, get the cheapest one available that won't fall apart.

If thicker sheet metal and a slightly nicer slide is worth literally, no joke, 10 times the price, of a HF box that is universally well reviewed and has the same warranty then go for it.

In the same way you'd spend more money on a luxury item than a commodity even though functionally they are the same, it's your money. But if budget is a concern you lose every single day with the Mac, fine a box as it is.

At the end of the day it holds tools. Does the HF hold tools? Yes. Does the mac hold tools? Yes.

Why spend more for less then? Again, is slightly smoother slides worth that much more money at that much less storage?

Half the people on this forum shitting on the HF box are people still working off debts to the truck owners and trying to justify their impulse purchases. Get the HF box, make some actual money and live a better life instead of giving money to a name brand **********. On your death bed you won't care that you had a slightly nicer box than the next guy, you'll care about how you spent that difference of money on your family, loved ones, and yourself.

The resale value of the HF is the same resale value as the Mac, just as it with almost all tools. I'm not talking about necessarily this Mac vs this HF, but the attitude toward truck brand boxes in general. A snappy dual ratchet is honestly worth that price for that toughness, but it's out there making your money. That snappy box is an inside joke among truck drivers that helps the bottom line.

Problem I have with the 44 in a shop environment is its too small. The drawers are only about 17" deep and the box in general lacks storage for things like mallets or tools in cases. You cant even stand sockets up in trays in any drawers other than the top one and the lower 2.

And you're wrong about the box not making someone money. It can certainly be argued that a box that offers a more organized storage solution is absolutely making someone money when they're fighting the clock on every job.

For a homeowner I think the HF box is fantastic. If someone wants an American made truck box, more power to them. Its no different than a luxury car compared to something like a Corolla. Both will get you places, one will do it looking and feeling better. All the same I can absolutely see why someone whos going to be in the field for anywhere between 10-40 years would want to plunk down a few thousand for a box that will be opened and closed hundreds of thousands of times through-out and will still have repairable drawer slides after all is said and done.

 

[rsanter]

I have to wonder how many people who recommend HF boxes have owned both a truck box and HF box. I get the feeling most have only compared other store brand boxes like Cman, Husky etc to the HF box. When I saw the HF 44" in person I was extremely disappointed in the quality after reading all the reviews. I guess it's nice for the money but it really is only a step or two above the other store brand boxes and most of those Cman and Husky boxes aren't even useable IMO. I've never seen one of their 56" boxes in person.

I have snap on, Mac, craftsman, Kennedy and the HF 41" boxes currently.
For the money the HF box is a total bargain.
Is it as good as the tech1000 I have or the snap on boxes I have....no
But it is a better value for the dollar than a similar craftsman box bought new.

The only boxes I have bough new have been the HF because I got it back when you could buy it for $271 with the coupon. And I bought the craftsman new as a dent scratch floor model for $250

Bob

 

[bobtheman04]

For a homeowner I think the HF box is fantastic. If someone wants an American made truck box, more power to them. Its no different than a luxury car compared to something like a Corolla. Both will get you places, one will do it looking and feeling better. All the same I can absolutely see why someone whos going to be in the field for anywhere between 10-40 years would want to plunk down a few thousand for a box that will be opened and closed hundreds of thousands of times through-out and will still have repairable drawer slides after all is said and done.

This.

If the $1000 HF box lasts you 10 years, then you're paying $100/year. If the $5000 Snap-On box lasts you 10 years, then you're spending $500/year. In either case, it's hardly a huge sum of money, especially if you're spending a large amount of time opening and closing the tool box. I spend more money on insurance for my car.

While they certainly take the sales, the truck brands aren't really marketed to the home user.

Me? I spent $1500 (on sale) for a 44" Proto tool box top and bottom (made in USA). It should last me 20 years, so I hardly think I overspent. I don't use it for work, though.

 

[amlv20]

Hell if I hadn't brought my snap on box home when I bought my Mac, I would of just bought a cheap craftsman for home.i barely open my box at home.

 

[Ohmthis]

I'm going to try and get this back on track. The op never said if this box is going into a pro setting or home. I think the hf is an excellent home box where the Mac is great for the pros. This is an apples and oranges comparison, they aren't the in the same league. Please let me explain. Are they the same size? No! Are the both made in the same place? No! Are the made to be in the same environment? I will say no! The hf box is compatible to the older econimizer boxes, same size, same basic layout, and best apples to apples. Hope this helps!

 

[Ruger_556]

I'm still not sure why everyone get's so upset about the price point on truck brand boxes...? So let's say you drop $10,000 on a Matco or SO box and it lasts the rest of your career so just for fun let's say 20 years. You'll most likely be able to sell the box for half what you payed new so that put's your investment at $250 a year.

For comparison it's not uncommon for someone to finance a car or truck and have payments well over $250 per month. http://www.carsdirect.com/auto-loans/what-is-the-average-car-loan-in-america For that amount of money they get what? Maybe an hour of use per day commuting to work and they'll probably keep the car less than 6 years. So you'll invest what $30,000 or more (Not counting insurance) just to get to work but cry over $10,000 for something that you'll use all day every day for the rest of your career?

Everyone complains about manufacturing leaving America but they still buy the HF box... Yeah it's a great deal but I prefer to not support PRC.

 

[wmartin]

I'm still not sure why everyone get's so upset about the price point on truck brand boxes...? .

I think it's mostly because they don't seem to be reasonably priced given the workmanship and the amount of materials. It isn't like Snap on is trying to build a car. The highest end Snap on box probably costs about as much as the cheapest Silverado...and the latter is a lot bigger and harder to make.

To be fair, I would think that a business with less marketing and more worrying about price/performance, like Lista storage, would also be a bit cheaper. Maybe there's some secret sauce on the manufacturing process on steel boxes that I'm not aware of.

 

[Skin]

I'm still not sure why everyone get's so upset about the price point on truck brand boxes...? So let's say you drop $10,000 on a Matco or SO box and it lasts the rest of your career so just for fun let's say 20 years. You'll most likely be able to sell the box for half what you payed new so that put's your investment at $250 a year.

No. As soon as you take possession that box is worth about 1/3 its list on the flip. That's one area you never win because the value for dollar is so poor. This is why you should never touch a truck box at anything close to retail, always name your own price that you're comfortable paying and then just play the waiting game. All of them know this as well which is why boxes can be so heavily discounted.

As far as the 20 years comment goes, people want new. That's why truck boxes from the late 80s/early 90s are priced far closer to a comparable HF/Montezuma box than a competing truck box of the same size.

 

[Ruger_556]

No. As soon as you take possession that box is worth about 1/3 its list. That's one area you never win because the value for dollar is so poor. This is why you should never touch a truck box at anything close to retail, always name your own price that you're comfortable paying and then just play the waiting game.

As far as the 20 years comment goes, people want new. That's why truck boxes from the late 80s/early 90s are priced far closer to a comparable HF box than a competing truck box.

Not around here 10+ year old boxes regularly sell for half of list regardless of whether the seller payed list or not which most don't.

 

[Jamie V]

everyone complains about manufacturing leaving america but they still buy the hf box... Yeah it's a great deal but i prefer to not support prc.

x1,000,000

 

[bobcatdan]

Anybody who pays anything close to list is an idiot. Buying a truck box is like buying a car, haggle until you are a happy. A good dealer will bend a lot. Trading up can also work great. Last time I tested the waters, I was offered over list for my 1022 which I paid just under half for. It is a number games. Wait til they work for you then buy.

 

[Kent Skinner]

Me personally,

Mac=USA
HF=CHINA

I hope whatever you do for a living everyone doesn't just go with the cheaper overseas version. The reason this country is going down the toilet is because it citizens only care about the cheapest thing they can find. Sometimes spending a little extra money means an American citizen (like yourself) will have a job.

There's lots of folks on this board who spend extra money on American made products. However, claiming that you can spend "a little extra" to get a US made tool box is a damn joke.

I'm guessing that a SO box of similar size to the HF 44" box is closer to 10x the price than double the price. Even a used SO box 4 to 5 times the price.

We are talking about the ability to buy a box. There's absolutely no way I could justify a $2,500 tool box, let alone a new SO box for $5,000.
My brother, the professional mechanic? Yeah, he has $10 to $15k "invested" in SO boxes, and since he makes his living turning wrenches, it makes sense.

Find me US made box of similar size to the HF 44" box (currently less than $400) for under a grand. I dare you. Used is fine, thrashed isn't.

 

[Skin]

Find me US made box of similar size to the HF 44" box (currently less than $400) for under a grand. I dare you.

Challenge accepted

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000R8EFRY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Made by Waterloo. They actually make a lot of boxes, in the USA, in that size range for ~$1000.

 

[Wangstang]

Well folks, thanks for all of the responses...it's been entertaining to say the least.

I started the thread hoping to get some light on differences in construction, such a size, weight capacity, draw designs and such.

There appear to be at least two different sizes of the Mac Tech 1000 series bottom cabinets from what Google image kicks up.

As for those talking about dollar for dollar value in storage capacity and resell of a HF vs a Mac, the only fair comparison would be to put $1200 worth of HF 41/44's up against $1200 of Mac cabinet.

So...at $350 a cabinet new for HF, we'd have to have at least 3 of the HF cabinets to go against the $1200 Mac used, which still leaves $150 cash to cover the tax on the new HF cabinets.

As for how long parts will be around for the HF, the boxes have been around for over 10 years now and parts are currently available. I purchased one last year for $349, had a minor dent in one of the drawers. I emailed the customer support people at HF and they responded the next day. Took about three weeks to get a drawer in, but it was shipped to me for free to replace the minor dented one. Never asked me for a photo, never questioned me to provide a receipt, although I did provide my receipt number from my in store purchase.

Add to HF part support, someone here provided the HF SKU numbers for replacement slides in another thread. Out of interest in having an extra set on hand if I ever need them, I called them up with the numbers and had the new slides shipped to my door for a few bucks per set and had them in less than a week.

I provide all of this info to make it clear that you do get support from HF and it's pretty timely.

That said, I appreciate quality products that have features that are unique or notably better than the competition...that's why I started this thread, to get your opinions on what's better about the Mac Tech 1000 line than what the US General Pro line from HF offers.

Thanks
Wes

 

[Flivver250]

I bought my lower end Snap-On box set in 1979. About 9 years ago SO replaced the bottom box because it had an issue. In my opinion Mac is a much better box than SO. I buy US made where and when I can and do my best to avoid foriegn products and keep my purchasing power in the US. Hard in some areas. The US does not make small farm tractors anymore, had to buy a rice burner. The price of US products would not be as high if the masses of cheapskates hadn't diluted the market as much as they did. Took years and millions of people, but one foriegn purchase at a time we closed most of our factories. Government mandates and Unions certainly didn't help. It does get hard at times to ignore cost. A 4 ton Hein-Werner floor jack cost almost as much as a 6 ton imported lift.

 

[wmartin]

Challenge accepted

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000R8EFRY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Made by Waterloo. They actually make a lot of boxes, in the USA, in that size range for ~$1000.

Not a bad price. It's 14 lbs heavier than HF at only 2.3x the price. If it's a really good box, it's cool that it's not shockingly expensive. I've always wanted to check out the larger Williams line, but have no clue who might have one in a retail store.

The last Waterloo box I ordered was utter trash (the equivalent of one of those Craftsman ball bearing 26" bottom boxes), but that doesn't mean that their entire line is bad.

It sure would be interesting to side by side the two of those. I expect that the real difference would end up being the weld quality/quantity and the quality of the drawer slides and casters.

 

[Wangstang]

Waterloo manufactures in the US and Mexico for what it's worth:
http://www.waterlooindustries.com/about-waterloo/locations

Wes

 

[wmartin]

Waterloo manufactures in the US and Mexico for what it's worth:
http://www.waterlooindustries.com/about-waterloo/locations

Wes

According to Grainger, that Proto box is built in the US.

http://www.grainger.com/product/PROTO-Rolling-Cabinet-1ZMN4

 

[Wangstang]

On Waterloo's current website it says:

As with most North American manufacturers, some of our components and a small percentage of finished goods are sourced globally.

And according to the info from 2010 in this thread, including a vendor or Waterloo products...
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55195

Some cabinets coming from Waterloo were manufactured in China, some in USA and some in Mexico. Depends on the model.

My system states China, Mexico, and the United States for Country of Origin depending upon the model number.

That same thread also has a post from another member claiming that some manufacturing was done in Canada but the final assembly was done in the US.

Mexico and Canada. If you call Waterloo they will tell you they have an assembly plant the US but currently produce no boxes that can be branded "Made in the USA"

To further complicate things, the under $1000 example that was posted from Waterloo is branded as a Stanley product. In the same thread I linked above we have this posting from a Canadian:

I'm glad nolatoolguy raised this.

Toolboxes are a little bit of a sore point for me because Stanley recently closed the Smith Falls Ontario Beech toolbox plant in order to move production offshore.

As a Canadian, quality being equal my no 1 choice is Canadian. For me, if I can't get it made in Canada for the quality I am looking for, then my second choice is Made in USA. Why? Because our economies are somewhat integrated, we are one another's largest trading partners (have been for years, although that may soon change given China's and Mexico's influence -- many Americans do not realise this fact) and despite some significant differences, we generally have the same values and consider one another best friends (unless of course we are talking about hockey).

If I can't find a quality Canadian or American product, then I go for European or Japanese, for the same quality and values reasons.

Like most here, I despair at the amount of stuff out there that is from China that we happily import at the cost of our jobs and way of life because it is cheap. I also despair at the loss of good Canadian jobs to places like Mexico and China. In the area where I live a couple of plants recently closed and production was moved to Mexico. In one case, they had to keep the Canadian plant running longer than anticipated so that they could fix the **** that came out of the Mexican plant. In another case, the company sent some of the Canadian workers that they were going to eventually terminate to Mexico to train the Mexicans how to do their jobs. How's that for a slap in the face? Both plants had excellent quality ratings.

Environmentally, it makes more sense to buy something that is made in a country where there are some real environmental standards instead of something made in a country that has no standards and then ships the item ten thousand miles to get to market.

Anyway, increasingly, when it comes to purchasing decisions, issues of quality being equal, we have to start demanding domestically made stuff.

My two cents (presently worth about 1.88 cents US lol).

So, my impression is if you want to make sure you are buying US made tool boxes at this point, your only option is Snap On and Mac [& Matco on edit...sorry]...and even those guys have been farming some stuff out to non-US factories but I haven't heard of their cabinets being made outside of the US yet.

Wes

 

[Ruger_556]

So, my impression is if you want to make sure you are buying US made tool boxes at this point, your only option is Snap On and Mac...and even those guys have been farming some stuff out to non-US factories but I haven't heard of their cabinets being made outside of the US yet.

Wes

Matco tool boxes are USA built too...

 

[Skin]

Wes

Truck brand boxes are all coming with "Assembled in USA" stickers now as well. Drawer slides are made in Taiwan, im sure some of the casters are imported too. Who knows what else. Point is they aren't 100% either which is what you seem to be taking issue with against Waterloo.

As far as the box, again its made by Waterloo, without question. Sometimes the full name is used (Stanley Proto) but that's not an indication of who made it. As to the plant in Canada, Stanley has their own line of industrial grade boxes that you may of head of, Stanley Vidmar, so that's probably what that is in reference too. Most recently they have acquired Lista North America.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I just went through the whole tool box dilemma myself. I have been using an entry level Snap On KRA4007B (for sale in the classifieds), Matco service cart, and Homak top box for the past few years, but I decided I wanted my tools better organized and I wanted to consolidate my boxes. I simply can't afford a larger truck brand box at the moment (starting a business, and don't have the spare coin), and there aren't any used deals popping up around me on American made boxes.

I looked at a used American made Waterloo for $450, but the quality was really disappointing. The drawers opened like **** and it seemed really light weight. The Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, and Homak offerings are all Asian and also really disappointing. I finally went down to Harbor Junk and looked at the 44" due to all the raving on this site and I was pleasantly surprised! I purchased the box, a glove box holder, paper towel holder, and a 3 pack of organizing trays for $417 out the door.

I'm the first person to knock Harbor Junk and Chinese imports, but this box was an exception. To compare it to a truck brand box is a joke, but it nicely bridges the gap between a Montezuma or Extreme Tools import and a big box store import. If I was making a living with my tools, I would have definitely spent the money on a used truck brand box (I think they are ridiculous at retail) and not even looked at the HF box. My only real gripe with the box is the detents that hold the drawers closed are a little stiff for my liking.

As a hobbyist, this box will last me a long time and fill all my needs. I'm on a tighter budget these days so I decided I would rather have a new set of Dual 80's (all purchased used) than a more expensive box. I will more than likely ditch this box when I can once again afford a truck brand box, but that is likely a few years away.

FWIW, I have used Snappy, Extreme Tools, & Matco products, so I do appreciate a quality box. I'm not brand loyal, but I generally only buy USA tools. I do have a couple of Taiwanese products; Cornwell torx set (I was pissed when they showed up), Gearwrench pick set (I knew they were imports), a Grey Pneumatic terminal crimper, and a generic deadblow hammer. I take a lot of pride in having USA tools, but unfortunately there isn't a USA box that is priced in the ballpark of the HF that carries the same quality.

 

[kenburkholz]

Five years ago I bought a Waterloo 10 drawer griplatch top chest and it is great , no complaints of any kind U.S. made, nice and heavy,works very smoothly. My son bought a Waterloo roller cabinet about 3 years ago, this was one of those smokin' hot online deals. Looks O.K. but two of the drawers were assembled out of square, and had to be popped apart and re-welded, this unit was made in Mexico. Just F.Y.I. Ken.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

In my neck of the woods, that Mac is overpriced. But I'll tell you one thing, I've gone to deep drawers (30" Lista/Vidmar/Eqipto) and I'll never go back to 16/18" deep drawers. YMMV.

 

[ibedayank]

and another thread has turned into a ******* match

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I started the thread hoping to get some light on differences in construction, such a size, weight capacity, draw designs and such.

To be fair, I cant recall any thread or site ever doing a side by side of a HF box to a truck box.
I would like to see a fair, unbiased, scientific comparison too.

I'd gladly compare the 56" HF to my KRL722 if someone sends me a gift card to buy the HF.

ibedayank...I agree...Each & Every post about anything related to toolboxes becomes one. Just the way it works around here.

 

[wmartin]

and another thread has turned into a ******* match

I have to respectfully (and completely) disagree. As far as toolbox threads go, this is a pretty good one.

It would be interesting to hear more about roller boxes that aren't HF, cheapie box store/Craftsman, and truck (including the mythical $10 Snap-on boxes).

Anybody with a Williams, Proto, etc. should throw in their 2 cents.