Maintenance tool box suggestion

[Jon89_700]

I'm looking to purchase a new tool box. I recently got a new maintenance tech job and they do not supply tool boxes and tools like my old job did. I am just looking at getting a bottom box for now and get the top when I get more tools. I am kind of on a budget right now. So I want to get the best bang for the buck. One thing that draws me to sears is 12 months 0% interest. So I might get a bottom box and a tool set with it. I am just looking for some input

This is one I have been looking at

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-6-dr...p-00958619000P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5

 

[vartz04]

Harbor freight 44" only a little more $ but almost twice the size

 

[jakemac]

I'd get the HF 44" or find a used box before I bought a new Craftsman for work purposes. I doubt that the new Craftsman's will hold up in a work environment.

 

[Jon89_700]

I looked at that in the store the other day and was impressed I also liked the 26 in 11 drawer us general

 

[johndeereman]

I have had good luck with MASTERFORCE from menards i don't know your specific need's but it's worth a look.

 

[Jon89_700]

My local sears only has a handful of boxes and most are homeowner boxes. I didn't know if the heavy duty ones were any better. All the guys I work with have craftsman boxes older then me. I had heard there quality had gone down over the years, but I didn't know how bad

 

[vartz04]

It's bad. The Hf 44 would be good cause you could mount a little vise on top and use it as a workbench too. For $369 with a coupon you can't beat it

 

[Jon89_700]

Yea I have read good things about them I just don't know if I would have enough room at work for it. Thats kinda why I was look for a 26 in box

 

[paddy1]

My first maintenance boss made me build my own workbench/toolbox. Later they explained it was to build my design/welding skills.

 

[youngridge]

Check out the masterforce boxes at menards, bout the same as hf boxes, but better drawer handle, the lift and latch. Work side by side with a guy that has a hf 44, the only downfall is that the hf has 2 more drawers, would love to have that much more real estate in my box. My next box will either be a tevh seriesor one from strictly tool boxes.

 

[justme-]

If you don't have room for a 44" box at work I'd be surprised - you need to have tools, and likely quite a few. 44" isn't that big, but HF has a 26" set for less which is still better quality than a Sears - I would recommend reinforcing the inner of the bottom before loading both top and bottom to capacity, especially if you think you will be having to pull it around the plant.
I was impressed with the Kobalt SS sets over the Sears stuff of today, but the HF 44" is even better to my eyes. No, It's not a truck brand (nor does a truck brand fit in the budget aspect), but it's head and shoulders above what home quality stuff the box stores try to pass off to mechanics these days.

 

[motofool33]

pickup a used tool cart they go for 500ish all the time on CL, or the homak sliding top ones are Northertool are pretty nice. if those are not obtainable go for the HF 44" box

 

[dawg69]

Menards has the 30" Masterforce bottom on sale this week for $329.
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/tool-storage/tool-chests-boxes/masterforce-30-5-drawer-tool-cabinet/p-1851866.htm

 

[XxToolAholicxX]

The best bang for the buck in my opinion would be he Harbor Freight 44 chest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

 

[BK13]

Dang it, why can't Menards open a store within 500 miles of me?

 

[Tinner]

In Sears parlance, Heavy Duty means the sheet metal is thicker than aluminum foil and the total cost of the hardware is more than a dollar. Most anything is better than a Craftsman box these days.

 

[Wamsutta]

A Kennedy 3900MP would probably be about the right size.

 

[Jon89_700]

I would love to have a kennedy that's what I had at my old job and I'm out on menards I don't think there is one within 500 miles of me. I was impressed with the harbor freight boxes and the cost was in my budget. I don't need a high dollar truck brand box. I would rather spend my money on tools

 

[Jon89_700]

And I don't have to worry about rolling it around I have a service cart that I take with me around the plant so it will be stationary for the most part

 

[back2class]

HF are way better than Craftsman. STAY AWAY. But had to beat a good used Kennedy box for what you describe. I have the big Cornwell cart/box and even that "pro" quality box would not last long full of tools and being moved around. About the same quality as the HF boxes.

 

[brass89]

Ditto on the craftsman. The old ones were pretty solid, sturdy. The newer ones (the past 10yrs or so at least) just aren't sturdy. Their display model when I looked at them about 8-10yrs ago had simulated weights in the drawers to give an indication of performance when full of tools. A 5 and 10lb weight is what they were. Hardly an indicator of a working full drawer, and even with that light load the drawers were wobbly with lots of flex. I'm sure I have more than 10lbs in just my pliers drawer, let alone wrenches and sockets. Maybe fine for the diy hobby person at home who doesn't use it often, but definitely not 'pro' anything like the name suggests. I think cman boxes are a bit spendy for what they are. At a lower price they wouldn't be as bad, but again limited.

Not sure how much room you have for a box (some shops are space limited so require a vertical chest vs a lowboy type cab). Might keep your eye open for a used pro box on craigslist or try to get in touch with a local tool truck (they can help watch for you). If nothing else just do the best you can for now and upgrade later. Boxes are one of those 'tools' that never gets much glory but if you're working out of one all day you'll appreciate one that's well built. Not noticing it actually means it's working well (ppl tend to notice issues - sticky friction slides, wobbly drawers etc).

Maybe even look into a larger tool 'cart'..they're mobile and some of them have a ton of drawers now. Dual purpose, depending how many tools you have and how mobile you are in the shop. Nice to be able to drag your tools with you if you work in different parts of a shop.

 

[vartz04]

You could get the Red HF 5 drawer cart - then stick a intermediate box underneath it (Check out the thread of all the HF cart modifications) that will give you about the same amount of space as a 26" roller but you gain the top compartment and it will cost less than $200 to rig that up.

 

[1982fxr]

if it's just going to sit the c-man will probably be ok for several years. They used to make a 26" bottom cabinet that had 8 or 10 drawers. Lots of storage. See them sometimes on cl for around $100 or so. 1/3 the price and 3 times the storage...if ya can find one.

Might be worth running wanted ads

 

[Jon89_700]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I will probably wait until harbor frieght has another sell on boxes and either get the 26in or 44in. Has anyone bought a craftsman tool set recently? And was it USA tools or there china stuff?

 

[rtole]

Hard to beat the hf for value if price is an object. In any size. Menards masterforce and performax are dwcent for the money, but if they are not local, and you have hf local.....easy choice. I have menards local, but no hf. I have neither boxes, but looked closely at both. I went with strickly toolboxes, but the hf will do fine if your not okay spending big money on boxes. Stay away from craftsman. Junk for the money.

 

[Jon89_700]

Yea unfortunately I don't have menards locally. I have a harbor freight about 30 min away from me and have been there a couple of times. I bought one of there composite ratchets the other day on sale for $10 and so far I'm impressed with it. They do have some gems there and the tool boxes all looked pretty good besides that black one they have seemed like junk

 

[dr_clyde]

The maintenance guy at the plant where I do most of my work has a HF 5 drawer cart. He puts some miles on that thing and keeps a ton of tools in it.

I have a matco cart I keep there.

 

[justme-]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I will probably wait until harbor frieght has another sell on boxes and either get the 26in or 44in. Has anyone bought a craftsman tool set recently? And was it USA tools or there china stuff?

90% is China now and has been for many months. I bought a 300 pc set back in may and it was china.If not for budget reasons I would have pieced together the set from better quality stuff on eBay, craigslist, and here.
HF has the 44" on sale almost all the time (along with the 5 drawer service cart) 26" set is about every other month.

 

[stikman56]

The best bang for the buck in my opinion would be he Harbor Freight 44 chest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am a Toolaholic,Sometimes I regret it,Especially when the Toolman wont give me no credit

^
^
^ What he said...

 

[MagnumForce]

Fellow Industrial Maintenence Tech here, anything over a 26 inch is likely going to be way bigger than you will have room with. A 44 is absolutely out of the question in any plant I have ever been in. You also may be pushing the hing from one end of the plant to the other. I have a lot more room to deal with than most guys at the plant as I so all our fab stuff as well so I have a 26 inch craftsman stack back at my fab table and work bench but I also have my HF 5 Drawer that I take all over the plant. Quarter of a mile from end to end, 150k sq ft. I think you should go with the 5 drawer as the price is right, it doesn't take up a lot of room and it is super nice. You aren't going to need as many tools as a auto tech so you won't need as much room as you think.

Anyway again, I strongly suggest that you don't go with a 44 inch in an industrial environment. It's just too big in a an environment where every inch of extraneous floor space is money and quite frankly you are going to get some bad looks going in with that thing. The 5 drawer is 169 right now, you can't go wrong. I friggin love mine and it rolls so great across the plant. Some other guys have the 26 inch stack from HF and it is nice but then they are always running back and forth taking stuff to and fro or taking it out of the stack, dumping it on a rubbermaid cart and then going wherever.

 

[LS3]

X2! master force is great for the money i own a top and bottom box and they are 10X better than craftsman! also look at the Homak H2 pro series they are super nice as well! If i would have known about the homaks before i bought my box i would have bought one.

http://www.homak.com/Homak Site/Chests & Cabinets_H2Pro Series_Splash Page.html

 

[AndrewV]

Why not the hf 26"?
And leave the top, on your work bench.

 

[MagnumForce]

You may want to read this.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258285

 

[John in OH]

"Maintenance" is a rather vague term and could apply to many different plants and situations. Electronic maintenance? Electrical maintenance? Light manufacturing/production equip maintenance? Heavy industrial equipment maintenance? Each one may call for a different style of tool box/es so a little more specific description of the job might be helpful.

The power generating plant mechanics where I worked each had a sturdy 40"-44" rolling box retrofitted with a steel plate on top with a vise and various hooks and bars attached to the outside for come-alongs, small shackles, chokers, etc. These boxes saw lots of miles and lived a hard life. Not problems with lack of space for the boxes which were usually Proto, Mac, or Wright.

From what you describe, I'd suggest the HF 44" box parked in your maintenance/shop area and the red HF 30", 5-drawer tool cart to move around to the specific jobs.

http://www.harborfreight.com/30-in-5-drawer-704-lb-capacity-glossy-red-tool-cart-61427.html

Nice box and cart for the money.