need info about kennedy chest

[PoorOwner]

I want to take a look at a old ugly kennedy this guy has, they still make model now and retail for around $700, for a 7 drawer roll away.

This might be older provision I was wondering if they always have came with ball bearing drawers? I also think that guy's casters did not have brakes.. unless the brake pairs are mounted at the back which does not make sense.

Would something like $150 be worth it? Looking to replace my craftsman films of metal rollaway with that..

 

[Marty256]

I bought a kennedy top chest from Korvettes Department Store in 1970. Still going strong and yes it has ball bearing drawers.

 

[Lloydthumper]

Not all of them have ball bearing drawers. I bought a kennedy top and bottem box about 11 yrs ago and it is still a nice box my bottom box was a 7 drawer roller I bought a Ford limited addition box from waterloo about 5years ago because the kennedy was full. now the waterloo is full the kennedy is full and I have another kennedy that is full but I changed positions at work and I am not wrenching as much.

 

[Kevin54]

$150 for a 7 drawer roll-away is well worth it, especially if it is ball bearing rollers. Most Kennedy's of that style are probably machinist boxes and not mechanics boxes if you end up doing a search. Usually the Brown Kennedy's are the machinist roll-away. At work I have 5 drawer with a lift up lid at the bottom. The 7 drawers replace this lift up lid with 2 more drawers.

Here is Kennedy's site http://www.kennedymfg.com/

This is probably like the box you are looking at the 297LX maybe http://www.kennedymfg.com/images/Kencat.pdf In the "FIND" box type in 297LX

 

[PoorOwner]

Thanks, i do believe it is the 297LX, only I don't see a handle or brake in the picture, but shouldn't be a big deal though.

So what is the difference between machinist and mechanic storage then? Are the drawers thin or something? I am sure I can find some bits and pieces to store in the thinner drawers. I am buying mostly for the weight for it. I plan to put my benchtop drill press on top of it sometimes.

 

[Kevin54]

I plan to put my benchtop drill press on top of it sometimes.

I'm not sure about the newer roll-arounds but they (mine is fairly well built. As far as putting a benchtop drill press on it, I would put a thicker wood top on it for weight distribution. I have a 12 drawer Craftsmen on mine but it is flat bottomed and the weight is distributed evenly. To set something in the middle of it like a drill press, I would think it would eventually bow it somewhat as it is sheetmetal although thicker. As far as the difference between a machinist chest and a mechanics chest, I think some of it is drawer side as machinist tools are smaller /thinner. The depth of the box may be not as deep also in a machinist chest vs. a mechanics chest. And if you go thru the site I showed, the Kennedy boxes are listed differently now that what they used to be. What I call a machinist roll-around is now just called a roller cabinet and what used t be a mechanics roll-around is now called a maintenance cart. So I guess the difference would be the weight the drawers hold. I know in some of my drawers though I have a hundred pounds or so of steel equipment. I've used mine everyday for 20+ years now and have had no problems. You are getting a good deal for $150. In the Kennedy catalog they also have all types of storage containers for the drawers that can prove to be pretty handy.

Kevin

 

[oldgoat]

I have a Kennedy that I bought in 74 and it has the caster brakes, but the drawers don't have bearings. In fact the bottom drawer that I kept the heavy stuff in wore thru one of the slides and so now I just keep the stuff that I hardly ever use in it.

 

[Aggressive1]

My dad and I both have machinest top boxes and my dad has a roll around that I beleive is a mechanix box. I haven't look inside the mechanichs box but I have a feeling the drawers are not felt lined line the machinest boxes are. The machinest top drawers wouldn't work well for wrenches due to hight and width, etc and are more convenent for bits, lathe cutting blocks, etc.

 

[jarhead]

The red one you see in the picture is 23 years old. It does not have the ball bearing slides. I have allot of weight in mine and have not had any problems with the slides.

The upper box is quite heavy as well. I lifted it off yesterday and set it on the floor. I may need help getting it back up on the roll away.

I have had several Kennedy's over the years and I am sorry I sold a couple of them.

Joe