New box for non-pro......

[chrisexv6]

Currently have an old old Proto roller and top box (no intermediate). Obviously its good quality but the setup of the drawers has never really been a good fit for me. I do light automotive work, so most of my tools are ratchets, sockets and screw drivers. A few specialty brake tools and the standard go to extra stuff (mityvac, gauge sets, etc). My current Proto box has 3 deep drawers and a storage area in the roller, and 2 full width and 4 half width drawers in the top.

Im looking for something that would allow me to store each ratchet (1/4, 3/8 and 1/2) along with its sockets, each in their own drawers. This is my dads fault its how he had his setup just about forever and I long to have that setup for myself.

I was looking at mobile chests, not because I need it to be mobile but because it could serve a dual purpose (I could use the top as a work surface). Considering most of them seem to have way too much storage for me, I wouldnt need a box on top so I could basically end up with a good tool chest and a work area for my garage. As such, Im not scared to spend a little extra to do so (budget around 900 or so, but anything less would be better ). I was intrigued by all of the decent opinions of the HF US General setup (the 399 one)........I dont have an HF nearby, but its only 65.00 to ship (at least according to the checkout price, does it change after ordering?). Would something lke that make do for me?

I can get a "deal" on a Proto mobile chest......I think its the 6 full width drawer chest, with lock in/lock out buttons (there is only one of that model) but thats at the far end of the budget. Probably more than I would ever need, and the HF might be the same too but at least its only half the price

Any advice would be appreciated.

-Chris

 

[fourfeathers]

If it were only twice the price, I'd definitely look at the Proto. Got any pics or link or model # for the Proto?

 

[chrisexv6]

Trying to get mote info today. I kinda wrote it off when I saw it because I assumed WAF would be very low, but after seeing comparable boxes and their cost, suddenly the Proto doesnt seem too far fetched. And hey the feds are giving us some $$$ back right? What better way to spend it than some US built tool stuff

-Chris

 

[T56 Impala]

I was never thrilled with the HF name. Yes, I did buy a few things from them in the past. After joining this forum and learning a lot, I ended up going to HF to look at the side cabinets for their box. I had to look at the entire setup as it was on display. I say, and I'm not pro, that for a general hobbyist the HF box is a great deal.

There are a few threads on the HF box so I will not go into detail. There are a few things that I liked about the box.

1. Built quality. Much better than the Sears stuff and the Costco CSPS stuff they are selling these days. (I have an ISKO Pro box from Costco. I can find no info on them. It is a FAR superior box than what they sell now. It may well be a CSPS box but it is truly a "Pro" version.)

2. Price. For the money, you can't beat it. Even the Costco boxes cost more.

3. Colour choices. Though they only sell the red in the stores, you can buy Red, Black, Yellow and Stainless versions of that box.

4. Add ons. The HF box can be added on to like any other high end box. I picked up a side chest for my setup. It had to be modified to fit but it works great and doesn't look bad if I may say so myself!

On the down side. Again, from a hobbyist point of view.

1. Drawer closing. You really have to push on these things to get them to close. Its good that the don't come open easy. Maybe with some use it will get easier.

2. Finish. The textured finish is hard to clean. It seems to be very durable though. Try not to touch it with greasy hands!

 

[TNToy]

All the sockets in a top, full-width drawer, with all the ratchets and extensions in another drawer is much more space efficient, FYI. You only need one deep drawer and one shallow one to hold everything, instead of 3 deep drawers.

I've quickly examined the US-General stuff at the local Harbor Freight. Even if you paid me to take it, I give it away and use the money to buy a Waterloo, Craftsman, or something else that's at least medium-duty in design. Stay away.

 

[Deafautotech]

All the sockets in a top, full-width drawer, with all the ratchets and extensions in another drawer is much more space efficient, FYI. You only need one deep drawer and one shallow one to hold everything, instead of 3 deep drawers.

it is true! i own snap on kr1200 and krl1001 as both boxes have one full width drawer on chest and bottom box. the bottom box hold all sockets in full width and it is hold really good even about 200 lbs... i dont need to keep fill and fill in one drawer until bearing starting to give up. i put where it is belong with and easy to remeber where it is. other tech did put almost everything in top full width drawer with sockets, air tools, and everything. it already bending the bearing slides (it is matco 3 bay boxes). he hate it and he want change to snap on boxes... so well..

 

[chrisexv6]

Thanks for the opinions so far.

I might try to rearrange the box I have now to see if I can get stuff to fit better. Im wondering if its more of an issue I have with the fact I have no decent socket storage vs needing a new box. Right now I have the metal socket storage racks from Craftsman holding all my sockets.........gets to be a PITA when Im trying to quickly retrieve a size (not enough space between sockets to tell what size is what). Oddly enough all those metal racks are sitting in the 1st drawer of the roller base, which is a deep drawer. My ratchets are in a drawer in the top chest, which is a shallow drawer.

Ill look at socket storage solutions too, still interested in a new box though.

-Chris

 

[mikester]

I looked for a replacement for my 14 drawer Remline for over a month. After looking at all the choices for the money that I had to spend, I went with the large Husky box from Home Depot. 41" wide, nice deep ball bearing drawers, nice finish without a bunch of spotwelds showing. I thought it was a decent combo. A few months after I bought it I went to buy a matching side box. The folks at HD had no idea what it even looked like. I called the 800 # for Husky and it was the Stanley Tool Company. After I explained what I was looking for the woman gave me a model # for a side box. It came with slide drawers instead of ball bearing drawers buts that was OK with me since I only needed it for pliers and nut drivers. But I did find out that the larger Husky box is made in the same factory in Canada that makes the Mac Tool boxes. Its even the same color red as the Mac boxes. If you look at the Mac website the boxes look very similar. Im sure there is a difference in quality but I have to say Im very happy with the box that I have and one of my friends was so impressed he bought the same one. I see HD only stocks black now but red may still be special ordered. If you go on Stanley Tools site and look at the Proto and Blackhawk boxes they also look very similar to the Husky box. I think the combo came to a little over 1K.

 

[chrisexv6]

Got a little more info: the OEM is Stanley-Vidmar. They make the box and slap the Proto tag on it. While they have a bunch of different models each with different drawer setups, this one is pretty "basic": 6 full width drawers. 1 "shallow", 4 "deep" and 1 "deeper". It looks like it would be equivalent to Proto's Gold Series rolling cabinets.

Probably a lot nicer quality than the HF box, but the HF box would gain different size drawers (on the Vidmars side though is the fact there are Vidmar manufactured inserts (not included) for the drawers so you know all the stuff fits nicely).

mikester - Ive looked at the HD stuff before......is it still of the same quality as what you bought? I thought I read the OEMs for HD stuff had changed and the quality dropped off a lot. Dont mind spending the $$$ there either, while its nice to have Proto ON the box, if they are somehow the OEMs its good enough for me

-Chris

 

[Deafautotech]

i would buy Proto instead HF because quality better and i am doing wrenching for living... but i already own snap on boxes...

 

[Itzkwik]

mikester - Ive looked at the HD stuff before......is it still of the same quality as what you bought? I thought I read the OEMs for HD stuff had changed and the quality dropped off a lot. Dont mind spending the $$$ there either, while its nice to have Proto ON the box, if they are somehow the OEMs its good enough for me

-Chris

I bought the Husky Pro 41" roll cabinet a few months ago. It was the old style on close out. Made in Canada and pretty good quality. Decided to get the matching top chest, but none of the stores in town had any of the old style left. The new boxes are just badged Husky, not Husky Pro. Looks similar, but not near the quality. The roller mechanism *****. When you try to close the drawer, if you let go of the drawer, it slams shut. Not sure who makes their boxes now, but a big time drop in quality.
Looked at the HF US General boxes a few weeks ago and have to agree with some of the others. Looks to be a good box for the non-pro. But damn, I hate the finish.

 

[chrisexv6]

Yeah Im not sure my nearby HDs have any Husky Pro boxes left. I remember them being clearanced out, a friend of mine really thought about buying one but didnt, and now he's regretting the decision (this is a guy who has a large Mac box setup and ran out of room, so the Huskys back then must have been pretty good for him to think about purchasing).

Ill look around to see if any are left, but Im doubtful. The next step up, from what Ive read, would be the HF setup (or maybe Craftsman Pro, but Im pi$$ed at sears, and their stuff is more expensive than the HF even paying shipping from HF)

Is anyone else in a love/hate relationship with HF shipping costs? I hate buying a small amount of stuff and paying shipping fees more expensive than the items, but now I can get a gigantic tool box shipped for 60 bux? Seems like a "deal" provided they dont destroy it during shipping.

-Chris

 

[Merkava_4]

Did you see the box that Jason_D got ?!?

He got a used KRL663 for $600.00 !!!


Link To Thread

 

[Fedwrench]

Doesn't harbor freight has a option of ordering online but, picking it up in the store and avoiding shipping costs?

 

[chrisexv6]

Doesn't harbor freight has a option of ordering online but, picking it up in the store and avoiding shipping costs?

Not sure, but unfortunately there is no HF close to me. If the box went on sale and I had an in store coupon, it *might* be worth it to travel to the nearest store (about 80 miles) if I was 100% positive they had it in stock. My truck gets 14 mpg, so 160 mile round trip = about 40.00 in gas. They are charging 60.00 to ship from the website, so its almost a wash (also factor in sales tax buying at the store). But obviously if it were 100.00 cheaper in store Id save the 100.00. Not sure how to know the in store price though, because I dont get any in store fliers being so far away. Maybe just keep calling em until it goes on sale? Dunno. But if it ever got to 299 Id be there in a heartbeat, it just seems to be too good of a deal to pass up at that price point. 400.00 Im not so sure, because I might still be lucky and find a Husky Pro on clearance at HD.

And of course the Proto for about 1K. Really like it but I could use the extra $$$ to buy more tools to fill the other boxes!

-Chris

 

[mikester]

Sorry guys, but I didnt know that HD changed the quality of the boxes. Next time Im in the local store Ill have to look at the black boxes a little closer. I would call the Husky 800 # and ask what was changed. Maybe they are made by another company now. Im sure they will tell you. With all the Dumpo stores around maybe you can call around and find the older style. Or have the customer service desk do it for you. Just get the exact model # .

 

[chrisexv6]

Yeah their site no longer shows anything like a 41" roller, but they do have the Husky Pro Tool Tower (in black). 60" tall, 18" deep, 27" wide. Website shows 299, all of the reviews it got were 5/5, so Im thinking it might still be the "old quality". Not in stock in store according to the site, but I never believe that. Ill wander around an HD or two tomorrow to see if I can find it.

I think Im leaning towards the HF model, even if I have to have it shipped. Its a heckuva lot easier to swallow price-wise, and would still allow me the ability to have a work area in my garage (tired of bringing tractor parts into my basement workshop and getting smelly carb cleaners and stuff all over). Be interesting to see if I can find anything locally, now that Im actually in the market (and who knows how many times I walked right by all the Husky Pro stuff not caring, assuming I was happy with my tool storage!)

-Chris

 

[mikester]

I would still call the Husky 800#. The side box that I bought wasnt a stock item but they were able to order it for me. It took a little over a week to come in. I think the side box was only $125 plus tax. Im on Long Island. Im sure there are as many HDs in CT as there are out here. Pretty soon there will be as many HDs as there are Burger Kings ! I can drive 20 minutes in two directions and pick from 5 different stores. And the service in all of them still ***** ! 1 human cashier after 5:00 and 4 self checkouts. Gotta love it !!!!

 

[chrisexv6]

Agreed! I like self checkout until I need to buy something large. Then I just get angry that I have to wait so long. The ironic thing is that the nearest HD to me Added self checkout about 2 years ago, last year they removed about half of the other cash registers, and now they wonder why they have lines all the time. I prefer Lowes anyway, but the new Lowes thats near me hasnt opened yet. I use HD now mostly for clearance deals they dont know about, things like the Husky Pro toolbox that Ill be on the hunt for starting tomorrow

 

[JRGSPE73]

But if it ever got to 299 Id be there in a heartbeat, it just seems to be too good of a deal to pass up at that price point.

I've got the HF US General box, and as a weekend wrencher, it's great. I understand that it's not of the same quality as Snap-On, etc, but it's got a ton of storage space and is more than adequate for the non-professional. The box has gone on sale for $299 before (with coupon - that's what I paid for mine). If you're not in a huge hurry to get a box, it might be worth waiting for that coupon to come around again. You could always try an old coupon, too - I've heard stories of HF honoring expired coupons in the past.

 

[nissan_crawler]

search "international toolbox" on ebay. They have some good deals, I'm going to buy a 56" model soon.

 

[chrisexv6]

Saw the internationals on Ebay. Nice, but I can get the Proto bottom box for the same price as the International bottom box. No brainer at that price point.

Checked the local HD for any Husky Pro boxes and no go. They had one setup with the "newer" stuff and boy was it flimsy. Might be able to check another HD during lunch, but that one gets a lot of business so they are probably already wiped out too.

-Chris

 

[chrisexv6]

Anyone know the SKU for the Husky Pro version of the 41" chest?

Local HD had one, but its not labelled Husky Pro. Was still in the crate so I couldnt play with it to see if its new low quality or the same as the old stuff. It was black, 11 drawers with casters. SKU on the one I saw was 853-414. The ship invoice was still attached, says it came from Smiths Falls Ontario on 12/24/2007.

-Chris

 

[Jey]

I've got the HF US General box, and as a weekend wrencher, it's great. I understand that it's not of the same quality as Snap-On, etc, but it's got a ton of storage space and is more than adequate for the non-professional. The box has gone on sale for $299 before (with coupon - that's what I paid for mine). If you're not in a huge hurry to get a box, it might be worth waiting for that coupon to come around again. You could always try an old coupon, too - I've heard stories of HF honoring expired coupons in the past.

I bought the HF US General Box Recently too. I bought it because it's big, and for the money it was bigger than the craftsman 26" boxes i looked at. I only use my box twice a week at work, so the long term stuff isn't that big of a deal.

I got mine for the same $299 with the coupon. For the most part, it's a nice box to store stuff in. Sure the actions on the drawers aren't as effortless as the snap-on boxes, and they're a little on the shallow side (17" drawer depth), but for the most part, i like it. I figure if it lasts 5 years it was worth it.

And, the major benefit i like, as i use it for the shop at work, is everyone assumes because i was a cheap *** with my tool box, i only have ****** stuff inside! no one is looking to break into it, as opposed to the 40k snap-on boxes near by! Score!

 

[strizzy]

I looked for a replacement for my 14 drawer Remline for over a month. After looking at all the choices for the money that I had to spend, I went with the large Husky box from Home Depot. 41" wide, nice deep ball bearing drawers, nice finish without a bunch of spotwelds showing. I thought it was a decent combo. A few months after I bought it I went to buy a matching side box. The folks at HD had no idea what it even looked like. I called the 800 # for Husky and it was the Stanley Tool Company. After I explained what I was looking for the woman gave me a model # for a side box. It came with slide drawers instead of ball bearing drawers buts that was OK with me since I only needed it for pliers and nut drivers. But I did find out that the larger Husky box is made in the same factory in Canada that makes the Mac Tool boxes. Its even the same color red as the Mac boxes. If you look at the Mac website the boxes look very similar. Im sure there is a difference in quality but I have to say Im very happy with the box that I have and one of my friends was so impressed he bought the same one. I see HD only stocks black now but red may still be special ordered. If you go on Stanley Tools site and look at the Proto and Blackhawk boxes they also look very similar to the Husky box. I think the combo came to a little over 1K.

My father has the slide-sidebox, still not bad and I like that it has quite a few shallow drawers. I have a Pro sidebox (which oddly has a wheel centered under it) and it has too many deep drawers if you ask me...

Personally I think if you can find the Husky Pro 41" setups, they are the best bang for the buck. I was able to snag the bottom for $400 and the Pro sidebox for $120. If you compare them to the MAC, you cant beat it, especially since they try to get close to $4k for the same box! Proto also carries these boxes, although they use a couple more shallow drawers which I would rather...

I would love to find a top box or possibly another sidebox to match, but have had no luck in my area.

 

[chavist93]

I have a proto box. I got it last year from grainger. I am very happy with it for the price. I looked at the HF box before I bought this. No offense to anyone who owns them, but I'd had rather stacked my tools on the floor. My proto box said made in Canada on it if that matters to you.

 

[OldCarGuy]

You might want to reconsider going with a single level roller cabinet for your tools. Rather put on a top box and save the floor space. I always put the more commonly used tools stored for easy reach without bending over. The older one gets the more important that becomes.

I would seriously look at Waterloo tool boxes. They are far better than the ones available from Harbor Freight, and include free shipping. http://www.asedeals.com/tool_storage_boxes_select.html

 

[IanF]

I imagine it varies with the user, but I've looked at many different boxes for years... Simply put, what has kept me from upgrading to a 41" wide box is space. My 26" wide box gets in the way as-is. I've been looking at the Craftsman Professional 36" boxes for this reason (of course, getting past the price is another matter).

May not be a problem for you, but just something to think about...

 

[Jey]

I imagine it varies with the user, but I've looked at many different boxes for years... Simply put, what has kept me from upgrading to a 41" wide box is space. My 26" wide box gets in the way as-is. I've been looking at the Craftsman Professional 36" boxes for this reason (of course, getting past the price is another matter).

May not be a problem for you, but just something to think about...

I thought a lot about this as well...

I found a couple of 36" mac boxes a while ago. older boxes, around 400-500 bucks...

 

[GDA]

I didn't see it mentioned above but do not underestimate the deal you could get on a slightly used box off Craigslist locally. Toolboxes seem to pop up every week in DFW area.

I was not dead set on new and its how I got a sweet deal on my set of SO boxes.

 

[chrisexv6]

Ive been watching CL and a local bargain paper. Up here in the Northeast it seems like everyone is smart enough to price their items pretty well.

Sure there are a few deals on SO boxes, $1500, $2000.....but I want need to spend nearly that much.

-Chris

 

[Silver Bullet]

How/when did you guys get the HF boxes for $299?

 

[engnerdan]

Don't forget to check out the Torin boxes sold at Northern. Not to the same level as the Proto boxes but I think they are a step above the HF ones.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatDsp?storeId=6970&N=768542+768547

 

[Jey]

How/when did you guys get the HF boxes for $299?

Around Christmas time they had a coupon in their 'super savers' email for the lower box only for $299.99

 

[Jey]

Don't forget to check out the Torin boxes sold at Northern. Not to the same level as the Proto boxes but I think they are a step above the HF ones.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatDsp?storeId=6970&N=768542+768547

these are identical to the HF models. the only difference is the sticker.

 

[T56 Impala]

these are identical to the HF models. the only difference is the sticker.

They are also twice the price as the HF boxes. For that quality level, I' still pick the HF box.

 

[chrisexv6]

For a little over twice the price of the HF box, I can get a Proto Gold Series 6 drawer chest. Its a really nice box, just a little on the expensive side (for a non-pro like myself).

 

[Silver Bullet]

Can any of you who own the HF box post some decent pictures of it? The pictures online are pretty much useless. I'd like to see some closeups to get an idea of the quality. No HF store near me.

 

[Jey]

Can any of you who own the HF box post some decent pictures of it? The pictures online are pretty much useless. I'd like to see some closeups to get an idea of the quality. No HF store near me.

I can snap a few pictures of mine for ya.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have looked at the HF chest roll combo many times over the last few years, I must say I was never terribly impressed. For the life of me I do not get how some think this setup is a better quality product than a Waterloo/Craftsman setup. Mind you not the homeowner line, nor that new plastic toy box line Sears is attempting to unload but rather the remaining offerings too include even those boxes with friction slides. And has already been noted..................That Gosh Awful finish! Ah to each his own as the saying goes!