New budget tool cabinets: Mastercraft vs Craftsman vs Husky

[jollygreengiant]

If you were looking at a new tool cabinet in the 40-52" width range, which box would you pick?

I'm just a weekend warrior so these boxes will see very light use. It will be stationary, I won't be moving it around fully loaded. Budget is $1,000 CAD or less, preferably under $800. I know, for that price range I should be looking at used. And I am, they just don't come up very often in the size range that I want.

I don't need a multi-thousand dollar snap on box just to store tools but I don't want to buy a cheap POS either. I have an older Mastercraft box now with the ball bearing drawer slides and I have had no issues with it. But I see Craftsman now has boxes that look decent. I was looking at Husky boxes too but a friend of mine has told me to stay away from those. Oh, and I'd like to get a red box if possible to match my current one. It seems some boxes are only available in black now and I do not want a black box.

So what does GJ think?

 

[u2slow]

I was close to pulling trigger on a 52" husky over Christmas... Budget problems shut me down though. Doh. My 36" mastercraft's sliders are coming apart - it's just 10yo with light use. 22yo 42" Costco box is a champ.


There's not a lot of affordable boxes when you get over 42".

 

[GeoBruin]

Write in vote for Harbor Freight US General 44 (actually only 42")?

They recently increase the price to $600 but there are always coupons that bring it down. I picked mine up a few months ago for $400.

Lots of colors to choose from and pretty sturdy. It only works if you don't mind the drawer layout but it's a good option.

 

[KamiCrit]

I've always been impressed with the Husky boxes. I own a limited edition box that I quite like. If you're at HomeDepot during the right season they sometimes even carry boxes that are deeper than 18", might be 24" deep?

 

[m6z]

When I was shopping a couple years ago:

From best to worst IMO.

Homak RS PRO
US General
Craftsman 3000 series
Milwaukee
Kobalt

I end up with the 42" RS Pro combo for $1,300ish delivered if I remember correctly. They're substantially more now.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Write in vote for Harbor Freight US General 44 (actually only 42")?

They recently increase the price to $600 but there are always coupons that bring it down. I picked mine up a few months ago for $400.

Lots of colors to choose from and pretty sturdy. It only works if you don't mind the drawer layout but it's a good option.

Not one of the options he listed. I'm guessing because he's in Canada and they're not available there?

 

[Walkers]

I picked up a nice SnapOn KRA box, that matches my existing boxes for $400 or so used. Minor wear and tear. I started looking on the used market when the prices of. the HF boxes started going up and were the same or more than boxes at the big hardware stores.

 

[boxster99t]

In December I just bought the Husky 72" heavy duty workbench with stainless steel top--pricey but have to say it's pretty good. Not sure why your friend said to stay away from them. Wasn't on sale or anything but I recently moved into a new home with a great detached garage/workshop in which I've put a 4 post lift, Seville UltraHD cabinets to store lots of gear and the workbench was the final piece. The Husky heavy duty line is a step up from the standard gauge Husky, Craftsman, and significantly better than the benches you'll find at Harbor Freight. No regets on my end with the purchase.

 

[scooby074]

Crappy tire. Good deals when they go on sale, like 50% off

Top and botton cab,

As an example, #058-1371-4 and 058-1370 on sale for $1700 for the set, 38% off. I know its black lol. Can tire always has these deep discounts on a few times a year, just a waiting game for the specific one youre after to come up.​

​

 

[GeoBruin]

Not one of the options he listed. I'm guessing because he's in Canada and they're not available there?

I realize it isn't one of the options listed. That's why it's a write in! But yes, they're probably out of luck if they're a Canuck.

 

[Off_kilter]

A lot of smaller(Canadian) parts stores have g2sequip as a supplier take a look at their options.

https://g2s-tobeq.dcatalog.com/v/Q1-2022---EN/?page=221


On the husky topic they have a wide range of quality across the different products.

 

[MarvinBerry]

I bought a new craftsman box a year ago hasn't fallen apart yet! Got the 27" 5 drawer to use as a cart.

Some guys here say they're junk boxes. And maybe it wouldn't hold up in a busy working auto shop? But for me at home it's been perfectly fine. No complaints not even the self close drawers I'd buy it again.

 

[Shop-hound]

+1 Mastercraft. They go 50% off every 4 weeks rotation it seems. I have 4 of them, the black 26” wide top&bottom set in the photo was given to me on my 16th birthday back when I lived in Ontario (I’m 36 now). It travelled full of tools across the country in transport to Calgary where I now live and has been my primary most used chest for all these years. Make sure to get the roller bearing slides and the handle latches.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Not one of the options he listed. I'm guessing because he's in Canada and they're not available there?

Correct, not available here that I know of.

A lot of smaller(Canadian) parts stores have g2sequip as a supplier take a look at their options.

https://g2s-tobeq.dcatalog.com/v/Q1-2022---EN/?page=221


On the husky topic they have a wide range of quality across the different products.

Do you know which stores carry their products? I didn't see a "find a dealer" option on their website.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I have several of the newer Craftsman Series 2000 boxes and they are decent for the sale price. Personally, I like the 18" depth because I had to fit them into tight spots. The soft-close drawers are both a blessing and a curse. I love that I can't slam them shut and throw my tools all over the place but I absolutely hate how much force is required to open the drawers until you have a chance to fully break them in. I went Craftsman due to the depth and the fact that they were a really good sale price and the ACE had them in stock and ready to go.

I love the latch design on the Mastercraft. I also love the industrial crinkle paint finish. I hate the drawer layout on some of the models. The heights are way too massive for someone like me that has way more hand tools than power tools.

Husky, the basic line is eh. The industrial line, I don't remember what they are specifically called, have the better steel thickness and sturdier slides and paint, at least from what I can tell.

 

[Off_kilter]

Do you know which stores carry their products? I didn't see a "find a dealer" option on their website.

I called them and they gave me a couple businesses in my area.

Ive only used them to purchase individual sunex impact sockets to fill out missing spots in my mastercraft sets

 

[JradM]

The Costco "Kirkland Signature" remains the best value under $1000 in my opinion. It's black and larger than your target, but otherwise - yeah, the best deal. Quality is just a notch above the others.

Husky is the most amount of space for the least amount of money. I have one, its alright.

I bought the 46" version a few months ago. It does seem a bit flimsy - but I also have it loaded up pretty dense. I might have over done it... But hey, three year warranty! Nothing has gone wrong with mine despite the weight - but I don't know if I would feel comfortable slamming the full-width drawer closed loaded-up as it is. The flex results in a top drawer that doesn't feel like it wants to close evenly - but again, nothing has gone wrong, might just be me.

Mastercraft is alright. They seem a little sturdier than Husky but more expensive too. If you're comparing models that are about the same price, I might go Mastercraft over Husky. Or Maximum.

Craftsman and Mastercraft - not that different in my opinion, but it seems like Craftsman doesn't go on discount near as often (or as much).

Your other options, just FYI, include Magnum or Bynford from KMS tools - and there's tool boxes at Princess Auto now too.

Edit: almost forgot, there's a Homak Pro at Costco these days too. It's sturdier than any of the boxes above, about $500 from my recollection and red! The one catch? Only 27" wide.

 

[scooby074]

Do you know which stores carry their products? I didn't see a "find a dealer" option on their website.

Check with some of the smaller indy industrial suppliers in your area. G2S is out of Quebec and you can call them as well

 

[corn chip]

go to ace ,homedepot and hf then look at the boxes yourself and decide. alot of it depends on preference and opinion. craftsman i want nothing to do with. usg i dont like any of the height/width/drawer configurations. imo husky has by far the best configurations but thats just me. again go look at them yourself

another option that may interest you depending what your box requirments are. ktc has boxes on the nepros site. im guessing theyre fairly well made and arent terribly expensive. but obviously you wont get as much drawer space as the cheaper brands

 

[Rinspeed]

Correct, not available here that I know of.

You could always drive down to WNY and pick one up.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Every Husky box that I have opened a drawer on at HD, felt flimsy and had alot of side to side movement. The same for the last decade of Cman boxes. Granted I have a Cman box(boxes) but they are the older generation stuff.

The most recent box I bought new was a HF44 box. It rides in my enclosed trailer and bouncing down the road hasn't hurt it yet. For the price at the time, I felt was the best deal hands down.

I've checked out the Masterforce boxes at Menards and out of the boxes you listed, Cman, Husky or MF, I'd go with Masterforce.

If I were to start from scratch and buy another new box, 44" or wider, top/bottom and side options, it would be either Masterforce or a box from HF.

 

[Handyandy23]

To everyone suggesting HF, Menards, etc, OP is Canadian and doesn't sound like he's looking at US-only options.

My two cents is that no matter what brand you go with, get the "better" line stuff, since they all have at least two product lines. Canadian Tire has Mastercraft and then the Mastercraft Maximum boxes, HD has Husky and Husky Heavy Duty, Lowe's has Craftsman 2000 and the "Made in USA" Craftsman. The lower end ones from each line I find are very cheaply made when I try them out in stores. The slides don't feel good, the whole thing is very thin gauge metal, and they are just clearly made more for the kind of Joe Homeowner that only opens the box twice a year. The higher line stuff is a much better value IMO.

The other problem with toolboxes in Canada is that almost everything is still only 18" deep in the "store" box segment. Without HF here selling 24" deep boxes it seems like the rest of the players are content to just keep offering 18". Not sure if you're limited on room where the box will go, but a few extra inches of depth can add a lot of storage.

As far as I know, everything in the Maximum lineup is 18" deep (other than a $3400 72" x 30" deep cabinet). They do make a nice red one, but you have to play the waiting game because they price all the boxes at twice their value, then put them "on sale" once every several weeks.

Ditto for Craftsman, everything available at Lowe's in Canada is only 18" deep. But they are all red so at least the color scheme works. I haven't checked out the newer Made in USA Craftsman boxes so can't really comment on quality.

Husky has several options that are 23" deep in their Heavy Duty line, and I think they are really nicely made as well. I have a whole Husky HD cabinet / workbench area setup, and I'm really happy with the quality. Much beefier than the standard Husky line stuff, which is somewhat junky IMO. The big issue for OP though is they only appear to come in black.

Not on the list, but I'd recommend checking out the Milwaukee boxes at HD. They are 22" deep and of course red. I've read good things about them, but again not one I have a lot of hands-on experience with. They seem to be priced similarly to Husky HD, so one would hope the quality is in line with them. These might be your best bet in getting deeper than 18" and red in Canada, without going the tool truck brand route of course.

 

[joseywales]

Thinks hard about drawer depth, as well as height, and layout. Among similar quality boxes, these three aspect might drive your decision.

My boxes are for home DIY, though I've been in there a ton, getting thing organized.

Both were bought on ridiculous HD father's day sales a few years ago, like $370. I preferred the Milwaukee, but the layout didn't work for everything, so I bought the Husky for hand tools, etc. and a Milwaukee mobile workbench for power tools, impact, etc.

Husky - The layout, for me, was better for hand tools. The drawers don't work as well as the Milwaukee. They return fine, but some don't feel like they pull out all the way, as they should

Milwaukee - this bench has the two top open drawers, with a benchtop, etc. Really like it. The drawers operate better, but there is a plastic guide? piece that appears to have detached. Drawer still works fine, but I'm not messing with it.

I doubt either box would stand up to regular use and the day my youngest acquires a college degree for something they've never do, I'm running out for new, lifetime boxes. Not crazy money, just something they can bury me in. Honestly, even General might be good enough for me, but we'll see what's available at that time

 

[MarkH]

Right now getting in and out of Canada except for business is not easy. So he highly likely will have to purchase there. Seriously I have all of those and get the one you like at the best price they are very similar and frequently come from the same source. In the old days my Mastercraft and Craftsman both had Waterloo made on them.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

I've had a chance over the last week or two to go to some of the local big box stores and check out the Craftsman and Husky boxes. Well not the exact boxes I'm looking at, a 41" craftsman and a 26" husky. Is the build quality the same on the bigger sizes? Because if so I'm not overly sold on either of them. The Husky seemed very flimsy all around, especially the drawers. Out of those two I would pick the Craftsman, but I'm not sold on it either. The box seemed well put together and I really like the soft close drawers, but the castors are terribly flimsy. I could easily move the top of the unloaded box a few inches and watch the castors flex. I suppose you could put heavier castors on the bottom but that kind of defeats the purpose of looking at new boxes.

 

[scooby074]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

I've had a chance over the last week or two to go to some of the local big box stores and check out the Craftsman and Husky boxes. Well not the exact boxes I'm looking at, a 41" craftsman and a 26" husky. Is the build quality the same on the bigger sizes? Because if so I'm not overly sold on either of them. The Husky seemed very flimsy all around, especially the drawers. Out of those two I would pick the Craftsman, but I'm not sold on it either. The box seemed well put together and I really like the soft close drawers, but the castors are terribly flimsy. I could easily move the top of the unloaded box a few inches and watch the castors flex. I suppose you could put heavier castors on the bottom but that kind of defeats the purpose of looking at new boxes.

Build quality can be all over the place IMHO. Usually it depends on the exact model and who the OEM is. Ive noticed huge variance in quality between boxes sold by the same company, major differences in metal thickness, slide quality and casters.

Did you check Canadian tire's selection?>

 

[JradM]

x2. Just like Scooby said, it varies even by model. You really got to see them in person to get a good idea.

If you want heavy-duty and are willing to consider a smaller box, look at the Homak Pro at Costco.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Build quality can be all over the place IMHO. Usually it depends on the exact model and who the OEM is. Ive noticed huge variance in quality between boxes sold by the same company, major differences in metal thickness, slide quality and casters.

Did you check Canadian tire's selection?>

No I haven't yet. Only certain stores have the box I would be interested in, in stock, and I haven't had a chance to check them out yet.

x2. Just like Scooby said, it varies even by model. You really got to see them in person to get a good idea.

If you want heavy-duty and are willing to consider a smaller box, look at the Homak Pro at Costco.

I don't see Homak Pro on their website? Only Proslat, Grey tools, and Trinity.

 

[MarvinBerry]

Out of those two I would pick the Craftsman, but I'm not sold on it either. The box seemed well put together and I really like the soft close drawers, but the castors are terribly flimsy. I could easily move the top of the unloaded box a few inches and watch the castors flex. I suppose you could put heavier castors on the bottom but that kind of defeats the purpose of looking at new boxes.

I wouldn't put a lot of weight into the floor displays... I had to visit 2 Lowes stores to get my Cman box. Aound here it's pretty obvious the stores do the bare minimum and sometimes not even that...

Most likely they didn't fully bolt & snug the casters because there's nothing on them to flex. I see display boxes with massive dents, yes casters falling off... drawers wedged shut... all kinds of stuff that doesn't inspire confidence. And fwiw hazard freight isn't any better.

I've moved my loaded box & casters are fine esp for home use. Same thing with the drawers... unloaded they feel really crappy & flimsy. Get some weight in there and the detents pop & roll much smoother.

 

[JradM]

I don't see Homak Pro on their website? Only Proslat, Grey tools, and Trinity.

In-store only unfortunately.

By my recollection it was about $500 - which seems like lot for a 27" cabinet until you see it in person. It's significantly heavier-duty than Mastercraft, Craftsman or Husky. Taller than most too.

This model doesn't seem to be on Homak's website. But for a rough comparison, their 27" combos are all over $1000 - hence I think Costco's is pretty good value.




Costco's other warehouse-stocked tool box is also a good value. This one appears to be made by Torin, but under Costco's "Kirkland Signature" brand.



The webpage isn't working right now - I wonder if this is being phased-out? It's $899 online, but typically $150 cheaper in-store. This is a big 43" box, but I think its a little bit beefier than the usual suspects. Just seems well put together. Certainly not as heavy duty as the Homak - but excellent value.

 

[Notbn]

I was after the same thing as you OP. Cheap ish box but not crappy, tough to come by in Canada... Almost bought a Homak RS (now Carlyle) from Napa but ended up picking up a couple year old used Mac Tech series with a stainless top for $2700cad. That was pre-pandemic, used prices for stuff in similar condition have gone up a bit.

After looking at prices of the Carlyle stuff, they seem way more expensive than when I was looking. I seem to remember the 54" being under $1800 before tax, now its over $2k....

If you're willing to go the service cart route, the mastercraft maximum cart goes on sale for $399 every few weeks. They hold a pretty good amount of tools.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

If you are really looking to move the box around a lot, I’d personally look for used or industrial brands. The house brands are more for setting and forgetting.

 

[PhantomEB]

I run predominantly Husky boxes, I know I getting what I pay for but they are just fine for my use. Quite frankly I have more storage space in the drawers than tools right now.

room to grow into!

I wouldn’t be worried about an overnighter trip down to Montana to get some US Generals myself in the 24“ deep flavor!

 

[Aaron_W]

I have a 26" Husky top and 4 drawer bottom (the cheaper one), a 26", 44" and 5 drawer cart US from Harbor Freight (I know you don't have HF in Canada, but it is what I have to compare with). The Husky is notably lighter weight, but it was also about half the price.

I've had the Husky 5 or 6 years, and it has held up. I don't abuse it, and it only moves if I rearrange the shop. I did hand select it from Home Depot as I read lots of reviews about damage, wonky drawers, wobbles etc. Most I saw were ok, but I did pick the best of what was on the floor.
Also with Husky the quality improves as you go larger in size. The 26" are pretty cheap and it shows, the 46" is quite a bit better and the 52" is a bit better than the 46". The 46" is twice the size of the 26" but 3x the price, the 52" is nearly a 50% increase in price for 6" of added length so clearly some of that money does seem to go into quality, it isn't all material cost.

I have no experience with the other brands you mention beyond looking at a few of the Craftsman tool boxes in passing at Ace. Just curiosity, I'm not shopping for a new chest so not a deep inspection. They do seem a little nicer than the Husky boxes, but they also cost more so they should be better.

Don't over look the drawer layout, lots of shallow drawers like the US General boxes work well for my machining supplies, but the Husky with just 4 deep drawers works much better for power tools and such.

 

[MarkH]

It may change with current events but for the last 2 years travel in and out of Canada has not been easy. I have my oldest daughter who farms with her husband in ND. Her favorite Chinese restaurant is right across the border. She has not been there for two years. My other daughter runs warehouses for the company she works for 3 of them are in Canada. She has not been to them. Going there was not enough of a business reason to allow her to visit them.

So given what I have. If you can see it and it is a model you like go Mastercraft. I do stress the see it. It seems who builds stuff changes every week. The ones I have were Waterloo sourced. In Canada Sears seemed to used different and usually poorer sources for items. Maybe Lowes is different. Husky would be my next option. We had a number of Canadiens who moved down to where we are. When the company the worked for sold out many of them sold items vs taking them back to Canada. So I got a number of reasonable items there.

 

[noid]

Get this, its on-sale right now:

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

I have one and at $950 its a darn steal of a deal.

Even at normal MSRP its worth it.

 

[jollygreengiant]

I was actually looking at this one:

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

I still want to check out the 52" craftsman and Husky before I do anything but really leaning towards the Mastercraft even though I don't like the trim pieces on the corners. I checked out the 52" Mastercraft and it is noticeably heavier than some other brands.

 

[JradM]

I was actually looking at this one:

General PDP Template

www.canadiantire.ca

I still want to check out the 52" craftsman and Husky before I do anything but really leaning towards the Mastercraft even though I don't like the trim pieces on the corners. I checked out the 52" Mastercraft and it is noticeably heavier than some other brands.

I wouldn't want that many deep drawers personally.

 

[TheWanderer]

I own this.

Husky 52 in. W x 21.5 in. D Heavy Duty 15-Drawer Combination Rolling Tool Chest Top Tool Cabinet with LED Light in Matte Black H52CH6TR9HDV3 - The Home Depot

This Husky 52 inch tool chest combo adds some exciting new features to an already popular design. This matte black tool chest combo offers a pull-out wooden work surface in the lower right-hand drawer

www.homedepot.com

Not flimsy at all. Drawers roll nice. My only wish would be a middle box with an additional long drawer like the top drawer in the bottom box.

 

[nadogail]

They are all made by the lowest bidder, you pays your money and takes your chances.