New Toolbox Time -- What would you Choose?

[Fastbird]

So here's some more pics.

Better box shot:

Latches/Drawer Pulls. REALLY nice pieces, heavy duty. I think the long term weak point will be the spring for the latch.

Drawer depth is 22" usable all around, HOWEVER there is a short lip at the front and back that can be a detractor, probably about 1/2" in total.

Oversize drawers are 50 3/8" wide.

Side drawers are 14 3/4" wide.

Middle drawers are 33 1/8" wide (yes those are my USA made Craftsman Professional Picks there).

Skinny drawer height is 1 3/4" with about 2 1/2" clearance to close. I could get no bigger than a 1 1/8" wrench on the Ernst rails before contact was made closing.

Casters are nothing to write home about. Not spring loaded, they're cheap, but they have rubber centers around a steel wheel so not all bad. Left side are non-swivel, center and right are swivel (I dislike this, I'd prefer the center to be stationary). HOWEVER.....contrary to what the RTB website says, my RX Series box came with the "Mag" Wheel Casters as opposed to the generic solid ones.

@Speed88 if you want any more specifics let me know.

 

[Jennifur]

Well he did say this will be his last and final box purchase so i think if your willing to bump to the ICON from their standard line you will have everything and more than an older snap on Mac/Matco box can provide and I don't see any 6 month to 1 year 73 inch snap on roller cabinets for sale for 2k ish.... if you got a 55 for 2k you scored a one in a blue moon deal.... I'm seeing snap on boxes a few years old for 5750 to 10k
And really a 55 to 73 is quite a jump up in size so need to take that into account as well
I just bought the 72 harbor freight standard top and bottom and I'm getting the 5 drawer tool cart that I am going to sandwich in the middle and use supports and the cart bottom shelf and angle iron cor ers to support the top and ill lose the use of the top of the tool cart cabinet with the 72 sitting on top of it but ill be able to make a hutch out of the tool cart parts so i gain the 5 drawers and have a spot for my laptop and other items.....I'll take photos once I get it all fabricated and airbrushed...can't have a plain ole box...I must pretty it up with some airbrushed graphics....make it mine....


Jennifur

 

[briann898]

Fastbird, it look pretty awesome. It looks like you have been using a heat gun in some places, isn't it? By the way, what would you recommend about heat guns? I've found one DEWALT Heat Gun from here ( toolinspector.com ). It looks like it's one of the best, in comparison with other models, cause it is lightweight, and has a very wide temperature range.

 

[speed88]

Very nice sir! I love the black and blue. How is the work top? Thick gauge metal? Are the drawer liners of good quality or just so so? I’ve seen a few reviews talking negative of the side trim. Does it look like it is mounted pretty good or something that will come off after a few years of use.

 

[Fastbird]

Very nice sir! I love the black and blue. How is the work top? Thick gauge metal? Are the drawer liners of good quality or just so so? I’ve seen a few reviews talking negative of the side trim. Does it look like it is mounted pretty good or something that will come off after a few years of use.

I didn't opt for the stainless top. I've never been attracted to those and find they all dent to easy. I've got the melamine top and it's fine for me.

Drawer liners are quite nice. Best ones I've ever had. Some looked pretty hastily cut thought......jagged edge here or there.

I just pried the cap off the trim column. It's double sided padded tape stuck on, lol. That may fail over time. Wow........wasn't expecting to find that, lol.

 

[Rinspeed]

Oh my yes.......I'm in love. This sucker is a freaking TANK.

Looks awesome, congrats.

 

[justanengineer]

55 to 73 is quite a jump up in size so need to take that into account as well

Size is really deceiving with boxes. Lower end boxes are only 22-24” deep and usually don’t have full extension drawers, so using the back 4-6” is a PITA. They also have taller drawers which cost you even more useful space. Pro boxes are usually 30” deep with full extension drawers, so you have a true 55”x30” with more useful drawer space than cheaper 73” boxes. If you don’t have a lot of garage space it usually makes more sense to have a narrower but deeper box. If you move boxes frequently, stack them high, or use them as a mobile bench, 30” depth also makes it much more stable. In either case 55x30 and 73x22.5 both =1650in2, so width alone doesn’t mean much.


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[whateg01]

That seems to be a pretty awful comparison. All of the new craftsman and us general boxes I've looked at head full extension slides, or at least came out to within an inch of all the way. I guess I don't recall any not coming out all the way but it's possible some were just shy of it. I've looked at a few snap on boxes that were 24" deep, and shallower matco boxes, again fast from the 30" you say pro boxes usually use.

 

[Mr_B]

I would class 24-30" as Pro sizes, all my Matco boxes are 25" deep and I find that a sensible drawer pull out limit for my preference, 30" box with drawers pulled out takes a lot of space and gets lumpy .
Very few lower end boxes have much more than 1 to 2" extended drawer lap these days and lot are full extending .

 

[TudorTom]

That seems to be a pretty awful comparison. All of the new craftsman and us general boxes I've looked at head full extension slides, or at least came out to within an inch of all the way. I guess I don't recall any not coming out all the way but it's possible some were just shy of it. I've looked at a few snap on boxes that were 24" deep, and shallower matco boxes, again fast from the 30" you say pro boxes usually use.

I think it's a lousy comparison too. I'd also question whether anyone using the terms "pro box" and "garage space" in the same paragraph (while making several other outlandish claims) has any direct experience using a tool box in a professional environment. Sounds more like the words of a casual residential user drifting a bit out of his lane.

Where I come from, what defines a "pro box" is its overall build quality, where it's used, and by whom it's used. Unless you're only considering the needs of a small subset within one specific trade, there is no standard definition. I've certainly never observed a universal tool box depth amongst those in my past or current line of work.

I'd also really like to know who makes the box with 4-6 INCHES of un-extendable drawer space. That sounds a bit ridiculous.

 

[whateg01]

I'd also really like to know who makes the box with 4-6 INCHES of un-extendable drawer space. That sounds a bit ridiculous.

Even my old cheap craftsman non-ball bearing drawers pull out to within an inch or so of the back, maybe closer. Never measured it because it was close enough to full extension for my needs then.

 

[justanengineer]

I think it's a lousy comparison too. I'd also question whether anyone using the terms "pro box" and "garage space" in the same paragraph (while making several other outlandish claims) has any direct experience using a tool box in a professional environment. Sounds more like the words of a casual residential user drifting a bit out of his lane.

I'd also really like to know who makes the box with 4-6 INCHES of un-extendable drawer space. That sounds a bit ridiculous.

Of the five boxes currently at home, the 90s Cman top chest I use for drills is the worst with ~4” of overlap.

As for professional experience, I have 25 years in the auto industry between repair, fabrication, manufacturing, and design of everything from tractors to supercars. If space has never been a concern then consider yourself lucky. It definitely is in my current 20x50 at home and regularly is in the various garages at work too when we get busy.

Yes, the trucks sell lighter/cheaper apprentice boxes theatre comparable to the imports as does Kennedy, Lista, and most everybody else. The point was that wider doesn’t mean more storage.


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[TudorTom]

Of the five boxes currently at home, the 90s Cman top chest I use for drills is the worst with ~4” of overlap.

As for professional experience, I have 25 years in the auto industry between repair, fabrication, manufacturing, and design of everything from tractors to supercars. If space has never been a concern then consider yourself lucky. It definitely is in my current 20x50 at home and regularly is in the various garages at work too when we get busy.

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This was my point. You've made a number of assertive claims in this thread and others that are questionable or outright wrong. Sounds like you're a white-collar worker by day, have some old tool boxes in your home garage, and haven't personally used one to carry out your job duties in well over a decade. Nothing wrong with any of that, but such experience makes one far from an expert on this subject. That's all I was trying to bring attention to.

 

[whateg01]

Just got my new 26" USG boxes set up last night. So far, I'm pretty happy with them.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Very interesting setup, like a US General Lista cabinet. Looks nice.

 

[whateg01]

Very interesting setup, like a US General Lista cabinet. Looks nice.

The only thing I can't do with it that I wish I could was rearrange the drawers. But I asked before I bought them and other members confirmed that the drawers are in fixed locations. It wasn't a factor in buying them but it would have been nice.

 

[Mr_B]

^
could be done but not simply as not mukti stamped slide locations and locking bar have be modded too .
they stack pretty nice and is a lot of decent drawer storage for the price .

 

[macgee]

This was my point. You've made a number of assertive claims in this thread and others that are questionable or outright wrong. Sounds like you're a white-collar worker by day, have some old tool boxes in your home garage, and haven't personally used one to carry out your job duties in well over a decade. Nothing wrong with any of that, but such experience makes one far from an expert on this subject. That's all I was trying to bring attention to.

Pretty back handed post from a newbie you wrote there to a long standing member who has contributed a lot and an avid motor racer. By the sounds of it, perhaps your knowledge may not be as expertise as you think and you too may have drifted out of your lane; like you said nothing wrong with that; it happens.

Since you seem to only like and only recommend S-O even though they are better cabinets out there like Lista, Vidmar, Nu-Era and Rousseau...etc that top world class racing teams, aerospace or other critical mission wrenching organizations choose to have in their shops, perhaps you should look into those as well. The cabinets listed above can be found for sale used at very competitive prices compared to lower volume S-O well worn boxes and even much lower and with their bombproof construction, they make excellent long term candidates when buying used and any replacements ever needed, they're still easily available. I'm not going to go into why they're better, there's plenty of threads and info online about that for you to catch up on. For a S-O box to complete against them with same ability, you'll need to spend 5 figures and even then, you're not necessarily getting better.

Granted, they don't always have the typically flash colors of neon green and the like, and drawer layout can be different as a lot of the ones you see for sale are preferred by machinist as they are the ones mostly available used but they're other layouts out there.

 

[macgee]

Just got my new 26" USG boxes set up last night. So far, I'm pretty happy with them.

Nice whateg01,

Glad you like them and looks you have some serious volume there for the width & depth given. I hope you're tall!

 

[TudorTom]

By the sounds of it, perhaps your knowledge may not be as expertise as you think and you too may have drifted out of your lane, nothing wrong with that; it happens.

I never represented myself an an expert on this subject. I simply suggested that those who actively use a tool chest in a commercial environment may have a better qualified perspective that those who do so in a residential setting. And unlike some others, I don't praise/trash/comment about products I haven't personally handled/used.

Since you only seem to only like and only recommend S-O

I'm curious how you came to this conclusion. I do have a Snap-On box at work...that sits on top of a US General cabinet. I use a Kennedy at home. The only instances in which I've mentioned Snap-On here have been to suggest that their boxes are a poor value when compared other brands. I've most certainly never recommended them.

As someone who earns his living turning a wrench, it doesn't sit right with me when a home-gamer and/or someone who hasn't worked hands-on in years starts telling others what defines a professional-grade product. To say that (among other things) 30" depth is what does so for a tool box is flat out wrong, and those type of statements do a disservice to anyone reading the thread after the fact.

My intention is not to pick a fight. But if pointing out obvious misinformation (and suggesting that the credibility of its source might be questionable) is an unwelcome perspective, I'll find a different group to converse with.

 

[whateg01]

^
could be done but not simply as not mukti stamped slide locations and locking bar have be modded too .
they stack pretty nice and is a lot of decent drawer storage for the price .

If by "they stack pretty nice" you mean, "they look nice stacked", you are correct. I do like the look. However, they were a pain to stack since they don't nest the way a top and bottom would. So I had to make a couple of 1" thick spacers to put under the top one.

BTW, these are different SKUs. I ordered one set and then the ITC sale came up and I went back and ordered the second set. So far the most significant difference I've really noticed is the reinforced channels underneath for the casters are a little different. Otherwise, the packaging is different. I didn't look at the casters as I'm not using them, so they are still in their boxes. Oh, and the outside packaging was way different.

Dave

Dave

 

[whateg01]

Nice whateg01,

Glad you like them and looks you have some serious volume there for the width & depth given. I hope you're tall!

I have to stand on my toes to see into the top drawer, and same to see into the next drawer well. But, the top chest wouldn't have come up that far even, and the top compartment and the space above it is really wasted IMO. My old craftsman boxes just became catch alls up there and it sucked. I know some don't like the fact that there are a lot of 2" tall drawers here. I don't like the fact that most others don't have enough 2" tall drawers. All of these drawers are full extension, though the top one doesn't quite clear the frame of the cabinet, so it's about 1/2" shy of the front because the frame extends farther. I'm pretty happy. I am going to start moving tools this evening. I figured that I needed 25 or 26 drawers to have everything separated the way I wanted, so this will be a few extras. I guess the top drawers will hold stuff that doesn't get used often.

Dave

 

[macgee]

whateg01,

Agree about the top compartment, they're not really a good use of space. Top drawers being high is not that big of a deal, just store the less used tools and consumables up there.

One suggestion is fasten the top cabinet to the bottom and even better fasten to a frame behind it. These cabinets allow multiple drawers to open at the same time and could get very ugly and dangerous if the top cabinet decides one day that it wants to kiss the ground and fall forward. Maybe you have done this already but can't tell in your pic. It would be easy to do before you fill it.

Enjoy the cabinets

 

[whateg01]

I didn't fasten them to the wall. I did tilt them rearward about 0.325 degrees (1/8" higher at the front, as I had problems with one of my other boxes in the past having drawers slide back open if I didn't close them to their detent position. We've also had a few earthquakes in recent years, so I didn't want that to open them all. The wall is a good idea. Without casters they are pretty hard to slide around, so I don't think I'll move them or take the top cabinet off, but I did think about running some bolts through the top of the bottom into the caster inserts and then putting a hook over the top edge of the top one to keep it from falling forward, so good call on that!

Dave

 

[whateg01]

Killing time at northern tool waiting for our time at Texas Roadhouse decided to look at the homak boxes. I do like the way the grip latch systems function, but I was curious how these were constructed. Top box seemed a little cheap but it probably works fine. I would be concerned about having a threaded fastener as the pivot between two pieces of sheetmetal but most probably never experience any problems with it. Then I look at the bottom box. The drawer handle is held in place and pivots on pop rivets! That sure seems chintzy for a $1400 box!

Dave