Plastic toolbox thread

[Danglerb]

Who makes the best plastic toolboxes?

Advantages;

Cheap, makes practical having a bunch for different jobs.
Light weight
Never rusts even full of wet plumbing tools.
Stacks
Easy to label contents with a marker.
Many sizes and types available.

Disadvantages;

Limited weight capacity.
Ages and cracks
Cheapness issues, various poor quality problems.
Lacking features, or wrong features for desired use.
Models and vendors come and go, hard to keep a matched set for stacking etc.

Both good/bad
Could trap moisture, but that would also tend to make it water proof.

 

[Danglerb]

Homerbox Home Depot
First one I liked enough to buy, about 19" with a single top tray. Basic, good strong cheap toolbox. Missing in stores for a few years, now maybe seasonal, current ones in stores are made by Keter something like that, half the hinges, maybe other issues. Two metal latches.

Voyager Harbor Freight
Current HF smaller toolbox brand, seems OK, several styles and sizes, CHEAP, not sure if a couple works on them. Internal single tray, plastic looked a touch hard/brittle to me, but no actual tests of it. I looked over the 12" for $5 and 19" for $9, but didn't buy any. Two plastic latches and clear compartments in the lid.

 

[zkling]

The BEST? Pelican, but forget the low price idea.

Stanley, Stack On and Craftsman all made a decent one. Some even US made.

 

[willhollin]

Raaco make good robust ones.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Ages and cracks

Not necessarily. I've got an old (we're talking near 20y.o.) Stack On up at my father's that is still intact with no aging problems. It's all about the type of plastic used. It is, however, a thick walled toolbox, not the thin kind commonly seen. It's heavier than most plastic tool boxes of it's size but it's very high quality.

 

[WildwoodChuck]

Plano US made in IL and lifetime warranty.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Plano or Flambeau.

 

[youm0nt]

As a hobbyist, I am satisfied with my Craftsman tool box and stack-on 26" professional tool box.

 

[DieselSaves]

I've seen a Ketor one I'd like to try.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I have a nice Hazet one. Not cheap though.

 

[monomach]

Dunno who's the best, but on the rare occasion I get a plastic box, I just get Plano. They're made here in Illinois, quality hasn't disappointed me, and they're priced competitively.

I find it pretty hard to buy a different brand when they're doing exactly what I want other manufacturers to do and with them being local(ish) like that.

 

[wmartin]

For a carpenter sized box, the bigger Rubbermaid ones are really stout. I vastly prefer them over steel boxes.

 

[Outlawmws]

I've had a few Plano's for about 30 years, one was my SAE road box and crammed way overweight, and rode in my trucks for a couple of decades. If the quality hasn't dropped, they did OK... The over weight made the drawers not as seamless to open and close, but that was more me than the box... Mind you they still worked but occasionally needed persuading...

 

[Armed Bear]

Stanley Fat Max 28 inch is the best portable tool box IMO. The one I have is made in USA.

 

[Danglerb]

So far I'd say best cheapest ones are HF and Sears, Stanley and Stackon look like better quality, but almost twice the price.

Sears has a number of nice looking portable toolboxes, but I haven't done a hands on yet. Could be great items for using SYW reward points (sign up and you get $5 from time to time).
$10 20" box.

 

[monomach]

So far I'd say best cheapest ones are HF and Sears, Stanley and Stackon look like better quality, but almost twice the price.

Sears has a number of nice looking portable toolboxes, but I haven't done a hands on yet. Could be great items for using SYW reward points (sign up and you get $5 from time to time).
$10 20" box.

The Sears stuff looked like good deals on the website to me, but when I went to the store, the latches and handles on a lot of them really turned me off.

 

[basspro]

I have a 26" Stanley (Made In USA) I got for Christmas last year, I love it! Its heavy duty, has a full length aluminum handle, a top tray. I have the thing full of decent tools in the back of my truck. I could get most jobs done, at work and at home, with that little box full of tools, love it!

 

[Danglerb]

For a carpenter sized box, the bigger Rubbermaid ones are really stout. I vastly prefer them over steel boxes.

Rubbermaid seems to never let me down, and people seriously beat on their products.

Could be the usual same thing sold under different names too, both are highly durable resin filled plastic. Bostich is 5 star rated and claimed in some review to be the same as the Stanley fat something with a lower price. This one is about $25 at Lowes, and everybody has a Lowes coupon right?

 

[Danglerb]

My use is more sorting tools so everything I need to a type of job is in one place, and I don't mind duplicating some of HF stuff to make smaller box more complete, but others like my electrical box will be full enough with just the insulated handle stuff and all the small bits like zip ties, wire nuts and crimps in there own storage.

I don't need any of the really bigger boxes, since I have a rollaway and service carts, but including a few that get good reviews here for others.

Stanley Fat Max looks good, and for another type of use the Bosch system is expensive but looks good.

 

[parnass]

Dunno who's the best, but on the rare occasion I get a plastic box, I just get Plano. They're made here in Illinois, quality hasn't disappointed me, and they're priced competitively. ...

Tip for those who don't know about it -- Plano Molding has a factory outlet store located near their factory on Rt 34 in Plano, IL. You can get good deals on many of their products including tool and tackle boxes, rifle cases, parts boxes, etc.

The outlet store hours are a little irregular so call them in advance.