Qaulity 3 Drawer Portable Tool Box

[gdocktor3]

Anyone recommend a solid, well made 3 drawer portable box for around $100 give or take? I have an older metal Craftsman 3 drawer, COO unknown, but its loaded with at least 40-50 lbs worth of tools and it's pretty solid. This must fit in an underbody tool box on my mason dump. I saw a few plastic boxes by Waterloo, made in USA with global/domestic parts that had a few decent reviews, but it's plastic. Any suggestions?

 

[Ohmthis]

It's hard to beat a craftsman rally box. I have one from when craftsman sponsored the nascar truck series. It has to be 20 years old now. It's my portable box and has fixed more things than I could count. I do know that Kennedy had/has a two or three drawer box. I'm not sure on anything else.

 

[gdocktor3]

I think mine is a Rally Box now that I look at pics. Do they have a flat black, crinkle type finish?

 

[jakemac]

I can't help with finding a box, but I'd stay away from anything plastic-like. That kind of weight bouncing around in a belly box during a cold NE winter will shatter, leaving shards of plastic and scattered tools to clean up.

 

[gdocktor3]

I can't help with finding a box, but I'd stay away from anything plastic-like. That kind of weight bouncing around in a belly box during a cold NE winter will shatter, leaving shards of plastic and scattered tools to clean up.

Yea I hear ya. Right now I have a shallow plastic tray/tote box type thing in there with a bunch of tools and straps, bungees, etc sliding and bouncing around. Every time I open the box ****'s all over the place.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

The TB-303B 3 drawer Husky box is shockingly good for the price (I think I bought mine for $30 on sale a couple of years ago. Solid box, good slides, and WAY more solid than the recent Waterloo boxes that were on sale through Lowes recently.

Mine a couple of years ago:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3868893&postcount=68

This one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-Drawer-Portable-Tool-Chest-Tray-TB-303B/203495220

 

[gdocktor3]

You're still using it to this day?

 

[ihateminimumwage]

You're still using it to this day?

It's been my carry around for working on vehicles at home or friends places for a couple of years, then it's been my overloaded "extra box" in my service truck until yesterday. Replaced it with a bolted down Waterloo top box for the additional space, but it's nowhere near as solid as the Husky. Still in great shape.

 

[mikegt4]

I have a Kennedy 3 drawer box similar to the Craftsman Rally box except it has a tote tray on top instead of the swing up tray. I got it at Sears sometime in the early 1970's and it still is my main box for every day tools. Either it is getting too full of tools or I am getting too old as it is harder to carry around than it use to be.

 

[gdocktor3]

Any other input?

 

[zkling]

For the money those Huskys are about your best bet.

Kennedy makes a nice little two drawer carry box. There is always a cantilever but those aren't always convenient to access.

 

[CarsonConcepts]

A bit of a lateral thought and may or may not work for your needs, but Husky also has a bunch of nice tool bags as well. Strong material, lots of pockets, and would stand up to being bounced around a bunch while still keeping tools in place.

I have one of their 18" bags, along with an 18" rolling bag that contains my "mobile" tool kit. Works great to toss in the car and go some where, or throw in the back of the golf cart to fix something around the property (since things like the tractor or zero turn mower never seem to break down in the garage).

 

[T45]

I'm guessing the only step up from those husky metal boxes is a snap on or similar level quality.

I mean, you could also go with a cantilever design which is very secure design--perhaps 3-slide-drawer rally box--but you lose the drawer layout.

Two of these is $118...just as an example.

http://www.rmeuropean.com/Products/190L-MFG970.aspx

edit: I say 2 of them because I think they hold slightly less than a cman 3 drawer rally box, depending on how you pack it (in terms of tools selection) and how your tools need to laid out to work out of cohesively.

You can load the thing up, and it stays solid, but it gets heavy and awkward. The build is good, solid metal, but not as good/heavy gauge as a snap on from-- the latter being both bombproof and expensive of course.

 

[M6erfan]

I've had this Homak 3 drawer for about 5 years, has held up really well so far...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K6HBPG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[NJHandyGuy]

I have a rally box and the kobalt version of the husky box listed above I have dropped the rally box 16 feet of a roof nothing happened and it was LOOOAAAADDDDDEEEEEEDDDDDD I dropped the kobalt 4" into the truck and the drawer slides broke they really don't make things like they used to

 

[gdocktor3]

I've had this Homak 3 drawer for about 5 years, has held up really well so far...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K6HBPG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Have you actually used it on a regular basis though or does it sit somewhere and only opened once or twice every so often?

 

[avmaine]

So about all of my service techs have run the Husky three drawer box at one point or other. Their biggest downfall has been the cone heads don't strap it down in the back of the service van and it hits the deck. With that being said, they actually hold up quite well for taking an endo off a shelf at speed. Many are still being used beat up, but anchored down now. This of course is for extra oddball stuff they want on the truck, everything else is in carry in bags or the vidmars.

 

[M6erfan]

Have you actually used it on a regular basis though or does it sit somewhere and only opened once or twice every so often?

It sits quite a bit. But, I've used it pretty often as a "pit" box when crewing for a drag racing buddy of mine and also at vintage MX races. So it's been on the road some...

I've never weighed it but i'd guess it weighs around 40lbs when full up.

It's not made of thickest metal, but I wouldn't call it flimsy either. I guess it depends on what you expect. One minor annoyance is that the drawers are pretty shallow. The drawers are very smooth though and have been holding up just fine so far.

 

[erty67]

I recently bought two of the red 3 drawer Craftsman boxes to replace the same 1980s red box and they seem just as nice with better slides and the draw on these don't pop open when the lid is closed like my old one. Well worth the price I paid ($40 on sale).

 

[winlinmac]

The Husky one at Home Depot is pretty good as well. Around $40, and was hoping it'd be cheaper during the holidays

 

[erty67]

The Husky one at Home Depot is pretty good as well. Around $40, and was hoping it'd be cheaper during the holidays

keep your eye on the holiday husky tool set in this box. it clearanced cheap last January.

 

[BFHtime]

What are dimension you need to get the portable box into? I have several multi-drawer boxes I could measure.

I really like the craftsman rally box with the crinkle finish. My lovely woman got it for me. It has held up quite well. Last I measured on a balance scale 113 pounds. I am always adding to it. I have abused it some, when it weighed 80ish pounds. I keep a seat belt strap around it because I am always afraid the handle will break and the drawers would open, leaving a big mess, and the handle has yet to show signs of giving at all. This box has traveled with weight in it many times. Has rolled over and been dropped from 2.5-3 feet in height several times. The only problem I have had was some of the drawers bent in the back, from being dropped with heavy weight in the drawers. The bent drawers would not catch well with top closed, and the drawers would sometimes pop open. I have since bent the drawers back, PITA, and the drawers stay closed now. I did abuse it when the drawers bent. It was totally my fault. The box has been great. It is 4 drawers, which makes it a little tall. I have more tools packed into than I should but it has been a great box.

 

[BFHtime]

I have looked into the Snap-On 3 and 4 drawer tool boxes and they are all made in China now, which makes me reluctant to buy one. I have picked a box at a tag sale for 5 bucks plus 3 dollars for a few tools in the box. A few old good pieces I don't remember the tools but it was a good deal. Worth the stop at a roadside tag sale. Check craigslist.