seriously...How does it get like this?

[Musicinabottle]

No lie here folks. I work my *** off for most everything I've ever gotten in my life. Caught a few breaks, but mostly I paid for my stuff. So it blows me away when you stumble upon things like vehicles, homes tractors boats tools or whatever, that are trashed. I'm looking real hard for a decent tool box, when I stumbled upon this Mac box. Dude wants a Franklin for it. Frankly, I'm wondering if I want this thing at all, but if I could get it for $75, you figure it'd be a decent deal or should I avoid?

 

[Musicinabottle]

Ooops, the photos..........

 

[Musicinabottle]

Whew, I don't know. The photos loaded larger here than in his ad. That thing is scary!

 

[yamaha0343]

She’s definitely a lil rough!

 

[Musicinabottle]

She’s definitely a lil rough!

Yup! Looking at the same box but a Blue Point almost new for $300. He popped it off craigslist until I come look at it. I think that one might be in my crystal ball (8 ball)

 

[Engine]

That one has had a hard life, for sure.

As for the way it got that way, I can take a guess. I've worked with a few guys that simply treat tools as if they were worthless in terms of how much damage they apply to them. No respect whatsoever for the things that they use to make a living. Throwing things around, slamming the boxes, and using the truck floorboard as an extra "toolbox" for everything. Everything they have looks beat up and worn out. As long as the tool will function then no problem, as far as they are concerned. I guess they think what the hell, there's plenty more where these came from.

 

[Musicinabottle]

That one has had a hard life, for sure.

As for the way it got that way, I can take a guess. I've worked with a few guys that simply treat tools as if they were worthless in terms of how much damage they apply to them. No respect whatsoever for the things that they use to make a living. Throwing things around, slamming the boxes, and using the truck floorboard as an extra "toolbox" for everything. Everything they have looks beat up and worn out. As long as the tool will function then no problem, as far as they are concerned. I guess they think what the hell, there's plenty more where these came from.

I guess. I just really count on my stuff I guess and it isn't cheap to fix or replace.

 

[Danglerb]

I would pass, it once was an ok box, but the drawers are too shallow, kind of like the old machinist boxes. Reeks of no pride, it would bother me to have it in my garage.

 

[crewchief888]

looks like every toolbox ive owned that spent time banging around in the back of a pickup truck, or has seen duty in a service truck.

i might offer as much as $50 if i was feeling generous that day

 

[KnurledNut]

looks like every toolbox ive owned that spent time banging around in the back of a pickup truck, or has seen duty in a service truck.

i might offer as much as $50 if i was feeling generous that day

Beat me to it. I went straight to road box as well.

 

[redwrench60]

Nobody mentioned the poor...poor craftsman box under the Mac box in question?

Seriously though the Mac box got that way from years in a service truck or van and enduring at least 1 thief. It’s probably nearly unusable with broken welds, warped and bent slides and damn sure won’t lock. That is the definition of worn out junk. It needs run across the scales at the nearest metal recyclers.

 

[signcrafter]

I also have worked hard for my stuff. Also had some rough times throughout my life. I bought my first real tool box this past year and only because I got a smoking deal on a 56" box. But for the last couple decades I had mismatched boxes of different sizes, mostly craftsman 26" top boxes. Along with some smaller boxes of different variations. I had two 26" bottom boxes but someone else needed them more then me I guess. Along with a bunch of plastic boxes.

But When I was in my 20s I moved a bunch of times and for a while I had to put my tools in storage. It was hard on the boxes moving them around and piling them in storage and all the other stuff they went through. Also have always had a small garage. My theory was always the tools are what you need to get the job done so that is where my money has always gone. So working out of a packed garage is also rough on tools and boxes. No where to set things, things get stepped on, boxes get pushed around, etc. No matter how careful and clean I tried to be it just doesn't work out.

I'm a little better off now and try to take better care of my tools and other stuff. Still have a two car garage that is pretty much just tool storage, along with a 3 car garage at a family member's house that is tool storage. Hopefully someday I will have a nice big dream shop.

I also have a ridgid 6" jointer that is about 10 years old. The surface plate is rusty and pitted. I cleaned it once and try to spray it down with wd40 a few times a year but it doesn't seem to help. It's not that I don't give a **** about it or the 3xx.** bucks I gave for it new. But I just don't have a place for it and able to keep it up as I should.

 

[mike93lx]

it's a toolbox, not some rare, antique family heirloom. you care a lot about your tools and stuff, sure, but why should everyone else? Maybe he had more important things to worry about than an easily replaceable toolbox?

 

[patchap]

Looks like it spent time in a truck. No big deal, long as the drawers open smooth and you can deal with the looks
I had an old span on kr1000 that was 2 bays over when a tanker blew up. Big dents, looked like ****.sure was cheap though.

 

[Fedwrench]

It's not a real MAC made box. It's an economizer model. It was basically their economy model box built by beach in Canada. Think Home Depot Husky boxes circa 1990s.

The are many hard working people that don't have emotional bonds to their tools or tool boxes as many of the people here. They use the hell out of their stuff and might not take the best care of it but, that's ok because, it's their stuff.

I would pass and keep looking.

 

[NUTTSGT]

My thoughts as well on road box or service box.

However, my thoughts on it being beat and scrapping it until I'd see it in person aren't the same as others. There have been a few threads on people bringing boxes back to life.

Once you get past the initial cost outlay, the rest of the restore is just hobby or busy work. Something to do in the Winter when you can't be outside for long. It might make a decent box to store the smaller stuff in, taps, dies, drill bits, punches and files. Better yet, buy it for a youngster as his/her first box and let him fix it up.

 

[gregpack]

Looks like my younger brother owned it for a couple of years. Everything he touches turns to a piece of **** in short order.

 

[Aberdale]

If the drawers work well, then a clean up, repaint, and new drawer front stickers would basically make it look like new again.

Do you know how to paint?

 

[zendriver]

My Dad never made a lot of money, but farmed and ran an gas/service station, with zero family money, so he was a total cheapskate.

IMO (especially after being at this site), he was "one of those", who arguably had one of the shittiest and unkempt set of tools, vehicles and equipment, in history. He battled epilepsy, while raising 8 kids and trying to get his hands on a much farmland and cheap rental houses as he could.

When we settled my Mom's estate and split it 8 ways, we were very glad he preferred farmland, over Snap-On and a fancy garage setup.

I was embarrassed to be raised that way, but as an adult, I totally get it. I have a way better garage/tool setup - but then I don't own any farmland. Go figure.

Perhaps is not fair to judge others, by the condition of the stuff they sell.

 

[MikeF2316]

I agree with the others that was a road box at one time. I'm not one for fancy, but everything needs to work, and be clean and neat. I'd never be happy looking at that box, I'd only buy with the thought of hammering out the dents and repainting.

 

[Sycan]

I bought that exact box in about 1999 for $300 in a pawn shop, like new. It did several years in the back of the pickup, several years in the shop, and now a couple years in the service truck. It's very well built and I want to find another for the service truck. Friction slides are awesome as the drawers don't all slide out on a sidehill.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

 

[dodge610]

It is beat on see if he will sell both pieces for that price. I would give him $50.00 for the craftsman box and restore it. All ready restoring 4 other vintage craftsman boxes another is no biggie.

 

[ddawg16]

Unless the drawers are straight and roll in and out with no issues....pass

 

[PFSard]

I'm looking real hard for a decent tool box, when I stumbled upon this Mac box. Dude wants a Franklin for it. Frankly, I'm wondering if I want this thing at all, but if I could get it for $75, you figure it'd be a decent deal or should I avoid?

I grew up poor, and we were taught to care for what little we had. Nothing substantial was given to us. We were taught a good attitude. Good work ethic. Taking advantage of opportunities. Et al.

When I buy something used (or anything for that matter), I try to estimate total cost in time, money, and effort. I tend to buy used items in good shape that require little work.

That box looks like it could use quite a bit of help. Given how relatively easy it has become to find opportunities, I would continue looking. Good luck.

 

[crewchief888]

Beat me to it. I went straight to road box as well.

ive destroyed every box ive used in a service truck, nearly every box i see in a truck/van looks pretty much the same.
boxes always seem to be loaded way beyond their capacity, tools are always bouncing around bending drawers and slides, eventually breaking most of the spot welds holding the box frame.

i'm hoping the boxes i have in my service truck will last until they force me to retire...

 

[PugetDude]

Some people use and abuse their toolboxes, others just use them as a place to store their freshly-polished tools. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.
If you like the box, buy it. If you don't, pass, but don't waste time lamenting the choices of others.

 

[Musicinabottle]

Some people use and abuse their toolboxes, others just use them as a place to store their freshly-polished tools. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.
If you like the box, buy it. If you don't, pass, but don't waste time lamenting the choices of others.

Naw, I pretty much made up my mind before anyone posted. I'll keep looking. It's not that I'm in to tool box worship, don't get me wrong. I use my stuff too, but I'd have a ratchet ******** my box or have it on the floor board before I let it start looking like that.

 

[hoye0017]

it's a toolbox, not some rare, antique family heirloom. you care a lot about your tools and stuff, sure, but why should everyone else? Maybe he had more important things to worry about than an easily replaceable toolbox?

This.

 

[redwrench60]

I hear what many of you are saying. They’re not museum pieces to be fawned over and revered like some masterpiece but at the end of the day they still have to work. The drawers still have to carry their load, open and close and the lock has to lock. At least to me anyway. This one is lacking in many categories.....