Snap On KR537/KR557 vs. Kirkland Box

[Dewilmoth]

Hi Gents,
My wife and I bought our first home and it's time to have a proper garage again after living in Hawaii for 3 years. The first order of business is replacing my old Craftsman tool box that my parents bought me for my 16th birthday. I intended on buying the wrinkle black Kirkland box, but after reading GJ and browsing CL, I'm thinking I might try to find a used box instead. Would love to hear your thoughts on the Snap On box in the link below vs the Kirkland box. Thanks a bunch and I look forward to getting lots of garage and lift ideas from GJ in the coming months.

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/tls/5122419512.html

 

[plinker]

No experiance with Kirkland, but the KR set is a good deal on nice solid boxes. They do have friction slides, FWIW. Keep them lubed and they are smooth.
I have my 537 top at work for now.

 

[Dewilmoth]

Thanks for the response. I was having a hard time determining what the KR set is worth. There seems to be a very wide range.

 

[plinker]

I paid about 350$ for my set. The 557 has some nice dents/dings, but is very sound. The one you link to is in very nice shape for the age. You can fit a goodly amount of tools in it. Not a steal, but a very good buy IMO.

 

[Dewilmoth]

Ok, great info. Thanks again.

 

[zkling]

That set is older than 1987, more like 1978. Downside to those boxes is that they have dividers in every drawer, barring the 7 narrow drawers, can be a pain to organize.

 

[Dewilmoth]

Is there a way to accurately date the box if I go see it? Maybe I can use that as bargaining ammo. I've read about the dividers not being ideal, but it's still more drawers than a lot of the 41" boxes so I think I am still interested in at least seeing it.

 

[bobcatdan]

The date is stamped on the back with the model number. The stamp can be hard to to see but its there. I agree, much older then '87.

 

[bdelmar2]

I had the same set with the 3 drawer center section.

The pieces were stamped '77 '78 and '79.

The dividers were a bit of a pain, but for a homeowner box it might not be a big issue. Not great if you like to keep your tools in the big plastic tray/boxes they often come in though.

Price seems pretty fair for what I've seen around the Tampa area for the same set. Most I have seen the sellers want more ($600 to $1200) and they don't look to be in quite as good of condition generally.

One good thing about the older used snap on boxes, if you decide you don't like them you can resell them for what you have in them. Unlikely to be able to do that with a new box.

 

[fatfillup]

Price is all about condition, both cosmetic and mechanical. Is the box good looking enough to be in your garage. Some folks are picky, some aren't. Do the drawers work smooth or are they hard to open. Is the box big enough for you? As far as bargaining points, condition is your best bet but really, I normally look over a box, say exactly what I see good and bad and make an offer. They either accept, counter or say no. And don't sweat it if they say no. Patience is your friend, another deal will come along soon enough, it always does.

Note, summer may be the best time to buy a used box as folks on CL and ebay are not getting the action they do in the colder months.

 

[Dewilmoth]

I really want a 72" due to the future proofing, but I'm still considering this one. I'm hoping to find a truck brand 72" in good shape at a deep discount from someone who needs money, but aren't we all...

 

[rustbucket5]

i bought the kirkland box a while back, and for the price at least around here (canada) it just cant be beat. it however does not have enough drawers, they are all too tall, however its a huge box. i wouldnt hesitate to recommend it

 

[Speed-Racer]

That is a nice classic Snap-on box, very well made. Take a look at it and see how the condition looks in person. If you like it you can offer 450 or maybe a little less. I think 550 is a fair price, but it never hurts to see what the lowest price they would accept.