Snap-On Roller Cabinet question

[DrHoliday]

Hi all! I have to admit I didn't know this site existed until about an hour ago. Once I found it I couldn't join fast enough lol
A little about me, I live in Pa & work mostly on bikes. My latest build is an '06 Triumph Bonneville (pictured.... both before and after)
I've outgrown the boxes I have (Craftsman stacker and a Snappy top box) and have been looking for another, larger one. I came across this Snap On box yesterday at a great price ($500) and after talking to the seller I have no doubt I'll buy it but I'm wondering what model it is.
From what I've been able to find online it looks like a KR series but I have no idea if it's a 560, 660, etc.... or even a KR series at all.
I'm sure this is a topic that's been addressed but the threads I saw that discuss SO boxes like this are a few years old so I doubt they get many views (or responses)
The owner lost the keys but they're easily replaced, aren't they?
Thank everyone in advance for any advice/input.
I'm glad I found this site, I'm really looking forward to participating in the discussions here.

 

[JagerHead27]

Getting replacement keys shouldn't be a problem. Contact a dealer or the main website. I ordered extras for my box. I bought my box from my dealer however if you don't have proof they might not sell keys based on code, a security issue. Even replacing the locks is not expensive or difficult. There should be a model and serial number on the back of the tool box. Good luck and welcome to the journal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DrHoliday]

JagerHead27, thanks!
I had to get replacement keys for my SO top box and they never questioned where/when I bought it. I had gotten it used and was worried about that issue so it was a relief when they told me the keys were available.
I wasn't sure though about larger bottom cabinet key availability. Not knowing how old this box is I don't know if it's 10 years old or 30.... do they sell keys for older boxes?
That's why I'm hoping someone can tell me what model it is. Knowing the model will give me an idea as to how old it is.

 

[Toothaker]

If the boxes are what you want and at a price you're comfortable with, get them.

Keys will be available. Either you can get replacement keys, get replacement locks, or get a locksmith to make keys for the locks, there's a solution.

I got replacement keys for some 60 year old Kennedy boxes. The biggest issue was the decades of dust and grime that had accumulated in the locks.

Sorry, I'm no help on the model of the toolbox. I know that SO puts a label on them, so look around the box to see if the previous owner(s) left it on the box.

And welcome to GJ!

 

[wornoutoldman]

What is the number on the lock cylinder face? I may have a spare set of keys for you.

 

[DrHoliday]

If the boxes are what you want and at a price you're comfortable with, get them.

Keys will be available. Either you can get replacement keys, get replacement locks, or get a locksmith to make keys for the locks, there's a solution.

I got replacement keys for some 60 year old Kennedy boxes. The biggest issue was the decades of dust and grime that had accumulated in the locks.

Sorry, I'm no help on the model of the toolbox. I know that SO puts a label on them, so look around the box to see if the previous owner(s) left it on the box.

And welcome to GJ!

Good point! The box is 2+ hours from me so I haven't seen it in person yet but judging by some of the pics it's in decent shape and I can't beat the price

 

[DrHoliday]

What is the number on the lock cylinder face? I may have a spare set of keys for you.

Per the seller it's Y350.
If you have a spare it would be much appreciated!
Thank you again!

 

[DrHoliday]

I just heard from the seller, it's a KR 660B
From what the seller says the drawers have ball bearing slides but some of the sights I've been on suggest that the KR 660 didn't have bb slides (unless it was upgraded)
Anyone know if the KR 660 was made without ball bearing slides until "X" year then with ball bearing slides after that year?

 

[ABADWILLYS]

i want to say 1985 or 1986,,i have a KR660 in my home shop with no ball bearing slides, they came out the next year. i bought my box new i think in 1984
still in use to this day KR560/660 combo

 

[DrHoliday]

i want to say 1985 or 1986,,i have a KR660 in my home shop with no ball bearing slides, they came out the next year. i bought my box new i think in 1984
still in use to this day KR560/660 combo

Thanks ABADWILLYS!
Nice set up!

 

[Ditch]

For 500.00 and 4 hours of driving + fuel ?
I'd go to Harbor Freight and have a NEW box with money left over.

https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in...iMzQ5Ljk5IiwicHJvZHVjdF9p ZCI6Ijg1MDYifQ==

and they are less when they go on sale

take a peek
https://www.harborfreight.com/catal...tured+Weight,f,Sale+Rank,f&q=rolling+tool+box

 

[DrHoliday]

For 500.00 and 4 hours of driving + fuel ?
I'd go to Harbor Freight and have a NEW box with money left over.

https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in...iMzQ5Ljk5IiwicHJvZHVjdF9p ZCI6Ijg1MDYifQ==

and they are less when they go on sale

take a peek
https://www.harborfreight.com/catal...tured+Weight,f,Sale+Rank,f&q=rolling+tool+box

Funny you mention the HF box. I was planning on heading to my local HF on Tuesday to buy one of these US General boxes for $349 but I came across the ad for the Snap On box on Monday night.
I know the HF boxes get great reviews but if I can get a Snap On box for $150 more I'll get it.

 

[txvwnut]

I've got a 660 with the ball bearing slides and a 560 top that is all friction slides. The 660 I bought new in 1988 and the 560 I bought off my SO dealer for fifty bucks about ten years ago. I've looked at the HF boxes and other boxes considering a box change but when I look at that 660 and the fact all the drawers still open and close like they did when it was new I just decide to keep the old box.

 

[DrHoliday]

I've got a 660 with the ball bearing slides and a 560 top that is all friction slides. The 660 I bought new in 1988 and the 560 I bought off my SO dealer for fifty bucks about ten years ago. I've looked at the HF boxes and other boxes considering a box change but when I look at that 660 and the fact all the drawers still open and close like they did when it was new I just decide to keep the old box.

I've done a lot of research on the US General cabinets and they appear to be great boxes but all the reviews I read were of new boxes.
I don't know how they'd hold up to years of use and I don't want to have to replace my box in 5 or 10 years.
I tend to buy things that have a proven track record because I don't like to replace them.

 

[Ditch]

how much time are you going to spend cleaning it up?
fixing the rust?
is it for home use?

 

[DrHoliday]

how much time are you going to spend cleaning it up?
fixing the rust?
is it for home use?

It's for home use.
I haven't seen it yet in person, if it's in rough shape I won't get it but if it just has surface rust I'll clean it up.
I've restored other cabinets and they turned out fairly decent.... certainly functional.

 

[Ditch]

For home use a HF box will last you until you die, even if you are very young
I'd hate to waste 4 hours driving on a question mark

 

[DrHoliday]

I like to drive
Plus, I'm not going to lose $ on it. At worst I can get it home, clean it up a bit and flip it for at least as much as I'll pay for it.

 

[Ditch]

post pics when you get it home

 

[DrHoliday]

Will do.

 

[Mr_B]

If bit more scruffy than expected 425 to 450 would be better price, I see bottom drawer bent but looks likely straighten pretty well, lot of light rust ideally mean refinish due know or pretty soon.
Can't go too far wrong if all slides and drawers slide and align proper, assumed the B on model code means bb slides ! is a bonus have bb slides and means you could flip it easier or enjoy loading/using it more .
Can't really go wrong on used snapon boxes as long pay realistic price to model condition .

 

[DrHoliday]

So, I went and picked the box up today. It's dirty but in decent shape and even has the owners manual.
It was in a building that flooded a few years ago and the bottom drawers were the worst of it.
You can see where sediment settled on the bottom of the box.
It'll need two left side slides and I'd like to get new, or gently used, casters if I can find them at a reasonable price. I'd also like to paint some scratches,
I'l looking forward to the resto.
So far all I've had time to do is clean the bottom and remove 2 of the slides that need replacing.
Any words of advice would be appreciated.
Thaks again

 

[calif phil]

Congrats on the Snap-On box. I would have bought it over the HF box any day. The restoration will be fun. You will have a great tool box when your done.

 

[Toothaker]

I agree, congratulations on the SO box. It looks like it's in good shape, and you will get many years of use out of it. Fixing it up should be fun.

 

[DrHoliday]

From what I can find online the slides I need are Accuride 8-3388 ALRS slides but I can't find them anywhere.
Does anyone know where I might find them or what replacement slide would work?

 

[Mr_B]

Slides can be a problem/expense on older used SO cabinets, needs checking well when buying used if you not friendly with snapon dealer. think snapon price is around $150 a pair .
You could go on the accuride website and see if can match length and slot bayonet fittings to their online product lines .

 

[Waterh20]

From what I can find online the slides I need are Accuride 8-3388 ALRS slides but I can't find them anywhere.
Does anyone know where I might find them or what replacement slide would work?

Nice box you got there! Sorry if I missed it but what exactly is wrong with the sliders? Have you tried soaking them in a degreaser/atf inside a pvc tube? You may be able to save them.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

From what I can find online the slides I need are Accuride 8-3388 ALRS slides but I can't find them anywhere.
Does anyone know where I might find them or what replacement slide would work?

Call Snap On customer service, give them the box # and tell them what slides you need.

Congrats on your purchase. Your new (old) toolbox is miles ahead in quality than anything you could buy from the store with the horrible rubber smell.

 

[DrHoliday]

Mr B, I've found a few new slides for SO boxes for around $60/set but they aren't the same model number so I don't know if they'll work. I'm planning on calling Snap-On and Accuride on Monday to find out if there's another model number that will work and if they're covered under the lifetime warranty.

Waterh20, I soaked the remaining slides in parts cleaner then pressure washed them and they've come clean. I'm not sure exactly what to use as lubrication for them, maybe Super Lube, but they're ready to be installed again when I figure that out.
The 2 slides that need to be replaced somehow got bent, not much but just enough to make the two drawers hard enough to close that the box moves (WITH the wheels locked) when you apply the needed pressure to close or open them.

 

[Waterh20]

Mr B, I've found a few new slides for SO boxes for around $60/set but they aren't the same model number so I don't know if they'll work. I'm planning on calling Snap-On and Accuride on Monday to find out if there's another model number that will work and if they're covered under the lifetime warranty.

Waterh20, I soaked the remaining slides in parts cleaner then pressure washed them and they've come clean. I'm not sure exactly what to use as lubrication for them, maybe Super Lube, but they're ready to be installed again when I figure that out.
The 2 slides that need to be replaced somehow got bent, not much but just enough to make the two drawers hard enough to close that the box moves (WITH the wheels locked) when you apply the needed pressure to close or open them.

Have you ever bought anything direct from SnapOn? Their C.S. is pretty good and worth a shot to inquire. I use SuperLube on my Snap-On slides. I like it.

 

[Mr_B]

covered under original owner lifetime or good customer to your dealer warranty, snapon prices pretty expensive on box spares, would expect can get a match and hopefully you sort something via accuride on Monday, good luck .

 

[chrismenke]

Here's a hint:
When getting stuff warrantied from Snap On customer service, it helps to start your phone call with "I need to order 2 things and warranty one". When you're buying an item or two it really helps smooth over the warranty claim process, especially for new/low history customers.

When I was serviced by a driver, he'd take care of my warranty issues, but that was long ago and far away. Now I wait to call in warranty issues until I need to order something from SO, and have yet to have anything other than great service.

If you're okay with buying the slides, I'd buy them from Snap On (even if they were a few dollars more) to help build your customer history in their computers. May be useful in the future...

 

[DrHoliday]

Waterh20, I have dealt with S.O. customer service and have always been treated well.
I cleaned several of the slides and plan on lubing them up tomorrow and installing them. The parts cleaner I'm using worked pretty well, you can see the difference between the dirty ones and the ones I've cleaned.

chrismenke, Good advice. I'll probably ask to buy a few slides and ask if they'll throw a few in.

The resto is coming along but it's slow going. The bolts holding the rails on are 1/4" but they're only accessable through a hole in the slide that isn't much larger than the bolt head.
None of my sockets would fit so on the first 2 slides I had to use a very small ignition wrench but that was incredibly frustrating because it barely fit around the bolt head.
I looked into some thin walled sockets but they were pretty expensive (around $55/piece) so today while I was at Walmart I picked up a 1/4" Stanley socket for around $1.88 with the intention of grinding it's outside edge down so it could be used to remove the bolts.
I was pretty happy when I got it home and it worked perfectly without grinding.... (thin walled and cheap but perfect for this job)
Anyhoo.... this is where I am now in case anyone is wondering lol

 

[Waterh20]

Waterh20, I have dealt with S.O. customer service and have always been treated well.
I cleaned several of the slides and plan on lubing them up tomorrow and installing them. The parts cleaner I'm using worked pretty well, you can see the difference between the dirty ones and the ones I've cleaned.

Nice job on the cleanup. It'll be in great shape in no time.

 

[pi_guy]

I like to drive
Plus, I'm not going to lose $ on it. At worst I can get it home, clean it up a bit and flip it for at least as much as I'll pay for it.

There is a whole group of people that will push you to spend your money on funny smelling stuff that rarely holds up.
Got 40 year old SO boxes with much abusive time that have seen Husky and HF stuff come break and leave.

 

[DrHoliday]

If I wasn't sold on Snap-On before for the quality of their tools I sure am now for their 5 star customer service.
I called them today and asked about the slides. I explained that I was not the original owner and I was told, almost immediately, that they were covered! They asked me how many I needed...5 sets? I said "No, just 3 if that's ok" and he took my info down and told me I should have them by early next week if not this week!
I didn't want to push my luck but the casters are pretty rough (due to the flood) so I asked them about the casters and was told they too are covered!!
I should have everything in a matter of days, at no charge!
That will give me enough time to prep and paint what I want to then install the new hardware and have a great long-lasting box.
Sorry for all the exclamation points but I feel like a kid at Christmas!!
While I'm sure the reviews for the US General boxes are valid and they are probably good boxes I'm equally sure that their customer service is nothing like Snap-Ons.
The phone call to S.O. took a total of 10 minutes, they were pleasant and more than wiling to help.
They certainly made a customer for life outa me!

 

[Mr_B]

^ you lucky get them free and castors too . worked out great as box was over priced for condition but you going have it looking/working pretty good and main outlay is only your time and a cheap socket ...
snapon boxes always a good used buy and besides lasting well always have decent value .

 

[FJ 432]

If I wasn't sold on Snap-On before for the quality of their tools I sure am now for their 5 star customer service.
I called them today and asked about the slides. I explained that I was not the original owner and I was told, almost immediately, that they were covered! They asked me how many I needed...5 sets? I said "No, just 3 if that's ok" and he took my info down and told me I should have them by early next week if not this week!
I didn't want to push my luck but the casters are pretty rough (due to the flood) so I asked them about the casters and was told they too are covered!!
I should have everything in a matter of days, at no charge!

I had the same experience about 6 months ago on a KR7100. I couldn't believe they would do that as I was prepared to pay. The best part is when you get your slides installed you have this awesome box that's virtually brand new.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[DrHoliday]

Because it's late (and I've showered) I don't want to get back into cleaning tool box drawers so I'm shopping for drawer liners and I came across this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24-X-5-Roll...051238?hash=item1c60bc82a6:g:qQoAAOSwPgxVLsbR

Anyone have any experience with, or thoughts about this? Would a .02" thick magnetic vinyl sheet work well as a drawer liner?

 

[DrHoliday]

I cleaned, sanded and primed the box. I'm posting pictures of the progress in case anyone is still watching this thread & I've also done some of the drawers.
Tomorrow I plan on wet sanding what has been primed so I can start painting and then cleaning & priming the remaining drawers.
I'm anxious to get the painting done so I can install the new slides and casters.
It's coming along well
** For some reason the last pic is sideways. It's not sideways on my computer so I can't rotate it. Sorry 'bout that.