ssdave
Banned
It's always interesting to see people that insist that you buy all your stuff used. If everybody tried to do that, there would eventually be no used stuff to buy; because nobody was buying new....
I too have a SO KRL high quality box. Along with a Masterforce set and a Performax (from Menards) set, and a Kennedy set. I don't think I have duplicates of cheap tools stored in them, but haven't checked recently. I'm not a car guy, so my opinion is pretty unqualified by this thread. I have a Roush mustang that I use as a daily driver, I"ve never washed it; just drive it. My 20 year old pickup has never been through a car wash, although I occasionally pressure wash the salt off the underside of it. I don't polish my snap-on and arrange them just right in my boxes. I'm perfectly comfortable putting them down on the concrete floor, and occasionally hit them with a hammer as needed. I just like nice tools, and using them.
I'm thinking I'll also buy a few HF boxes and use them for general garage storage when I get my new garage completed. I'd have to search for 100 years to get 5 used, matched SO or MAC or Matco boxes at even 5 times the price of the new HF ones to use for that. And, the HF will be quite good enough in quality to serve the purpose.
Nothing wrong with using an appropriate level of tool for what is needed. Not everybody needs Snap-on boxes, and not everybody can find one used for a good price when they need it. For some of us, the pride of ownership is a pretty low priority reason to buy something. I do understand that for others, it is the primary driving force. Especially with car guys. I see some of them polishing their Corolla or Neon or C-10 weekly; there were muddy cat tracks across my car this morning and they'll be there until next time it rains. Some of us just think differently than others; there's room for both.
As for what makes SO worth more than HF?
1) Build and design is better. Drawers, cabinet, hardware.
2) Slides work better.
3) Latch system works better.
4) Suspension and casters are better.
5) Parts support and warranty are better.
6) Weight capacity is better.
7) Durability is a lot higher.
Does that make it a good buy? Depends. What are your needs, and what are your resources to buy it with. You can easily buy 10 HF new for what a new SO of comparable size will cost. If the HF just worked perfectly the same as the SO, but wore out every 2 years without degrading in performance in the mean time, it would be more cost effective to buy 10 HF's. But, the problem is, they won't perform as well the first day, and as they break down and wear out, will be even worse. If you need the box to work in high demand conditions, that would make it not worthwhile. If you don't have the need for that level of performance, and can make do with taking better care to not break the less expensive box, the HF would be a good choice.
Make the decision of what to buy based on your needs.
I too have a SO KRL high quality box. Along with a Masterforce set and a Performax (from Menards) set, and a Kennedy set. I don't think I have duplicates of cheap tools stored in them, but haven't checked recently. I'm not a car guy, so my opinion is pretty unqualified by this thread. I have a Roush mustang that I use as a daily driver, I"ve never washed it; just drive it. My 20 year old pickup has never been through a car wash, although I occasionally pressure wash the salt off the underside of it. I don't polish my snap-on and arrange them just right in my boxes. I'm perfectly comfortable putting them down on the concrete floor, and occasionally hit them with a hammer as needed. I just like nice tools, and using them.
I'm thinking I'll also buy a few HF boxes and use them for general garage storage when I get my new garage completed. I'd have to search for 100 years to get 5 used, matched SO or MAC or Matco boxes at even 5 times the price of the new HF ones to use for that. And, the HF will be quite good enough in quality to serve the purpose.
Nothing wrong with using an appropriate level of tool for what is needed. Not everybody needs Snap-on boxes, and not everybody can find one used for a good price when they need it. For some of us, the pride of ownership is a pretty low priority reason to buy something. I do understand that for others, it is the primary driving force. Especially with car guys. I see some of them polishing their Corolla or Neon or C-10 weekly; there were muddy cat tracks across my car this morning and they'll be there until next time it rains. Some of us just think differently than others; there's room for both.
As for what makes SO worth more than HF?
1) Build and design is better. Drawers, cabinet, hardware.
2) Slides work better.
3) Latch system works better.
4) Suspension and casters are better.
5) Parts support and warranty are better.
6) Weight capacity is better.
7) Durability is a lot higher.
Does that make it a good buy? Depends. What are your needs, and what are your resources to buy it with. You can easily buy 10 HF new for what a new SO of comparable size will cost. If the HF just worked perfectly the same as the SO, but wore out every 2 years without degrading in performance in the mean time, it would be more cost effective to buy 10 HF's. But, the problem is, they won't perform as well the first day, and as they break down and wear out, will be even worse. If you need the box to work in high demand conditions, that would make it not worthwhile. If you don't have the need for that level of performance, and can make do with taking better care to not break the less expensive box, the HF would be a good choice.
Make the decision of what to buy based on your needs.
