Tool Chest Recommendations; My First Post

[giants]

I'm an occasional home repair and frequent DIY auto repair person. I'm also taking auto repair classes at the local JC. I probably have about 300 tools.

I'm thinking about organizing my tools in my basement into a tool chest or two. This would be a permanent chest, though I suppose if I find a better one, I could try to sell it.

It looks like the used tool chest market is a buyers' market due to the large home renters' market in my area, the chest size, and the need for vehicle to transport? Is that correct in that I can negotiate aggressively with sellers, say on craigslist?

Things rust quickly in my basement; just last night, I saw a rust hole in a metal cabine in my basement. I'm thinking about putting wax on a tool chest to prevent rust.

Any thoughts on that?

I will buy drawer liners to prevent scratches and rust, unless the chests already come with drawer liners.

Is there any regular maintence, eg lubricating sliding door slides, that should be done? And if so, what sort of lubricant, eg grease vs. WD-40?

I'm thinking about buying used Snap-On chest (eg KRA and KRL series) Matco, or Mac for quality build, steel quality, resale in case I upgrade, and the possibility of getting replacment parts. Alternatively, new US General from Harbor Freight, has positive reviews, too.

I saw a suggestion about saving money and having flexibility by buying two-2 bays vs. one 3-bay. I have basement space, so is it better to buy a chest that's little bigger than my current needs, then grow into them or just have extra drawer space so tools don't have to sit on top of each other?

I really like the look, reviews, and 10 year warranties of these US-made Craftsman chests:

Craftsman 2000 Series 52” x 24.5”, $339 on sale now at Lowe's
#CMST25180RB

Craftsman 2000 Series 26 x 19.75, $159 on sale now at Lowe's
#CMST22652RB

I'll ask Lowe's but I wonder if I can get a discount from them or someone else from buying both at the same time?

I'm thinking that these would be at the basement edges, as I wouldn't need all of the tools at once.

I'm also thinking about a Lowe's $120 Craftsman 1000 Series combination compact chest (all black) to house tools that I commonly use on my car, and putting the chest right in front of where I park the car at its hood for easy access to commonly used tools and chemicals, like motor oil:

Thoughts?

I'm trying to be mindful of the future availability of replacement parts for a chest that I buy.

Practically speaking, it would be less effort and truck rental cost for me to go to my nearby Lowe's than go to another city to buy a used tool chest.

However, I read one negative review of the first chest in that the caster holes didn't align. I presume that I should assemble the casters before leaving the store premises (should also help with loading it?).

Any thoughts on the Snap-On vs Craftsman vs other brands?

Thanks!

 

[JVB]

You are comparing a couple grand snap on to a couple hundred dollar craftsman. There is no comparison. What is your true budget?

In the couple hundred dollar range I like the us general or milwaukee.

1000-2000$ you really open up options. Snap on Matco Mac used . Tool vault , extreme or homak rs series .

For replacement parts I think Snap on is the best at that but you are paying a premium upfront.

Best box? snap on is debatably the “best”
Best value? the us general wins that in my eyes

 

[BroncoAZ]

It looks like the used tool chest market is a buyers' market due to the large home renters' market in my area, the chest size, and the need for vehicle to transport? Is that correct in that I can negotiate aggressively with sellers, say on craigslist?

Large truck brand boxes are seldom a “deal” in my area, guys always ask 60% of retail which is probably what they really paid for it on the truck a decade ago. $3000 for a battle worn Snap On or Matco 56” bottom box isn’t a deal to me. Homeowner grade boxes may be a decent deal, but the ones I see asking all the money are usually ancient and beat up.

If by “negotiate aggressively” you mean lowball, you probably won’t get very far. Sometimes you find dreamers who want retail for used stuff, other times you score a sweet deal from someone who really needs to get rid of something, but most of the time average guys post stuff for a fair price if they want it to sell. I consider anything under 75% of the asking price to be a lowball if I priced it properly. Most of my Craigslist stuff sells for asking price or maybe 10% off my asking. Don’t be that guy who emails people asking “what’s the lowest you’ll take?”, be a man and make an offer. Don’t try to lowball them when you get there unless the item was misrepresented, if it’s that bad just walk away.

 

[JoeMcGov]

Also, the OP literally asked if we had any thoughts about a waxed box...

You guys are slipping.

Mmmmmmm. Her name was Melissa. Loved her waxed box.

 

[marineman]

Not a huge fan of our dealer or their tools as a whole but our Mac guy will warranty a box for rust, our snapon guy won't. I think snapon boxes are better but given your situation it's something to think about.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

A moist basement is a poor place to keep a toolbox or tools.
A small top chest can get too heavy to carry as a portable. FAST. It doesn't take a very large steel tool chest to weigh 50 pounds empty; so that is bad enough.
A large toolbox filled with tools, sitting in a moist basement would be My absolute last choice. I would focus on the best storage solution for the location the tools are to be used..

 

[Mr_B]

If you got that much a rust issue i consider looking at stainless boxes .
For home use you not really going have much issue with a box requiring extreme warranty needs.
Lock and wheels easy enough fix and slides can be found or adapted if really needed to .
If you got no large transport and putting in a basement 2 smaller boxes better than 1 large 1 .
Would probably be silly put loads of effort, time and money running round looking for a tool truck deal to rust in a basement .

 

[giants]

Thanks, everyone, for your helpful comments.

My basement/garage is at street level so there would be no stairs involved with unloading.

I live in a two-story house-over-garage and I'm not sure what to do about the humid basement other than Mr_B's idea about stainless boxes. Do the old KRA/KRL's have stainless material?

Thanks for helping me think about budget. I hate to overspend on tool boxes/chests. On the other hand, it should be a forever boxes/chests. It sounds like I should save up and buy a used Snap-On/Mac/Matco box?

I should clarified negotiating in that I don't low-ball, but would like to get a discount on asking price.

By the way, what maintenance on slides in terms of lubrication material and frequency do you recommend?

 

[Mr_B]

No snapon won't be stainless, Taiwan CSPS made some pretty top quality stainless boxes .
If looking used truck I would look at older matco as generally better prices as snapon overpriced new or used .

 

[sk farmer]

Thanks, everyone, for your helpful comments.

My basement/garage is at street level so there would be no stairs involved with unloading.

I live in a two-story house-over-garage and I'm not sure what to do about the humid basement.

yea. it's called a dehumidifier. once the humidity is pulled down it should be easier to maintain.

i assume there is a lot of moisture around your foundation and if that is the case,eave troughs, down spouts and maybe rocks or mulch over plastic to keep water away from the foundation. that much moisture in your house even if it is in the basement is not a good situation.

 

[giants]

Thanks.

Are any Matco models and production years better than others?

I just checked humidity: 60% in the basement right now (update 1 hour later: 65%).

 

[fj5gtx]

Wow, first get yourself a dehumidifier! I'd go for the US General boxes. I'd rather have the extra $ in tools or other stuff.

I put car wax on my toolboxes once every couple of years. The paint is just enamel, so it keeps it fresh and not oxidized. Cleans up well and even my 30 year old box still looks like new.

I recommend buying bigger than you need if you have the floor space. I only bought boxes as my tool collection expanded... a conservative approach that leads to having multiple stacks of boxes.

 

[giants]

Thanks.

I'm looking into the dehumidifier.

I just found a 1970s era Snap-On KR*555 d with 8 drawers, 33" wide, 18" deep, unknown height, new wheels and locking mechanism for $500, where * looks like A or a hyphen. It's shaped exactly like this:

https://us.letgo.com/en/i/snap-on-kr-555c-8-drawer-tool-box_b9484598-e3cc-452d-aab6-fd3307c399f1

though the paint is dull-red.

Assuming it's in the good condition represented by the seller, is this a good forever cart for me at a fair price?

Thanks

 

[reptilezs]

i spray the insides of my tool boxes with crc sp400 in all the seams and raw metal

 

[seanb02]

Thanks.

Are any Matco models and production years better than others?

I just checked humidity: 60% in the basement right now (update 1 hour later: 65%).

That is quite high on the humidity, and it can't be good for anything in that area. Dehumidifiers are great, I run one 9 months out of the year in the 26' travel trailer I live in. It is a full size 70 pint unit, and I am emptying the 13 pint bucket about every 2 days keeping the humidity level at 35%

The 70 pint rating is what it could do in 1 day operating continuously with 100% humidity, so remember that when looking at units. A smaller one won't be as efficient in keep humidity down in a space.

 

[jimreed2160]

I deal with North Florida humidity issues with a dehumidifier. It has been running for over five years without issue. Sits in the middle in an out of the way spot and has a pump/hose. Keeps my tools from rusting and takes a load off the window A/C that I run when I am in there.

 

[bobemmerich]

First off...Welcome. I will also recommend a dehumidifier. As far as boxes go, your budget will generally be the factor. I myself, prefer Kennedy boxes. Built in U.S.A. and most of the bottom boxes are 20" deep.

 

[pbon]

I used 3 44” HF boxes in a row with an mdf top for years and liked them. Good value. There are others for a bit more that are also good like Homak. And you can spend a lot of money on snapon and matco that are great but probably more than you need for a home shop.

 

[joey1320]

A tool box is nothing more than storage. I don't understand the point of spending thousands in such. I would go with a Milwaukee or DeWalt from HD.

For you basement, I would recommend looking into the moisture issues and resolving that to stop mold.

 

[giants]

I was at Home Depot this morning and saw this beautiful tool chest for the first time:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-Chest-and-Cabinet-Combo-48-22-8556/308749708

The drawers wobble left and right, but stay firm on being fully open. It's 20 gauge steel.

I don't see any user reviews on it at Homedepot.com. Amazon doesn't have reviews on this model, but they do on a similar model that has mostly positive reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017T7HY78/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Any thoughts on the Milwaukee compared to Harbor Freight/US General (which doesn't disclose its steel gauge) or an old Snap-On?

 

[larryq]

I was at Home Depot this morning and saw this beautiful tool chest for the first time:
Any thoughts on the Milwaukee compared to Harbor Freight/US General (which doesn't disclose its steel gauge) or an old Snap-On?

The SnapOn you listed for $500 is a good, solid deal, especially if the insides are as clean as the exterior. Often times its more than worth it to buy a clean box at the start, than a beater 'that I can restore' for $100 less-- restoring and repainting a toolbox is amazingly time-consuming and a PITA.

Another option, best bang for the buck, is a HF 44" or (if you need that much storage) 56" set-- great boxes for the money.

 

[giants]

Thanks.

 

[pcmeiners]

"If you got that much a rust issue i consider looking at stainless boxes ."

For few reasons tool box/chest manufacturers do not use rust resistant stainless. If you have a high humidity area, stainless boxes will rust, I have one.

 

[regguy1]

Tool Vault from Strictly Tool Boxes:
Video review:

Organization video:

less than $2000.00 delivered (without side cabinet)

 

[Handyandy23]

Not sure if they still sell them, but I bought an International brand box from Costco. 52" full top and bottom, ball bearing sliders for $1000 CDN (keep in mind prices in Canada are a bit higher for everything than in the US). Made in Canada. Came with drawer liners, gas shock lid on the top, etc.

I've been really happy with it. Quality is good, fit and finish is good, drawers open and close smoothly. Not sure what else a more expensive tool box would do for me that this one doesn't.

 

[Ilikeike]

No student discounts ? shop teacher can't hook you up with a good used one ?

Not sure if they still sell them, but I bought an International brand box from Costco. 52" full top and bottom, ball bearing sliders for $1000 CDN (keep in mind prices in Canada are a bit higher for everything than in the US). Made in Canada. Came with drawer liners, gas shock lid on the top, etc.

I've been really happy with it. Quality is good, fit and finish is good, drawers open and close smoothly. Not sure what else a more expensive tool box would do for me that this one doesn't.

I have an Canadian International chest at home myself, I like it. It was just under $1000 I believe when I got it a couple years ago.

 

[mercury26]

Tool Vault from Strictly Tool Boxes:
Video review:

Organization video:

less than $2000.00 delivered (without side cabinet)

How is the quality of the Tool Vault boxes? I need to upgrade to a larger size, they are on my list.