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Tool Truck Equivalent Tool Boxes?

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FleetMech

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Joined
May 31, 2025
Messages
10
FNG here, been lurking awhile but just registered. I'm the lead tech for a local construction fleet. Originally started wrenching for the U.S. Army as a 63B - Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic. I hope I can add to the hive from time to time, and have enjoyed the knowledge that's shared here, so thanks to all.

Anyway, I have drawers full of Snap-On, Cornwell, Matco, etc. They have all served me well but for the past several years I have become a proponent of the off-brand tools: Icon, Sunex, Tekton and others. It's my opinion that unless you need financing, and/or you're adamant about buying USA made tools then buying off-brand is the way to go. I give this advice to my apprentices, and my own son who is starting a diesel tech program in the fall.

What I'm curious about is tool boxes? I haven't tried off-brand tool boxes yet. A lot of guys start with US General carts, and they're surprisingly good for the money, but they're certainly not tool truck quality. Just opening boxes in Lowes and Home Depot, for the Husky, Craftsman, etc. also doesn't make me want to buy one.

Anyone got some experience using off-brand boxes in a professional setting? Any recommendations? Thanks!
 
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Theronswanson

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Messages
538
The US General boxes are on par with the Husky boxes at Home Depot IMO. The Icon boxes do come close to tool truck quality, probably closer to the higher end Homak.
 
C

CJM8515

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Mar 8, 2014
Messages
9,292
Location
NJ
i like the us general boxes. i have the original gen 1 44in with side drawer cabinets as well as a gen2 26in stack box. im no tool snob and will pay top dollar for good stuff, but for the money they are very nice. im not sold on the cost of the icon vs the quality for most diy people. if your at a shop vs the price of tool truck brands id buy one in a heart beat.at a shop its getting used and abused all day long
 
K

kngelv

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Location
Detroit, MI
Another one of these threads? OK, here goes…..Tekton/Rousseau, and Lista. None of the Asian stuff is as solid no matter what people on here say. I have a Snap-On KRL and a Kennedy Mechanics Series that have been used for 12 years in a work environment without any issues. I have a Series 1 HF 56” top and bottom that are about 7-8 years old and the drawers don’t slide easily and the latches are giving me issues. Ready to get a new home box or two. Thought about the HF Series 3 because of price only. I know I’ll regret it if I get the HF. Used Snap-On for cheap are a pipe dream in metro Detroit. I’m leaning Tekton. Love the Epiq’s but too pricey for home.

James
 
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Snapped-off

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I'd say Icon is on par with Snap-on Classic/Matco 4s/Mac Tech series.

I looked into Rosseau a couple years ago, before Tekton changed up their drawer layouts. Shipping was a deal breaker.


I'd group up US General alongside Masterforce and Homak.
 
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sightbike

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Location
WA state
tool_scrounge said:
My moto is buy used truck brands. I prefer used Snap-on as they generally have good parts availability on older tool boxes if needed. Otherwise I buy used industrial rolling tool boxes such as Lista, Vidmar, etc.
Click to expand...
This is where I landed after thinking the US General 6 drawer service cart was going to fit the bill. Went to the store to purchase and walked right out - quality was just not there. Ended up with two vintage Snap-on boxes for less than the price of the HF cart several months later. The Snap-ons have better quality IMO albeit not where I had expected to land at all. Deals are out there, you just have to be really patient if you want a used Snap on box.

At the end of the day, buy what you like. If the HF boxes fits for your needs, then pull the trigger and don’t look back.
 
T

tankzilla

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Mar 17, 2011
Messages
3
Location
Missouri
Can find a used truck tool box that's not costing limbs. Being its your son dads older box may instill him take great care of it. Could be a good time for you to get a upgrade. Have many of my dads tools and grandpa.I take great pride in those tools.

We all know the oath as a tech "we are not going to buy more tools". This will not be the last box.

PS I need a bigger box to so will fallow this thread.
 
L

Lou's Garage

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Feb 12, 2008
Messages
580
Location
Anderson, SC
FWIW, I'm still operating out of my 1978 Snap-On KRA box that I bought new when I owned North Rockland Amoco and added a couple others over the years. A friend recently needed drawer slides on his 40 y.o. Mac toolbox and the company shipped them out free of charge under warranty.

Lou Manglass
 
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Colin Len

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Messages
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Location
Long Beach CA
Theronswanson said:
The US General boxes are on par with the Husky boxes at Home Depot IMO. The Icon boxes do come close to tool truck quality, probably closer to the higher end Homak.
Click to expand...

CJM8515 said:
the husky boxes are NOT on par, the metal is thinner, slides cheaper than the us general
Click to expand...
You're both right. US General is consistent quality across it's line. Whereas the Husky boxes have varying levels of quality - look thru the specs, feel the drawers... you'll quickly see that some are super cheap, flimsy and not worth purchasing, while others are close, or possibly equal to US General.

Personally, US General is the best option out there. Over the past 15yrs I've upgraded tool boxes at least 3 times as my tool collection grew. Each time I did as much research as I could and each time I found US General to hands down be the best bang for the buck. You get 90% the quality of the tool truck brands for 30% the price. I even tried to look for used tool truck brands but often their old boxes aren't even as good as US General (maybe they're as strong/durable but latches, slides...etc on the old boxes aren't as good) and they still cost 2x what US General costs.

I tried to find another option that made sense each time and kept coming back to US General. They really just can't be beat unless you've got the money to burn or your ego won't let you be caught with something from HF.
 
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kngelv

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Messages
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Location
Detroit, MI
Colin Len said:
You're both right. US General is consistent quality across it's line. Whereas the Husky boxes have varying levels of quality - look thru the specs, feel the drawers... you'll quickly see that some are super cheap, flimsy and not worth purchasing, while others are close, or possibly equal to US General.

Personally, US General is the best option out there. Over the past 15yrs I've upgraded tool boxes at least 3 times as my tool collection grew. Each time I did as much research as I could and each time I found US General to hands down be the best bang for the buck. You get 90% the quality of the tool truck brands for 30% the price. I even tried to look for used tool truck brands but often their old boxes aren't even as good as US General (maybe they're as strong/durable but latches, slides...etc on the old boxes aren't as good) and they still cost 2x what US General costs.

I tried to find another option that made sense each time and kept coming back to US General. They really just can't be beat unless you've got the money to burn or your ego won't let you be caught with something from HF.
Click to expand...
The only people who think U.S. General's are 90% of a Snap-On box are people who have never owned one. I have a Snap-On KRL at work and a U.S. General Series 1 56" at home. The HF is maybe 70% the quality on the metal but more like 15% on the slides. The Snap-On is far superior mainly because the slides can take a pounding. I'm going on twelve years with both and there is no comparison. The KRL slides are basically the same as new while the HF are getting worse by the day. However..... I paid $699.00 for the HF and my work paid $4500.00 for the KRL which would cost like $8K today. If you want to talk price that is one thing but lets not say the quality is the same. I don't know why people keep bringing this up. There is no shame in HF boxes and thus no reason to justify it. The Snap-On boxes are crazy priced and the typical person would be crazy to buy one. I need two new boxes for my just built second garage because my HF is staying in the current one. I'd like to get two 60" Tekton/Rousseau boxes but that will be $9K. Just got a 20% U.S. General coupon online and could buy three new 56" that would give me roughly the same cubic inches for $2160.00. I can afford it but an extra $7K is hard to swallow.

James
 
I

ITGuy1998

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Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
797
Location
Northern Alabama
WTF are you snap-on box people doing with your boxes? Standing in the drawers? Take a 20 yard lead up to a full run and kick the drawers closed? Non-PG extra curricular activity on them?
 
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Sbusmech

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Joined
Apr 7, 2024
Messages
265
Location
Texas
FleetMech said:
FNG here, been lurking awhile but just registered. I'm the lead tech for a local construction fleet. Originally started wrenching for the U.S. Army as a 63B - Light Wheel Vehicle Mechanic. I hope I can add to the hive from time to time, and have enjoyed the knowledge that's shared here, so thanks to all.

Anyway, I have drawers full of Snap-On, Cornwell, Matco, etc. They have all served me well but for the past several years I have become a proponent of the off-brand tools: Icon, Sunex, Tekton and others. It's my opinion that unless you need financing, and/or you're adamant about buying USA made tools then buying off-brand is the way to go. I give this advice to my apprentices, and my own son who is starting a diesel tech program in the fall.

What I'm curious about is tool boxes? I haven't tried off-brand tool boxes yet. A lot of guys start with US General carts, and they're surprisingly good for the money, but they're certainly not tool truck quality. Just opening boxes in Lowes and Home Depot, for the Husky, Craftsman, etc. also doesn't make me want to buy one.

Anyone got some experience using off-brand boxes in a professional setting? Any recommendations? Thanks!
Click to expand...
If you have the cash, you can get great deals on used higher end truck boxes (not their low/mid stuff). Icon boxes seem pretty good at a great price and financing is available if needed. I have personally worked with guys in the medium/heavy truck industry that use Craftsman and Husky boxes. The Craftsman was 25 year old and the Husky box was around 12 years old, both still look and work good. Others even had US General but they were just lube techs and the boxes only a few years old so can't really comment on those. I myself have a Snap On KRL722 that I've owned since 2008. Looks good and works great.
 
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Colin Len

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kngelv said:
The only people who think U.S. General's are 90% of a Snap-On box are people who have never owned one. I have a Snap-On KRL at work and a U.S. General Series 1 56" at home. The HF is maybe 70% the quality on the metal but more like 15% on the slides. The Snap-On is far superior mainly because the slides can take a pounding. I'm going on twelve years with both and there is no comparison. The KRL slides are basically the same as new while the HF are getting worse by the day. However..... I paid $699.00 for the HF and my work paid $4500.00 for the KRL which would cost like $8K today. If you want to talk price that is one thing but lets not say the quality is the same. I don't know why people keep bringing this up. There is no shame in HF boxes and thus no reason to justify it. The Snap-On boxes are crazy priced and the typical person would be crazy to buy one. I need two new boxes for my just built second garage because my HF is staying in the current one. I'd like to get two 60" Tekton/Rousseau boxes but that will be $9K. Just got a 20% U.S. General coupon online and could buy three new 56" that would give me roughly the same cubic inches for $2160.00. I can afford it but an extra $7K is hard to swallow.

James
Click to expand...
LOL. I said 90% of the quality for 30% the price and you're saying 70% of the quality for 15% of the price. I feel like you might be making my point even better than I did. Maybe my 90% estimate is a bit off but I've used SnapOn boxes in other people's garages, own a very old one (not worth comparing because it's so old) and I also cross shopped used SnapOn/Mac...etc before buying a 56" US General. Sure, my % quality estimate may be a little off bit not drastically and it doesn't change the moral of the story.

I also have not seen my slides degrade over time, but then again each of my prior boxes I only had for 3-8yrs before upgrading. Worth mentioning that all of these boxes have been severely overloaded and they were no worse for the wear.
 
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Sbusmech

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I should've mentioned earlier that at least once a year I clean and lube the slides. Give her a good waxing too.
 
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madison069

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Monroeville, PA
The maintenance crew at public works switched to Homak toolboxes here. Each time I stop by , the boxes looks good and seems to operate well. They work on garbage trucks, firetrucks, and all of the other fleet of vehicles.
 
S

Skellyii

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KC Area
Sbusmech said:
If you have the cash, you can get great deals on used higher end truck boxes (not their low/mid stuff). Icon boxes seem pretty good at a great price and financing is available if needed. I have personally worked with guys in the medium/heavy truck industry that use Craftsman and Husky boxes. The Craftsman was 25 year old and the Husky box was around 12 years old, both still look and work good. Others even had US General but they were just lube techs and the boxes only a few years old so can't really comment on those. I myself have a Snap On KRL722 that I've owned since 2008. Looks good and works great.
Click to expand...
Whoa there!

Let's clarify a bit. I have a Craftsman stack I bought in 1983, and then bought another in 2023. I grossly overloaded the 83 box over the years, and still don't have issues. The 2023 box...let's not talk about it. I also have an older Husky stack that's better than what's in the stores at the moment.

If you're going Craftsman or Husky, buy an older box.
 
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S

Sbusmech

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Theronswanson said:
The US General boxes are on par with the Husky boxes at Home Depot IMO. The Icon boxes do come close to tool truck quality, probably closer to the higher end Homak.
Click to expand...
I disagree, ICON boxes matches up well with the mid level box trucks like the MAC Tech series, Snap On's KRA series etc.
 
S

Snapped-off

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evildky said:
I got my KRL1033 for $2k. seem to lots of similar boxes at similar prices.
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I spent all of 2020 looking for a used box, before I bought my Icon in 2021.

I remember there was a 26" KRA Heritage stack someone wanted $2500 for.

Pretty much all the KRA Classic double banks I saw were 5k and up. Snappy guy had a brand new one on the truck at $4,300.

The KRLs were $7-10k.

I'm into my roll cab, chest, and 2 lockers for $5k. I did try.
 
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Colin Len

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Snapped-off said:
I spent all of 2020 looking for a used box, before I bought my Icon in 2021.

I remember there was a 26" KRA Heritage stack someone wanted $2500 for.

Pretty much all the KRA Classic double banks I saw were 5k and up. Snappy guy had a brand new one on the truck at $4,300.

The KRLs were $7-10k.

I'm into my roll cab, chest, and 2 lockers for $5k. I did try.
Click to expand...
This is my experience as well. Around here people want crazy prices for used boxes so you're not really getting a deal and isn't really a feasible alternative to US General / Icon if that's where your budget is.
 
P

pvanderlugt

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Nov 14, 2010
Messages
331
not sure why no one brought up Extreme Toolboxes? Better then HF/Husky, Craftsman? Absolutely…Better then Icon.. Yep.. Better then a used SO? Not sure, but around here everything SO demands prices similar to gold, as well strange configuration/colors.

I bought a pair of 72 inch EX‘s from this guy below, super nice to deal with… Boxes are everything you could every want out of a box… does it have a SO logo on the front? Nope, can you get parts 10 years from now? Who knows, slides appear to be commercial OTS, not too worried about that…everything super heavy duty.. paint flawless .. anyway, something to think about…I would do this deal again in a heartbeat…


 
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