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Toolboxes

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SMLWinds

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May 6, 2013
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I am in the market for a toolbox for my shop. I don't have much experience with them or know much about them. All I know is the ones at Lowe's are a few hundred bucks but the Snap On ones cost the same as a car!

I don't want the big box store junk....I have money to spend and don't mind a premium price for a premium product.

With that being said, who competes with Snap On as a good quality box? Is there anyone as good? In the end, there are probably some folks who think a cardboard box does the same job since all it does is allow tools to sit in it but balance of the box, ability to move on casters, how easily full drawers slide, etc. is a difference I'm sure.

So, are Snap On boxes worth the outrageous prices? Are there boxes that are just as good? What are the other more elite brand boxes?

Thanks!
 
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bobcatdan

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If your looking for a 40" or smaller, Kennedy. Larger boxes, proto is a great option. Proto boxes are basically the same as Mac boxes. Kinda a Chevy to a GMC thing. In regards to a SO box, best way to buy one is by having a good relationship with a dealer. Boxes are like cars, nobody pays list. Personality I own mostly SO boxes.
 
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stage20

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Snap on is one of the best. Other big brands like mac and matco have excellent boxes as well. For a tenth of the price harbor freight has great boxes. The 44 and 56" boxes are a really good deal if you are on a budget. I've had them all and I like mac the best but I've had 2 of the harbor freight 44s with no issue. The 56 my be a better choice for you if you are running a shop. Unlimited budget, my favorite are mac
 
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BajaBound

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HF 56 is a great box, I would buy it again and again. My next box is going to be a 72" from strictly tool boxes.
 
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Sgt Beavis

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Jan 17, 2012
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GTO said:
What is your budget ?
Click to expand...

This... but it also is somewhat dependent on your use case. If this is a professional shop and your toolbox is going to be moved around regularly, then I think toolboxes in the SnapOn class are the only way to go. But if it will be in your home shop/garage and won't be moved around much, then I love the options HF gives us. I have zero love for Husky or Kobalt...
 
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JUNK-MAN

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Yes Snap-On is worth the price, that being said, other truck brands like Mac, Matco, and Cornwell are also OK. Cornwell is the least expensive but also least in quality. Buying a used box is a good option too. Good luck!:thumbup:
 
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Heavy Metal Doctor

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Mason Dixon Line
My advice -- go put your own hands on as many different brands in your budget price as you can and your own sense of feel decide. And don't buy any one 'till you have seen / felt up as many as possible.

Personally, I'd buy a 20 year old used SO or other tool-truck brand box even if it's a bit more than all the store brands latest and greatest stuff.
 
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SteveCh

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bcradio said:
check out strictlytoolboxes.com for some good mid-range boxes.
Click to expand...


Beat me to it. I followed this advice a couple years back, and am so glad I did. I shopped everything and every brand from Sears to HF and, thankfully, went with strictlytoolboxes.com
 
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Askme42

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How does someone start a thread like this then not follow up with any info that's been asked for. Like price and home or professional.
 
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RedneckWelder

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You have a huge array of options.

Used Snap On or other truck brand boxes
Montezuma, Extreme, and so on boxes from Strictly Toolboxes
HF boxes
Lista and Kennedy boxes, plus other industrial brands such as Proto.

It all comes down to how much you are willing to pay.
 
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Wamsutta

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SMLWinds said:
So, are Snap On boxes worth the outrageous prices?
Click to expand...

They would be if they used a little bit thicker sheet metal. The inside wall where the drawer slides mount to is only 18 gauge. When removing the drawer slides, if you don't pry in the the exact correct spot, the inner wall will get damaged. I emailed Matco and asked them the gauge thickness of their inner wall. They wrote back and said 16 gauge. I may go with one of their boxes next time.
 
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lightning02

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i have a tool vault from strictly which is a rebadged montezuma with a few changes strictly added. im happy with it bc of the deal they gave me on it. i have the 3 combo 56inch (top/bottom/cabinet) for little more then the HF 56in top/bottom cost and strictly dropped it off right in my garage to where the HF you had to go pick it up yourself and deal with all that BS of loading and unloading it.
 
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mensa

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You can't beat the "Big Three"....Snap on, Matco, Mac. Though many here try to justify a cheap box purchase in an apparent attempt to salvage a shred of dignity, no one can successfully dispute the fact that these three manufacturers are the best.

There is a reason they're called The Big Three.

I've owned many, many boxes and many, many tools over the years. These three will always be the benchmark to which all others must rise.
 
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2oolhound

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Other points to ponder are the depth of the drawers. Most of the cheap boxes are 16" - 18" deep so you can't lay long tools front to back. Having tools laying side to side is ok if they are space efficient that way but the more of your longer tools that you have the choice with, the more space efficient you'll be. A lot of cheap boxes don't have drawers that pull all the way out so it can be hard to grab tools at the back if they are stored side to side. You have to claw them out from under the front of the drawers on top.
You have to consider the space you're using the box in. Maybe a 20", 24" or 30" deep box will suit you best. They are less likely to tip over as well. Having bragging rights for a 400 lb. drawer capacity on an 18" drawer as opposed to a 30" drawer is one reason why there is such a price disparity among tool boxes.
 
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wild cowboy

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this roller cab is heavy (276 lbs.), thick walled, all ball bearing, has the feel of the expensive tool truck boxes, and at $350 with coupon, is about 7% of the price :eek:

A tool box just holds tools. If you save $4000 on it, you get to spend that $4000 on MORE TOOLS! :evil:

www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage/tool-chests-roller-cabinets/44-in-13-drawer-glossy-red-industrial-roller-cabinet-68784.html

3nyPBJh.jpg
 
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TheGrooveking

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One factor I always advise people to look at is the weight of the box, for instance two boxes both 36" wide and 20" deep and 42" tall, one weighs 170 pounds the other weighs 305 pounds, guess which one has more steel in it? The return in investment slims greatly as you get into new SnapOn Epiq's & KRL's, Matco 6 series and MAC Macsimizer series so I too recommend getting something used. My Snap On used KRL1001B was procured for $2,000 yet my new Matco 6S 6225 set up was $13K but I wanted a color combination that used was not available and the Snap On at 30" deep would not fit near some over machinery I sometimes have to work on, hence the 25" deep Matco.

I worked with guys who've used Craftsman boxes for decades and they have been fine (these were USA made boxes), to me tools are always the priority over the box as nothing is worse than a tech with a huge empty box, remember tools equal capability.

TheGrooveking
 
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pendragon1998

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You could just about buy a new HF 44" every two years for the next 20 years and still come out ahead of a new snap on that will have 20 years of scratches and rust in the end.
 
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BDT/NWMN

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mensa said:
You can't beat the "Big Three"....Snap on, Matco, Mac. Though many here try to justify a cheap box purchase in an apparent attempt to salvage a shred of dignity, no one can successfully dispute the fact that these three manufacturers are the best.

There is a reason they're called The Big Three.

I've owned many, many boxes and many, many tools over the years. These three will always be the benchmark to which all others must rise.
Click to expand...

Larry, Moe, and Curley..vs ???

Lincoln, Cadillac, and Imperial... vs Peterbilt, Kenworth, and Volvo

Status vs true value

SnapOn badges are applied to entry level cheapo boxes as well as their good stuff..

The Canadian International line builds quality products..

I have straightened out the "tin" caster supports on a SnapOn KRA ...where my 56" HF box has an actual steel framework...

I joyfully got rid of some brand name boxes that proved to be a disappointment in full time use..

Look the box over, then the price, then the name..... these are the real big three..
 
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BDT/NWMN

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wild cowboy said:
this roller cab is heavy (276 lbs.), thick walled, all ball bearing, has the feel of the expensive tool truck boxes, and at $350 with coupon, is about 7% of the price :eek:

A tool box just holds tools. If you save $4000 on it, you get to spend that $4000 on MORE TOOLS! :evil:

www.harborfreight.com/tool-storage/tool-chests-roller-cabinets/44-in-13-drawer-glossy-red-industrial-roller-cabinet-68784.html

3nyPBJh.jpg
Click to expand...

Too Wild,,,,,,Cowboy..... Only one drawer open at a time;; before you tip that critter. :p :lol:
 
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Badd SS

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If money is no object I vote snap on... Also worth mention is drawer size, depth, layout.... It took me a while to realize I can work faster out of a big box with fewer but wider drawers... I would never buy a harbor freight box mainly due to how they are laid out.
 
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FreeTenthsDiag

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BDT/NWMN

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Badd SS said:
If money is no object I vote snap on... Also worth mention is drawer size, depth, layout.... It took me a while to realize I can work faster out of a big box with fewer but wider drawers... I would never buy a harbor freight box mainly due to how they are laid out.
Click to expand...


drawer size, depth, and layout is definitely worth mentioning.. They are a must for making the best selection..... I still hate those potato drawers that are placed in so many two and three bay boxes.. I store my potatoes in the fridge,, but some guys store their cased tools in the potato drawer.. Nice to have a full bank of drawers that can hold a three foot pipe wrench and jumbo wrenches without stuffing them angled across the box... Nice to have a drawer than can hold over 200 pounds of tools, as 1" drive stuff weighs up fast.... Not nice to need a ladder to see into the top drawer... Truth is, A custom built box to suit one's specific needs would be ideal.. Sad thing would be added costs.... Still wish someone would build a base 72x30 two bay cabinet without drawers, and offer various height drawers of your choice... Looks like most of us are stuck with making our best individual choice..
 
OP
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SMLWinds

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So the first post said this was going to get ugly and I knew he was right. I honestly knew that when I asked the question but nevertheless it is an important question for me. I didn't know that some of the ugliness would be directed towards me! I thought it would just be the age old "snap on is overpriced" vs. "snap on is the gold standard argument"

To answer questions directed at me...first of all, I wasn't around today while this thread was going wild since I was traveling. Secondly, I am not a pro and do not do anything with shop tools for a living, although I admittedly generally buy pro tools/equipment/toys. Most things I buy for personal use at the same things used by top notch professionals. Lastly, one guy said if I think SO boxes are outrageously priced then maybe they aren't for me. I assume he is implying I might not be able to afford them. Well, since no one here even knows my name much less knows me personally I will say that my income has 7 digits in it so I can literally afford anything that I want....several of them if I get the urge. But, just because I am capable of buying an entire Snap On truck, doesn't mean that I should. I still care about my money. I don't want to waste money. With that said, if there is a product that is superior, I don't mind paying a premium price for a premium product. What I don't want to do is pay a premium price for a name on a product that is no better than a competitor. Related to that, I don't have a budget....I spend the money necessary to get what I think I need/want.

Basically a good starting point for me is to establish who makes the best of a particular item, regardless of price. If two products are equal in quality, you buy the cheaper one. But, if there is a winner with superior quality, chances are they also come with an elevated price.

So, let me rephrase the question: if all toolboxes were the exact same price, what would you buy?

Let's start by seeing if there is a consensus that there is an elite (or a few elite) toolboxes and then the determination of whether or not it is worth the price increase or necessary for my needs starts.

So, what is the best box out there, regardless of price?

FYI-At this point, I lean towards a used Snap On box...but am still doing research!
 
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mensa

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BDT/NWMN said:
Larry, Moe, and Curley..vs ???

Lincoln, Cadillac, and Imperial... vs Peterbilt, Kenworth, and Volvo

Status vs true value

SnapOn badges are applied to entry level cheapo boxes as well as their good stuff..

The Canadian International line builds quality products..

I have straightened out the "tin" caster supports on a SnapOn KRA ...where my 56" HF box has an actual steel framework...

I joyfully got rid of some brand name boxes that proved to be a disappointment in full time use..

Look the box over, then the price, then the name..... these are the real big three..
Click to expand...




YOU'RE WELCOME for the inspiration. :soapbox:
 
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