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US General 44 - worth the exchange rate?

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Bessy

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Hello all,

Yesterday I came to the conclusion that I have outgrown my tool chest (11 drawer C-man stack, 26") as I transferred a bunch of sockets from a carrying case that fell and essentially exploded in the driveway.

Now had this happened a year ago, I would have never thought twice about hopping the border and picking up an HF44, given that our dollar was relatively strong and I would have walked away with the box for barely over sticker price. Times have changed however, and I calculate that in order to purchase the 44 cab now, I am looking at an investment in excess of $500 CAD before duty.

The question is, am I still ahead of the ballgame with the hf44 despite the exchange, or is there a comparable box (keep in mind I do like the idea of the different compatible modules) in Canada that I can pick up under the $500 range. Before anyone asks, given my location, Kijiji/Craigslist has been relatively unhelpful in this situation.

Thoughts?
 
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toddoky

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Bessy said:
Hello all,

Yesterday I came to the conclusion that I have outgrown my tool chest (11 drawer C-man stack, 26") as I transferred a bunch of sockets from a carrying case that fell and essentially exploded in the driveway.

Now had this happened a year ago, I would have never thought twice about hopping the border and picking up an HF44, given that our dollar was relatively strong and I would have walked away with the box for barely over sticker price. Times have changed however, and I calculate that in order to purchase the 44 cab now, I am looking at an investment in excess of $500 CAD before duty.

The question is, am I still ahead of the ballgame with the hf44 despite the exchange, or is there a comparable box (keep in mind I do like the idea of the different compatible modules) in Canada that I can pick up under the $500 range. Before anyone asks, given my location, Kijiji/Craigslist has been relatively unhelpful in this situation.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
What do your prospects on eBay Canada look like?
 
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Bessy

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toddoky said:
What do your prospects on eBay Canada look like?
Click to expand...

"Utterly confusing and ultimately unhelpful" best describes my experiences with Ebay.

In case I wasn't entirely clear, here are my basic needs. I need a larger, heftier box than I already have (which shouldn't be too difficult given the iffy c-man that I already own.) The things that drew me to the 44 in the first place were
a) Price point - at least if the dollar was still good, I could likely almost break even buying that if i sold the c-man which is still in pretty pristine condition.
b) Expandability - as my needs grew, the 44 has the additional modules that I can use as my needs grow further (a significant reality thanks to this site!:lol_hitti)
c) Great reviews - self explanatory.

Given the recent swing in the financial world, plunging the Canadian Dollar much below par, I am reaching out to find out if there is anything available my side of the border that is even comparable.
 
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User_Name

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canuckian

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I'd go with the International boxes in that price range. IMHO they're better quality than the HF box (or at least the one I saw). Not saying the HF one isn't a decent rig, but I'd be hard pressed to pay the extra 25% or so exchange rate plus duty to get one.
 
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User_Name

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Bessy said:
From the link you posted, it says sold online only. Do you have any idea where I might find a floor model to get a feel for.

Thanks,
Click to expand...

That's a good question. I don't think I've ever seen one in a store. I bought the 56" VR series from Costco last year and figured I could just return it locally if it sucked. I imagine you could do the same with HD but you'd be out the shipping cost. IIRC, HD occasionally offers free shipping on select boxes through the year. If you're not in a rush it might be worth waiting for.

Beyond that, check google images and other forums for reviews.
 
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LeBaroner

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That tier of international box can be commonly found at Princess, rebranded as propoint. They often have demos out.

I picked up a top to go with my harbor freight 44. The slides and such are better on the international but the construction feels more stout on the harbor freight. The lack of rolled edges on the drawers of the international always bugged me a bit. Also, the lock mechanism left a lot to be desired.

If the prices are on par, personally I'd go with the international (made in Canada, home depot shipping, better slides etc.). However I hate to say it, but the harbor freight is a marginally better box.

When you do go to look at it don't let the quality set the expectations for the rest of their line up. They offer some fairly inexpensive boxes, but their top tier SHD stuff is awesome. I have and love the 73".

If you can find a place that has demos of the professional series international boxes it may be worth checking those out before jumping on the value series box. Unfortunately I'm not sure where to look though... one of the reasons I went with the SHD.

Good Luck!
 
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LeBaroner

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Actually, on that note, does anyone know if the milwaukee/dewalt boxes are international value series?

I have never looked closely enough...

If they are demos are common at home depot and Canadian tire.
 
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ckblum

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The new Cdn Tire boxes look pretty decent! But would only be worth buying when on sale, way overpriced otherwise.
 
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stikman56

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ducksface said:
I'd pay the differential.
It's a box you've seen, and a box you've never heard a complaint about.
I wouldn't hesitate to pay full retail. Not everything has to be the very lowest price.
Please see the thread about modification to the hf box.
That info alone is worth the added cost to you.
Click to expand...

I'd say it worth it as well, but you might look around and find something you like better in that price range.
 
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Shiftless

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i looked on C/L several times a day for months and months looking for a second hand truck brand rollaway box. No reasonable deals. Pulled the trigger and bought the US General 44 inch box. I've been using mine for a year and have no complaints. Loaded the drawers pretty full and they roll smoothly. You can open the full width top drawer full of sockets and ratchets by pulling on the far right or left of the handle with one finger.
It's not an epiq or a KRL, but to me it represents an excellent value.
 
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ChevyEFI

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toddoky

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It's hard for someone to make such a determination of suitability for you not knowing the type and scope of tools you have.

For the tools I have and the way I use them the 18" depth of the box and the fact that it has too many same-size drawers (none of which are shallow enough for me) is a deal killer for any price. I like a lot of 2" deep drawers and a 30" box depth for organization and use efficiency.

For others with a different type of tool selection/quantity, that type of box might be perfect.
 
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ruffryder

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Bessy said:
Do you have a link to said thread? I did a google search, and all i found was mods to the 4/5 drawer carts.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

yah, if you have the link handy, it would be appreciated. I am curious if duckface was referencing all of the build threads where people take the 44 and put tops on them?

toddoky said:
For the tools I have and the way I use them the 18" depth of the box and the fact that it has too many same-size drawers (none of which are shallow enough for me) is a deal killer for any price. I like a lot of 2" deep drawers and a 30" box depth for organization and use efficiency.
Click to expand...

toddoky,

based on your needs, what tool boxes do you prefer?
 
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toddoky

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ruffryder said:
yah, if you have the link handy, it would be appreciated. I am curious if duckface was referencing all of the build threads where people take the 44 and put tops on them?



toddoky,

based on your needs, what tool boxes do you prefer?
Click to expand...

Personally I have/use an old Snap-on KR1000B roll cab (I bought it new quite a few years ago) with a 53" Kennedy Benchmark series top chest on top of it. The Kennedy box is very good in terms of build quality but drives me nuts in the fact that there is no 2" deep drawer on the long bank of drawers, but there is two of them on the narrow bank of drawers. I've just picked-up a used KR1010 side cab off of ebay to gain some more storage space and more 2" drawers.
 
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jacob_coulter

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They are a lot of box for the money. I think it's worthwhile to get one and pay the duty unless you're able to find some sort of "unicorn" type deal locally on something like a SnapOn box.

Much more heavy duty than a Craftsman homeowner type box.

I would say though you should go ahead and buy a bigger size though than 44" so you don't have the problem again. Have you ever met anyone that said their tool box is simply too big and they wished they had gone smaller?
 
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Bessy

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I would say though you should go ahead and buy a bigger size though than 44" so you don't have the problem again.
Click to expand...

I would love to go bigger than 44, however (financials aside) I'm working out of pretty cramped quarters as is (part of the reason I started going upward rather than outward with my 26").
20150428_235538_zpslpra93fg.jpg.html


When I finally get a chance to make it to some sort of urban centre (Sarnia or London being the closest) I will be checking out some boxes available in Canada (mostly what is available at PA, HD, Lowes, to start). I would love to see my box sell before I go and drop hundreds on a new one, but hey, that tax return cheque doesn't all have to go towards school lol!

I do have to do a little bit of thinking to do with regards to a new box. with the 26, I have made do with what I have, and kept fairly organized. I intend to make use of any of the 12" wide drawers mostly to take the odds and ends that don't take up much space. I'm not sure how much use out of deep drawers I really have (aside from power tools and sockets, and drawer 11 contents).

Incase anyone wants reference to what I am talking about, here is how I have things set up:

Top - Long tools that don't fit elsewhere, sometimes a small socket set, knives, sharpie, multidriver, parts, WD40, usually safety glasses and maybe a pair of gloves).

Drawers 1-4 (1 3/4" depth by 10 3/4" deep) - Wrenches
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(note, slowly adding wrench holders (not pictured) to increase space)

Drawers 5-7 (3 7/8" depth by 10 3/4" deep) and largely the bane of my existence. First is measuring tools and other misc, screw drivers (UGH!) and Pliers (UGH!)
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20150428_235311_zpsni8f4jy3.jpg.html

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(some of these have changed recently to accommodate a few additions)

Drawer 8 (3 7/8" by 16 3/4" deep) - Socket MESS
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Drawer 9-11 (6 by 16 3/4" deep) - Drills/Drivers/Accessories, Tap/Die set/hammers/files/saws/misc engine tools/etc, Tape/Gloves/Rags/Wire/Mess of Whatever doesn't fit elsewhere
20150428_235423_zps7imxlps5.jpg.html

20150428_235444_zpsxzommpym.jpg.html

(^^^ This drawer has been rearranged to accommodate the tap and die set as well as some other stuff)

http://s76.photobucket.com/user/cor...50428_235454_zpsyjoufamg.jpg.html?sort=2&o=13

I wouldn't mind being able to do with the wrenches and sockets (once organized of course) as they are, maybe condensing the wrenches to two drawers instead of four via racks, but the stuff in drawers 5-7, could be better suited to some narrower drawers perhaps (maybe not the screw drivers) as could the stuff in drawers 10 and 11. I would probably use a single deep drawer (aside from the wide socket drawer) for power tools, and maybe another (narrower one) for the contents of drawer 11.

So that's where I am at.
 
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Sask dude

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I wanted to order a 44" or 2 of the 5 drawer carts, but had trouble trying to order online to Saskatchewan. Couldn't even get a price on the shipping. Had you tried ordering it online ?
 
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toddoky

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If you don't anticipate buying any tools in the future that are considerable longer or bulkier than what you currently have, then you'll probably fine with the shallower depth of those types of boxes.
 
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Bessy

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Alright. An update:

I got a chance to (briefly) look at the SPG box today. I will take another look at it again before I order, but I think that's the box I am planning to go with. Just wondering though, as the drawer layout is a little wonky (deeper drawer in the middle for some odd reason) whether or not they can be rearranged as is the case with boxes such as my c-man. I have to assume that the frame itself is probably a more or less general frame used for a variety of their 42" boxes with maybe a different internal beef depending on series, so I imaging this is the case, but feel free to correct me if I am wrong on that point. The only other thing I am mildly concerned about is the single slides on the deep drawers (bottom 12" wide and the top full width) however I have read reviews that say the box has beefy enough slides that this has not really been an issue (time will tell I guess).

I have a potential buyer for my c-man stack so here's hoping that transaction goes through without a hitch and sooner the better (waiting on his decision for a pickup date). With any luck I should have a shiny new chest by the end of the week!

Stay tuned!
 
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