Viper tool chests - any reviews?

[meeotch]

Anyone here had experience with Viper tool chests? Living in NYC (without a car, as many of us city-dwellers do), it's really difficult to find a physical location to evaluate anything except for the Sears / Home Depot junk.

This unbelievably helpful thread supports the apparently common opinion that the Harbor Freight boxes are the way to go for the money... But unfortunately, I need at least one extra-deep (9"+) drawer, which doesn't seem to be available in that line - at least not in the narrower widths, which is what I'm looking for. And Viper does have a couple models that fit this bill, without breaking the bank.

Reviews of Viper boxes are very sparse. But they claim 18-gauge steel, which seems to line them up with the HF and Kobalt models that topped the list in the thread above. Also, lifetime warranty.

So - any Viper owners out there?

 

[wasfast]

I don't but this thread in the Gallery has several Viper cabinets in white.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196864&page=24

 

[Plow Man]

Where do they sell them ???/

 

[SILVERPLATE]

I got a small yellow three drawer and found the quality to be very high. I bought it because I needed a small box and yellow, was please with the quality.

 

[Super Sport]

I have what is basically a 72" Viper, branded as a Craftsman. I bought it used, and the PO said he bought it from Sears. I have been unable to verify that, but it's possible. Anyway, it's identical to the Viper, only red instead of black or stainless.

The Viper boxes are really solid boxes. I'm pretty sure they're made in the same factory as Montezuma and the newer Menard's Masterforce. The only thing I don't like about them is the detents are really firm, and get worse in the cold. My box was owned for 5+ years by a professional mechanic, and the detents are still stiff.

If you can live with the detents, I think they're a hell of a box!

 

[raiderhillbilly]

I saw one in a Sears store and really liked it. The drawer handles felt really sturdy.

 

[bobbycos]

Anyone here had experience with Viper tool chests? Living in NYC (without a car, as many of us city-dwellers do), it's really difficult to find a physical location to evaluate anything except for the Sears / Home Depot junk.

This unbelievably helpful thread supports the apparently common opinion that the Harbor Freight boxes are the way to go for the money... But unfortunately, I need at least one extra-deep (9"+) drawer, which doesn't seem to be available in that line - at least not in the narrower widths, which is what I'm looking for. And Viper does have a couple models that fit this bill, without breaking the bank.

Reviews of Viper boxes are very sparse. But they claim 18-gauge steel, which seems to line them up with the HF and Kobalt models that topped the list in the thread above. Also, lifetime warranty.

So - any Viper owners out there?

5th floor walkup here and own a few cars ,got me a Harbor freight in walking distance from me

I checked out the Viper boxes online and have been considering one, but am still looking

 

[DynoDave]

I saw one in a Sears store and really liked it. The drawer handles felt really sturdy.

Yep...that's where I saw them too, and they had a great feel to them.

 

[alberto]

They sell them at Sears. Main warehouse is in San Diego. I've considered their 72 inch box, which I inspected at their warehouse, Great quality box. Just not sure I want something so big.

Unfortunately for me the depth of their smaller boxes are too shallow for my taste, so I'm probably going Lista, but Viper is still in the running.

 

[wssix99]

I have one and it's fine - completely equivalent to the bottom of the line Craftsman chests.

 

[meeotch]

Seems that I lost track of my own thread... Not sure why the forum wasn't sending me email alerts about all the responses, but thanks to everyone who responded. I ended up jumping on discontinued Viper model from Sears because of a big price break.

I have to say, I'm definitely happy with it so far. I can't speak to all of the various specs vs. Craftsman - though as noted in my OP above, they claim thicker steel & a lifetime warranty. One thing I can say is that the wheels, to my untrained eye, feel beefy as hell. (See attached pic.) Brakes are nothing to write home about, and it's a bit irritating that the brakes don't lock the swivel motion of the wheels, so that end of the box is always shiftable by several inches - but I guess that's to be expected.

As for the detents, they do require a purposeful push to close the drawer. But they are also somewhat adjustable: You can bend the tabs that they sit on backward and they'll become less grabby. In fact, three of my drawers had non-functional detents at first, because of Sears' sh!tty handling - they were mashed way back from someone slamming into the drawers with a forklift or something. Viper support knew pretty much right away what to tell me to do, and they're sending me free detent rubbers in the mail.

Back of the box was (of course) dented slightly, as seems to be the case with about 80% of tool boxes in general. This despite what was actually very well thought-out packaging by Viper. I took the $50 the Sears guy offered me, rather than send it back, because I knew the next one would either be dented as well, or more likely non-existent due to the discontinuation of the product.

The drawer layout of this model was fairly unique, and just what I wanted: lots of thin drawers, and one big giant one at the bottom. Handles are attractive and sturdy - actual handles, not just bent tube stock. And the walls don't flex when you pull on them. Lock is of the tubular (like a bike lock) variety, and feels smooth & solid - not like a pretend lock that you could open with a screwdriver. Drawers feel good.

All in all, I'm pleased.