I went out and bought a very nice, and very expensive Snap-on tool box a few years ago. Of course it is a high quaility box, but why pay so much for this type of box? Even if you take very good care not to damage or scratch it, you'll never get close to your money back if you reasale. What is the value of having a tool box that cost almost as much as a new car?
Why buy Snap-on tool boxes?
- Thread starter Jamesh01
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nate379
Banned
I don't know anyone that has paid list price for a toolbox. My toolboxes "list" for $15,000 but I paid less than what a simular CMan one would cost.
That being said, my friend had a C Man pro box like my Snap On and I live the C Man better. Feels more solid, the drawer pulls are nicer and the drawers slide WAY better.
That being said, my friend had a C Man pro box like my Snap On and I live the C Man better. Feels more solid, the drawer pulls are nicer and the drawers slide WAY better.
If you buy it, you get just what you want. If you take care of it, it will last a lifetime.
In some respects, Snap On boxes are overpriced. Not sure what you paid, but the cheapest car I know of is ~$20k. I can't imagine spending that much on a box.
That being said, I went with Lista.
In some respects, Snap On boxes are overpriced. Not sure what you paid, but the cheapest car I know of is ~$20k. I can't imagine spending that much on a box.
That being said, I went with Lista.
For comparison , I have a Craftsman (ball bearing griplatch) top box & a
Snap-on (lock N roll) roll cab. I can definetly see a difference in the quality between the two. The Snap-on drawers are super smooth. I do think that
they are overpriced when new. I'd rather look for a used one and save money for more tools !
Snap-on (lock N roll) roll cab. I can definetly see a difference in the quality between the two. The Snap-on drawers are super smooth. I do think that
they are overpriced when new. I'd rather look for a used one and save money for more tools !
volvo420coupe
Well-known member
A kick *** name brand toolbox makes you look cool.
It really does, at least to people who care about toolboxes. However, a REALLY kick *** name brand toolbox gets noticed by EVERYONE, (well almost), including girls.
So don't be jealous of the people who didn't pay retail and still get to look cool, because you still look cool, and you can tell everyone you got a sweet deal on it anyways.
It really does, at least to people who care about toolboxes. However, a REALLY kick *** name brand toolbox gets noticed by EVERYONE, (well almost), including girls.
So don't be jealous of the people who didn't pay retail and still get to look cool, because you still look cool, and you can tell everyone you got a sweet deal on it anyways.
Merkava_4
Banned
If you guys add up the costs of grocery items and restaurant food for one year, the price of a 10 grand toolbox gets cheap real quick.
nissan_crawler
Well-known member
I've never figured out why...
I just bought a very nice Proto box, brand new at grainger, for half the price it would cost to get a used snap-on box of the same size/style. I got this box next to snap-on and matco boxes at work, and the quality is par, if not better. It also has a lifetime warranty and is made in the US.
It depends on what you need and ultimately what is available to suit your needs. I looked at the following prior to making my choice :
1.) The configuration, size and amount of drawers
2.) The overall dimensions of the box
3.) The quality of the box
4.) The resale value of the box
5.) Will it hold all of my tools and allow for expansion
If you are looking for a large box the choices get slim very quickly. For me SO was the only choice based on my criteria.
1.) The configuration, size and amount of drawers
2.) The overall dimensions of the box
3.) The quality of the box
4.) The resale value of the box
5.) Will it hold all of my tools and allow for expansion
If you are looking for a large box the choices get slim very quickly. For me SO was the only choice based on my criteria.
SpiderGearsMan
Banned
most of snappy boxes are financed at a rate of 18%
I bought mine when I was young and crazy
if you are just a homeowner or a hobbyiest , you don't even need a lock , but snap boxes are very secure in the shop
I bought mine when I was young and crazy
if you are just a homeowner or a hobbyiest , you don't even need a lock , but snap boxes are very secure in the shop
SpiderGearsMan
Banned
oh yeah , bought my big box in 1988 and have no intention of selling it , never did
most guys selling snap on boxes are desperate and need the money
and there are plenty of vultures to pick up things for pennies on the dollar
most guys selling snap on boxes are desperate and need the money
and there are plenty of vultures to pick up things for pennies on the dollar
independentrider
Banned
most of my boxes are craftsman but I do have one from Kolbalt at lowes and I think its way nicer than the craftsman ones
-B-
Well-known member
at 5k or 10k plus why be forced in to some tool trucks idea of what they want you to have for a lay out of draws. You are far better off with Lista, Equipto, Vidmar and others you can choose you layout pick a multitude of colors, have better value and save a ton of money vs the same cubic storage.
speed bump
Well-known member
Because you need a big box, make **** for wages and the SO guy can get it to you for $50 a week and some shops here even offer automatic deductions for your SO or Cornwell account. Most of the guys I know that bought one off of the truck thats why. Also mister Snappy guy is there every week and if you have a problem the local guy will have it taken care of in a week.
Most of those don't seem nearly as mobile though.
The better question is why in the hell would you buy a welder off the truck unless you just had to have it that day and couldn't get a loan on a good one at your credit union.
Most of those don't seem nearly as mobile though.
The better question is why in the hell would you buy a welder off the truck unless you just had to have it that day and couldn't get a loan on a good one at your credit union.
nate379
Banned
All I know is the toolbox doesn't make the mechanic. I chuckle when people use the "I earn a living with my tools" to justify spending tons of $$ on the tool truck stuff.
I know several very good mechanics that do it for a living and have a mix of whatever for tools and just a small no name box.
I know several very good mechanics that do it for a living and have a mix of whatever for tools and just a small no name box.
back2class
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2009
- Messages
- 2,723
Beacuse most of the time people are bad with money and can not say no to "payments" Alot easier to sign you name than come up with 3k (for used) cash for many people. Sad isn't it!
Now to treat yourself is fine, thats why they make trucks with leather, caddy SUV's but it is a FOOL who buys such items on expensove credit because they want something they can not afford. But as is the american way, someone is waiting right there to seperate the sucker from his money.
I am all for a nice box, but most mechanics should be buying used and let another sucker take the hit.
But thats how I was raised. My father was making pretty good money when I was a kid, we could have had new caddy' s and benzes but we always had near new used fords, and while all my fathers co-workers ran out and purchased 3 beroom raised ranches as soon as they started working, my parents stayed in a small apartment saving his income for several years and their frineds said they were nuts. They paid cash for a much, much nicer home and that wisdom kept them flush with money through today living a great retirement while the same friends are still just getting by. IT IS A LESSON I AM SO GRATEFULL I WAS TAUGHT
Now to treat yourself is fine, thats why they make trucks with leather, caddy SUV's but it is a FOOL who buys such items on expensove credit because they want something they can not afford. But as is the american way, someone is waiting right there to seperate the sucker from his money.
I am all for a nice box, but most mechanics should be buying used and let another sucker take the hit.
But thats how I was raised. My father was making pretty good money when I was a kid, we could have had new caddy' s and benzes but we always had near new used fords, and while all my fathers co-workers ran out and purchased 3 beroom raised ranches as soon as they started working, my parents stayed in a small apartment saving his income for several years and their frineds said they were nuts. They paid cash for a much, much nicer home and that wisdom kept them flush with money through today living a great retirement while the same friends are still just getting by. IT IS A LESSON I AM SO GRATEFULL I WAS TAUGHT
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pjcforpres2020
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2009
- Messages
- 262
You can get a Lisle made anyway you want, and they are plenty mobile.
People pay big bucks for Snap On boxes for a couple reasons... they are high quality, which costs money. They are bigger, which costs more money. They have Snap On on them, which costs even more money. They are hauled around on a truck for 6 months, which costs even more money.
And the #1 reason, they have special feng shei designing to make your tools feel well rested so when you go to use them, they are up to do the job. No other tool box has this feature.
People pay big bucks for Snap On boxes for a couple reasons... they are high quality, which costs money. They are bigger, which costs more money. They have Snap On on them, which costs even more money. They are hauled around on a truck for 6 months, which costs even more money.
And the #1 reason, they have special feng shei designing to make your tools feel well rested so when you go to use them, they are up to do the job. No other tool box has this feature.
I know I got a good quality box and there is no doubt that it would last me the rest of my life. I just wish I would have known then what I know now.
Tool boxes to me are important if you own your shop or use it on a daily basis to make money. Other than that, it just seems to be more of a stature thing. Something to show off. Givin that, If I had it to do over, I definately would buy used not new.
I paid about $9,000 for the bottom box and a stainless top. I also got the snazzy cover. What a deal at $50 a wk.
Thanks for all you input. I'll have to check out some of those other brands that were mentioned.
Tool boxes to me are important if you own your shop or use it on a daily basis to make money. Other than that, it just seems to be more of a stature thing. Something to show off. Givin that, If I had it to do over, I definately would buy used not new.
I paid about $9,000 for the bottom box and a stainless top. I also got the snazzy cover. What a deal at $50 a wk.
Thanks for all you input. I'll have to check out some of those other brands that were mentioned.
Nealcrenshaw
Well-known member
If i can find a used a snap on top and bottom box for around 2500-3k and good condition i'd grab it.
I have my eye on this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Snap...Z260462074832QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools
I have my eye on this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Snap...Z260462074832QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools
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Diesel-Mech
Well-known member
Thats not a Snap-on box Neal, just an import someone slapped a badge on.If i can find a used a snap on top and bottom box for around 2500-3k and good condition i'd grab it.
I have my eye on this one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Snap...Z260462074832QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools
vartz04
Well-known member
Used is the way to go these things. Depreciate faster than a car.
WOW, the answer has been in front of my face the whole time. No wonder I feel so good in the shop with my SO box. It is radiating feng shei!! I wonder if I slept in the box to absorb the feng shei !!!
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SpiderGearsMan
Banned
those are the guys trying to borrow my stuff
the big box is jammed packed bro
SpiderGearsMan
Banned
these guys are homeowners with great jobs , they don't understand our tools and boxes are the only things we got
not fancy money borrowing for us
our low paying but high priced jobs are a killer
rsanter
Well-known member
there are only a couple of reasons to buy new...
1 you are a show off and you are playing the whole keep up/keep ahead of game
2 you buy the box of your dreams and you are going to keep it forever. in fact you might be buried in it.
3 it says snap on right on it
there are good reasons to buy used.
1 you can hunt up a deal. their loss--your gain
2 you know they are good new so they will be pretty guud used as well
3 to show off. see I can find a better deal than you can....
bob
1 you are a show off and you are playing the whole keep up/keep ahead of game
2 you buy the box of your dreams and you are going to keep it forever. in fact you might be buried in it.
3 it says snap on right on it
there are good reasons to buy used.
1 you can hunt up a deal. their loss--your gain
2 you know they are good new so they will be pretty guud used as well
3 to show off. see I can find a better deal than you can....
bob
-B-
Well-known member
This guy is a pro and will not pay more for a tool box ever when I can buy superior quality and service ( IE custom the way I want it) for far less money than any tool truck could ever provide. In one year if you can suffer though with a small box if you put away 50 a week you can get one box you will never own money on again.
You can order any drawer layout you want along with numerous colors with SO. I have Vidmar cabinets in my shop. I use them for nuts, bolts, fasteners, and miscellaneous storage. I guess they could be used for tools as well. I would probably have to hook it to the crane to move it around!
It will all work it just depends on what you want.There are people that drive around in a Rolls Royce or Mercedes and there are people that drive in a Ford, Chevy or Dodge. It all does the job!
A Timex watch tells the same time as the 10K Rolex, even more accurately. People still buy Rolex. Once again it all does the job!
There are a ton of these analogies.
Why do people do what they do??
My theory is this: Those people who can, do. Those people that can't, don't!!
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Diesel_Crawler
Well-known member
Indeed. No matter how good you are, You still need tools of some caliber to do your job.
we had a guy at out shop, he was a good worker. He brought a hand box in with him every day and every day he did not have enough tools to work with, Pretty much as soon as every one cut him off he lost his job because he could not do the work.
IMO: There is nothing worse then a trades person who does not have the tools to do his/her trade. I don't care what brand or what there in, it can be a 5Gal pale for all I care. So long as they stay away from mine and do there work.
You can order any drawer layout you want along with numerous colors with SO. I have Vidmar cabinets in my shop. I use them for nuts, bolts, fasteners, and miscellaneous storage. I guess they could be used for tools as well. I would probably have to hook it to the crane to move it around!
There are people that drive around in a Rolls Royce or Mercedes and there are people that drive in a Ford, Chevy or Dodge. It all does the job!
A Timex watch tells the same time as the 10K Rolex, even more accurately. People still buy Rolex. Once again it all does the job!
There are a ton of these analogies.
Why do people do what they do??
Ok, I am biased. I'm with -B- on this one.
I would love to do a side by side comparison of Lista vs. Snap On. I believe Lista will come out on top.
For starters, assuming their top of the line roller...
- how many different drawer depths can you get from Snap On?
- how many different colors can you pick from?
- can you get the drawers in a different color?
- paint type?
- Can you remove the drawers and reconfig the order?
- etc...
vartz04
Well-known member
yeah buy the cheapest box thats big enough to hold your tools, get a box and a cheap service cart if you need to, save your money, and the buy the dream box.
18% jeeze you might as well put it on a credit card and pay the mins til its paid off
18% jeeze you might as well put it on a credit card and pay the mins til its paid off
Thedroid
Well-known member
I think Lista would come out on top also. I own an SO box, and think that it is top quality, but the Lista's, Vidmar's, and Lyon's are built even tougher. The only thing that the SO has going for it compared to these is the easy payment plan. If it wasn't for the payment plan, I would probably still be working out of my piece of **** toolbox I bought when I was a kid.
Chris Adams
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2007
- Messages
- 2,117
snip
Why do people do what they do??
Don't think so. I 'can' buy any box I want.
I don't want to, but I certainly could pay retail.
How about those who measure their dingus with their box buy from the truck?
That wouldn't be any more insulting than the suggestion that only people who can afford it buy SnapOn or other truck brands.
Truly, I think many of the guys WITH the big boxes CAN'T afford them.
Period.
They bought them on credit, went way into debt.
I see maybe twenty-thirty big boxes a day on CL from people trying to get 25 cents on the dollar for the boxes, many like new.
Heck, many are new, never saw a shop environment.
Sure, many boxes are sold to guys who can afford them, or guys who really need the security, storage, etc. of the big boxes. And of course, others are sold to guys who have enough disposable income that it makes no difference what it costs, they want the best.
The big boxes are better than the smaller, cheaper brethren, no doubt about it.
Are they needed?
Maybe 20-30% make sense for the buyer. That's new we are talking about.
The others? Mistakes of vanity, or youth.
The guys who buy them used get a good deal.
vartz04
Well-known member
quoted for truth
im so sick of hearing from others when i or others post (not on this forum most of the time though) "shoulda bought _____ insert truck brand here"
maybe you have a small wiener and need the truck brand stuff to make it feel bigger, maybe you have back problems and need a light weight wallet, or maybe you just feel well other guys have them so i should too.
I can name a lot of people who DO NOT NEED these kind of boxes.
Just today I drove past a carx - muffler and brake.
No way did that tech need the HUGE snap on box he had in there, it prolly cost more than 1/3 of his annual pay.
but to each his own, some guys own diesel trucks and don't tow anything
r6_cannibal
Well-known member
but to each his own, some guys own diesel trucks and don't tow anything
an ex-girlfriends brother once adjusted the timing on his truck to make it sound like his buddy's diesel truck and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. I guess I looked like I was having a seizure or something, from my expression of horror and cringing, because he asked if I was ok.
Some people just want big huge boxes. Some people only want "the best". Some people are told/think that they need huge boxes only to find they can't afford them and learn a tough lesson. Some are flat out told that they can not afford a huge box of that nature and they get it anyway because they absolutely "must" have it.
Talk sense to a fool, and they'll call you foolish.
I think if it makes you happy to have a big box, be it need or want, then it is right for you and more power to you for doing what makes you happy. I will not think any differently of a person based on their tool box.
personally I'm a bit of a minimalist and try to make the most of the little space I have. I can't say I haven't drooled over a huge snap-on box before though.
There is no right answer, you just have to do what's right by you.
and no, I didn't let my ex's brother keep driving around with his timing like that.
I do not know about Lista but here is the SO info.
1.) 10 different depths, it depends on the series
2.) 9 colors std. 7 optional
3.) yes
4.) powder
5.) yes
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vartz04
Well-known member
are you talking about me? i quoted that part because i thought it was a good quote, I didn't change certain sentences, just the last chunk because that's what I was referring to.
I don't like making people scroll through tons of worthless ****, like when people quote huge threads with tons of pics and say "awesome" that's stupid.
sorry if it bothers you but I won't stop doing it.
I don't like making people scroll through tons of worthless ****, like when people quote huge threads with tons of pics and say "awesome" that's stupid.
sorry if it bothers you but I won't stop doing it.
Look at the quote I refered to. Unless you are Chris Adams I believe the answer would be no!!!
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