Wright Tool Box

[John in OH]

As one of my uncles used to say, "I gotta tale to tell .... !"

As a native Ohioan, I've always liked Wright Tools which is headquartered in Barberton, Oh. But I had a shock and disappointment today!

I was walking across the turbine floor at the power plant where I work and spied a row of brand new Wright tool boxes lined up against the wall. These looked really nice ... they were the 40" wide (maybe 42" or so) cabinets on big casters with multiple drawers. Looked really nice! I was envying the mechanics that would get these new cabinets so my co-worker and I walked over to take a closer look. Brand new, clean, shiny, unused, really fine!!

I reached out and gave the top drawer a tug. Of course, it was locked, but lo and behold the chrome strip along the top pull edge lip of the drawer came off in my hand!! So there my buddy and I stood ... mouths open, dumb looks on our faces and the chrome strip off the new tool box in my hand! I stuffed it back on (it appeared to be "attached" only with an adhesive) and we walked away shaking our heads and bemoaning the state of product quality from a company that we both have previously held in high esteem.

In fairness, these boxes were probably actually made by a company other than Wright and only badged with the Wright name, but geez, what a bummer!

 

[riley.m]

i like wright tools,but usually only the classics.

 

[krusty the clown]

wright boxes are most likely waterloo from the pics i have seen. it's an unfortunate reflection on an otherwise quality mfr.

 

[Diesel-Mech]

Wright hand tools are excellent, the boxes probably not so much.

 

[Merkava_4]

They're probably Waterloo or Beach.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

In fairness, these boxes were probably actually made by a company other than Wright and only badged with the Wright name, but geez, what a bummer!

That doesn't make much difference. If you're putting your company name on an inferior product, that's the bottom line.

 

[harrycaul]

I just bought a Wright 503 chest. It was made in Drummondville, Quebec by SPG International. The quality is much better than the POS Waterloo chest I bought for half the $.

 

[billymade]

I thought someone was saying some of their boxes are OEM Waterloo offshore stuff (just like most of the Craftsman lower line stuff now) and the quality just wasn't there.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I just bought a Wright 503 chest. It was made in Drummondville, Quebec by SPG International. The quality is much better than the POS Waterloo chest I bought for half the $.

That is a mighty nice lookin box there!

 

[vssjim]

Alot of Wartloo's tool box line is made in MEXICO even the biggest and most high dollar stuff, you would need to call Waterloo before you buy anything from them to see what is made in the US still. Kennedy on the other hand is mostly US stuff as far as I know.

 

[jay_imok]

does Kennedy make a smooth finish or is everything "machinist crackle brown"?

 

[Uncle Buck]

does Kennedy make a smooth finish or is everything "machinist crackle brown"?

They also offer a red color, but I recall the red as being a wrinkle finish too. Perhaps they have changed in recent years.

 

[MarkH]

Last I heard the 26 inch boxes were made in the USA as was the next largest size for sure. The largest sizes I heard had gone to Mexico as well is the smaller handbox - small 2-3 drawer boxes.

 

[MarkH]

Sorry I meant the Waterloo boxes not Kennedy.

 

[HandyManny]

Never understood why so many people hate Waterloo tool boxes or claim that they are all junk. True, some of the smaller portable slide-out drawer ones that they make for Craftsman and Kobalt are pretty pathetic, but the smaller piano hinged boxes and the larger chest type storage units are great and not all that expensive. I love the Waterloo boxes I have.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I have three old Waterloo boxes...made in 1977, '78, and '81. All are rollaways with friction slides, and all three are very good quality.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have three old Waterloo boxes...made in 1977, '78, and '81. All are rollaways with friction slides, and all three are very good quality.

I think the real shift from quality has happened in the last couple of years.

 

[MarkH]

For Waterloo, they are going through the same thing that most companies moving out of the country. It is hard to keep your quality high when jobs are going bye bye.

It requires special skills and the right incentives to make the quality stick. Then it is followed by the issues of new plants and workers. It is why off shoring has killed off a few brands vs the expected profits.

 

[Chris Adams]

I think the real shift from quality has happened in the last couple of years.

I would guess so, I have a 7 drawer ball bearing one, a Trax, not their good line, and it's a very decent box. Very much like a Craftsman top homeowners but with better wheels, better fit and finish and paint.
Sold new for 700 bucks, quite a bit nicer than the competing Craftsman which sold for about 400 at the time.

 

[vssjim]

I have quite a few Waterloo tool boxes my biggest being a 56"X30" top and bottom set labeled Craftsman Pro, but once they moved to Mexico I am not too interested in the products I have looked at quality and fit and finish. They were MUCH better before bar none. Kennedy offers alot of colors and they will even offer to make a box to a color that they in stock even if not normally offered that way you just have to wait to have it made.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I think if I were looking to buy a new roll cab today several of the brands I would be most interested in would be Proto, and Kennedy.

Two weeks ago was the first time I ever experienced just how poorly the drawers on the new Waterloo friction slide boxes opened, I was appalled. It was sad, the drawer actually bound up as I began pulling them out of the top box, and this was unloaded! I cannot imagine how crappy they would perform once loaded.

The binding I mentioned above was not an issue when I bought my old 40" top box new around 1991, though friction slides I felt they were smooth enough for me and they have been too even though loaded to sagging capacity for all these years. I know the new **** I looked at could not be as smooth as my box though it is almost 20 yrs old!