Decent rollaway toolbox?

Rich

Rich

Asshole at large
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Central PA
After damn near having an OCD fit last night, I decided that my next tool purchase will be storage for tools.

No I'm not gonna get a $4k box from Snap-on, MAC, etc... I'm talking consumer-grade here. it will hardly ever be moved, but I'd really like ball-bearing slides.

Anyone found features that they can't live without? Brands?
 
costco had some nice big full stainless boxes the other day for like 699. they were 60" wide by 72"tall. ball bearing sliders

i would have done it but i havent outgrown my second box yet
 
i got a 2 bay mac off ebay for like a grand.

i love that thing.

you arent gonna match quality even spending twice that on a craftsman.
 
I was over at Sears the other day - I gotta say, I do like that grip latch thing... I know alot of the snap-on's and such do that, but it's the only sonsumer one i saw like that.
 
I have a simple Husky box with like 6 drawers, 3ft tall, no ball bearings and it suits me fine. I think $80. It's red. Got it at Home Depot. It holds a good amount of tools.

Otherwise I hang the tools on pegboard. Easy access if you don't mind looking at your tools.

:D Who does?
 
I have all Craftsman boxes. Not the highest quality, but they work for me. As you said, they don't get moved around. Non ballbearing drawers.
As far as features, I would get a box that had drawers all the way down. Upper box that had 3 or 6 small drawers is nice also( I don't have this stuff but wish I did) Intermeadiate box is a good way for extra drawers at not too much more cost. If you watch between now and after Christmas, Craftsman always puts tools on sale, so you can save a ton when they do.
Just My .02
 
The Kobalts at Lowes are BB and about 600 for the 40 inch wide model. I own this model. I like it because of the full width drawer for bigger stuff, and it also has a bigger cabinet sized drawer for air hose, small power tools, etc. These don't have the grip latch, but a device that keeps the drawers shut.

Husky = Nice as the Kobalts
Craftsman = Nice but you're going to pay Xtra for the ball Bearings. Keep and eye at Sears for scratch and dent models. The had a $700 box last year they let go for $375. Had a dent in the side, and 2 drawers were dented. Who cares...

I do beleive all of the above are made by Waterloo.

Sometimes MSC has a nice blowout in their circular.

Costco or Sams sometimes has good deals on stuff like this. Sams in W-S had this big Diamond plate box that went for about $500. I think it was 52 inches wide??
 
Buying tool boxes off the tools trucks is horse trading at it's finest. NEVER pay retail for the box off the truck.

I bought a USED Snap-on roll chest for $1700, box was 2 years old, previous owner had kept it covered since new, only pulled the cover to remove tools for the day and reload at end of day. Box retailed for $4500 (what it cost him new) he traded it on another Matco new box (got $1500 trade in :eek:

I kept that box for about 6mo, asked the MAC dealer what he would give me on trade for a Macsimizer he had on his truck. He offered $3750 trade in, retail on his box at the time was $5800 was on special for $4800.

So, for $2750 I had a NEW MAC box for half the retail price. THey have a mark up they are supposed to keep, some guys wanna move the goods, so they will wheel and deal. My Snap-on box was on the truck the next week for $1000, and he was mumbling that he'd hurt himself on the deal. All I did was ask a question, he's the one who figured the numbers.

Look on the trucks, sometimes you can find smokin deals on used boxes, occasionally they even have repo's.

Personal opinion, I think the Macsimizer series is better built than most boxes it's size at this time. weights 750lbs empty (no tools), Top drawer is big enough that Rich could sleep in it, comfortably.

Kevin
 
Watch for the black friday and christmas sales at sears... Last year between a few different sales at sears I was able to pick up a 2 piece 7(?) drawer roller bearing slide with the latch you were talking about for under 200-300$

-Tim
 
I'm with Tim on the Sears thing at sale time, but the truth is, like all deals, the bargains are where you find 'em, and that takes biding your time and keeping your eyes open. Don't get in a hurry, no matter how the OCD pushes ya. Trust me, I can relate. Ya oughta see me with the upfitting of this damn Yamaha I just bought. :D Instant gratification takes too damn long.
 
I got a Kobalt from Lowe's back when they had the blue ones. It was actually made by Snap-on along with all the other Kobalt tools. Its no BS.... they actually said Snap-on on the back of all the labels down by the bar code. About one year after I bought it Lowes quit carring the Kobalt brand. A few months after that, they came back out with the Kobalt brand in black but no longer manufactured by Snap-on. Now I think I'd go with sears.
 
grip latch

For a box that'll spend most of its time in the shop, grip latch isn't really a huge benefit. The craftsman ball bearing boxes are nice, but still not even in the same league as snap-on and other big players. Go with the biggest box you can afford and have room for and if you swing for the used S-O it'll probably be the last tool box you ever buy.
 
For me, the grip latch just made it nicer to use.. was easier to open, and you could just give it a little push to shut it, and it glides in and clicks closed.. no shoving necessary, and none of that "almost shut"

That's just my opinion, I just like the tactile feel.

Since it'll prolly be XMAS time before I can get one, I'll keep looking for that once in a lifetime deal on a used MAC/snap-on box.

But, I need to ask for gift certificates to SOME national chain for Xmas, lest my family get me another fawking subscription to the Harvard Health Journal, which so far has seen its most use as a oil drip pan... :rolleyes:
 
The grip latch becomes a nuisance to me occasionally when switching from drawer to drawer quickly, not pressing fully or greasy fingers slipping off the latch causing it not to open. or maybe my fingers are just too fat, but to each his own.
 
Get a mac or matco used of a tool truck. If you don't work at a shop, go to one and get the contact info for their tool dealer/dealers. You can buy one cheap you just need to pretend you are in a third world country when haggeling with them, the first price is never as cheap as it could be bought. I have a Snap-On top and bottom box that sold new for $11,000...I bought it two years old for $4500. The prices are quite insane IMHO but you get what you pay for.
 
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