Tool box opinions / advice?

shelby27604

shelby27604

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Location
Efland NC
I am looking to up my tool box game, I have managed with lots of smaller boxes, but space is limited, and upsizing to a 72" tool chest seems to be the best option.

I have been searching for a 72" Truck brand (Matco, Snap-on, Cornwell, Mac) without much luck, people seem to think they are made of gold....I get it...but I don't think I can justify it.

I am looking for something above typical box store grade, the two main options I see are Harbor Freights Icon series box and the Home Depot Husky brand (Heavy Duty and Professional). Current sales mean that you can get either 72" box with a stainless top for $3k. I never thought I would be considering spending that much cash at home depot or harbor freight for a tool box, but at the moment I don't see a better option, and I would rather not paint myself into the corner of going the cheap route only to have to upgrade in a year when I pull two drawers out at once and the box falls on my truck.

I have put hands on the harbor freight unit, and it seems ok, I can't seem to find any local Home Depot stores that carry anything but the standard duty boxes, unfortunately I don't find any of those to be an option. Any other hidden gems out there you can recommend?

www.homedepot.com

Husky Tool Storage 72 in. W x 25 in. D Professional Duty Black Mobile Workbench Cabinet with Stainless Steel Top HPRO72MWC20BLK - The Home Depot

Offer adequate space for your workshop with Husky Professional Duty Black Mobile Workbench with Stainless Steel Top.
www.homedepot.com

 
Primary use will be work use at home
skyhighZJ said:
What do you do with it? Personal use at home, work use at home?

I have a US general at home and use it almost daily. It’s been great for the money. If I had some more coin I would absolutely buy an Icon Box!!!
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I worked out of several US General boxes and I 100% cannot stand the grip latch mechanism that means all drawers have to be opened with your right hand....maybe it is an OCD thing or a left handed thing....but US General is 100% not an option. If I had owned the boxes I was working out of, I probably would have pulled some office space shenanigans on a tough day with the biggest pipe wrench I could find.
 
I just picked up the US General series 3 56 inch box and I'm generally surprised by the quality and beef. It is no comparison to the husky, craftsman and kobalt that it is priced near. I would definitely take the time to look at one before you make your mind up. The latch system I can operate with either hand.
 
I have the 73" Icon top and bottom combo with end locker and storage cabinet. Bought it all one piece at a time as I came across 25% off coupons. Very happy with this setup for the money I have invested in it.

I had a US General 56" top and bottom combo before (older than series 2) when they only came in red. It was a great box for years and I only upgraded because I outgrew it and my brother wanted to buy my 56" combo.

I don't think you'll be disappointed by the Icon boxes. Another option for the Icon boxes is to check the scratch and dent website they have.

Here is my new setup next to my old (now my brother's)
PXL_20241216_221309743.jpg
 
shelby27604 said:
Primary use will be work use at home

I worked out of several US General boxes and I 100% cannot stand the grip latch mechanism that means all drawers have to be opened with your right hand....maybe it is an OCD thing or a left handed thing....but US General is 100% not an option. If I had owned the boxes I was working out of, I probably would have pulled some office space shenanigans on a tough day with the biggest pipe wrench I could find.
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The new boxes have a full length latch meaning you can open it from any part of the drawer--that being said, I pull the latches out first thing since I'm not worried about the drawers opening-- so that's an option.

Snap on will always be the top tier box, but the icon is a direct clone of it-- as in you can stack icon and snap on stuff and never notice, colors are exact match and so are dimensions. I find it hard to justify that much money in boxes though.
 
Another name you can investigate is Boxo.com. Seen a handful on YouTube type channels. Haven’t snooped as I have what I have and will stick it out.
 
Tom@Hilltop_Machine said:
Not the Snap On Epiq series.
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That is the other problem with shopping the used market, 99% of the people price their entry level truck box as if it were a top tier box. They also never list what level their box they are selling is, even if you know what price point the box is, you can't always cross that to material gauge, slide capacity, latch type, etc, etc.
 
I have a matco revel 3 bay and I love it, although I'm pretty sure its discontinued. I have some HF and Husky boxes also. If I need another I'll be buying ICON or Husky. The Husky I have was before ICON came out and its drawers were deep enough for a deep socket to stand up on an organizer and still allow the drawer to close, The original HF box I was looking at, at the time didn't. I'm sure its fixed with the ICON.
 
Well, all you guys said check out the General options, so I hit up the harbor freight website, I was blown away to see even these are going for $1700 right now. No free ride I guess!

I did notice some of the snap-on cabinets come in 30" depth, would be great to find a deal on one of those, but not interested in waiting weeks/months for a deal, so new is probably going to be the route I go (which means, I am probably back to Harbor Freight vs. Home Depot.)
 
shelby27604 said:
Well, all you guys said check out the General options, so I hit up the harbor freight website, I was blown away to see even these are going for $1700 right now. No free ride I guess!

I did notice some of the snap-on cabinets come in 30" depth, would be great to find a deal on one of those, but not interested in waiting weeks/months for a deal, so new is probably going to be the route I go (which means, I am probably back to Harbor Freight vs. Home Depot.)
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Used to see snap ons and matcos cheap in market place but guess not right now. I just looked and it’s rough.
 
I have a US General series 2 56” bottom box and a 56” series 3 top box in the shop. Obviously they do match up exactly, but the trim can be swapped out to get them closer. For home/hobby use they more than good enough.

If the drawer latches are a deal killer they can be overridden with I believe a 5/16” nut. There’s several videos about it on the YouTubes.

IMG_0295.jpeg
 
Noel said:
Used to see snap ons and matcos cheap in market place but guess not right now. I just looked and it’s rough.
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YUP.....I don't know if people are just hard-up or that out of touch, but prices are crazy! I saw what I thought was a great deal on a snap-on box for $900, turned out to be $9000 for a box that was sitting outside, under a lean-to.

I am super cheap, and love a good used bargain, but if I have to bring a trailer and come-along to drag your box out of the dirt, I am not paying tool-truck retail for it!

Add into the mix that 90% of the people I reach out to on marketplace NEVER respond and it is a frustrating experience to say the least.
 
Here is the link to the Icon scratch and dent website. They list the defects, give an overall condition rating and have multiple pictures of the items.


All the Icon boxes include shipping directly to your house. They get delivered in a box truck with drop gate.
 
Thanks @untchabl , I will have to go back to the store and see if the ICON box is all I would want it to be.

I had a box on marketplace, price agreed to, arrival time set, trailer rented, truck packed, heading out the door....and the seller messages me to say "Her son setup someone else to look at it, and he bought it".....so now I am back to square one.

I hate buying new stuff, but the people selling used stuff are almost enough to make me rethink that mindset.
 
Ancient used MAC stack then realized my gross miscalculation and added the USG side cabinet (FWIW, drilled 1 hole in the cab for bolts, the rest was perfect)...


20240120_145709.jpg


The realized the handyman shiite (saws, staplers, nailers, etc.) needed to live elsewhere and the poverty level Craftsman was already FULL. So, sent it to live with my son and grabbed a 42" USG roller (already in need of the matching top 🙄)
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IMHO, the USGeneral line is fine for hobbiest use... I mean unless you're set on a second mortgage?
 

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shelby27604 said:
I hate buying new stuff, but the people selling used stuff are almost enough to make me rethink that mimindset.
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Amen... maybe we're kin? 🥰
Bought that MACsimizer used off FBMP (from an NCDOT wrencher that "upgraded" to an albeit longer single bottom roller AND a ridiculous weekly truck payment) for a little over a $1k

Agreed that FBMP/CL/etc. are nothing short of infuriating, but stayed diligent... holiday CC bills and the ever present taxes are due soon 😉

OTOH, USGeneral is decent and the Icon line is definitely pro-aligned... don't think you'd go wrong with either.
 
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