Tool box brands - Does it really matter?

[clinebarger]

There are two schools of thought on tool boxes, you have heard one of them in buy a cheap box it is the tools that make the money not the tool box.

Here is the other side. Cheap tool boxes are just that cheap. They do not hold up, the slides will fail, the drawers will start to sag, you will start to have a hard time opening and closing the drawers due to this and you will have a hard time securing the box due to the sagging drawers. The tool box itself will start to twist as you continue to put more tools into it adding weight it was never designed to handle.

I owned my last set of Snap On tool boxes from 1985 up till 2009, that is 24 years and the drawers still worked fine and none of the drawers sagged. These were all friction sliders as well with the exception of the bottom drawer which was ball bearings.

Back when I bought that box it was the biggest single bay tool box that Snap On made and I had both the bottom box and the top box. They were the KR650 and KR655 set. I was retiring in 2010 and decided to buy myself a retirement present for all my tools for my own use and bought a set of double bay Snap On boxes with a side box. They are the KRL722, KRL791 and the KRL711 boxes. 95% of my tools are Snap On. I have some Mac and some Matco some Cornwell as well as some other specialty tools from KD, OTC and a few others.

My advice is find a good quality tool box used that is from Snap On or Matco. I would stay away from Cornwell and Mac unless you can find a really great deal on a used Mac box but Snap On and Matco are better boxes in my opinion with Snap On first and Matco second. I would also stay away from the store bought boxes from Northern Tool, Harbor Freight and Sears. Todays Craftsman boxes are not the same Craftsman boxes from 25 years ago.

I started out with a 3 drawer used Craftsman bottom box in 1979 and quickly traded it in on a set of Snap On KR555 and KR557 boxes, then added the center box for that set and a side box. As I out grew that box I traded it for the KR650 KR655 set that I kept for 24 years.

My current Snap On double bay bottom, top and side box will last me the rest of my life to pass on to one of my grand children one day. I am just a do it yourselfer these days and my personal tool inventory comes out to $47,758 and change not counting my two floor jacks, motorcycle jack and my air compressor.

The MAC MB series & Macsimizer's are actually pretty good boxes, I had a MAC MB1800 for several years & it served me well. Don't care for Cornwell boxes though.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I am a professional mechanic and I have a US General box all the senior techs did tell me you don’t need to spend big money on a tool truck box I have the top bottom and side cabinet and I have two of their carts too. At home I have a Craftsman box and a bunch of small boxes

 

[Trav]

Nothing wrong with that. Invest in the tools not the box.

 

[Fattylocks]

Wonder if the OP is still even in the industry??

Good question.
And if he is what did he end up with.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Nothing wrong with that. Invest in the tools not the box.

Exactly my thoughts too. I just got a large pawn shop haul today of Craftsman USA I love that stuff they are great tools. And my Harbor Freight box has held up just fine since I entered the industry.

 

[Trav]

I started out with a Craftsman 200pc set for $199 and a used box 48 years ago, a few are still around today. I never went into debt for tools but always had good ones and made good money with them.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I started out with a Craftsman 200pc set for $199 and a used box 48 years ago, a few are still around today. I never went into debt for tools but always had good ones and made good money with them.

That’s cool. I really missed the generation of good Craftsman tools. I have gotten mine from pawn shops I am only 18 and work as a mechanic and everyone at my shop except a few people think it’s funny I use the old Craftsman USA stuff. I do remember going to Sears as a kid in the early 2000s and my dad getting Craftsman stuff and he would swear by it because it is good stuff. Then they went to those laser eteched ones and the quality was horrible on them

 

[Timmastertech]

I buy tool truck boxes but buy used. My current main box is a KRL761 that I bought in like new condition for 1800 bucks from my snapon dealer. All of the boxes in my shop are Snapon and all but my krl are older than I am. Drawer slides on some have worn out but they are lifetime warranty.

 

[Trav]

That’s cool. I really missed the generation of good Craftsman tools. I have gotten mine from pawn shops I am only 18 and work as a mechanic and everyone at my shop except a few people think it’s funny I use the old Craftsman USA stuff. I do remember going to Sears as a kid in the early 2000s and my dad getting Craftsman stuff and he would swear by it because it is good stuff. Then they went to those laser eteched ones and the quality was horrible on them

I have a lightly used box I bought used from a tool truck in excellent cond for cheap money, Snap on guy took it in trade and just wanted it off the truck. Craftsman has had their tools made by some very good companies, all have a code on them. Thats another way to get into bigger boxes cheaper.

Here is a list you can look up what you bought, you might be surprised what tools you have. Kudos to the guys who put this list together.

 

[clinebarger]

Most of my Craftsman stuff is mid 60's "V" branded, Not much use for a bunch of SAE wrenches & sockets in the automotive industry anymore.

 

[Trav]

Most of my Craftsman stuff is mid 60's "V" branded, Not much use for a bunch of SAE wrenches & sockets in the automotive industry anymore.

I think the last time I used SAE was on a snowblower and the BSW I cant remember but its been a long time. E-Torx are a big part of my socket sets, they are a must have for the cars I work on.

 

[HangFire]

A real serious mechanic will have a least one Kennedy tool box.


LOVE that brown crinkle finish, the felt lined drawers, the script "Kennedy" on the side, no chinky nascar logos... simple and very professional.


The only place I've seen a Kennedy box on display for sale was at the book store when I went to trade school. You can only get them from an industrial supplier. If you have a local industrial supplier, they might just have some stuff on display. I've never seen one for sale in a hardware store. The only other place I would recommend is a pawn shop.

The first thing I look at when a new machinist comes into the factories shop is his toolbox, if it isn't a Gerstner or Kennedy my first impression is "oh no another know nothing button pusher". True about 90% of the time

A good plan, if it can be executed.

I usually see these ex-student or ex-mechanic boxes sit around the listing services a year or two, or even more, until the owner finally realizes that are not going to get 99.99% of their investment back. Especially if the brand of tools has the acronym SO.

 

[HangFire]

Hey all, so as some of you may or may not know I am enrolled in Diesel Technology college starting August of this year. Of course, this means I need a list of required tools, and a box. The tools are very specific, and Snap On, Mac, and Matco all offer 50% off their tools and boxes. As I need a large number of tools, I am buying those from Matco, so I don't have to but them all individually. Plus, 50% off and they are cheapest (Snap On comes in at $2700, Mac at $2400 and Matco at $1700.) Plus, I need the lifetime warranty. The box, however, is a different story. I am looking for a 52"-54" double bay box. The one I had my heart set on from Matco was a 54" for $1400 after discount. However, I started looking around and came across this REALLY? An $1100 difference, for what is basically the same thing? I don't see any way the Matco is worth that much more, plus it has the wooden top that Matco does not. Am I right on this? I understand people who possess $20,000+ in tools may buy a more expensive box, but at the starter level, do I really need anything more? Thanks!

What really matters for a box is gauge of sheetmetal, quality of ball bearings, quality of slide locks, and quality of paint. Apply a big price multiplier if not from China, but it's up to you if that really matters.

 

[spasm3]

A real serious mechanic will have a least one Kennedy tool box.


LOVE that brown crinkle finish, the felt lined drawers, the script "Kennedy" on the side, no chinky nascar logos... simple and very professional.


The only place I've seen a Kennedy box on display for sale was at the book store when I went to trade school. You can only get them from an industrial supplier. If you have a local industrial supplier, they might just have some stuff on display. I've never seen one for sale in a hardware store. The only other place I would recommend is a pawn shop.

The first thing I look at when a new machinist comes into the factories shop is his toolbox, if it isn't a Gerstner or Kennedy my first impression is "oh no another know nothing button pusher". True about 90% of the time

I have this small one, plumbing stuff in it. I'm not sure where i got it.

 

[14Accent]

Can't believe this old of a thread took off again, but hey what the hay. I remember starting in college with all the tool vendors peddling their "50% off" deals for students. Never being one to accept a price as presented, I discovered Harbor Freight (this was circa 2008). I priced our recommended tool list on their website, including a box of equivalent size, at roughly $2k less than the next cheapest vendor which I believe was Matco.

I kept that toolbox and 90% of the tools for years. I did finally break down and buy a Snap-On box after about 6 years in the business, and I don't think it's even that great. The RhinoLiner-esque top finish has blistered and peeled (only a 1 year warranty on the top), several of the slides have failed, and there's more than 1 drawer that doesn't open and close right.

I still rock mostly HF tools. I've been through 4 long handle 3/8 flex ratchets already this year, and have never so much as had a question during the warranty replacement process. Some may say "4 replacements? 5 months? And you have to drive all the way to a store? Should have just bought the Snappy". Maybe, however with the Snap-On ratchet I have to wait a week for the guy to show up, hope he has a rebuild kit on the truck, and I get the same old tattered ratchet back with fresh guts. With HF: 5 minute drive and I have a brand new one easy peasy, and this is a tool that originally cost $24.99. That's a deal in my book.

 

[Timmastertech]

Maybe, however with the Snap-On ratchet I have to wait a week for the guy to show up, hope he has a rebuild kit on the truck, and I get the same old tattered ratchet back with fresh guts. With HF: 5 minute drive and I have a brand new one easy peasy, and this is a tool that originally cost $24.99. That's a deal in my book.

Your snapon man doesnt have a cell phone? I break a snapon tool, I text my dealer and say "I broke xxx, can you swing by with one." If he doesnt have guts for a ratchet in stock he hands me a new one. My tools are usually fixed within an hr or so...never more than a day. Service is part of why I pay what I pay for snapon tools

 

[14Accent]

Your snapon man doesnt have a cell phone? I break a snapon tool, I text my dealer and say "I broke xxx, can you swing by with one." If he doesnt have guts for a ratchet in stock he hands me a new one. My tools are usually fixed within an hr or so...never more than a day. Service is part of why I pay what I pay for snapon tools

My snap on guy is a... Well he's a feminine hygiene product. Let's say that. I'd rather not give him a dime if I can help it. My money goes to Mac or our indy tool distributor, however I still have many many HF tools from my school days so why not get them replaced when they fail?