Power Wagon Registry

Hey guys, I've been looking around for a new toolbox to use in my garage. There are so many of these that choosing one over another becomes a challenge. The small town I live in doesn't help, because there are very few in stock at any of the local stores for me to look at. Home Depot had a 36" combination cabinet and tool chest with the Milwaukee tool name on it that looked pretty good, but it is too small. They also had a 48" Husky combination set, but it looked really really cheap, with super thin gauge steel. Cal Ranch had a 72" Technix combination set that was big enough, but was also really cheap looking. The top of the tool box didn't even shut all the way, and it was still brand new sitting in the store. The Ace Hardware store had a few small Craftsman tool boxes that were also super super cheap. They looked like junk that I wouldn't even take home if they were free.

So I'm asking for some recommendations for tool boxes to check out on-line. I'm looking for a 54" to 72" combination tool box and roll away cabinet, and I'm looking to spend anywhere from $1500 to $2500. It seems like each brand has a series of different models, ranging from cheap to expensive, and it is hard for me to gauge which one would be an acceptable quality without being able to actually see them. Here are a couple that I have considered ... Tell me what you think, and feel free to recommend others to check out.

This is Northern Tool's number one seller, made by Homak: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200581634
And the tool box that goes with it: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200581633

Here is a Dewalt combination set. I like Dewalt tools, and also have a Dewalt air compressor, but this toolbox is kind of small: https://www.cpopowertools.com/on/demand ... /Cart-Show

This Cat tool box set looks nice, although I don't have anything else from Cat, so it might look kind of out of place: https://www.cattoolstorage.com/product/ ... inet-combo

I can't afford the $18,000 Snap On, or even the $12,000 Proto top of the line tool box, but I'm interested in hearing what you guys have to say.

This should add to the confusion:

http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com

I haven't dealt with them, but I have read a few good things about them on Garage Journal. There should be something in your price range.

The Montezuma boxes seemed to have a following on GJ. I don"t know much about them. Tool Vault looks nice. It looks like the site carries professional boxes at decent prices.

Well, I currently have rolling and mid and top boxes from Snap-On, Matco, Craftsman, Stanley, and Husky. All were bought used for pennies on the dollar, and most were "like new" when I found them. The big guys like Snap-On, Matco, Mac, and Cornwell have various levels of quality, but all are good. Higher price will get you better latches and glides, and sometimes a fancy paint job, but their base cabinets are substantially better than the standard Craftsman. Craftsman is decent if you can get it at the right price. Husky is crap, don't bother. I have looked at the new Dewalt and Milwaukee boxes and they are OK, but I wouldn't pay list price for them. The current Kennedy stuff is crap, but some of the old stuff is decent. When I was looking for stuff a few years ago, Costco had some decent boxes in stainless steel, so probably worth looking at. There is a lot of standardization of sizes in the professional boxes (height, width, depth, caster size, etc.), so you can mix and match and everything will stack together if you buy carefully. CraigsList is your friend when it comes to tool boxes, and the right box is worth a fairly long drive. Lots of retiring mechanics, divorce sales by ex-wives, etc. At least around here, you can often buy $5K boxes in nice/new condition for $1500. Whatever you get, make sure it has ball bearing glides because those drawers get heavy when they are loaded. And Snap-On actually honors their lifetime warranty if you need to replace a glide or a latch or a caster on a used box.

I'll second that, buying a top quality professional box used is the way to go. I got into my snap on for about $2000 which new was close to 10.

I've been eyeballing one from here for the new house. http://www.nhproequip.com/extreme-tools ... ol-cabinet

You really can't beat the price at Harbor freight if you are buying new. They are a great choice for a home use box. Especially when they go on sale.

http://www.harborfreight.com/tool-stora ... inets.html


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azracer wrote:You really can't beat the price at Harbor freight if you are buying new. They are a great choice for a home use box. Especially when they go on sale.

http://www.harborfreight.com/tool-stora ... inets.html


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Our team ended up going with the harbour freight pro ball bearing tool chest. Can't say we have had any issues and in reality, we're glad we saved the cash on that. We would rather spend the money on the car than a tool chest. I myself would rather have $10k in tools in cardboard boxes on the floor than a $10k tool chest with a couple of screwdrivers.

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azracer wrote:You really can't beat the price at Harbor freight if you are buying new. They are a great choice for a home use box. Especially when they go on sale.

http://www.harborfreight.com/tool-stora ... inets.html

I keep looking at these every time i'm at HFT. Sure, they're not snap-on, but they don't have snap-out-of-it prices either.
Need a bigger garage first.

I bought my 1st Snap-On box in 1983. Still have it. It's been though 1 dealership, 2 garages, 3 fab shops, and a power plant. Have replaced the wheels 4 times on it. Replaced about 6 slides that I can remember. Also have a Craftsmen box that I bought in 1995? I use it for larger tools etc. Have a smaller Snap-On box out in the shed. Bought it off a fellow mechanic that was going though a rough time to say the least.

I've been reading a lot on Garage Journal about guys buying used boxes at low prices. It really does seem like the way to go. Some need restoration work, if you are into that, but the purchase price is usually much lower on those. A few year old used professional box will last forever in a home shop. Let's face it, they would last forever in a professional shop, too, if we didn't give in to the new shiny stuff and "need" to replace the old stuff.

I haven't bought a new box in about 20 years. It was a giant MAC-simizer. It's 88 inches long, 48" high. MAC was trying to get back into my shop, and made insane deals on 3 of them at one time. I think it was $2,800 for a $9,800 box, and crazy trade-in value on my old stuff. That was the only way to afford it! Now it sits in my shed.

Harbor Freight has a few that are nice, sturdy units. The best thing you can do is get your hands on a few and feel them. Do they flex alot? How do the slide work with weight in the drawer? If you will not move it, flexing becomes less of an issue. Big thing is don't get hung up on the logo on the front, if you must buy new. Buy something that feels sturdy, and will do it's job, which is hold your tools. You can always "debadge" it!

If you are buying a new tool box. Make sure you get ball bearing slides that lock when closed. It helps in keeping the box from tipping over if you have too many drawers open at one time. I've seen too many boxes damaged from tipping over. When it happens. All the drawers will come open if they are not locked. And the ball bearing slides will not wear out like the older slides.

The snap-on toolbox we put in the trailer was repo'd by the snap-on guy from a mechanic who didn't pay his bills... we got a real good deal on it. Having the connections and being a non-profit helped a lot though.
Nice, heavy, solid... still $$$$.

Thanks for the link to strictlytoolboxes.com . I'm still looking for toolboxes, and have decided on a 56" size. Here are a couple that look like they are pretty good quality. I'm leaning toward the Extreme Tools toolbox because it uses 18 gauge steel in the drawers, whereas the Tool Vault toolbox only uses 20 gauge steel in the drawers. Both toolboxes are pretty much the same otherwise.

http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com/toolbo ... chest.html


http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com/toolbo ... chest.html


What do you guys think of these toolboxes? Any other brands I should be considering?

Th Extreme boxes are what I keep going back to and planning to get one once I can. http://www.nhproequip.com/PDFs/RX552512 ... -SPECS.pdf

Ordered the Extreme Tools toolbox this evening. Shipping time is 6 to 10 days, and comes on a freight truck with a lift gate.

Nice, I'll be anxious to hear your opinion once you get your hands on it.

Nice choice. Let us know what you think of it once you've had it for a while.

Well I got the Extreme Tools toolbox today, and put the casters on, and lifted the top toolbox in place. That was a chore, with me on one end and my wife and 20 year old son on the other end. Overall I think the toolbox is good quality, and looks like it will be heavy duty enough for home use. I am satisfied in that regard. I don't particularly care for the detent closure of the drawers though. The soft close drawers and hinges on the New Age Pro cabinets that can be seen to the right in this picture are much better.