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Tool boxes?


Hagan

08/2013 OTOTM Winner
V8 Engine Swap
OTOTM Winner
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Joined
Jan 3, 2009
Messages
1,079
City
Salem, OR
Vehicle Year
1986
Transmission
Manual
So my girlfriend gave me a Christmas present early. And while it was a very nice gift and I wanted a tool box really bad...the quality just sucks. Its a Craftsman toolbox. It has 3 drawers on bottom and 5 on top. I picked it up from Sears and it was damaged pretty badly. So I returned it and got another one...and it still has small dents everywhere. I was going to ignore it...but its seems like the quality or craftsmanship isn't there. The hinges suck (they used 1 on the top) and it flexes badly. There is paint bubbles all over the inside, the hinges have plastic in them, and its really light. If I put tools in the drawers they hinges will likely break.

My dad has toolbox made my Craftsman (like 10 years ago) and its built...not wimpy like this one. Is there a toolbox around $200 that is much better than this? Or are they all built this way? This one was way over priced in my opinion.
 
I haven't been that impressed with Craftsman lately, or anywhere it's sold truthfully. Sadly it seems the same with a lot of things made in the USA. the last several purchases I've made specifically splurging on the one that was made in the USA have been a little on the disappointing side, cheap, flimsy, and poor fitting.

I've found cheap kitchen drawer pulls rated for twice the weight my Craftsman rolling tool chest drawers is rated for. :sad:
 
Its all overseas junk now. Made in USA craftsman is long gone.
 
So I'm basically stuck with this flimsy junk? Honestly, I'd rather take it back to Sears and find an old one on Craigslist.
 
I never had any issues with Craftsman tools or their tool boxes. To get something new and it is banged up is totally unacceptable. To take it back and get another box that has dents in it as well?? Take it back for a refund and just shop around for something else. I have craftsman tool boxes (older ones) with ball bearing drawers that are so nice and easy to use. I have not bought anything from Sears in about 2 years.....I got a Mitre saw from them that works great and I love to use it on wood or metal.
 
I bought the top of the line Harbor Frieght box for my bottom and I am pleased with it.What I would look into if I were you is see if I could add a few bucks and upgrade my top box is a pretty good middle grade box.I think that what has changed with craftsman boxes is they have a greater grade variety.The thing most girls don't understand is tool box is more of a personal choice than say socks underwear or condoms and it's hard to buy one for most men.
 
have to go to sears sometime and look at this issue....


:icon_confused: man i wouldnt....i think the last metal box i bought from sears was over 20 years ago. a toter... i thought it sucked compared to my old snap on..but the snap on was the garage box and i needed a decent toter....but it was better then any of the cheaper store products. a 1/4 of the price but 2/3 the quality of the snap on equivalent at the time. i still have it..its in great shape actually.

they had various series of plastic/plastic metal combos i used for portables i have bought and destroyed all along....they were worth what i payed...but all have been used to death as life in my truck is harsh to say the least....i been thinking of looking at them again...now i will. i need truck boxes again.



i suggest to start looking at used tool shops and pawn shops for your big house boxes...you can get some great value that way for your goal.
 
check out lowes kobalt boxes not cheap but appear to be decent.
 
I use a bag now. It's a Carhartt bag. It's brown and big and all the shits in the middle in a pile, with pockets around the outside and inside for smaller things. I keep the combination wrenches and the 3/8" drives in their boxes, but the screw drivers, pliers and 1/2" sockets (on strips) float around. It's great. The odd stuff I don't use regularly I keep in an ancient Craftsman box with lots of ball-bearing drawers. I don't go into Sears anymore, and not for 10 years at least, so I don't know what they have.

I keep my plumbing crap in one big plastic box, my electrical crap in another big box and my mechanical-overhaul stuff in the Craftsman drawers. It's got various micrometers and pullers and bigger things. The normal stuff is in the bag. I throw the bag in the bus when we go on vacation or in the big pickup when I have to haul stuff around. Best thing I ever did was throwing away a rigid tool box.
 
Craftsman can be bought almost everywhere now.
My box is a US General from Harbor Freight. LOVE IT!
 

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my craftsman boxes are nice. you have to get the ballbearing griplatch ones.
 
My last box at work was a Waterloo with roller slides. It was a good box for what I payed for it.

Ran out of room in it and last spring I upgraded to a Classic 78 box from Snap-On. No comparison in quality. :icon_bounceblue:
 
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Once upon a time, Craftsman boxes were made by a company called Kennedy. They had some serious quality stuff. The roll-away I have is over 15 yrs old, and I like it. I'd upgrade to a bigger one, but space limitations in the basement shop rule that out.

Here's my rig:
BsmtShop10.jpg

BsmtShop11.jpg
 
I really don't have THAT many tools its just my tools are laying around my garage because they don't have a home. I don't need a massive box...but if I need to put 50lbs in drawer I don't want it to snap. This is not a ball bearing tool chest. I think I'm going to return it and shop around.
 
My box at work is a candy apple red classic 78 with the armor edge steel top. But my box at home is a kobalt box from Lowes. I really like the kobalt box for the price and quality. They are pretty well built and have held up to good use for a few years now. It had nice gas struts on the lid and ball bearing slides on the drawers. I would recommend taking a look at them if you are looking for a good box.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
 
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