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Tool Chest Recommendations

Optiofab

Plastic
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
So I'm switching jobs, my old job provided a tool chest(which was nice, but not the norm), but the new one does not. So I'm in the market. I have about $1200 to throw at this and can get a ball bearing slide Kennedy stack for that. But I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations. I see Lista and Vidmar being recommended, but they tend to be stationary cabinets vs the rolling cabinet I need.

Anyhow, any alternatives I should look for, or should I just get the Kennedy stack?
 
Many of the Lista type cabinets are built for casters. Select a size that will be the correct height for a workbench with casters. If you go this route, don't cheap out on the casters.
 
£900 to spend on a tool box? :eek: ............yea gods, talk about a different planet.

Too little? I have about 3 weeks vacation saved up at my old company that they are going to pay out. So I figured I could use some of it to pay for the chest, and some for the bills... gota keep the Mrs happy too ya know!
 
I have an oak top/bottom, fair shape heading for the dumpster, some sanding and refinsh would keep them good for a lot of years.
they are in California
 
I have an oak top/bottom, fair shape heading for the dumpster, some sanding and refinsh would keep them good for a lot of years.
they are in California

Man if I was even remotely close I would be figuring out how to get there for them. I cannot imagine what shipping would be across the country for some tool boxes though.

You got me wrong Wes, to me £900 ($1200) is an obscene amount of money for some tool boxes.

YMMV, but that's my take on it

Oh hah. Yea you should see what mechanics pay for their toolboxes around here, I have a buddy (diesel mechanic) that just spent about $9000 on a single Snap On box.
 
Man if I was even remotely close I would be figuring out how to get there for them. I cannot imagine what shipping would be across the country for some tool boxes though.



Oh hah. Yea you should see what mechanics pay for their toolboxes around here, I have a buddy (diesel mechanic) that just spent about $9000 on a single Snap On box.

Did he actually pay the $9000, or does Snap-on have him by the balls for the next decade? :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Did he actually pay the $9000, or does Snap-on have him by the balls for the next decade? :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

He was so excited showing off all of its features I thought it would be rude to ask... It is a really nice box though. Hes single and makes good money, so I would not be surprised if he paid for it up front.
 
He was so excited showing off all of its features I thought it would be rude to ask... It is a really nice box though. Hes single and makes good money, so I would not be surprised if he paid for it up front.

I know people who go to mechanics school all the time. Snap On and Mack Tools give out $10k credit lines to people who are about to graduate the program. They figure if they dont offer the credit then their competition will. Its so easy to get set up with good tools and nice to show off until of course you have to pay for them.

Most mechanics get sick of doing brake jobs and oil changes. They dont realize what the auto repair market really consist of.

Back to tool chests. I was just at Harbor Freight and looked at the U.S. General boxes. Cheaper than most but not too cheaply built that I wouldnt want one. They have a decent roller chest for $499. Got a nicer one for $799 I believe.
 
Well, I will probably get blasted by some here, but I am with you. I have looked at different brands of tool boxes and in the past have purchased Craftsman boxes for my employers' shops. Yea, not one of the top rated, name brands, but guess what, even with no special care and use by all, they were just fine.

For my personal shop I looked at the prices a bit more carefully. But I looked at the level of quality too. What I found was that the Husky line of tool boxes at Home Depot compare, feature to feature, very well with the Craftsman boxes and they are between 1/3 and 1/4 the price. I have three Husky tool boxes (total of about $165) and am very pleased with them. Only one has wheels and it rolls just fine after four or five years in my shop. All the drawers slide easily and close with a bit of a stay-closed action at the end of travel. No signs of drooping when they are fully extended, even with a full load of tools. No signs of rust anywhere. Another thing that I paid a lot of attention to is the gauge of metal. Even in out-of-the-way places where many would not look, the gauge used in the Husky boxes was at least as heavy as the Craftsman and sometimes heavier. In short and IMHO, they are at least as good as the Craftsman line, probably better.

I can't talk about how they compare with other brands that I have no experience with.



You got me wrong Wes, to me £900 ($1200) is an obscene amount of money for some tool boxes.

YMMV, but that's my take on it
 
A 40" or 44" roll cab is a good way to go. Anything larger might get kind of crowded depending on how the workspace is.

You can get a top box later and still have a little flat space left if you go with a Kennedy or something fancier. I wouldn't get a full width mechanic top box, I'd want a Kennedy or Gerstner or something cool.

My Kennedy stack is the 29" set, a little more space but no felt in the top box drawers from Kennedy.
I have a 40" Williams roll cab and a 44" HF one. Plus a few Kennedy top boxes on the workbenches.
I don't like to admit it, but the HF roll cabs are a good value.

For a job, I'd take a roll cab first, add more later. You can't have too many roll cans anyway...
 
I have boxes, risers, and chests from: Lista(4), Kennedy(4), Matco(3), proto(3), US General (1), Mac(1)

Hands down the Lista type are the best. I often pull out a draw and stand on it to reach higher items on the shelf. I would never dram of doing it with any of the others. One of them I store hundreds of pounds of metal stock.

The matcos and protos come in next. The US general is a great deal for the money (~$400 for the 42") and suits its purpose as a bench for my south bend 9".

Check out the ICON brand at HF. I heard that that whole ICON line was designed by an ex Snap designer
 
I second Lista, great cabinets, and amazing amount of customization possible, you can pretty much design a cabinet for any need. I've also got SnapOn (VERY expensive) and Kennedy, but only buy Lista going forward. FYI, Kennedy got bought a year or so ago and they have greatly reduced their product lines to the point where I've been very disappointed trying to find the right size.
 
I have never actually been in a HF, so I may have to swing by one tomorrow and see what all of this is about. Looking at stuff online the ICON line is pretty spendy. That 44" roller does seem to be pretty heavy for its size and has a good reputation. having said that I would still rather buy US made if I can.

I did look at the Husky and Kobalt lines, but what they had in store felt flimsy and the drawer layout was less than useful. The exception to that was the Milwaukee boxes that actually felt pretty decent.

The high end stuff (matco/lista/vidmar) I would have to get used, which I'm perfectly ok with. But used stuff is just dependent on what people are selling on the local CL and FB marketplace. Unfortunately since the COVID stuff hit I'm just not seeing nearly as much listed anymore.
 
I will be there in a few weeks, anyome interested, pm me, good bad or ugly it is dumpster bound, along with a 3 x 6 granite surface plate, stand, starrett mics, lots and lots, I'm movving and have taken all I am taking. It is in San Andreas ca, come get it
 
GO to Home Depot and get a roller cabinet, pocket the rest of the money you'll save.
Or if it's burning a hole in your pocket get the Kennedy. I've had my Kennedy stack for 30yrs
 
I would pick up a nice vintage Gerstner top. I always wanted a Walnut because differnt, but wife bought me an oak years back and I am not one to complain

The bottom is just for hammers and wrenches so do what you will
 
I have Vidmars for heavy stuff like fixturing and divided draws of hardware and heavy tooling. Then the light stuff goes in Hazard Freight, Husky, Craftsman or whatever cheapo will do the job. I have several old Kennedy tops I bought used but would never pay what they want new. If I'm going to pay a lot for a box its going to be something heavy like a Vidmar, Lista or clone.
 
A guy at work just bought a Harbor Freight brand chest. It actually looks and feels nice, not sure what he paid. I have Kennedy's in Dews vintage more or less, I don't think they are as well made now so you might want to look at "gently" used condition boxes. I see them in my area for around $1k WITH tools, although the tools are less than stellar... ;)

edit: honorable mention, Sam's club Sevilles are nice for the price
 








 
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