Which tool chest should I get?

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aphex

aphex

Moderator<br>All Things Apple
Moderator
Jul 19, 2001
38,572
2
91
Debating between the following two tool chests. My tools are primarily for hobby & housework, nothing major at all, but I do have a decent amount.

I think the craftsman would be higher quality, though I worry it would be nearly full as soon as I put all my tools in.

Craftsman 5 Drawer Basic Ball-Bearing Tool Center - $95

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Harbor Freight 11 Drawer Roller Cabinet - $150

image_20242.jpg
 
xaeniac

xaeniac

Golden Member
Feb 4, 2005
1,641
14
81
I would choose the craftsman. The drawer mechanics are more than likely better quality.
 
L

leper84

Senior member
Dec 29, 2011
989
29
86
Craftsman can make some decent boxes.. the one you have pictured aint one. I have one from that line for odds and ends and its some flimsy, flimsy shit.

For home use it may not break right away but keep in mind it only has a year limited warranty and its only rated at 25lbs per drawer.

I have no idea on the Harbor Freight one. Your best bet is to go down to Sears or Harbor freight and get a feel for how they're built in person.
 
W

wischeez

Golden Member
Jan 31, 2004
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Last edited:
grohl

grohl

Platinum Member
Jun 27, 2004
2,849
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agree with Craftsman. They had a killer BF deal on a ball bearing box, a little late for that now though.
 
Triumph

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
the low end craftsman stuff is junk. junk. the MID grade craftsman stuff is still junk compared to what it used to be. the high end craftsman stuff literally just barely competes with this Harbor Freight box:
http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-68784.html

that thing is an insane bargain. next time you're in a HF store, take a look at it, better than anything at Sears. if i had a garage large enough for it, no question i would take it. this one is closer in size to what you're looking at, but still pretty large and still overkill for probably what you need. but for anyone looking at spending 300 bucks on a toolbox, this is the thing to buy over anything at sears.
http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-26-8-drawer-with-8-drawer-top-chest-67831.html

i'd take the brown HF box just to avoid giving Sears any money. and it really isn't a bad box. it's truly sad the way they've downgraded the quality of their products, and they are sullying their good name by going for bottom dollar quality. i mean, they're all made in china now, so why should i pay more for junk from Sears? it's not like i'm paying for a US made product.

have you looked on CL? i bought my Klein toolbox there and was much happier to pay $100 for a good used toolbox than $150 for a shitty new tool box.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
I have the top one. I hate it. its a steaming pile of shit. not worth the money.
 
S

Sluggo

Lifer
Jun 12, 2000
15,488
5
81
Humpy

Humpy

Diamond Member
Mar 3, 2011
4,464
596
126
I got the Craftsman for my wife, she loves it.

She keeps pencils and tape in one drawer and scissors and bits of yarn in another. There is even room for her quilting patterns.
 
Triumph

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
Humpy said:
I got the Craftsman for my wife, she loves it.

She keeps pencils and tape in one drawer and scissors and bits of yarn in another. There is even room for her quilting patterns.
Click to expand...

there you have it folks, craftsman toolboxes are now made for women who want to store pencils, tape, scissors, and yarn. :D

the more i think about it, the better the HF box is. ball bearings are just a bandaid addition to a turd to make it look better on a spec sheet. for holding any real tools, the craftsman is going to suck.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,185
10,654
126
If it were me, I'd look at craigslist and pawn shops first. You might be able to get a better box for less money. I'd also consider building my own from wood. That wouldn't be as portable(heavy as hell), and not much cheaper, but it would be a rewarding project.
 
T

the DRIZZLE

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2007
2,956
1
81
Triumph said:
the low end craftsman stuff is junk. junk. the MID grade craftsman stuff is still junk compared to what it used to be. the high end craftsman stuff literally just barely competes with this Harbor Freight box:
http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-68784.html

that thing is an insane bargain. next time you're in a HF store, take a look at it, better than anything at Sears.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I got that box for my father and it blows away anything it that price range.
 
B

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
Even with ball bearings the low end craftsman chests are pretty shitty. I'd pay a little extra and get the next level craftsman up that can hold more weight in the drawers. The harbor freight with sliders will be garbage though.
 
rivan

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
the DRIZZLE said:
Agreed. I got that box for my father and it blows away anything it that price range.
Click to expand...

I've had the box linked (or an older revision of it) for maybe 4 years now and it's fantastic. I paid a lot less than that; pretty sure I had a major coupon.

I started out shopping at Sears, HD and Lowes and was disgusted at the horrible level of quality.
 
OILFIELDTRASH

OILFIELDTRASH

Lifer
May 13, 2009
12,333
612
126
I've got the HF 44" box everyone is talking about. I've already filled it up and probably could use another one to be honest. The tool boxes the OP linked would probably be totally filled up with a basic 150PC mechanics set. If you have pry bars, hammers, tons of screwdrivers, you'll have that box filled up before you put half your tools away. I like having separate drawers. One for ratchets, one for standard sockets, one for metric sockets, hammer and punch drawer, screwdriver drawer, etc..
 
alkemyst

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
The basic Craftsman boxes really suck. I bought my dad a set a few years ago for Christmas thinking I was going to be getting a great deal. Instead I had to upgrade pretty substantially to get a good box and handled the return for him. It's still perfect though and his drawers are full and slide nice.

The Harbor Freight one I looked at around the same time was ball-bearing for about twice this price but looked the same. I guess they got hit with the economy. That box was getting great reviews too.
 
K

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
5
81
The OP probably doesn't need the 44" one. He probably only needs this 28" one.

http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-26-8-drawer-with-8-drawer-top-chest-67831.html

Its too bad the 20% coupons don't work on tool cabinets or carts anymore. On a side note, I generally use those cheap foam yoga mats and cut them up for my drawer liners. They keep everything from sliding around and with a neon color, I find it much easier to see individual tools over a black matt.
 
J

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Triumph said:
the low end craftsman stuff is junk. junk. the MID grade craftsman stuff is still junk compared to what it used to be. the high end craftsman stuff literally just barely competes with this Harbor Freight box:
http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-68784.html
Click to expand...

Wow that's a deal. I don't think I'd want to carry it up from my basement every time I needed a tool, but once I get a garage I've GOT to get one.

I wonder how they got the weight rating...
 
I

iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
1
0
I have to agree that ball bearing is better, and to me drawers depth is more important than lots of drawers or width of drawers. Top tool chess is useless, unless you have lots of precision instruments.
 
iamwiz82

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
i have an 7 year old mid-range Craftsman that has served me well. It has a load of tools and has never given me any trouble.
 
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