Anyone have experience with MAC toolboxes. How do the Economizer and Macsimizer line compare to the craftsman professional and snap-on?

Thanks

 

I dont have any experience with the snap-on or the mac tool boxes. Craftsmens have always worked just fine. Another company that makes awesome tool boxes is Kobalt, and probably for a lot less. They probably are all good just depends on how much you want spend.

 

The Economizer ranks with the Craftsman Professional stuff. The Maximizers and the top line Snap on stuff is pretty much the same. The only reason I picked a Maximizer was the 27% discount the guy gave me for being a soldier. The Snap on guy was a tool....didn't even want to talk to me. Too bad for him, I paid cash.

Chris

 

Which macsimizer do you have? what is the retail on that model.

Thanks

 

I have Craftsmen Professional . I wish I had the tool box Costco has right now .......... Stainless Steel, far superior to my boxes and less money. Wrench

 

I didn't think you could use "Craftsman" and "Snap-On" in the same sentence.

Of the choices, Mac is right up there with Snap-On for professional duty; the Sears is just a poser. But Sears Pro would be an excellent choice for personal use!

 

With those three mentioned (Craftsman, Snap-On & Mac), you get what you pay for. Snap-On and Mac have good tools, but you pay for it. Craftsman aren't as high as quality, but they are cheaper and it's easy to get replacements if something breaks, no questions asked. I have all Craftsman and they treat me well.

 

I second the costco box if you have one around but otherwise the mac/snap on boxes are far better then the craftsmen if your a mechanic. Otherwise save the money and get a craftsmen pro or similar and buy yourself new tools to fill the box

 

Personnally I have seen and used both craftsman pro and snap on boxes and I belive the Craftsman (professional) boxes to easily be equal or better quality of most all snap on boxes. Just keep in mind craftsman has three grades of tool boxes - the home, friction slide boxes (adequate for occasional home use); the ball bearing mid grade (I've known many proffessionals to use these and spend more on tools - but in my mind they're adequate for frequent home use); and finnally the Craftsman pro boxes. These boxes have internal cage construction and have incredible load bearing strength, much better castors, sturdy drawer handles, smooth ball bearing slides. etc. I'll agree that craftsman pro TOOLS don't hold a candle to snap on quality but the craftsman pro boxes do - and they do it at half the price. There are a lot of snap-on boxes that still have friction drawer slides on them and the craftsman pro boxes have very nice ball bearing slides and sturdy aluminum/steel handles as well. Its up to you - but personally I think you get an excellent box with Craftsman pro at a much cheaper price. Spend your money on the tools instead!

-Aaron Griffith

 

Thanks for the input everybody, I ende up buying a used MAC

Adam

 

At least you know what yours is, I made a patchwork from parts that other people were gettin rid of in my neighborhood its got the bottom half of a roll around with a couple of drawers, then I stacked some other sliding drawers on it and topped it off with a craftsman toolbox, it aint purdy but its older than I am, Im sure and works great for me. Plus it was free,
-Chris

 

A lot of people like to knock Craftsman, but I've had one standard Craftsman roll-around for going on thirty years with no problems. I bought another about 5 years ago and it does just fine as well. All the drawers work smoothly and it rolls around just like it should. If I could only get my tools to mate and reproduce inside the drawers, it'd be perfect.

 

Jim of Oz

I bet we would all like the tools to mate and reproduce. I would only breed the best ones so that the offspring were bigger and nice and smooth

 

For me, I have been collecting tools for 40 years. I started with a MAC box, that I rapidly outgrew. I then got a bigger Crafsman box and put decent casters on it. My wife just bought me a new large Craftsman box for Christmas and the first thing I did was bought a nice set of casters for it, now it's really worth having.

I made a conscious decision in the very beginning that I would put my money into quality tools rather than a fancy and expensive box to put them in. When someone makes a comment about my box I ask them to choose a drawer and open it. They look inside and almost always make some positive comment like OHhhh.. and then walk away.

I bought Snap On tools back in the day when mortal man could afford them. As the metrics came along I had to economize some, but I still have top quality tools in the box. Until my wife bought me my new box, my toolbox would win the Ugly toolbox contest in most any shop.

It amazes me how many techs have huge, fancy, EXPENSIVE boxes that are nearly empty or have Craftsman tools in them. I don't know about you, but the tools are more useful and more important than the box.

All of the boxes are made by Waterloo, they are just made to different specifications.

 

It couldn't be said any better. Amen!