I got a set of husky's top of the line, "scratch and dent" style. Floor display, covered in fingerprints, and they lost the keys to both the roller cabinet and the top cabinet, which wasn't a big deal because they were unlocked and the HD I bought them at ordered new locks/keys free of charge.

60% off the "in the box" price.

 

I'm pretty sure Waterloo doesn't make the Snap On boxes. Just a totally different design, thicker guage metal, proprietary drawer slides and hardware. But Mac, Husky, Craftsman and Canadian Tire boxes all look and feel like a Waterloo Professional Series box. Same drawer layout, same ball bearing slides, same key location. And, Waterloo boxes are cheaper than all of the above, if you can find one. Back about 10 years ago, I wanted a 41" Waterloo, it was about 750 for the bottom, the same Craftsman was 950. Obviously, over 10 years, the prices went up, so the Waterloo is now 950, the Craftsman is 1150.

So if I were spending your money, no, you don't need a Snap On tool box. I don't need one either, but I got a deal on mine. If I were buying a new toolbox today, I'd get a 41" Waterloo Professional top and bottom, for about $1500. Same price I paid for my 40" Snap On top and bottom, slightly used. My setup new is about $3500.

Or, go to Costco, get their stainless 41" top and bottom box for less than $900. A guy at work has one for his home shop, and save for the headache of moving tools around and switching everything around, he'd rather have it as a work box than his Snap On KRL 54" box.

 

waterloo is based in catoosa oklahoma, About an hour from me and I had my snap on man tell me he goes over to there wharehouse and pickes up tool boxes.

 

International toolboxes out of Canada, makes SOME of the Snap~on line. They also have an import line. They can be a pita to find, but the last time I looked (didn't buy, no money and would have been stolen in my area) they were about half of what Snap costs new (for the Canadian made versions).

The HF ones (you can download the manual online), don't have the weight capacity of a lot of the boxes.
Craftsman now has an import line (different prefix, don't remember it).
Don't forget things like Craigslist, I've seen a few bargins and a few over priced, from people who quit the business.

As I also like woodworking, and being made out of wood, makes the local druggies think it's either old/cheap, or too heavy, or not worth their time, I plan on making one for my garage.

 

Ok to the uninformed people who say bad things about Snap On boxes. First off there are two lines of Snap On tool boxes the KRA and KRL. I will not speak for where the KRA line (cheap line) are built but I know the KRL boxes are not made by Waterloo I forget the city they are built in but it is a different box altogether. I got a DVD from my Snap On dealer and they put boxes from Cornwell, Craftsman, Matco, and Mac and ripped them apart and tortured tested them. The Snap On regardless who you say makes them is built strong better engineered then all the other boxes. I do not think that a weekend warrior should purchase one but how dare you people compare my 6000 dollar Snap On box to some Bob Villa box. Jealousy is a stinky cologne and people that do not want to invest there tools wear it well.

 

There's nothing "cheap" about the KRA series box, other than the fact that it is less expensive than the KRL series box. The structural architecture is exactly the same if you look at it in a strictly engineering standpoint.

And it doesn't matter who is contracted to build Snap On boxes. You will never find a knock off anywhere, because the contractor has to be licensed to build that box. Find me a knock off and I'll show you where the deficiencies are.

I'm with you Panzer. Don't rip on my box just because it's a Snap On. Go get a job in a shop, the first thing your coworkers will tell you is get the biggest box you can afford. Mac or Snap On, heck, even a Craftsman. But show up with a 26" box, you'll be buying a bigger tool box sooner than you think.

 

2 more questions. They may have been answered already. I can't remember and I am too lazy right now to go back and check.

1. What is the warranty on Craftsman Grip Latch tool boxes?
2. Does Snap On sell used tool boxes? I believe they take trades so the trades must go somewhere.

 

I heard of a guy who had his Craftsman top and bottom box entirely FLATTENED by an excavator. He went in to Sears and got a new box, because he couldn't get the draweres open. And he did indeed get a new top and bottom box. This was years ago though, before they got strict about the warranty claims. I think it's lifetime on slides and locks, 1 year on everything else. Don't quote me though.

And yes, Snap On does sell used boxes. I actually got my Snap On box from a Mac dealer. But I have seen Waterloo and Craftsman as well as Mac used boxes on a Snap On truck.

 

Just think of it this way spend 600.00 or make payments and interest on a 2900.00 toolbox. Its not worth it and besides craftsman has there own tool card now just like snap on and the interest is 9.99% compared to 21.99 that snap on charges. I bought a 40'' roll cab and top chest from craftsman and it was 1500.00 the cab alone was 999.00. Check www.sears.com for special sales and closeouts and also ask your sears store if you have a sears outlet near by. In CA there is three sears outlets where they sell scratch and dent items for 50-60% off.

 

[QUOTE=ford390gashog]Just think of it this way spend 600.00 or make payments and interest on a 2900.00 toolbox. Its not worth it and besides craftsman has there own tool card now just like snap on and the interest is 9.99% compared to 21.99 that snap on charges.

My snapon dealer has a revolving account set up where you just pay once a week with no min payment no interest and if you can't pay that week no big deal,That was the only way I was able to buy snapon tools and have been doing so for 18yrs,anybody else have a dealer that will do that?I have also bought a lot of tools that have been repoed at good discounts.My dealer always has a good supply of used tools and boxes and if there not on his truck theres a good chance he has them at his home.

 

There are lots of choices out there, not just Craftsman and Snap-on.

I have a large Matco that I got used and it is one of their early models. Cleaned up the slides and it works like new.

I also have an MBC, (which stands for metal box company in Chicago,) that I bought back in 1973 which is equal in quality to anything that I have seen. It served me for twenty years working flat-rate. I got it from a MAC dealer. I saw him open the drawers and use it for a ladder. I tried the drawers after he got his fat butt off the box and they were smooth as silk. I bought it. Thirty odd years later, no sign of rust anywhere and other than a few paint chips it's good as new. I did change the wheels because the bearings went as a result of using caustic floor cleaners. Speaking of which, the wheels are a good indication of quality. Do they have ball bearings or not? The drawers work fine in any new box, but do the drawer bottoms distort when you push up from the bottom?

 

i got a 3drawer craftsman for caryin tools,other than that my shop wall IS my tool box. everything is hangin up and i mean everything from sockets to air tools,boxend wrenches,screwdrivers everything even the creeper! it seems to keep me from havin to fumble threw a box of stuff to get what i need,also when im done all i have to do is look at the wall to see if i left somthing under the hood or misplased cuzz theres an emptey spot on the wall.ply wood and screws cost me 30 bucks tops

 

That's great Wiz, but for commercial shops security is a problem that has to be dealt with.

 

Not just commercial shops have security problems. I prefer to make it hard for any lowlife that breaks into my tool shop

 

It's not just the outsiders, unfortunately the worsth theives are internal (fellow mechanics, car salesmen, etc).