questions about tool chest

[carter442]

i am going to be getting a bigger tool box this year and i am considering the harbor freight us general tool boxes. who has any experience with these boxes?

 

[redneck122]

They're alright for just a home box. You'd be better off spending a bit more and going for a craftsmen though

 

[XJLI]

cheap craftsman boxes suck more than the cheap US general ones, they dont even have roller bearings. the 3-400 dollar range US general boxes are pretty nice for what they are.

 

[samger2]

I don't have any experience personally with the harbor freight ones, but I've yet to read a single review where anyone said anything but good things about them. That's coming from this forum, jeepforum, bimmerforums and garagejournal....as well as the harbor freight website.

 

[stumpXJ]

I have experience with the US General brand. They are VERY nice. They are also on sale this week. US General is better than Craftsman Professional in my opinion. One of the FEW things I can say I wouldnt hesitate to buy from HF.

Go to Garagejournal.com and do a search on them.

 

[SolarBell]

I've got the stacked pair of 50" wide chests from HF - the "US General Pro". In my opinion, far better that the Craftsman for the same price. Nowhere as good as the high-end Craftsman, but then you're still paying 3x as much.

 

[carter442]

i have had a chance to see them and look through them they seem to be sturdy the steel in them felt thick and they seemed tight no rattles or anything.

 

[redneck122]

I will agree, that the higher end US General is better than the bottom end Craftsmen. However, i'm the type that likes to buy a tool (or box) once and only once. If its in your budget, i would suggest the Craftsmen Pro series. Of course they are still better, but not worth it in my opinion. I'm a mechanic and use my tools to make a living, yet i still kick myself for spending the kind of money i did on my Snap-on box

 

[Jeepman401]

Walk around the store and gather a bunch of tools up, then fill a few drawers in the toolbox to see how they open. I know that I would never own a never craftsman box, they are just too flimsy. The harbor freight boxes seem much more rugged.
One thing to consider is how secure is the box. Last october when I was out of work, the garage I had my toolbox in got broken into. They apparently worked at it for a while, between trying to drill the lock, then resorting to just beating on it to try and open it. They eventually got into the top drawer with a 5 foot prybar, and even then, the drawer didn't open, they bent the center of the top drawer out enough to get an arm in to take what they could reach. The steel never broke, the only reason they got that far is because its a 65 inch drawer. they tried prying on the rest of the drawers, and never got anywhere. If I had a craftsman box, I would have been replacing all my tools, not just the contents of one drawer, so for me the 10k investment in a toolbox saved me roughly 50k in tools that were not stolen.

If you want my advice, buy the most rugged toolbox you can afford. search craigslist, you can usually find a used snap-on or mac box, or even a older(mid 90s at the latest) craftsman box.

 

[old_man]

I have the large US General and have it LOADED with tools. I really like it. Great drawers and good roller slides.

 

[carter442]

so what is the difference between the us general boxes and the us general pro?