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Hey guys, this has probably already been discussed, however I’m new to the forum and want this straight from other guys in the trade. I have several thousand dollars in Snap On and Mac tools, and no more room in my current box. Seeing that I’m starting my second year in school on Monday I want to take advantage of my student discount, suck it up and buy a box that will last me the next 20+ years hopefully. So here’s the question, Snap on Masters series, or Mac Macsimizer? ( any other options? ) Any advice is MUCH appreciated.
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I just started the forum today. I’m a 20+ yr tech. I have my ASE’s and so on… I also have nearly $90,000 in tools. I’ve looked at the boxes the the big 3 sell. (Snappy, Mac, And Matco) I just couldn’t justify spending that kind of money for something that will just sit against the wall and only hold my tools. I went and ordered the biggest craftman box they make. 56″(wide) X 30″ (deep) It was 2,599 at the time. YES if I ever sell it,. I won’t get much for it, adn trade in value is low. Yes it would distort is I set a car on it.. And yes I only had two color choices Red or black. (I got black) It’s not the BOX that makes you a Tech. It’s your brain, and your use of your tools. True some boxes carry that “ohh & ahhh” response. I’ve seen some really cool boxes over the years. Paying $9,000 for a box didn’t seem right for me. But the one that stays in my head. was a home built wooden box. It was full custom. with radio and lights and power sockets (12v and 120) It was also well sanded and paint to look like it was metal. Take your money and invest in tools.. Those will make you money and eventually pay for themselves. Your tool box will only hold tools and sit still. Your “return on investment” will be VERY LOW, unless you plan on selling it some day, or using it as a trade in on a took truck. so be wise with your money. Tools are expensive enough.
[quote=”Woody44x4″ post=140785]I just started the forum today. I’m a 20+ yr tech. I have my ASE’s and so on… I also have nearly $90,000 in tools. I’ve looked at the boxes the the big 3 sell. (Snappy, Mac, And Matco) I just couldn’t justify spending that kind of money for something that will just sit against the wall and only hold my tools. I went and ordered the biggest craftman box they make. 56″(wide) X 30″ (deep) It was 2,599 at the time. YES if I ever sell it,. I won’t get much for it, adn trade in value is low. Yes it would distort is I set a car on it.. And yes I only had two color choices Red or black. (I got black) It’s not the BOX that makes you a Tech. It’s your brain, and your use of your tools. True some boxes carry that “ohh & ahhh” response. I’ve seen some really cool boxes over the years. Paying $9,000 for a box didn’t seem right for me. But the one that stays in my head. was a home built wooden box. It was full custom. with radio and lights and power sockets (12v and 120) It was also well sanded and paint to look like it was metal. Take your money and invest in tools.. Those will make you money and eventually pay for themselves. Your tool box will only hold tools and sit still. Your “return on investment” will be VERY LOW, unless you plan on selling it some day, or using it as a trade in on a took truck. so be wise with your money. Tools are expensive enough.[/quote]
Craftsman toolboxes are not made for pro use,poorly made and the spot welds fail.Look how many times the drawers will open and close a day also,the Craftsman toolboxes won’t last this way.You want a toolbox that will last a long time for pro use.Mine is doing fine.. it’s now 13years old. only thing bad with it is the wooden top. And it’s been moved 6 times. 4 times in the back of a Ford Ranger (long bed) and 2 times in a rented moving truck with a lift gate.
[quote=”wafrederick” post=140841][quote=”Woody44x4″ post=140785]I just started the forum today. I’m a 20+ yr tech. I have my ASE’s and so on… I also have nearly $90,000 in tools. I’ve looked at the boxes the the big 3 sell. (Snappy, Mac, And Matco) I just couldn’t justify spending that kind of money for something that will just sit against the wall and only hold my tools. I went and ordered the biggest craftman box they make. 56″(wide) X 30″ (deep) It was 2,599 at the time. YES if I ever sell it,. I won’t get much for it, adn trade in value is low. Yes it would distort is I set a car on it.. And yes I only had two color choices Red or black. (I got black) It’s not the BOX that makes you a Tech. It’s your brain, and your use of your tools. True some boxes carry that “ohh & ahhh” response. I’ve seen some really cool boxes over the years. Paying $9,000 for a box didn’t seem right for me. But the one that stays in my head. was a home built wooden box. It was full custom. with radio and lights and power sockets (12v and 120) It was also well sanded and paint to look like it was metal. Take your money and invest in tools.. Those will make you money and eventually pay for themselves. Your tool box will only hold tools and sit still. Your “return on investment” will be VERY LOW, unless you plan on selling it some day, or using it as a trade in on a took truck. so be wise with your money. Tools are expensive enough.[/quote]
Craftsman toolboxes are not made for pro use,poorly made and the spot welds fail.Look how many times the drawers will open and close a day also,the Craftsman toolboxes won’t last this way.You want a toolbox that will last a long time for pro use.[/quote]Somebody drank the Kool Aid…
While it is true that not all boxes are created equal the idea that you need a billion dollar box or it falls apart is bunk. Will a really baller Snap On or Matco box last longer and wear better? Yeah, probably but will you have it long enough to see that advantage? Or is it enough extra life to justify the cost?
Even if the Craftsman box breaks in half and you replace it you are probably still saving money buying two of them.
Not that fancy boxes aren’t great, before I took a ‘vacation’ from turning wrenches for a few years I had a very nice Mac box I had gotten wicked cheap used because it was a repo that I was able to pay for on the spot.
It amazes me that when I hear people complain about being 10K plus in debt to the tool guy that they are still madly in love with the idea of buying insane tool boxes. I see amazing deals on used ones all the time because dudes need money and are desperate to get out from under the payment on it.
Life is easier when you are not crushed by debt and have money to do things you enjoy, not just pay the tool guy.
There was a Federal Mogal plant in Grand Haven,Mi that had nothing but problems with the Craftsman toolboxes.Spot welds failed and fell apart.Most had a Snap On toolbox that lasted longer.My Matco toolbox has a lifetime warranty on everything since I am the first owner.Plus I know it was built here in the USA in their toolbox plant which is in Jamestown,NY.
It all depends on what you do and what quality of box you buy. I have a fully loaded and I mean fully loaded Crafstman Industrial i is built to almost the same standards as Snap-On for half the price and I wheel that thing all over.
But, Ya I really do not think toolboxes are worth any more then like 3-6k any more then that and they are a rip off. Not saying I won’t buy one eventually out of necessity but….
I like my snap on master series cab I have. Would I buy one again if I could start over? Absolutely not. Looking back now, I would have bought a lower level box say maybe a harbor freight U.S. general or maybe an atd box for a lot cheaper and spent more money on tools. I just happened to have issues with my classic series and the district rep offered me a deal that would have been retarded to pass up. Being I already had that much money in my classic. Do I love my box? Hell yeah I do lol. But as a strong B level tech I still know my money would be better spent elsewhere.
There is a mix of boxes in our shop. We just got a matco rep in our area a few months back so all the guys had their boxes warrantied. We do not have a Mac or Cornwell guy down here though.Hi,
It depends on how much you move or roll the box or how quickly you will outgrow it.
I have seen department store ones bend and begin to collapse at the front caster. Have seen this a few times.
If you need to roll often or daily or outside you may want to consider making a heavy frame with big grease able casters on it.
One shop I was in a tech had done this to his snap on box because he had to roll outside on pavement on occasion.
It was the best rolling box in the shop.
Once your box gets full of heavy tools it is typically hard to roll around.
I had a Mac T1000 for a couple of years and found the drawer slides to be jiggly compared to Macsimizer or Snap On.
I traded with Mac on a used Snap on of similar size with the addition of used top box and end cabinet.
I still have that same box approx 15 years later. It is 18 or 19 years old. It is used daily and was rolled frequently.
I had some sliders replaced a couple of years back. I have added roll carts and previously a small roll cabinet box to be an ideal asset to complement the big box.
Rushing into big debt is not advisable. Look for a good deal often good used boxes can be found.
Consider what your needs are and what best suit you for the next couple of years. If you are early in your career you are likely at the stage of where you might quickly outgrow whatever you get now. So keep that in mind as well.currently I have a Craftsman 42″ bottom box and a top chest, with a side cab I bought for like $200 at harbor freight, and honestly, the harbor freight side cab (other than being the wrong color) feels like the same quality, for what I spent on the Craftsman stuff, I wish I would have started with all harbor freight box, I’ve got 4 years at a Dealership with the box, and its not pretty, sometimes is a little tricky to get the drawers shut because the bottoms of the drawers have warped from having too many tools in them, but it works. another guy in the shop just bought a used bottom box Tech series MAC box, and i love how deep the drawers are and how sturdy it is, he bought it used off the MAC truck, and honestly, if or when I go to upgrade, I’d probably do the same, my SnapOn guy just repoed like 12 boxes the last couple months, so I can probably get a good deal. then again, I was just told that the shop is getting new company supplied workstation boxes, so I’ll be lucky to not have to buy a new box unless I go somewhere else. like others said before though, a tool cart can be your best friend, and as I’ve found, just organizing tools in a more efficient manner can take a crowded box and make it last longer. One of the Techs retired after 30 years and he had a MAC box (form the 70’s) that was technically a little smaller than mine, but with three or four times the tools in it, as long as you know where your tools are an you can get to them efficiently, that is what really matters
At this stage I would recommend the largest inexpensive box you can afford, then go somewhere and buy some really good, urethane casters and put them on the box when you peel off the cardboard. Invest your money in quality tools except for the things you lose and learn the cheapest things that will work for those items you lose such as flashlights or magnets.
When I first got out of the Army in 1971 I worked with an old man who was a VERY competent mechanic who didn’t own a toolbox. He had top quality tools in two steel five gallon buckets. It was a big truck shop and we each had two BIG steel work benches. In the morning he got his tool buckets out of the tool crib. He dumped one bucket on the end of each bench and went from there. He was amazingly efficient and knowledgable and I learned a ton from him.
My point is that you should accumulate quality tools first. Don’t use buckets, but once you have pretty much what you need, then move toward a really good box bigger than what you need. The place to spend your money now is for things that you can actually perform work with.
My $0.02
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