Why are Tool Chests so $*!@!^ Expensive?
Agame...@-ANTISPAM-Home.Com
tools and misc household stuff. I've shopped for a larger
chest but have been a bit put off by the cost: The average
cost for a medium size two-piece chest is around $500.00.
I've even looked at Pawn Shops. Used tool chests don't seem
to cost much less than new, although I suppose there's
bargaining room in there somewhere.
Can someone explain why tool chests are so dratted
expensive? Because people will pay that much for them?
Because of the quality of materials?
Finally, I'd like some tips from the group re. purchasing a
good tool chest. Where would most of you look? The
Classifieds? Pawn Shop? Would you buy new?
What brands provide a good balance between quality and
price?
What features are "must haves" for tool chests? I'm
particularly interested in drawer strength: I don't want to
end up with a chest full of droopy drawers.
I like the new "Kobalt" tool towers I've seen at Lowe's, but
they're in the $500.00 range. I've read that "Kobalt" is a
subsidiary of "Snap On". Are "Kobalt" products as good as
they look? Do they compare to "Snap On" (unfortunately out
of my price range)
Thanks,
Frank
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Charles J. Gaffen
bad. I think the prices haven't changed that much. I paid $300 for a full
rolling unit, a top, and a hang on side cabinet with door. They aren't quite
as good as Craftsman, but they are definitely a better buy.
Chas
Jim Nelson
>My cheapie Crafstman tool chest is nearly overflowing with
>tools and misc household stuff. I've shopped for a larger
>chest but have been a bit put off by the cost: The average
>cost for a medium size two-piece chest is around $500.00.
>
>I've even looked at Pawn Shops. Used tool chests don't seem
>to cost much less than new, although I suppose there's
>bargaining room in there somewhere.
Around here, none of the Pawn Shops have stupid owners, so
I've never found much in the way of tool bargains. I don't even look
there anymore. Ebay has just worsened the situation; many pawn shops
are now auctioning the stuff nationwide and direct, rather than
waiting for customers to drift in.
>Can someone explain why tool chests are so dratted
>expensive? Because people will pay that much for them?
>Because of the quality of materials?
>
>Finally, I'd like some tips from the group re. purchasing a
>good tool chest. Where would most of you look? The
>Classifieds? Pawn Shop? Would you buy new?
I thought about buying one new for several years, but kept my eyes on
the classified and local Trading Times. I lived with my
disorganisation for until a retiring millright's SnapOn toolchest at a
reasonable price finally appeared.
At unreasonable prices SnapOn boxes are always available. Snap On
distributors handle financing, so there is a constant stream of
classified ads from people desperately trying to dump toolboxes that
they finally realized that they had agreed to pay five thousand bucks
for, not to mention a seemingly infinite amount of interest.
>What brands provide a good balance between quality and
>price?
>
>What features are "must haves" for tool chests? I'm
>particularly interested in drawer strength: I don't want to
>end up with a chest full of droopy drawers.
>
My unit has full-extension ball bearing Accuride drawer slides, but
those only cost around $20 a pair, retail, so that doesn't explain the
price. The castors are tough units, but $150 max for all four at my
onesy-twosey price from Grainger. The drawers are tough steel
stampings, but steel is cheap. I don't know how to explain the price.
I do know that the drawers always glide open and shut smoothly,
despite some pretty weighty contents. The chest is easy to push
around, once I get it going; the inertia is enormous.
I waited a long time to find the right deal, but by that time, I had
the money. Maybe that's all I was ever waiting for.
Alan & Dee Armstrong
Agamemnon2@-ANTISPAM-Home.Com wrote:
>
> My cheapie Crafstman tool chest is nearly overflowing with
> tools and misc household stuff. I've shopped for a larger
> chest but have been a bit put off by the cost: The average
> cost for a medium size two-piece chest is around $500.00.
>
> I've even looked at Pawn Shops. Used tool chests don't seem
> to cost much less than new, although I suppose there's
> bargaining room in there somewhere.
>
> Can someone explain why tool chests are so dratted
> expensive? Because people will pay that much for them?
> Because of the quality of materials?
>
> Finally, I'd like some tips from the group re. purchasing a
> good tool chest. Where would most of you look? The
> Classifieds? Pawn Shop? Would you buy new?
>
> What brands provide a good balance between quality and
> price?
>
> What features are "must haves" for tool chests? I'm
> particularly interested in drawer strength: I don't want to
> end up with a chest full of droopy drawers.
>
Eric Ward
cheaper, but won't really hold the HEAVY stuff well. Good luck.
--
Eric G Ward
Midwest Territory Manager
DeWils Industries, Inc.
Alan & Dee Armstrong wrote in message
<36D394C2...@cyberhighway.net>...
Boris-...@webtv.net
they had forgotten about) to be discontiued. I picked up a 2 piece
cabinet for $45 bucks. They lasted a whole 30 seconds when they brought
them down....
As for Kobalt, they look good, I use them at work for misc. projects,
and they have a "life-time guarantee"... but when it comes down to it
Craftsman tools are usually cheaper and they have a "life-time
guarantee" as well.
Call it as you see it...
Boris B.
Boris-...@webtv.net
ica...@ix.netcom.com
right now). From what I've heard on rec.woodworking, many tool chests
are manufactured by the same (or similar) company, and different names
and colors applied appropriately. After looking at Sears, Kobalt,
Husky, etc, it's not difficult to see how close some chests are to
their bretheren. I would shop for a chest, not by name, but by price
and quality - especially in the drawer slides. Look for ball bearing
drawers that open and shut smoothly, and that don't wrack and jam when
you push them closed.
If you're handy, you might consider building one yourself. You can
get very high quality, high capacity (up to 150lbs/pair) full
extension drawer glides for about $25 a pair. Cheaper ones are
available too. The benefit of this approach is you can make the chest
as small or as large as you want, get the size and shape drawers you
want, and can even make it "pretty" by using figured veneered plywood.
I picked up some nice roller wheels (with bronze bushings) at HD for
about $10 apiece - and each has about a 200 lb capacity. Throw in a
piano hinge for the cover, some knobs/pulls, a couple of sheets of
plywood (or more), and you're looking at a cost of about $200 -$300
for a custom cabinet that rivals the quality and feel of $500-$600 (or
more) tool chests.
Jeff
ducma...@gmail.com
gregz
SteveB
> <ducma...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Monday, February 22, 1999 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Agame...@-ANTISPAM-Home.Com wrote:
>>> My cheapie Crafstman tool chest is nearly overflowing with
>>> tools and misc household stuff. I've shopped for a larger
>>> chest but have been a bit put off by the cost: The average
>>> cost for a medium size two-piece chest is around $500.00.
>>>
>>> I've even looked at Pawn Shops. Used tool chests don't seem
>>> to cost much less than new, although I suppose there's
>>> bargaining room in there somewhere.
>>>
>>> Can someone explain why tool chests are so dratted
>>> expensive? Because people will pay that much for them?
>>> Because of the quality of materials?
afford quality, as they do good enough work to spend an extra grand or
so to protect their babies. They also charge good prices, not like the
shade tree mechanics who might do good work, but you can't find a tool
of the same make in their entire collection. So, when they go to sell,
it's like when they give you an estimate. It's based on what they think
it's worth. And then the market comes in, and it comes down to what
they can get, as you can go down the street, and buy it for less.
What I do in these situations is place a "WANTED" ad on Craigslist, or
similar local paper. Things you can get on the cheap. You find items
before they put them out there, and might find a widow or jilted
girlfriend who just wants it out of their garage. Sometimes junk,
sometimes good stuff. But I have bought a ton of good stuff at good
prices this way.
Stop by mechanics shops. They are the ones who have that sort of stuff,
and might have en extra one, or whatever.
HTH
Steve
wu601...@gmail.com
Col. Edmund Burke
news:f70c104f-894e-4f8f...@googlegroups.com...
> mar...@kindleplate.com
LOLK
Nil
> we also have tool cabinet,if you need some,you can cantact me ,my
In March, 1999, good ol' resourceful Frank made himself a fine tool
chest out of discarded popsicle sticks and dental floss. He is now
happy as a clam and no longer needs your $*!@!^ tool cabinet.
thekma...@gmail.com
Because tool cabinets(and file cabinets for that matter) are
considered heirlooms - something to be passed down from
one generation to the next.
Also, durability. Some folks are just naturally rough on tool
boxes and file cabinets. They use the top of a tool cabinet
as a makeshift bench for quick minor repairs, and overstuff
file cabinets to the point they will no longer close fully or the
sides actually bow out.
Doug Miller
@googlegroups.com:
> we also have tool cabinet,if you need some,you can cantact me ,my email is market1
@kindleplate.com
How much Spam will it hold?
Stormin Mormon
2/5 for now, and might buy a half a tool
cabinet if the price is good.
-
.
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
. www.lds.org
.
.
TimR
Stormin Mormon
> My solution is multiple tool boxes, sorted by type of tool. I have one toolbox with automotive, one with electrical, one with common household like hammer pliers screwdriver, one with rarely needed stuff like tubing cutter torx drivers, etc, one with drills. Usually I only need to carry one to the worksite, maybe with a tool grabbed from another.
>
tools. So, made a smaller kit out of a Walmart
fishing tackle box. When I go to a call, I
take the "jump kit" and go back for more tools
as needed.
Worked last night, I had one trip back to the
van for cordless drill. Not bad, saves effort.