Has anyone out there bought the CSPS 41" stainless steel tool box from Costco? They are selling the top and bottom box for $799 here in Dallas and look pretty good to me. I'd like to hear what others have to say about them. My old Crapsman roll away is falling apart and am looking for something better with ball bearing drawer slides. I'm not going to spend the money for a Snap-on or Matco although they are probably the best ones out there, but I'm not a professional mechanic. http://www.cspsmetal.com/toolchests/index.html
I had a look at them the other day whilst in the Us and cried. Looks like a pretty sturdy box well suited to the home shop and for about one quarter the price I'd have to pay for anything remotely like it here in Aus. I did purchase a small metal & plastic tool tote box at the same time, that I used to carry a bunch of stuff home. Stood up well and everything arrived in perfect order, despite signs of the box being manhandled and knocked about.
I check that tool box out almost weekly when I'm there. Looks like a GREAT value and one day, when Big Olds is completed I will own one. I was at Sears last night and Craftsman is making a line of toolboxes that have ball bearing slides. They were black with grey drawers. Kinda cool looking AND they were on sale. #0959299N and #0959298
Have you checked out Sams Club? I bought a 41" Steeltech there about 4 years ago and am very satisfied. If I remember right it was $650 at that time. They haven't had the same configuration for a couple of years now but the construction is the same
You pretty much showed why you are better off buying a Snap-On or Mac or Matco or Cornwell. You're replacing a box. I have a couple different Snap-On boxes, they will last forever. You can find good deals on them used on Craigslist and eBay. Hell the Snap-On guy hates me, he thought with the 2 bottoms, one top, and one side he could sell me a new box. I told him "why? these will last forever" Buy one box and keep it is a better financial decision. Hell I bought a Mac box off of Craigslist for $500 (top and bottom) I was gonna use it at the house since all my other stuff is down at the shop. Ended up selling it for $700 when I figured I'd just take the smaller bottom box home.
When I compared Craftsman with the Steeltech from Sams there was no comparison. Not in price or quality. Steeltech was less expensiver and better built
I have the 41" box and have used it everyday for the past two years at work. They're great boxes for the price and the drawers always slide smoothly, even when they're fully loaded.
It's a nice box......and it's cosco. Put the receipt in an envelope. Tape it inside somewhere so it never gets lost....if that sucker falls apart...take it back and get a new one. Costco is the shit for stuff like that. Used to be able to do that with electronic...not anymore. But I'm pretty sure with the boxes you can no questions asked. You could tow it behind your car back to the place and tell them you've outgrown it and want to return it. They'll give you a card with the value on it...you go spend as you wish. I understand the not wanting to shell out for snap-on and what not. Craftsman's boxes are junk. Anything but their top line stuff is junk it seems lately. Chinese crap....who knows. I blew out one of their top line jacks after using it less than 10 times.
The Craftsman boxes I compared with were top of the line. Forget the lesser ones they can't even begin to compare
I know 3 or 4 people that have the Costo box and the all like them a lot. The only problem I noticed is on one of them two of the drawers hit when they are both out. Brick
Go over to the Garage Journal. There are MANY comparo threads over there and there's lots of good info.
The first one of these stainless boxes I saw was from Sams Club a few years back, and I liked those, but the ones they are carrying now have the diamond plate drawer fronts and I just don't care for the look. I'd rather see a piece of carbon fiber there the diamond plate is kind of cheesy looking. I did go look at the Sears stuff again with no surprises. Until you get into the high end ($2k and up) boxes they seem to be crummy quality wise. The 40" box they sell is actually made here in the US by Waterloo Industries out of Iowa. I bought three of the 40" boxes for work and they are ok, but I can see where my air tools would eventually destroy the slides. The drawers are flimsy and the grip latch feature is a pain in the ass. We keep batteries and electronic motors and parts in them. They just aren't heavy duty enough for me. I like the Costco box because the drawers and slides look pretty good. On the larger drawers they doubled up the slides for strength. Great idea. Also for the money you get the top box for free compared against the Sears box. I am not real keen on the stainless steel thing, but it is what it is. I'd rather have one painted or powder coated but you take what you can get right? Finally, of course the top of the line boxes like Snap-on are the ultimate and are a real tool not a toy box. I just can't justify the cost for how I am going to use it.
I worked for Costco for a couple of years, we actually use one out in the tire shop...It was there when I started, and was there when I left almost 2 1/2 years later, we gave it a good work out I can tell you, and it stood up VERY well. And like mentioned above....Its Costco, they will replace/repair/refund ANYTHING!!
I'm headed up there this morning to buy one if they have any left. I'm afraid if I dick around too much longer they will disappear forever. I'll try to keep everyone informed with a review of this product. Thanks for everyones opinions.
I have had one for 4 years plus now. I had bought a new Craftsman a year or so before, but it was crappy in comparison. I am a 'home user' but it gets a decent workout. Solid, and well built, nice rollers etc. I think the brand of mine is Hammerhead, but they look the same now, just a little bigger, and a few more features. They even had the matting for the trays all cut out, ready to pop in. maybe same company really makes 'em. That's how Costco works - you buy one this year -next year it's bigger and better for the same or less money!! The coolest thing about Costco - when I bought mine it was 799 or 749, shortly after they came out with a manufacturers rebate, I tiook in my reciept, and they handed me the difference back, I thiunk it was 100 bucks maybe more - no fuss, no muss, just a smile and a fist full of bills!! The cardboard from them also makes great oil drip trays. Buy it, you can't go wrong.
I was in the local Tractor Supply the other day and although its not stainless they had a big ass box and roller cabniet for about 800 bux.. It had more storage than the stainless ones near as i could tell. If I could get rid of my year old craftsman boxes id have one today.. Dave
I have 2 sets of Craftsman professional series boxes. A 46 inch wide at work and the 36 inch wide with a side cab at home. They work very well for me. I also have a Snap-on roll cab at home. 55 inch roll cab I bought new at half price. IF you folks get any of the UTI or AAI kids that have recently graduated into your shop... often they receive one time discounts on a tool & tool box order from Snap On ..... If Snap on is involved in the school program. What I did is order the roll cab through this kid since he had a nice large Matco roll cab & top box.. The kid ordered some tools and the roll cab. All was good.
I bought my toolbox today and so far am pleased with it. Overall fit and finish is very good. Drawers are very nice and seem to roll better as they are loaded up. It comes with drawer liner/cushion material like they sell at Sears, although they are undercut to the inside dimension of the drawers for some reason. Some fit pretty good and others are short by 1/2" or so. The drawers do not have the griplatch locking feature like some boxes do, but its a feature I don't care about. The stainless comes protected with a white plastic material that keeps it from scratching during shipping. Speaking of shipping-holy crap this thing is heavy! 197 lbs for the bottom box and 167lbs for the top box. I was standing there in my driveway wondering how I was going to get it out of the pickup when my neighbor came over to help me.
A new guy at our shop had one. Quality looked good, but after a while the dirty fingerprints on it stuck out a lot. I would have wanted a painted one. We all called it the B.B.Q. cause it looked like a giant grill from Home Depot from the back! Still a well built box though!
I bought one for our garage (not hot rods............heavy equipment) and it seems tougher than our crew.............so that gotta be good. Besides the snapon & mac boxes are nutz in price here.............
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