Who makes US GENERAL tool chests?
 

Harbor Freight has a good deal on these chests right now, I checked one out, put weight on the trays while rolled out, etc and it all seemed to be strong and well constructed.

I've been wondering the same thing. Looks like a 41" Waterloo (traxx series?) and the price is about the same too.

I see Northern Tool carries these in stainless steel. Compared to the same exact boxes being sold at Sam's Club they are overpriced, however.

Sam's sells an extra wide two chest set for $650. They are made of thick stainless steel and have silky smooth roller drawers.

I also saw the Harbor Feight boxes made by this company - they are not stainless.

if it's from Harbor Freight and it's cheap, there's a reason.

Cheap and inexpensive are not the same. Some tools at HF are inexpensive since they buy them from manufacturors in China who pay their workers 3 cents per hour.... A great value for those of us who live and work in the US....

Nike sneakers and Nike sports equipment are also made in China with 3 cent per hour labor and you would not call them cheap - ask Tiger Woods...

I wear New Balance and Allen Edmonds. Nikes are cheap crap.

Tiger made 70 million off this company last year.... Nike produces average stuff but through marketing is able to sell it at high prices... their profit margins are still high...

I think this marketing concept by Nike is similar to those other tool companies like Snap-N-Half, Mac, and others.... Their stuf is good but not really woirth the super high prices....

Ok we are getting a little off topic here.

I wanted to know who made this chest, I use my tools and chest often (usually a few times a week) but I don't make a living turning wrenches like some of you.

All that I need to know is will this chest hold up? If not I have seen some SNAPON chests at pawn shops, but they are pretty beat up usually.

Eh term,

Just roll through this thread and draw your own conclusions.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...=185778&page=1

If you use it a lot and will be spinning sockets for years to come, spend a little more. JMHO.

-Matthew

Kind of off topic but I got alittle taste of just how much Snap-On and companies like that price gouge their customers. A friend of mine is currently in the GM Tech program and all the tool companies give the students discounts on everything, my friend is buying a brand new 53" bottom from Snap-On and it is going to cost him $1,800! When I priced the same box it was up around $3,200. Luckily my buddy is allowed to buy one box from each vendor so I know where I'm getting my next one.

I have the US General 72" 18 drawer chest. It has 33000 cubic inches of storage (snapon-32000ci). Mine holds 4600 lbs of tools (snapon-2200lbs). Mine has 6" casters (snapon-5"). Mine cost $1,100 (snapon $5800). They're both red.

My chest is loaded, i use it almost weekly. Honestly, the only difference i can tell is in the drawer locks. On a US General the drawer release is on the right end of the drawer pull whereas snapon is practically the full width of the drawer.

My chest is a beast and i prefer the drawer configuration over snapon, mac and matco. It's very well constructed, stout and beefy. Even the handles on the end. The chest weighs 580lbs empty and, with some help, can raise 1 end of the loaded chest off the ground and leave absolutely no signs the wheels left the ground. Drawers roll out/in flawlessly and effortlessly.

My big center bottom drawer is where i store power tools. Drills, grinders, 4" & 7" grinders, sawzalls etc. I can close the drawer with 1 finger. Bottom drawer on bosses snapon cabinet filled about the same and u need a full hand and push the drawer close. Mostly use a foot to close it.

Drawer rollers will ware out on any cabinet and are usually the first thing to go bad. A certified shop mechanic, using his chest daily may buy 2 chests in his career. Cost $10k+. For me, the US General, in my shop (working on my vehicles, friends and neighbors) and maintaining the farm, will be a once in a lifetime purchase. Cost $1100. So even if you had to buy 2, 3 or 4 replacement chests, it would still cost you 50% less in your lifetime then had you bought a high dollar big name cabinet.

Still don't know who the manufacturer is but the fit/finish and quality is right there with snapon, matco and mac.

Look at the different cabinets, decide what features and setup you want, then how much you willing to pay then get your cabinet.

Btw, Waterloo and Kennedy are the only 2 tool chest/cabinet manufacturers in the U.S. Waterloo makes craftsman and Kennedy makes snapon (i believe). Might be wrong

1 major advantage with snap, most of the time you can make payments to the sales rep when he cones around for a visit or delivery. US General and Harbor Freight you pay the total and have to get in home yourself.

Good luck and hope you're happy with your decision.

(whisper to David) "you responded to a post from 2004."

😂😂 it's all good , and glad he did as I got a pretty good review on the bohemoth box at harbor freight I've been eying !!

Well if your interested in this kind of stuff, buy it now, before Trump "Evens the playing field", and Harbor Freight goes belly up, and all of this "Cheap" Chinese stuff goes away, because it's almost or more expensive than the U.S. stuff.

Take that comment for what you want. It is not politically based, it's based on his words.

Kennedy is owned by Cornwell now, that's what the tool man told me.

It's going to take more time than Trump has to make that happen. We don't have the capacity/tooling/raw materials to make 90% of the stuff we import as it is.

I had a harbor freight big bottom box for over ten years and I gave it to a friend and he uses it at work. Never had an issue with it. I'd buy another.

I have a Mac box and a US General. The drawers on the Us General work way better. Use them all day every day. The mark up on the big name boxes is 70%. My friend is a Mac dealer. He makes big money off selling tool boxes. My Mac box listed for $3000.00 total. He gave it to me for $900.00. So keep this in mind if you do want a Big name box. If they tell you any different, they are lying. So negotiate them down. They do need to make some money but Damn. Think about that for a minute. If I didn't know him. He could have charged me the whole $3000.00. That's what it said in the book. Do you really think these guys should make $2100.00 in commission on one item that all they did was place an order and deliver it. I sure as hell don't think so. I believe this is why HF is so cheap. They are not gouging the customer like the big name companies. Funny thing is. That box wasn't even worth $900.00 IMHO. But if your worried about status symbol then waste your money on Snapon or Mac. Otherwise get the US General and have plenty of extra money to spend on other tools you need. No brainer at all. Lets face it. If a tool works flawlessly and gives you no problems, do you really think that tool will make you a better mechanic no matter what name is on it. I think not. Be smart. Don't believe hype because that is all it is. HYPE.

I was enjoying this thread about tool boxes up until a group of young African american boys started saying unintelligible things to me while making strange motions with their bodies and dancing around on stage.