Harbor Freight Tool Boxes (1 Viewer)

[cruiserinsanity]

Harbor Freight US General tool boxes. Essentially a Chinese knock off of a Snapon box for a fraction of the price.
Personal opinions on them? They generally have good reviews, but the negative reviews usually have to do with wheel failure. I have to get a rolling box for school in the next couple of months so I thought I would ask MUD first.
The box would not see heavy use in the school. Just a locking vessel that can roll around.

 

[aztoyman]

Get the best box, the size you need at a budget you can afford.

To add, Sorry, I didn't answer specifically to the Harbor Freight question. I'd have no problem buying one at a great price VS paying the tool truck man every week for EVER.

 

[Waorani]

Friends don't let friends buy Harbor Freight!

 

[e9999]

Yes, I've read multiple good reviews. And it's not like a tool box can have too much seriously wrong going on with it.
If you had to replace all wheels with generics after a while, that would be what, $100 maybe? $150 for very nice ones?
Drawer slides are also easy to replace and inexpensive but finding some that fit (cuz I would not trust HF with spare parts availability) may be harder.
I personally would not dream of ever buying a tool truck box, the prices are just frankly obscene.
I'd pay serious attention to evaluations of the slides and loaded drawers operation on whatever you're thinking about. I have an inexpensive box with one particular drawer with all my bits (many boxes), well over 100lbs I guess. It is a pain to open and close, swearing every time...

 

[MrMacdugal]

go on FB marketplace. I have bought a couple really nice boxes at a fraction of the price... if you dont mind used, but lets face it, we all own landcruisers that were likely purchased new by someone else.

 

[EWheeler]

Harbor Freight US General tool boxes. Essentially a Chinese knock off of a Snapon box for a fraction of the price.
Personal opinions on them? They generally have good reviews, but the negative reviews usually have to do with wheel failure. I have to get a rolling box for school in the next couple of months so I thought I would ask MUD first.
The box would not see heavy use in the school. Just a locking vessel that can roll around.

Harbor Freight or Husky for tool boxes, and as suggested, you can look on facebook marketplace for better deals on the used market.. The HF 5 drawer rolling carts are to be on sale for black friday for $189 locally. I love my 5 drawer rolling cart from HF. I love everything I buy at harbor freight to be honest. Never broken a hand tool purchased from them while being properly used, and their quality seems to be ever increasing. I work on things as a hobby, but even if I was a professsional, I think the majority of the HF tool line up gets the job done just fine. I have Snap on & Vessel screw drivers in my box, and Knipex and Channel Lock pliers. Pretty much everything else is HF, including the boxes.

 

[ntsqd]

I'd buy Lista or Vidmar before I'd buy Snap-On, but I don't need rolling tool cabinets.

Not a fan of HF and I try not to buy much from them. However, you mention school so I'm going to guess that a Snap-On chest is not only not in the budget but not even really considerable. Buy what meets this need and, if so desired, replace it when the budget is bigger. Just look past the bling and make your choice based on how robust the locking mechanism is, and how robust the drawers, slides, etc. appear to be.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

And it's not like a tool box can have too much seriously wrong going on with it.

Tell that to all the people that get crushed to death every year by cheap tool boxes that fall over when the drawers are opened.

I can't speak for the harbor freight boxes but a Snap On epic series box will not tip over even if every drawer is 130% over weight spec and every drawer is open.

Just something to think about....

 

[PAToyota]

(cuz I would not trust HF with spare parts availability)

Actually, their replacement parts program has gotten significantly better in recent years: Harbor Freight Parts - https://www.harborfreight.com/parts

It isn't a straightforward online process - you have to call them, but I got some replacement drawer latches and it was pretty painless just following their directions on that page.

I'll start by saying I certainly don't have the money for the tool truck boxes. And even for a professional, those boxes aren't making you any money unless you're in a very high end shop attracting high dollar clients who are going to be impressed by such things. If a box is functional, that's the main thing.

Years ago I went around looking at the various "consumer grade" boxes - Craftsman, Harbor Freight, Husky, Kobalt, etc. This was a bit after the Gen2 HF boxes were introduced. For the money, at list price the other stuff really couldn't compete. If you were getting better than the HF boxes, you were paying quite a bit more. Yes, there were sales and deals, but those are YMMV things - like being able to get a good deal on a used box. You have to wait and do the legwork to find them.

Over a few years I went with a 56" Gen2 roller, a side locker, a couple 5-drawer carts, and a couple side cabinets on the carts. That's another thing I like about the HF stuff. It works together and has a common style. The other stuff they're constantly changing styles and sizes. If you buy a roller this year, you're not quite guaranteed that the top cabinet in a year or two will fit or match. Yes, I know the HF Gen3 stuff made some style changes that are going to look different put together, but they did make the effort that they all still fit together with the Gen2 stuff.

Over the years the only thing I've broken was a couple drawer latches. The casters all have held up and drawer slides as well. Use things sensibly and they'll last. I think the issues you get into are in shops with multiple users where nobody "owns" the box - then they get abused and things fail. I see that with the tool truck stuff too, but then you get "free" repair parts. Of course, you could buy multiple "consumer" boxes for the price of a tool truck box...

Another thing to check out is the ICON scratch and dent sales: Scratch and Dent Sale - Harbor Freight Tools - https://www.harborfreight.com/scratch-and-dent-sale

They range from 25% off for "excellent" (minor scuffs) condition to 35% off for "great" (minor scratches and dents, missing accessories) and 40% off for "good" (moderate scratches and dents, missing accessories). They do a pretty good job of taking pictures of the damage so you can judge for yourself. Again, you have to call them and can't just order online. I'd have considered it if it was available when I got my Gen2 56" box.

I have to say that HF has really upped their game in recent years. For the consumer stuff, I really feel that they're the best value out there.

Tell that to all the people that get crushed to death every year by cheap tool boxes that fall over when the drawers are opened.

Not to discount that there are accidents, but a lot of the time that comes down to using some common sense. The times I've seen a toolbox tip have been when someone was doing something sketchy - and one of the times it was with a SnapOn box that they didn't latch the drawers.

 

[e9999]

If I had to single out what I think is the most important part of a tool box, it would have to be the slides.

Long long time ago, when I was young(er) and foolish(er) I started out with some red Craftsman boxes on sale. Inexpensive and what all the dads were getting, so how could I go wrong? Well, I did not know / want to know that they came in different grades of slides. Still cursed by that to this day...


as to HF parts, well, every time I looked up a part that I need, it was never available. It does not look like they support many of their older tools, which are likely those that are most likely to need parts. Not too surprising of course, since I'm sure they shop around for the cheapest manufacturer and change their tools frequently. And going a few years back, it was likely a major sh@tfest with the chinese companies. So, pretty limited service I would say. Not blaming them, though, TBH, you can't easily stock large numbers of parts just sitting there while trying to beat everybody else's prices.

 

[PAToyota]

And going a few years back, it was likely a major sh@tfest with the chinese companies. So, pretty limited service I would say. Not blaming them, though, TBH, you can't easily stock large numbers of parts just sitting there while trying to beat everybody else's prices.

They really seem to be working to improve the parts situation in recent years. As you say, that's not going to help for something you bought a decade ago, but take a look through their parts list for the item number and you might be surprised. They've added quite a bit to that list since I first saw it a couple years ago. I doubt you'd find anything close from any of the other consumer brands.

 

[ntsqd]

Tell that to all the people that get crushed to death every year by cheap tool boxes that fall over when the drawers are opened.

I can't speak for the harbor freight boxes but a Snap On epic series box will not tip over even if every drawer is 130% over weight spec and every drawer is open.

Just something to think about....

Sounds Darwinian to me.

Cabinets like the Lista's that I mentioned above can hold a tremendous amount of weight in each drawer. I recall, possibly correctly, that each drawer is rated for 1000 lbs. Because of that they have a mechanism that only allows one drawer to be open at a time. I'm not sure if the Vidmar's have this function or not. It would be an ideal feature in a tool chest.

 

[cruiserinsanity]

The main reason I’m considering Harbor Freight is due to cost(obviously).

I will not be buying HF tools.
It will only see about 1.5 years of light use at school. After I’m out of school I’ll be able to get a quality box, and, most airlines/repair facilities supply toolboxes/ tools now (generally either Snap-On or Sonic). It also needs to be a smaller box due to room at school and because a large chest is impractical for the amount of tools.

I have been looking at the used route however most people want way too much for a beat up toolbox.

 

[Eyedaho]

Tell that to all the people that get crushed to death every year by cheap tool boxes that fall over when the drawers are opened.

I can't speak for the harbor freight boxes but a Snap On epic series box will not tip over even if every drawer is 130% over weight spec and every drawer is open.

Just something to think about....

Does Snap-On make that claim about their boxes? With an upper and a lower? Secured to the wall or floor? I'm curious how the physics work on that, without a massive counterweight or being externally secured.

 

[Patron100LC]

I have 2 of the 5 drawers, one Kawa green and one KTM orange, both have been really mistreated and way overloaded, no issues at all. Casters roll fine and sliders are smooth. Used on paved areas only, no offroad or gravel use. 4 years on one, 2 on the other. They did go up in price quite a bit, but here and there the coupons help.

The only HF tools I didn't like are the tap & die sets, the Pittsburg ones are sh$%. And the cheap Warrior bits, any sudden torque and they snap. OK for wood, not metals.
My best HF tools are the 3/8 swivel head ratchet, and the 1/2" breaker bar. Not sure how I didn't destroyed them already.

As long as you use the tool in a smart way and don't go over it's capacity, they're fine, and cheap. Snap On? I would never pay those prices knowing the people I work with, the reason why I still have my tools is BC no one wants to steal them.

 

[NCFJ]

I bought these boxes three years ago, added a side box of drawers soon after. They replaced a couple smaller sets of Craftsmen boxes, one set was purchased in high School 1978. I looked at a lot of non tool truck boxes and to me HF had the best bang for the buck. I also have a couple 5 drawer service carts. These boxes are used daily in the shop. Zero complaints.

 

[PAToyota]

The main reason I’m considering Harbor Freight is due to cost(obviously).

I will not be buying HF tools.

Even the tools have been getting better. I've got ICON, Quinn, Doyle, Hercules, Bauer, and other HF stuff alongside my SnapOn, Mac, and Matco - and a variety of other brands as well.

Back when I started buying tools in the later 1970s and 1980s I was buying mostly Craftsman. I didn't have the money or access to much more than that. It was decent stuff for a kid learning skills and the replacement warranty was good for the odd tool that did have an issue. I see the HF stuff as being similar these days - particularly if you keep to their "better brands." Yeah, they have stuff that is absolute crap, but they have some decent stuff too that will get the job done.

I've got HF stuff that I've been using for years without issues. The SnapOn version of the same tools is easily at least 4x the price. Is it nicer? Probably. Does it work 4x better? Eh... Is it going to make you 4x the money? Umm...

I'll admit to buying up on some things. After years of going through three or four of the HF pneumatic reciprocating "body" saws, I sprung for the Mac geared version (waited until it was on sale). I could have kept replacing the cheap ones indefinitely for what I spent on it, but I have to admit that it is really nice. We call the cheap ones "fart" saws because of their noise. We call the Mac one a "flatulence" saw because it is so nice.

Last week I watched a guy purchase a single impact adapter for over $30 off the Mac truck. I've got the seven piece Pittsburgh set of adapters that I've been using for years. It's $15 and $12 currently if you're an ITC member: Impact Socket Adapter Set, 7 Piece - https://www.harborfreight.com/impact-socket-adapter-set-7-piece-67937.html

If any of the other consumer brands were made in the USA, I'd gladly pick them over HF. But nearly all of that stuff is from overseas...

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Does Snap-On make that claim about their boxes? With an upper and a lower? Secured to the wall or floor? I'm curious how the physics work on that, without a massive counterweight or being externally secured.

Yep, ask a Snap On dealer and he will open all the loaded drawers on a box and climb it like a set of stairs. Not mounted to the wall.

Compare the weight and cubed inches of storage space between a snap on box Epic box and its competition and you will be surprised by the difference.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Sounds Darwinian to me.

Usually it's kids that get squished.

 

[Land Shark]

Not a professional mechanic nor do I have large box’s I do have some small mid size old craftsman, snap on and a husky. I’d say that General box I bought last year is really decent for the money.