Sell and replace or refurbish and keep? Rollaway tool boxes.
 

Those that have an investment in tools also have an investment in boxes. I have three older, say 20 years, Craftsman red boxes. One stacked and a separate roller.

Of late due to exposure to the elements, the rails been getting sticky, paint is bubbling. Went down to Sears and the stuff is more expensive than a Honda.

Should I spend time refreshing the 20 year old stuff or buying new/used? I plan on a move in the summer to a larger crib with a 3-4 car garage.

I don't know how Craftsman toolboxes were 20 yrs. ago, but the ones I have are six yrs. old and, even in perfect condition, are a terrible build quality. They suck now. If they were built more like Snap-On 20 yrs. ago, then I'd consider refurb'ing the ones you have. Otherwise, toss them and buy new good ones. Costco has a real nice one for $600.

Strip them, repaint them and reuse them. As a pro wrench the biggest waste of money I have are my toolboxes. If I had to do it over I would not have the monster Snap-on rig, that few grand is better suited elsewhere.

Sticky rails and paint is easily resolved. I might be a touch strange but I like the history associated with old tool boxes. I will be inheriting my Dad's in the coming years and look forward to having them - admittedly they are very well maintained.

I would imagine you would want to weigh your time against getting rid of them & buying new. I also agree with having sets of smaller tool boxes rather than large ones, except for storing large items in large ones. If you are moving, maybe you could look forward to what you plan in terms of arranging the new garage. Plus, I'd hold off getting new stuff until I was moved in. Refinishing the old ones might be fun in your own colors, etc.

I refurbished my early 70's craftsman box and it looks like new. I saved an old box and money, had fun doing it.

Another vote for Refurbish it.

Picked up a smaller Snap-on roller box. Built in 1956.

$100.00 at the swap meet.

Spent a couple weekends cleaning up all the drawer slides, sanding and painting the outside.

Put on some new casters and it's great now!

Cooper

Sell them cheap, buy a used older quality set cheap, and refurbish those. I have the newer boxes (a three stack) and they are poorly made. I put most of my air tools in the large bottom drawer. It jammed, bent, and wouldn't open. The other drawers bend when I pull them open and the whole tower creaks and shakes like an old man with a walker.

Another option is a wrap like some of the Snap-on special addition boxes.

I vote keeping and just make it 'mechanic' sound. Old boxes have character. Hopefully you have some of these on it :)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0rDuc8Ecbq...o_mooneyes.jpg

http://performancecarb.files.wordpre...rs-company.jpg

http://i.ebayimg.com/08/!CBbDJbQB2k~..._id=8800005007

Refurbish it. Craftsman quality was a lot better back then. I've got one of my dad's Craftsman boxes from the 60's and it still works great.

My main rollaway is a Snap-On from the 80's with Craftsman side drawers added on. Not looking forward to moving it. Last time I moved it it took 4 guys to get it up onto a trailer.

I just refurbished my 35+ YO Craftsman rollaway cabinet and chest a year or so ago.
Wet sanded, primed, sprayed the cabinet with Rustoleum Sunrise Red Gloss and the drawer facings with Rustoleum semi-gloss black. Look as good as they did the day I bought them and will last more many years.

Fix it, the 20y/o craftsman is about 100x better than anything you'd buy new.

How do you date a S-O box? I bought one in the mid '70's and it was old then.
And works as good as when I got it.
Jim

First, definitely not an expert on SO.

That being said, when we picked ours up we didn't realize it was SO until we pulled out the lower slide out cover for the larger bottom opening of the box. The door had been jammed/wedged open.

The face of the door is embossed with the SO logo. I could see it was the earlier version. This lead to more research and the discovery of the date/model number stamped into the bottom edge of the carcass of the cabinet.

I forget now if it was R or L front above where casters bolt on.

The top edge of the cabinet has two holes where the SO badge would have been.

I searched off and on for a couple years to try and find the correct badge...no luck and lost interest.

The box is definitely robust, but old school basic. Welded on simple flat metal drawer pulls and old fashioned metal slides. No roller bearings.

Works great in the garage and goes well with Dad's '56 Corvette and '57 Belair Hardtop.

C

What's the purpose of a tool box?

Yes, right - to hold tools. And why does one have tools?

Here's a hint - it's not to spend money buying things you already have.

;)

New stuff is made-in-China crap anyway. Likely if you have an older box it's twice as good as anything you'll find these days which (IMHO) makes it automatically worth fixing up and keeping. I just don't see the logic in buying things two, three, four times - particularly with chincier build quality and greater cost each time around.

Fix up that bad boy!

The craftsman boxes are nice, if you get the ones with the good ball bearing slides. My box is about 5 years old too and is very full and works just fine. I'm in it pretty much every day it seems.

Agree. I think Craftsman makes 3-4 different grades of boxes now (home, standard, heavy duty and professional??) so I imagine there is considerable difference in the quality. I doubt the "home" version is particularly well made.

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