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I have been checking out top chest tool boxes for quite awhile. I would like to replace my 30 year old Craftsman that has been a POS since I bought it fresh out of high school.
I need something larger than what I now have, with deeper and more heavy duty drawers. I have been considering the big names like Snap On, Mac, etc but, since this is just a hobby, I cannot justify their prices.
Last Friday night, I had to get out of the house, as my Wife was having a "Jewelery" party for a bunch of friends. To make a long story short, I had lots of time on my hands, so I decided to check out Menards's selection while there getting other stuff.
To my surprise, they had a large box on sale that appears to be just what I have been looking for. The brand is a no-name variety called "Master Force" or something like that, and at $249.00 it's right in my price range.
The next night, while out with my Wife, I told her that I planned to stop and buy one, unless she wanted to get one for me for Christmas. Well, she liked that idea, so now I have to wait until then to unwrap it.
I searched Google to find out more about where the boxes are made, but had no luck. Judging by the price, I'm quite sure that it's not made in the US. In this case with my 30year old Craftsman (made in the US), being such a POS, I am not bothered by getting an import.
Just wanted to let others know that for the money, the "Master Force" brand at Menards looks to be a darn good buy.

John

I have a Craftsman set that I purchased in 1998.The rollaway cabinet,with top box and also the intermediate box.It has the ball bearing drawer slides,and is a very nice set. It has served me very well.I also realize that some of the cheaper Craftsman boxes are a POS.Whatever you buy,ck.it out very carefully as to how it is constructed.I know the SnapOn boxes are very expensive,but they are probably of very high quality.I have noticed tool cabinets in Sams Club,for a very good price.Just ck.around before you buy. One nice feature is the ball bearing drawer slides.

Check auctions in the area. Second hand Mac & Snap-On boxes sell for about what new Crapsman boxes do around here. If you can stand a few dings & scratches you'll get a far better tool box for your money that way.

Talk to a Mac or Matco or Snap-On dealer in your area. They all take used boxes in on trade or repo them from tech's that quit the trade. I bought a last generation Macsimizer a few years ago, used but nice, for $2500. That's about a third of new price.
Scott

i got mine at Lowes , Kobalt ......large rollaway bottom chest and matching top chest for $899.00 with ballbearing slides ,if you look at more expensive brands they are made bye the same manufacturer they just have a different name ...Craftsman is one .
Tim

From what I have been able to ck.out Sears Craftsman,and Cobalt are just about the same thing,tools,boxes,etc. What you should remember is that Sears,or Cobalt send out specifications to various manufacturers to make products for them.Whoever comes in with the lowest bid gets the job.Maybe Sears has a higher standard,or perhaps it is Cobalt.Who knows.From what I have seen Sears offers many different price ranges in their tool chests.The cheaper ones are probably not worth bringing home,whereas the top of the line chests seem to be of very good quality.I have seen the Cobalt chests and they didnt impress me at all.They seem to be a middle of the road item when comparing them to Craftsman.I have been buying and using Sears Craftsman hand tools my whole life,and I am very satisfied with the quality.I have also used the more expensive brands,SnapOn,etc,and see very little difference. I have looked around at the Cobalt line of tools and they dont seem to be any better or worse than Craftsman.My advice is to look and compare very closly before buying,especially a large dollar item such as a nice set of tool chests.I bought mine at Sears and I am very satisfied with them.Course I take excellent care of my tools,chests,etc.

Home Depot has Husky Boxes with ball bearing slides quite reasonable....

Just had to bump this thread. This week I finally gave up on my three story craftsman. I couldn't get the bottom drawer open to get the tool I needed out. That drawer has been a pest for years. Finally I'd had it.

Menards had a nice 46" double decker for a nice price, $800. I had looked at a pawn shop bottom Matco, but the $1400.00 scared me off. I didn't think much when they loaded it up with a fork lift 'cause it was on a palate.

When I got home, I backed up on the drive and got out and unloaded them. Not. I got the Dorf tractor out and used the front loader. I couldn't lift either unit by myself.

It's green. I like green.

I can bear hug the craftsman (empty) and lift the whole 3 units. It's red. I'm done with red.

I LIKE my new tool chests!

Something I have wanted since I used them at a past squadron is the rolling Stanley Vid-Mar cabinets. They have several sizes, but the most popular with us was square and was very stable so we could put a moderately sized vise and a wood work top on it w/o worrying about dumping the thing over.
Customizable drawers for seprating/organizing anything from large tools to small parts. VERY nice units, many aerospace companies use them over anything else due to the stability & versatility.

And yes, the cheap Craftsman boxes are often of similar or worse quality than the cheesy no-name brands of the same configuration. If you're gonna buy crap, may as well pay crap!

I know that some people Bad mouth Harbor Freight, But almost 2 yrs ago I bought there really large roll away bottom and top, It the U.S General Brand, Red in color, and I have to say for what I paid for the top and bottom it was a steal. Best tool boxes I have ever bought. Roller bearing drawers. Has that nice and heavy feel, not a flimsy like feeling. I'm no professional so I don't use it 9hrs everyday 6 days a week but its one tough S.O.B. I think I paid $400-$450 for both. I quickly got rid of my craftsman boxes, they couldn't stand up to that cheap Chinese stuff. Just my opinion.

... I think we should all remember that retail stores don't always stay with the same brand of goods. Manufacturers go to them and offer to run "deals" on certain stuff. So, its intirely possible that you got a great deal on your stuff AT THAT TIME.
Now, go back 6 months later and ask for the same thing and they give you that crazy "what you mean" look.
The key to any of it is what you expect from the tool, how much you plan to use it, the cost, and you need to be able to really tell if its of good quality!! Some folks say it "looks" nice but have no idea about what makes it really good. For that reason I sometimes ask the pro's about a particular purchase.

Well I go to Harbor Freight maybe 2-3 times a month and the same make,brand ,style a quality tool box that I bought almost 2yrs ago is still being sold.

I think what Alvin means, is that quite often different manufacturers are selected (under contract) to build products under a certain brand name. Sears, and many others are notorious for accepting the lowest bid. What might be a great item when manufactured by company "A" (in 2002) could be a POS when company "B" makes it (in 2003, at a lower cost).

John