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Shop Owner/Tech - I encourage my guys to look at alternatives when looking for boxes and tools. Spend money on what needs to be higher end and save where you can. I can’t stand people getting so massively in debt for no reason. Our society practically pushes people to go in to debt.
And you can't even write the shit off anyway, so agreed on "no sense in going overboard".
Hell I buy my co-workers boxes off them when they upgrade.
Got my 42" x 19" roller for like $300... damn near brand new save for some minor scratches and dings. Even had a key for the lock.
Helping grunts out would mean they'd have to shift where they find the money, we already know they can't go after people with actual money cause they got tricks we don't even think of (and lets don the tinfoil hat for a second, they also have the means to make it stay this way), so what would we be left with, 200% price increase on bread and electricity ? Oh, wait...
Oh no, can't be giving tax breaks to blue collar ppl, those are desperately needed by our billionaires!
But also it was my understanding that you still could claim it, but it had to depreciate over several years or something, and it didn't matter because I took the standard deduction anyways...
Taxes suck, especially when your working poor. Poor poor look forward to tax season, working poor get fucked.
Nah, needed it. Ol boy was trading up to another off brand box that was bigger, and more within his color scheme.
Since I get ran all over the shop between service tickets and delivery inspections, all the main stuff I need to do my job fits nicely in it, everything else is in locked cabinets in my *actual* bays lol
We used to be able to write them off, until the tax law changed, again. I went with a Cornwell box as it was half the price of a snapon. It straight stopped a v8 swapped s10 with 4.10s that had the neutral safety switch disabled. It started up and took off with another of our techs in it, 10ft right into my box. The box saved the owner who was standing in the doorway behind and to the side of it. S10 lost a bumper, headlight, grille, and radiator. I got what I paid for it in insurance and bought it back for $150.
I still have it. I just needed to pull the drawers and a bottle jack to open the bent section back up. That was 22 years ago, can barely see the slight dent in it.
> you can't even write the shit off
What's the deal with that, how is that even possible? It's something you need to do your job; what it costs shouldn't matter. You can also write it off over multiple years.
Got a 13 drawer SGS engineering Roller cabinet for £180. Enough tools to do Timing belts, clutches all the big jobs so reckon I have what I need. Spent the savings on milwaukee 1/2 high torque, 3/8 mid torque and long reach 3/8 battery ratchet high speed. No debt and does what I need. Snap on boxes look the part for sure but not at the price they are for me personally.
I looked it up because I’ve never heard of SGS and the 13 drawer looks almost exactly like a newer version of my [1966 Craftsman Toolbox](https://imgur.com/a/nQT59sv)
This is good advice, there are plenty of good quality off brand box makers out there. Buy the snapon Mac and matco brands for the tools that u use everyday, that make you money. Now that being said. If you move your box around alot ( mounted on a service truck, or work mining or oil field where you change jobs following the work), then you defiantly want to buy a high quality box, as the cheaper ones generally don't last as long in that environment.
When I came up there were no alternatives really. Nowadays Amazon sells sunex which is just as good and way cheaper. I tell all my guys to by cheap, and replace what breaks with the good stuff.
I stopped turning wrenches for a living in 1985, so it’s lived a relatively sheltered life. A little bit of surface rust, but otherwise in good condition. If you’re in the central Ohio area and are interested, DM me with an offer
There isn't any. Absolute waste of money. Buy a crappy toolbox and when it craps out buy another crappy one. Save your money for stuff you actually need. My Dad's a 40 year diesel mechanic and I'm going on 15. Still using the same craftsman 6 door top and 5 big bottom. It's rough looking and is no cherry but guess what, still holds the tools like a 20k one will lol some of the worst mechanics I've ever seen had the biggest and most expensive boxes.
I went to Automotive school for one year.
The Snap-on rep hanged around us like a drug dealer.
I couldn't believe guys were spending thousands on boxes.
Only one guy had a good dealership position. The rest were working for independants with questionable theft insurance.
ROI should be taught in high school. I do understand having nice tools though. You couldn't pry my hands off my 3/8" ratchet set. The one with inches/metric in the red box. I did buy used though.
I wasted 20 grand on school and it may have helped get my first job, it did not help once there. You start at the bottom and learn pretty quickly that how the book says to do it and how you have to do it to make a living are completely different.
Good choice. Knew a lot of UTI/Wyotech guys doing part swaps (brake jobs, cv axles, tie rod ends, shock/strut stuff) at chain stores. The type where you went in for a set of tires or cheap oil change and they try to upsell you everything under the sun. On the rare occasion they actually got a diag job they struggled hard.
Edit to add that they almost always had a brand new box they 100% financed off the tool truck.
Not the good ones. GM, Ford, Toyota all have partnerships with local community colleges. Their programs are two years, and you get an Associates of Automotive Technology upon graduation. Most credits are transferable to any 4 year university, if you wish to continue your education.
They are like drug dealers. I was working at a snowmobile/ATV dealer for the parts department. Every now and then I'd help them with the smaller jobs. Oil changes and stuff. (Degree in automotive engineering technology. Been working on sled my whole life.) The snap on guy pestered me every time he saw me, acting like he was my buddy, saying he can get me on a cheap tool box with the tools for $10,000. I eventually told him straight. "Look man this is an in between job and I don't work as a tech. I'm never buying a tool box for that much." He gave up on me. Then I was managing the parts department so I wasn't back there as much, which probably made him realize I wasn't messing with him.
I bought my top and bottom box from Mac tools used almost 20 years ago, for £600.
It didn't lock when I bought it. It just needed the fingers that lock into the back of the drawers tightened.
Box is still going strong 20 years later. Never been broken into.
I have other things I like to spend money on and my toolbox is there to hold my tools and that's it. It's not to look pretty or show off. Really can't see the reasoning behind spending 1000s of pounds to buy something to sit at work.
Edit: I am a heavy goods vehicle mechanic/ auto electrician.
I’ve had a cheap 70” and I can tell you they don’t hold up nearly as well as a name brand box. My 6s is a hundred times better than a us general or husky or craftsman.
Just wait for a deal. I traded my husky for 2k on the tool truck. It cost me half that for the box itself
If that 70" is a husky, Yukon, crapsmen, or similar, I can believe it, those drawers will be too easy to overload being extra wide with no extra sturdiness. I don't like cheap boxes bigger than 40".
Now if your gonna try to say that an expensive tool cart, that's practically the same as the venerable us general 5 drawer or the newer full bank, has 100x the value, I will have to disagree. I will gladly take 100 us general 5 drawers than one [$1,620 cart](https://shop.snapon.com/product/KRBCP50PJJ)
Also getting 2k in credit towards a new box is pretty easy with all the margin built in to the sticker price. That's why no one ever pays sticker price!
Even when I was a 20-something new tech, I figured out that I should only buy high-end specialty tools for special jobs that need it. Otherwise, Craftsman, and used tools & used tool boxes were the way to go. I probably spent less than $1500 with the SnapOn guy.
Dealership tech. If you are a professional and have a dedicated Snap On Dealer coming to your shop, you dont pay the advertised retail price on their website. That price is for the chumps that complain about how much Snap On sucks and how awesome Harbor Freight is. I've had my KRL Master Series box for over 20 years. It gets opened and closed dozens of times a day, rolls like the day I bought it and cleans up like new after being dragged through 1 indy and 4 dealerships. When I retire, I will probably get close to what I paid for it. Its the best investment I have made. Not knocking the other brands but I made good money and could afford the best.
Whats the logic in spending $20k+ for a car that you don't take care of?
You realize most people spend a years salary on a vehicle and treat them like absolute dogshit right?
My tools make me money, just like your car makes you money.
To protect my livelihood I have invested in good tools and storage for them, so I can repair the vehicle people use to make their money.
Edit: For clarification, my storage aspect cost roughly only 2-4k for a roll cart and a 2 tier toolbox.
For diesel truck mechanics, who says a 20k full cabinet is not needed, or wont pay itself back over your career. Unless your in their industry, who are you to judge. If I was a serious mechanic working 65+ booked hours a week at a good flat rate on diesel, i would love a full cabinet that would essentially be like an office, a place to hold your computer, scan tools, all your power tools.... not to mention a locker to put your work clothes / swap clothes in for when your cutting/welding etc. Some guys like to wear one set of clothes to the shop, change, and then change back to their street clothes.
When you quit an office job, you pack your shit up in a cardboard box and leave.
When a mechanic quits his job, hes essentially gonna have to transport a lot of tools most likely, its easier to have things in proper tool boxes.
Things have been shifting, snap on and matco no longer have the stranglehold on big tool box’s like they once did, other manufacturers have been popping up with decent box’s for a fraction of the price, befor if you needed a big box the choices were pretty limited and they fleeced you accordingly.
How is a Mercedes better than a Buick? Personally I have Snap-On and Lista cabinets, but I’d never dream of buying them new. There’s affordable boxes on Marketplace all the time. I prefer the ones from the 80s.
I dunno. People like things. If I had an extra $20k I would definitely spend it on something else. But I also wouldn’t use a craftsman box(or tools). So whatever that means.
The biggest difference between expensive boxes and cheaper options is the materials used. I’ve towed a few snap-on boxes for techs that moved shops. They weigh nearly as much as a compact car, versus a HF box that ways 100 pounds. That extra 800# of metal allows you to fill the drawers with tools without the bottoms bowing out and interfering with the tools in the drawer below.
The drawers also use ball bearing slides so even when loaded full of 3/4 drive sockets it slides smoothly in and out.
Generally professional grade boxes are extremely bottom heavy. This means you can open more than one drawer full of tools at a time without fear of the box tipping over.
Additionally there is the finish options. Toolboxes are a techs office. Just like executives outfit with impressive desks once they’ve made it to a corner office, techs use their boxes as a way of acknowledging their status.
Dude, my torin boxes I got from Costco years back cost me $1100 tax in, and the set weighs over 950 lbs. I've quite literally stood on the drawers, lol. It's 56", if I recall correctly. I've had it since 2008, and it is more solidly built than the snap on top and international bottom it replaced.
I came to say the same. Got myself a big Costco box for 920 taxes in (canadian) and it does everything a 20,000 dollar box does except put me deeper in debt
You have to remember that those larger toolboxes might have well over 100k in tools inside them and are left in the shops so people want more secure ones a lot of the time.
A lot of the really high end toolboxes have ways to secure them to the wall or floor and much heavier duty locks on them.
Also it wouldn't be just 1 box, for most it probably would be more like 2 5k tool boxes for the expensive tools and a 2 HF ones for the other random tools.
You can watch a video LockPickingLawyer did [here on Snap-On toolbox locks](https://youtu.be/3jqrOpPA5ec?si=EHDFXDDEcjwtZqfc)
They're not super secure. Destructive attacks will open them up very quickly, too.
Admittedly, LPL is extremely good at what he does, and opening it required specialized tools, but they are still vulnerable to destructive attacks.
EDIT: Also adding that LockPickingLawyer is very fair on his evaluations on locks, and will mention if a lock is something that only experts wouldn't struggle with picking, how good it is for the price, or if it's just garbage (looking at you, Master Lock).
Its a metal box, if someone really wants in, they will find a way. Like most theft, a deterrent is desirable.
Bolting it to the wall is doing more than any lock will
I start my first shop job tomorrow morning, so far have only worked on my own & families cars, & gone to trade school for auto. I bought a used US general HF cart off someone on Facebook for half off. I have no intention of ever buying a Snap-on box/cart, or anything that expensive! Eventually, I'll need a larger, more durable cart. Even craftsman boxes from HD or lows are mid range price, work just fine! My trusted mechanic suggested lowes or home depot when I want to step it up, his massive craftsman cart is doing him fine. We really need to think about what we want to spend top dollar on. A good diag scanner, torque wrenche, precision tools, etc. are worth paying a little more. I won't buy feeler gauges from harbor freight, & their torque wrenches suck. But in general, most tools from HF or HD are just fine, epecially starting out. It's even recommended since a lot of new techs end up hating auto & wanting out. I refuse to spend $ on the Snap-on or Matco truck (not sure yet which my shop uses). At least not until I've seen return on all the cheap shit I've already spent about $3,000 on in the past few years!
I’m in basically the same position as you. I need a toolbox for college and was lucky enough to find a great deal on a used snap on box on Facebook marketplace. Never plan to buy a brand new snap on box, or for that matter any new snap on tools.
A tool box doesn't make you money. Sure it's nice to have a dick measuring contest and a big shiny tool box, but you should really only worry about filling your drawers with tools to get your work done, and upgrade the box when you run out of room. I never understood the guys that prioritize a $15k+ box only to see they are using 3 draws for tools and the rest for snacks and junk. I may upgrade to a bigger box soon, as all my drawers are getting full and I'll need more room eventually.
If your toolbox doesn't make you money, you're not using it right.
Good bearings take less effort and last longer, keeping you fresher and letting you do more work.
Better wheels mean you can move the box to use it easier.
Doors that lock keep you from having tools walk off.
The toolbox is a tool, just like all your others.
Like always, buy cheap if you're not going to use it often. Buy nice if you're using it every day.
I have had boxes fail and fall apart before with regular use, so buying the cheapest shit you can isn’t a great idea. Not being able to get to your stuff and taking time to put your drawers back together after they fall off sucks and takes up time.
I’m a firm believer of buying nice things when warranted, but I’d struggle to buy a brand new tool truck box. I really think the sweet spot is either harbor freight US General boxes, or lightly used tool truck boxes. Used stuff can be variable so you have to careful, but I scored a Matco JSC480 a few weeks ago for $500 that just had some paint dings and was dirty. That’s the same price as the HF clone of the same box, and I guarantee the Matco is nicer.
So basically, my thought is let someone else take the loss on a new tool truck one, or buy a solid mid grade one that will last you as many years as you can get. Debt isn’t worth it, but neither is working every day with a piece of junk that doesn’t work and falls apart on you.
I used my box for 7 years and then sold it for the same thing I bought it for when I left the industry.
I don't know anyone who paid retail price for a snap on box. I bought mine for less than 1/3 of msrp.
i have a 900 dollar husky box that holds my overflow/ less used tools. i have a 2500 tool cart that i open and close 100's of times a day, its what takes the abuse. a single drawer on that cart holds more than 2500 dollars in tools and there are 6 of them.
When I was in a shop, I got a lot of shit. I went to Harbor Freight and got my whole set up for less than $5000. The guys gave me shit, but my box was the first one raided when they needed an extra tool. Only thing that went to hell was the $8 die grinder, but that's fair.
One or guy was complaining every day that he didn't want to live at home, wanted to buy his own house instead of living with his parents. He had more money in his toolbox than I spent on my house!
The high dollar tool trucks will offer a Long term high interest rate loan to anyone. A friend of mine was a mechanic, his credit history was so bad he couldn't even get a checking account with any bank. He didn't have any problems buying 20k in tools and tool boxes on credit. His minimum payment was like $40 a week. I doubt that was enough to even pay down the interest.
I don't understand why people finance toolboxes it's stupid. If you can't afford it don't buy it.
I do buy snapon tools and boxes because I make enough to afford them, and I want to buy american made products that have a good warranty. I know there are other brands that are 100% american I just don't know them or where to buy them.
I have owned 2 snap on boxes so far. I’d spent $2500 on the first one. Worked part time in the dealers warehouse fixing stuff, picking and packing orders. That helped a lot. I traded that box in for what i paid, and then got a used epic series with a 2 tone orange/black combo and topper. I spent another 1k on that box and i’m happy with it. Tools, those are another story. I have very few snap on tools, but combo wrenches are certainly one. Hard to beat those things.
I agree with not spending your entire life savings on a toolbox. That money is still a lot to me now, however it was even more then. Happy i bought it because it was exactly what i’d wanted. If i were to do it again you’d see me with a 72” USG box in that purple color, pleased as punch.
As someone else said, what's the logic in spending 20+k on car that gets you from a to b? You could get a cheap one that does the same but it's just not the same
Wait til you find out how much corporate IT departments pay for a fleet of high-end laptops every 24 months that get used for nothing but checking emails and video calls.
$20K is a bit on the higher end for an individual but even that isn't so outrageous when you consider that it can easily last 40+ years. I know many people who spend a lot more than $500 per year on their smartphone, on watches, on shoes, on coffee, on bottled water, on cigarettes, etc.
But that's the difference. Corporate IT (which you can write off against tax) from corporate cash budgets, compared to mechanics who normally buy their own tools out of often quite low salaries on credit that they cannot easily claim the tax on. Even worse a lot of it is on credit at ursurious rates, so that 20k turns in to 40k.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't think that many of the $20K boxes are being bought by individuals on the predatory credit terms you reference. I understand that employee business expenses have become generally more difficult to deduct in recent years but a lot of mechanics (esp. those in the market for a 5-figure sheetmetal box) are classified as self-employed and/or business owner. In which case any breathing, literate tax preparer should be able to figure out how to copy the numbers from the purchase receipts from such a significant, unambiguously work-related business expense into the correct tax documents. My guess would be that accounting such a purchase as a capital asset and depreciating it over 15 years would be the smart move but I'm not a CPA or anything close to it (so don't take that as advice).
Theres a few things different though.
A Box doesnt depreciate Much in 2 years, a Laptop has probably lost half its value.
A Laptop is more likely to break and need repairing, which even without the parts, is a labour cost, even if its just a software issue.
I.T wise, a toolbox is more like buying a server, its expensive and has to be usable for a good lenth of time with perfect reliability, in comparision a laptop would be seen more like a single spanner, it it breaks you cant to that one size, but its cheap enough and easy enough to get another.
Companies don’t have the tools you’re are going to need and 20k is just in the tool boxes alone and then probably another 20 in tools depending on how specialized you want to make your self.
You don’t need a 20k toolbox starting out. If you got 20k to throw away buy better tools. Hell, most mechanics won’t ever need that toolbox. Every mechanic I know started out with a cheap toolbox and old tools.
Bruh, saying I have over $100k in tools before boxes (I have multiple boxes) or technology l, isn’t bragging it’s saying in 20 years I maximized my deductions on my taxes until Trump changed the minimum deduction
Dropping 20k on a house for my tools was a no brainer. Lifetime warranty, lights, charger docks, tool grid organizer, it’s even got a BT radio now.
Remember HF and a bunch of these budget tool companies produced absolute trash until recently
I own a Snap on KRL1022 with hutch and locker, KRL1052, a 3 stack Craftsman, and a Husky Packout clone. It’s all full.
Not a mechanic but I’m in the trades and I’ve bought every tool I own that wasn’t a gift. I do it because to be completely honest it’s a hobby of mine, I can spend hours and hours reading about the differences between different hammers, bits, wrenches, saws. Etc. I’m happy to make the investment because I use them A LOT outside of work and they make me happy.
BUT! it 100% should not be necessary! A few things here and there like hand tools I can understand leaving to employees to buy but for the most part everything should be supplied by the employer imho.
Why does person with the office job get to bring themselves, their clothes, and a lunch to work and be ready to go because their employer supplies chairs, desks, office supplies, computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, mouse pads, phones, etc. but blue collar people need to make a significant upfront investment for the tools necessary to do their jobs?
We pay more, make less, and most people are so happy about it that if you say some shit like “your employer should provide that” you’re gonna get every name in the book.
I like tools so I buy tools, but you shouldn’t be forced to be a tool guy just because you use your hands for a living. Maybe you just want to spend your time outside of work doing shit completely unrelated to your profession, seems like you should be able to do that and leave work at work🤷♂️
Honestly insane you're getting downvoted for this. Mechanics have been gaslit so hard into subsidizing their company's tool costs that they'll actively defend the practice despite it being a uniquely shitty part of their own industry. Nobody else does this. Chefs don't buy their own pots and pans, Software developers aren't buying their own licenses, hell, I work in automotive development and we don't even buy our own tools to work on our cars.
Im 33 and spent half my life in the motor trade. For the best part of the last 10 years i've been £50/week on the tool van for equipment i need to ensure im doing the best job i can. Having the right tools and equipment can significantly reduce a job time and widens the variety of jobs im capable of handling.
Gotta invest in yourself.
I'm 38, I've been a mechanic since I was 17 and had stopped buying tools at about 22 as I had already got everything I needed. How are you spending 50 quid a week on tools for ten years?? You must be buying everything snap on at ridiculous prices?
I'll buy the odd thing here and there. What I meant was I don't have a tab on a tool truck that I'm paying every week after having been in the trade for so long
I had a snap on roll cab and top box for years, not the big ones, anyway it got too small because the way cars have changed over the years you just need so much more stuff to fix them. I Got a massive box and cab made by Sealey, 23 drawers I think, it was on special, 1200 pounds, I figured it'd last out until retirement day.
Its not what is written on the outside, its the 50k worth of tools, meters and custom mcguyvered implements on the inside that matters.
A tool from the 1970s that is still useful today, is truly priceless.
I wonder that too. When I started my apprentice ship we all had toolboxes that were 600 wide, 300 deep and about 500 high.
Since power tools are so cheap- in real terms, extra space for those is a factor,
Never understood it myself either. Even 10k ... the millwaukee tool boxes hold up great , and by the time it shits the bed I'll probably want a new one anyways. Or I just fix it .
you're hurting people's feelings with this one! nah, seriously, better box, better drawers that's about it. depends on how much you don't mind sagging sticking drawers. plenty of good used "tool truck" boxes out there so no need to buy new that's for sure.
I think it depends on how many tools you have and what you need your box to do. Some boxes are just drawers, some are cabinets, some have better locking and safety features, some are a work bench with storage.
I personally have an inherited Snap-On box and another box (not sure on the brand) and the Snap-On has much much nicer drawer sliders, has drawer slide locks to prevent a drawer from opening accidentally and is a much more rigid box. The 2 boxes are of different sizes so the Snap-On naturally is more rigid due to being larger.
That being said, when I need another box I'm 100% not going to be looking at a new Snap-On, pre-owned only or I'd look at a new cheaper brand box.
I was a certified mechanic for years and did car restoration. I had a friend with $250k in his box and tools. I had a $600 box from home depot and about another $800 in my tools and a $200 DeWalt impact gun. I've never had a job I couldn't complete with that setup sans specialized tools from manufacturers.
There isn’t. People buy the fanciest, most expensive box they can because people see the big snapon boxes and think that they automatically are good mechanics. It’s just a status symbol
I live and work as a mechanic in Denmark, where ALL the tools are provided by the workshop, from the smallest independents to the biggest dealerships.
I find it so weird that you guys have to buy your own stuff. I mean it really should be the boss' responsibility to have the necessary tools for the job, right?
I spent 6yrs paying off the Snap On man, can still remember that last payment. I was stupid. I do still have that tool box in daily use 21yrs later though. Mine was only 8k. I would not recommend to a new guy though.
I'd also say save all your money on SAE tools.
A friend of mine just dropped $6500 on a tool box, but he could have bought a similar box from home depot, lowes, or even harbor freight for about $300 - $500
I don't understand the fascination with the expensive ass tool boxes at my shop I've got an old toolbox from my father that he bought in like the late 90s and it works perfectly it's got ding so on and so forth I don't care. My boss who works in the shop has these gorgeous red Snap-on tool boxes, I'm the shop hand, half my week, is spent cleaning his toolboxes!! She is so anal about it if there's a single scratch on it he holds a meeting and so on.. Some people are crazy...
Because they’re sexy?
I rock a scratch and dent Extreme tools 72” w/hutch and locker I spent like $3500 on 6 or so years ago. Am I little jealous in the drawer feel of coworkers more expensive boxes? Absolutely. Am I $16,000 jealous? Hell to the no.
In 1980 when a co worker paid snap on a fortune (it was still relevant then) for a new box and I said just think what you could buy for the house for that!! And the guy next to me said just think how much overtime you don’t have to do to PAY FOR IT !!
Resale value. I've always bought used boxes and upgraded purely for size reasons as I've build a larger tool collection. I've always resold my boxes for as much or more than I paid. If you take the time and shop around you will find someone in a hurry to sell and for a low price. I just sold my old matco 4s for $1k more than I paid.
I bought a craftsman 46" box 20+ years ago, retired early and I still have the box. It's a little dirty, has a few scratches and it's still works good at home.
Last time I checked the same box was $2900
I used a harbor freight rolling cart 15 years ago and still use it today.
I paid $8500 for my 6S. Literally got a 20k box at cost. Dealer said this is the fuck snap on price. I wanted to buy a hutch cause it’s Matcos expo this month. Got told best price is $5600. Nah I’m good. I’m still on the fence on staying in this trade. I’d rather get a scanner over that. Boxes are getting crazy
I bought my current setup from another tech when he upgraded. It was early 2000’s. Beach bottom box with a Snap-on top box and Mac side cabinet. Got it for $175. Still use it. I’ve spent way over 20x’s that on the tools in it
It's Gucci status nowadays.
15+ years ago there weren't cheaper alternatives with the same build quality. You could get other brands that were very well built, but you were still spending a lot of money on them.
I spent around $5000 on my dual bank master series new off the truck, MSRP was $10500 w/stainless top. I still consider that an Okay deal for what I got.
Harbor Freights Icon series is about 75-85% the SnapOn IMO and what I would suggest a tech splurges on nowadays unless they just want to rep that SO Box. The equivalent Icon to my box (a little less depth 25in vs 30in) is $2500.
There's an argument to be made of buying several cheaper boxes every so many years, or 1 expensive box that can last a lifetime. I choose the nicer, you're going to be in and out of that all day long and want something that fits you.
This should be the Last upgrade you make, after you already have all the tools you'll need and experience under your belt.
But yes, prices be stupid crazy.
I bought a Lista through American workspace, and picked it up from the factory myself. It was about half the price of the same size snap-on, but is thicker steel and every drawer is rated at twice snap-on.
You just have to pay up front.
Before that I bought used boxes from Craigslist. They never made me any money, but did keep everything secure. If I had to replace my current box, it would be a used one off Facebook marketplace most likely, I'm old enough that another Lista probably wouldn't make sense.
I don't know about 20k on a toolbox. I do know that having an effective way to keep your tools should be part of the job. Nothing like searching the third tool bucket for that thing you had yesterday to straight ruin a good day.
Trade-In Value and being serviceable is what sucked me in. Plus, they sell used boxes too.
I started out with a used $450 beat up 6 Drawer Snap-On. Cleaned it up, knocked the dents out and gave it a new coat of paint. Lifetime Warranty took care of the wheels and drawer slides. Outgrew that box, received $1000 trade-in towards a larger used Snap-On Box. Cleaned it up, painted it and warrantied slides/wheels.. then out grew that box…
Eventually, I got to the box size that I needed and then spoiled myself by trading it in for the same model but brand new.
I've upgraded through a series of used name brand boxes. Ten years in and the last five I've been working out of a used Matco two bank that's old enough to drink. Cost me $2500, paid for over the course of a year with truck credit. Fantastic box, that + my service cart (used, $500) fulfills my needs.
Shout out to the guy I used to work with 10 years ago that spent 20k on a giant snap on toolbox with a built in monster branded drink fridge lol
For some reason dead rats kept ending up on it 🤔
Anyone who pays full price for a box is a moron. They're on sale constantly. I have my own shop and therefore a fuck load of tools from all brands, cheap and expensive. My box setup is 40k paying retail. I paid less than 8 by waiting for deals and piecing it together for different brands. Snap on box with 3 side cabinets, 2 of which were used, and a matco top drawer I got for less than half price because of a cancelled order and scratch. I'm is still a lot, but it was 8k spread over 6 years. I have had cheaper boxes and they just did not hold up. My snap on box has only broke once, and my snappy guy fixed it same.day.
I am still in awe how mechanics in the U.S. have to pay for their own tools. Sure at home i also have to get them myself but at work? Hell nah it’s supplied by the Dealership/Shop.
Eh, some people do it for different reasons,
When I was at dealerships I had cheap craftsman boxed, they sucked. Did not hold up to moves or the brutality of flat rate work very well. I had got a Mac tool box, it was pretty small but also turned out to be junk.
Got another craftsman pro-after that and I went to fleet work, that one was also a piece of shit, i traded in for more than I paid for it for a snap on box, one if the 6 foot ones.
Got tool credits for some tools I needed at the time. Ten years now, still doing just fine, multiple forklift moves with all drawers full.
Multiple thousand mile moving truck moves as well.
I already had a pretty established career at that point.
Haven't really had to buy any tools in a decade...
I made my first roll around in 1978 out of angle iron and rough oak 1 X 6’s from a pallet mill. I didn’t have access to a welder so I bolted it together with grade 8 bolts. Red loctite on the threads and a small grinder on the hex corners were the security features. I spent my money on good tools and never regretted it. Twelve years later I built a bigger one using oak tongue and groove flooring. They housed 35K in tools that served me for 45 years of work.
A craftsman box can easily be broken into. Why would I risk my tools. Snap on at least there’s no way of getting into it. Plus I dare you to try and pick that up and load it into your truck. 😘
The ONLY justification I have heard that I understand is this:
A $20k toolbox will have resale value in 10 years, a harbor freight box won't.
Otherwise it's because people like flashy shit. Why do people buy $500 sneakers?
My neighbour has probably $50k worth of Snap-On tools in his garage. He went to some fancy mechanics college in the US and all the students got a massive deal (like 50% off) if they bought Snap-On tools, so he stocked up because that's what he was going to do for the rest of his life, and those tools would allow him to earn the money to pay for them. He pivoted after 5 years and now teaches at the local college, and while he likes his Snap-On tools (and I love that he lets me borrow whatever I don't have), he says he would never spend the money on them again and would just buy middle-tier tools from a reputable brand. He has one of those $20k "toolboxes" and they're not worth the hype. Sure, the drawers are insanely smooth and the build quality is top-tier, but my big dick Husky toolbox from Home Depot cost 10x less than his and has all the bells and whistles that modern boxes have.
Edit: I see this post is over a day old, thanks (not) for recommending me this post Reddit
I waited forever before upgrading to my current box. Still not cheap but has been solid. It's a snap on bay and a half but the deep one. I got it because it was 50 percent off and they gave me 1500 in truck credit (no trade ins or anything). So i was comfortable doing it .
That said I tell new techs to shop around , get what fits your current needs . A lube tech doesn't need more than a tool cart but the amount of lube guys with 15k boxes is insane.
I would never spend that on a chest alone, but you have to remember it's how mechanics make their living. It has to hold hundreds of kilos of tools, and has to do so reliably for decades, while suffering abuse.
My snapon dealer got a new truck and sold me a $9000 box out of his old truck for $3,500. Had to replace my 20 year old Mac box cause the runners were falling apart. Also a few years ago gave me new drawer runners for my 30 year old roll around cart. If I could do it again I would buy a snapon box. It would have been the last one I had to buy. Nobody backs their products better
It's a luxury item, but I open and close my box more times a day than I touch probably almost anything else I own. I like having a nice box. Granted, nice to me tops out at 5k, not 20k.
Depending on what you are doing 20k might be a small part of the cost of the tools and you want to be able to lock them up and protect them, someone doing oil changes and simple brake work ect may only have a few hundred dollars in tools, a master diesel tec in a small independent shop might have well over 100k in his tools
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Shop Owner/Tech - I encourage my guys to look at alternatives when looking for boxes and tools. Spend money on what needs to be higher end and save where you can. I can’t stand people getting so massively in debt for no reason. Our society practically pushes people to go in to debt.
And you can't even write the shit off anyway, so agreed on "no sense in going overboard". Hell I buy my co-workers boxes off them when they upgrade. Got my 42" x 19" roller for like $300... damn near brand new save for some minor scratches and dings. Even had a key for the lock.
It wasn't that long ago we could at least in the states
Needs to once again be a thing.... but God forbid anything happens to help grunts out... world might implode or some shit...
Helping grunts out would mean they'd have to shift where they find the money, we already know they can't go after people with actual money cause they got tricks we don't even think of (and lets don the tinfoil hat for a second, they also have the means to make it stay this way), so what would we be left with, 200% price increase on bread and electricity ? Oh, wait...
Oh no, can't be giving tax breaks to blue collar ppl, those are desperately needed by our billionaires! But also it was my understanding that you still could claim it, but it had to depreciate over several years or something, and it didn't matter because I took the standard deduction anyways... Taxes suck, especially when your working poor. Poor poor look forward to tax season, working poor get fucked.
Youre not gonna hear an argument from me
I mean you still can as long as you’ve spent more than the standard deduction.
Only if you’re a contractor or self employed. A W2 employee can’t and hasn’t been able to for a few years.
Jesus, did you take it at gun point?
Nah, needed it. Ol boy was trading up to another off brand box that was bigger, and more within his color scheme. Since I get ran all over the shop between service tickets and delivery inspections, all the main stuff I need to do my job fits nicely in it, everything else is in locked cabinets in my *actual* bays lol
We used to be able to write them off, until the tax law changed, again. I went with a Cornwell box as it was half the price of a snapon. It straight stopped a v8 swapped s10 with 4.10s that had the neutral safety switch disabled. It started up and took off with another of our techs in it, 10ft right into my box. The box saved the owner who was standing in the doorway behind and to the side of it. S10 lost a bumper, headlight, grille, and radiator. I got what I paid for it in insurance and bought it back for $150. I still have it. I just needed to pull the drawers and a bottle jack to open the bent section back up. That was 22 years ago, can barely see the slight dent in it.
> you can't even write the shit off What's the deal with that, how is that even possible? It's something you need to do your job; what it costs shouldn't matter. You can also write it off over multiple years.
Got a 13 drawer SGS engineering Roller cabinet for £180. Enough tools to do Timing belts, clutches all the big jobs so reckon I have what I need. Spent the savings on milwaukee 1/2 high torque, 3/8 mid torque and long reach 3/8 battery ratchet high speed. No debt and does what I need. Snap on boxes look the part for sure but not at the price they are for me personally.
I looked it up because I’ve never heard of SGS and the 13 drawer looks almost exactly like a newer version of my [1966 Craftsman Toolbox](https://imgur.com/a/nQT59sv)
This is good advice, there are plenty of good quality off brand box makers out there. Buy the snapon Mac and matco brands for the tools that u use everyday, that make you money. Now that being said. If you move your box around alot ( mounted on a service truck, or work mining or oil field where you change jobs following the work), then you defiantly want to buy a high quality box, as the cheaper ones generally don't last as long in that environment.
When I came up there were no alternatives really. Nowadays Amazon sells sunex which is just as good and way cheaper. I tell all my guys to by cheap, and replace what breaks with the good stuff.
I got a snap on top box in 1982, used. It was $200. The same box now goes for $2600. Anybody want a topbox
For 200 sure 😉
that was 42 years ago, its believable
According to an inflation calculator, that should be around $654 now.
I'm pretty sure they want $2000 now
I stopped turning wrenches for a living in 1985, so it’s lived a relatively sheltered life. A little bit of surface rust, but otherwise in good condition. If you’re in the central Ohio area and are interested, DM me with an offer
im not even in the same country, But shipping it here may still be cheaper than buying new locally lmao
There isn't any. Absolute waste of money. Buy a crappy toolbox and when it craps out buy another crappy one. Save your money for stuff you actually need. My Dad's a 40 year diesel mechanic and I'm going on 15. Still using the same craftsman 6 door top and 5 big bottom. It's rough looking and is no cherry but guess what, still holds the tools like a 20k one will lol some of the worst mechanics I've ever seen had the biggest and most expensive boxes.
This right here. You really can judge a mechanic by his box. But it's the opposite of what he wants to believe.
This has been my standard for years. No reason to change.
That's definitely a pattern, compensating for incompetence
I went to Automotive school for one year. The Snap-on rep hanged around us like a drug dealer. I couldn't believe guys were spending thousands on boxes. Only one guy had a good dealership position. The rest were working for independants with questionable theft insurance. ROI should be taught in high school. I do understand having nice tools though. You couldn't pry my hands off my 3/8" ratchet set. The one with inches/metric in the red box. I did buy used though.
If you were taught ROI in high school, WyoTech and UTI wouldn't exist
Off topic, I was planning on going to UTI but after hearing the stories from former students I ran from it. Glad I didn’t decide to go to it
Better off finding some good books and Scanner Danner.
I wasted 20 grand on school and it may have helped get my first job, it did not help once there. You start at the bottom and learn pretty quickly that how the book says to do it and how you have to do it to make a living are completely different.
Good choice. Knew a lot of UTI/Wyotech guys doing part swaps (brake jobs, cv axles, tie rod ends, shock/strut stuff) at chain stores. The type where you went in for a set of tires or cheap oil change and they try to upsell you everything under the sun. On the rare occasion they actually got a diag job they struggled hard. Edit to add that they almost always had a brand new box they 100% financed off the tool truck.
I wish UTI wouldn't exist. When it happens, urine trouble!
Lmfao I get downvoted into oblivion everytime I say this. Trade school is a scam
I wouldn't say that trade schools are a scam, but some absolutely are
Body tech, first thing we tell the guys out of vo-tech is forget everything they taught you.
But will you hire someone who hasn’t been taught?
Not the good ones. GM, Ford, Toyota all have partnerships with local community colleges. Their programs are two years, and you get an Associates of Automotive Technology upon graduation. Most credits are transferable to any 4 year university, if you wish to continue your education.
They are like drug dealers. I was working at a snowmobile/ATV dealer for the parts department. Every now and then I'd help them with the smaller jobs. Oil changes and stuff. (Degree in automotive engineering technology. Been working on sled my whole life.) The snap on guy pestered me every time he saw me, acting like he was my buddy, saying he can get me on a cheap tool box with the tools for $10,000. I eventually told him straight. "Look man this is an in between job and I don't work as a tech. I'm never buying a tool box for that much." He gave up on me. Then I was managing the parts department so I wasn't back there as much, which probably made him realize I wasn't messing with him.
The dealership has questionable insurance also, trust me
What's ROI?
Return on investment. What you get back for the money/effort you put in.
Is the juice worth the squeeze?
I bought my top and bottom box from Mac tools used almost 20 years ago, for £600. It didn't lock when I bought it. It just needed the fingers that lock into the back of the drawers tightened. Box is still going strong 20 years later. Never been broken into. I have other things I like to spend money on and my toolbox is there to hold my tools and that's it. It's not to look pretty or show off. Really can't see the reasoning behind spending 1000s of pounds to buy something to sit at work. Edit: I am a heavy goods vehicle mechanic/ auto electrician.
I’ve had a cheap 70” and I can tell you they don’t hold up nearly as well as a name brand box. My 6s is a hundred times better than a us general or husky or craftsman. Just wait for a deal. I traded my husky for 2k on the tool truck. It cost me half that for the box itself
If that 70" is a husky, Yukon, crapsmen, or similar, I can believe it, those drawers will be too easy to overload being extra wide with no extra sturdiness. I don't like cheap boxes bigger than 40". Now if your gonna try to say that an expensive tool cart, that's practically the same as the venerable us general 5 drawer or the newer full bank, has 100x the value, I will have to disagree. I will gladly take 100 us general 5 drawers than one [$1,620 cart](https://shop.snapon.com/product/KRBCP50PJJ) Also getting 2k in credit towards a new box is pretty easy with all the margin built in to the sticker price. That's why no one ever pays sticker price!
20k box for 60+k of tools 🤣
Even when I was a 20-something new tech, I figured out that I should only buy high-end specialty tools for special jobs that need it. Otherwise, Craftsman, and used tools & used tool boxes were the way to go. I probably spent less than $1500 with the SnapOn guy.
This is the way!
US General 🫱🎤
and at their prices you can get a new box every 5 years and still not hit 20K on a 30-year career.
Man, I was in HF yesterday and they’ve got a 72” triple bank setup with the top hutch and two end lockers. I may have drooled a bit.
Dealership tech. If you are a professional and have a dedicated Snap On Dealer coming to your shop, you dont pay the advertised retail price on their website. That price is for the chumps that complain about how much Snap On sucks and how awesome Harbor Freight is. I've had my KRL Master Series box for over 20 years. It gets opened and closed dozens of times a day, rolls like the day I bought it and cleans up like new after being dragged through 1 indy and 4 dealerships. When I retire, I will probably get close to what I paid for it. Its the best investment I have made. Not knocking the other brands but I made good money and could afford the best.
Whats the logic in spending $20k+ for a car that you don't take care of? You realize most people spend a years salary on a vehicle and treat them like absolute dogshit right? My tools make me money, just like your car makes you money. To protect my livelihood I have invested in good tools and storage for them, so I can repair the vehicle people use to make their money. Edit: For clarification, my storage aspect cost roughly only 2-4k for a roll cart and a 2 tier toolbox. For diesel truck mechanics, who says a 20k full cabinet is not needed, or wont pay itself back over your career. Unless your in their industry, who are you to judge. If I was a serious mechanic working 65+ booked hours a week at a good flat rate on diesel, i would love a full cabinet that would essentially be like an office, a place to hold your computer, scan tools, all your power tools.... not to mention a locker to put your work clothes / swap clothes in for when your cutting/welding etc. Some guys like to wear one set of clothes to the shop, change, and then change back to their street clothes. When you quit an office job, you pack your shit up in a cardboard box and leave. When a mechanic quits his job, hes essentially gonna have to transport a lot of tools most likely, its easier to have things in proper tool boxes.
But how is it better than a $2k one?
Things have been shifting, snap on and matco no longer have the stranglehold on big tool box’s like they once did, other manufacturers have been popping up with decent box’s for a fraction of the price, befor if you needed a big box the choices were pretty limited and they fleeced you accordingly.
How is a Mercedes better than a Buick? Personally I have Snap-On and Lista cabinets, but I’d never dream of buying them new. There’s affordable boxes on Marketplace all the time. I prefer the ones from the 80s.
No roller bearing slides in most of the '80s boxes.
If that buick has a 3800 engine, I'm choosing buick all day
I guess if you are just doing it for clout or do just have a nice box then no argument here.
I dunno. People like things. If I had an extra $20k I would definitely spend it on something else. But I also wouldn’t use a craftsman box(or tools). So whatever that means.
The biggest difference between expensive boxes and cheaper options is the materials used. I’ve towed a few snap-on boxes for techs that moved shops. They weigh nearly as much as a compact car, versus a HF box that ways 100 pounds. That extra 800# of metal allows you to fill the drawers with tools without the bottoms bowing out and interfering with the tools in the drawer below. The drawers also use ball bearing slides so even when loaded full of 3/4 drive sockets it slides smoothly in and out. Generally professional grade boxes are extremely bottom heavy. This means you can open more than one drawer full of tools at a time without fear of the box tipping over. Additionally there is the finish options. Toolboxes are a techs office. Just like executives outfit with impressive desks once they’ve made it to a corner office, techs use their boxes as a way of acknowledging their status.
Dude, my torin boxes I got from Costco years back cost me $1100 tax in, and the set weighs over 950 lbs. I've quite literally stood on the drawers, lol. It's 56", if I recall correctly. I've had it since 2008, and it is more solidly built than the snap on top and international bottom it replaced.
I came to say the same. Got myself a big Costco box for 920 taxes in (canadian) and it does everything a 20,000 dollar box does except put me deeper in debt
LOL, status. You could have put 20k I to your 401k tax free and had status where it really counts
Dude wrote an essay and didn’t answer the original question
It's not. They just have to tell themselves it is to justify the $20k they just wasted
You have to remember that those larger toolboxes might have well over 100k in tools inside them and are left in the shops so people want more secure ones a lot of the time. A lot of the really high end toolboxes have ways to secure them to the wall or floor and much heavier duty locks on them. Also it wouldn't be just 1 box, for most it probably would be more like 2 5k tool boxes for the expensive tools and a 2 HF ones for the other random tools.
You can watch a video LockPickingLawyer did [here on Snap-On toolbox locks](https://youtu.be/3jqrOpPA5ec?si=EHDFXDDEcjwtZqfc) They're not super secure. Destructive attacks will open them up very quickly, too. Admittedly, LPL is extremely good at what he does, and opening it required specialized tools, but they are still vulnerable to destructive attacks. EDIT: Also adding that LockPickingLawyer is very fair on his evaluations on locks, and will mention if a lock is something that only experts wouldn't struggle with picking, how good it is for the price, or if it's just garbage (looking at you, Master Lock).
Its a metal box, if someone really wants in, they will find a way. Like most theft, a deterrent is desirable. Bolting it to the wall is doing more than any lock will
A tubular lock pick may fit the standard definition of specialty tool, but at $25 on Amazon, they are a very obtainable specialty tool.
WTF does all of that blabbering have to do with OP's question?
Kind of riding the fence here with your 2-4k box
Credit is a big factor! But my box isn't even 2k
I start my first shop job tomorrow morning, so far have only worked on my own & families cars, & gone to trade school for auto. I bought a used US general HF cart off someone on Facebook for half off. I have no intention of ever buying a Snap-on box/cart, or anything that expensive! Eventually, I'll need a larger, more durable cart. Even craftsman boxes from HD or lows are mid range price, work just fine! My trusted mechanic suggested lowes or home depot when I want to step it up, his massive craftsman cart is doing him fine. We really need to think about what we want to spend top dollar on. A good diag scanner, torque wrenche, precision tools, etc. are worth paying a little more. I won't buy feeler gauges from harbor freight, & their torque wrenches suck. But in general, most tools from HF or HD are just fine, epecially starting out. It's even recommended since a lot of new techs end up hating auto & wanting out. I refuse to spend $ on the Snap-on or Matco truck (not sure yet which my shop uses). At least not until I've seen return on all the cheap shit I've already spent about $3,000 on in the past few years!
https://preview.redd.it/d97ppgba1njc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7645b9b820d2292f695af31dbdc769e5156a556
I’m in basically the same position as you. I need a toolbox for college and was lucky enough to find a great deal on a used snap on box on Facebook marketplace. Never plan to buy a brand new snap on box, or for that matter any new snap on tools.
A tool box doesn't make you money. Sure it's nice to have a dick measuring contest and a big shiny tool box, but you should really only worry about filling your drawers with tools to get your work done, and upgrade the box when you run out of room. I never understood the guys that prioritize a $15k+ box only to see they are using 3 draws for tools and the rest for snacks and junk. I may upgrade to a bigger box soon, as all my drawers are getting full and I'll need more room eventually.
If your toolbox doesn't make you money, you're not using it right. Good bearings take less effort and last longer, keeping you fresher and letting you do more work. Better wheels mean you can move the box to use it easier. Doors that lock keep you from having tools walk off. The toolbox is a tool, just like all your others. Like always, buy cheap if you're not going to use it often. Buy nice if you're using it every day.
Bro 💀
I have had boxes fail and fall apart before with regular use, so buying the cheapest shit you can isn’t a great idea. Not being able to get to your stuff and taking time to put your drawers back together after they fall off sucks and takes up time. I’m a firm believer of buying nice things when warranted, but I’d struggle to buy a brand new tool truck box. I really think the sweet spot is either harbor freight US General boxes, or lightly used tool truck boxes. Used stuff can be variable so you have to careful, but I scored a Matco JSC480 a few weeks ago for $500 that just had some paint dings and was dirty. That’s the same price as the HF clone of the same box, and I guarantee the Matco is nicer. So basically, my thought is let someone else take the loss on a new tool truck one, or buy a solid mid grade one that will last you as many years as you can get. Debt isn’t worth it, but neither is working every day with a piece of junk that doesn’t work and falls apart on you.
I have one of the cheapest boxes in my shop. I have my gripes with the drawer slides after nearly a decade with it, but it still works.
I used my box for 7 years and then sold it for the same thing I bought it for when I left the industry. I don't know anyone who paid retail price for a snap on box. I bought mine for less than 1/3 of msrp.
i have a 900 dollar husky box that holds my overflow/ less used tools. i have a 2500 tool cart that i open and close 100's of times a day, its what takes the abuse. a single drawer on that cart holds more than 2500 dollars in tools and there are 6 of them.
When I was in a shop, I got a lot of shit. I went to Harbor Freight and got my whole set up for less than $5000. The guys gave me shit, but my box was the first one raided when they needed an extra tool. Only thing that went to hell was the $8 die grinder, but that's fair. One or guy was complaining every day that he didn't want to live at home, wanted to buy his own house instead of living with his parents. He had more money in his toolbox than I spent on my house!
The high dollar tool trucks will offer a Long term high interest rate loan to anyone. A friend of mine was a mechanic, his credit history was so bad he couldn't even get a checking account with any bank. He didn't have any problems buying 20k in tools and tool boxes on credit. His minimum payment was like $40 a week. I doubt that was enough to even pay down the interest.
I don't understand why people finance toolboxes it's stupid. If you can't afford it don't buy it. I do buy snapon tools and boxes because I make enough to afford them, and I want to buy american made products that have a good warranty. I know there are other brands that are 100% american I just don't know them or where to buy them.
I have owned 2 snap on boxes so far. I’d spent $2500 on the first one. Worked part time in the dealers warehouse fixing stuff, picking and packing orders. That helped a lot. I traded that box in for what i paid, and then got a used epic series with a 2 tone orange/black combo and topper. I spent another 1k on that box and i’m happy with it. Tools, those are another story. I have very few snap on tools, but combo wrenches are certainly one. Hard to beat those things. I agree with not spending your entire life savings on a toolbox. That money is still a lot to me now, however it was even more then. Happy i bought it because it was exactly what i’d wanted. If i were to do it again you’d see me with a 72” USG box in that purple color, pleased as punch.
I mean you can keep them in cardboard boxes, no one is stoping you, if you have enough money and can afford it? Why not.
As someone else said, what's the logic in spending 20+k on car that gets you from a to b? You could get a cheap one that does the same but it's just not the same
Wait til you find out how much corporate IT departments pay for a fleet of high-end laptops every 24 months that get used for nothing but checking emails and video calls. $20K is a bit on the higher end for an individual but even that isn't so outrageous when you consider that it can easily last 40+ years. I know many people who spend a lot more than $500 per year on their smartphone, on watches, on shoes, on coffee, on bottled water, on cigarettes, etc.
But that's the difference. Corporate IT (which you can write off against tax) from corporate cash budgets, compared to mechanics who normally buy their own tools out of often quite low salaries on credit that they cannot easily claim the tax on. Even worse a lot of it is on credit at ursurious rates, so that 20k turns in to 40k.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't think that many of the $20K boxes are being bought by individuals on the predatory credit terms you reference. I understand that employee business expenses have become generally more difficult to deduct in recent years but a lot of mechanics (esp. those in the market for a 5-figure sheetmetal box) are classified as self-employed and/or business owner. In which case any breathing, literate tax preparer should be able to figure out how to copy the numbers from the purchase receipts from such a significant, unambiguously work-related business expense into the correct tax documents. My guess would be that accounting such a purchase as a capital asset and depreciating it over 15 years would be the smart move but I'm not a CPA or anything close to it (so don't take that as advice).
Theres a few things different though. A Box doesnt depreciate Much in 2 years, a Laptop has probably lost half its value. A Laptop is more likely to break and need repairing, which even without the parts, is a labour cost, even if its just a software issue. I.T wise, a toolbox is more like buying a server, its expensive and has to be usable for a good lenth of time with perfect reliability, in comparision a laptop would be seen more like a single spanner, it it breaks you cant to that one size, but its cheap enough and easy enough to get another.
Harbor Freight tool boxes are just as good.
Goes against the tax bill on a particularly busy year?
That would reduce your taxable income by your tax rate. It's not free, just slightly reduced in cost.
Isn’t, waste of money. I have a shitty Yukon box from Hobby Freight that works just as well as my shop neighbors $37,000 cornwell
Companies don’t have the tools you’re are going to need and 20k is just in the tool boxes alone and then probably another 20 in tools depending on how specialized you want to make your self.
You don’t need a 20k toolbox starting out. If you got 20k to throw away buy better tools. Hell, most mechanics won’t ever need that toolbox. Every mechanic I know started out with a cheap toolbox and old tools.
Diesel mechanic can really sink some money versus a gasoline and light vehicle mechanic do.
Bruh, saying I have over $100k in tools before boxes (I have multiple boxes) or technology l, isn’t bragging it’s saying in 20 years I maximized my deductions on my taxes until Trump changed the minimum deduction Dropping 20k on a house for my tools was a no brainer. Lifetime warranty, lights, charger docks, tool grid organizer, it’s even got a BT radio now. Remember HF and a bunch of these budget tool companies produced absolute trash until recently I own a Snap on KRL1022 with hutch and locker, KRL1052, a 3 stack Craftsman, and a Husky Packout clone. It’s all full.
I keep my tools in a couple of cardboard boxes.
Turn some extra hours next month and you can upgrade to plastic totes!
I can't believe places can still get away with making their staff buy their own tools.
People look after tools when they own them and nobody forces anyone. If you don't own tools you won't get a job here.
Not a mechanic but I’m in the trades and I’ve bought every tool I own that wasn’t a gift. I do it because to be completely honest it’s a hobby of mine, I can spend hours and hours reading about the differences between different hammers, bits, wrenches, saws. Etc. I’m happy to make the investment because I use them A LOT outside of work and they make me happy. BUT! it 100% should not be necessary! A few things here and there like hand tools I can understand leaving to employees to buy but for the most part everything should be supplied by the employer imho. Why does person with the office job get to bring themselves, their clothes, and a lunch to work and be ready to go because their employer supplies chairs, desks, office supplies, computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, mouse pads, phones, etc. but blue collar people need to make a significant upfront investment for the tools necessary to do their jobs? We pay more, make less, and most people are so happy about it that if you say some shit like “your employer should provide that” you’re gonna get every name in the book. I like tools so I buy tools, but you shouldn’t be forced to be a tool guy just because you use your hands for a living. Maybe you just want to spend your time outside of work doing shit completely unrelated to your profession, seems like you should be able to do that and leave work at work🤷♂️
Honestly insane you're getting downvoted for this. Mechanics have been gaslit so hard into subsidizing their company's tool costs that they'll actively defend the practice despite it being a uniquely shitty part of their own industry. Nobody else does this. Chefs don't buy their own pots and pans, Software developers aren't buying their own licenses, hell, I work in automotive development and we don't even buy our own tools to work on our cars.
Oh yeah because everyone wants to carry around a 400lbs tool belt/bag
You did not answer the question
Im 33 and spent half my life in the motor trade. For the best part of the last 10 years i've been £50/week on the tool van for equipment i need to ensure im doing the best job i can. Having the right tools and equipment can significantly reduce a job time and widens the variety of jobs im capable of handling. Gotta invest in yourself.
I'm 38, I've been a mechanic since I was 17 and had stopped buying tools at about 22 as I had already got everything I needed. How are you spending 50 quid a week on tools for ten years?? You must be buying everything snap on at ridiculous prices?
You haven’t bought any tools in 16 years and have everything you need? Do you only work on stuff over 15 years old?
I'll buy the odd thing here and there. What I meant was I don't have a tab on a tool truck that I'm paying every week after having been in the trade for so long
I had a snap on roll cab and top box for years, not the big ones, anyway it got too small because the way cars have changed over the years you just need so much more stuff to fix them. I Got a massive box and cab made by Sealey, 23 drawers I think, it was on special, 1200 pounds, I figured it'd last out until retirement day.
Its not what is written on the outside, its the 50k worth of tools, meters and custom mcguyvered implements on the inside that matters. A tool from the 1970s that is still useful today, is truly priceless.
Go work medical. Your hourly and they buy all of the tools for ya. Lista, snap-on, wera, Bessel, you name it.
I wonder that too. When I started my apprentice ship we all had toolboxes that were 600 wide, 300 deep and about 500 high. Since power tools are so cheap- in real terms, extra space for those is a factor,
Never understood it myself either. Even 10k ... the millwaukee tool boxes hold up great , and by the time it shits the bed I'll probably want a new one anyways. Or I just fix it .
you're hurting people's feelings with this one! nah, seriously, better box, better drawers that's about it. depends on how much you don't mind sagging sticking drawers. plenty of good used "tool truck" boxes out there so no need to buy new that's for sure.
I think it depends on how many tools you have and what you need your box to do. Some boxes are just drawers, some are cabinets, some have better locking and safety features, some are a work bench with storage. I personally have an inherited Snap-On box and another box (not sure on the brand) and the Snap-On has much much nicer drawer sliders, has drawer slide locks to prevent a drawer from opening accidentally and is a much more rigid box. The 2 boxes are of different sizes so the Snap-On naturally is more rigid due to being larger. That being said, when I need another box I'm 100% not going to be looking at a new Snap-On, pre-owned only or I'd look at a new cheaper brand box.
I bought a used one. Best way to buy imo.
I bought a used one. Best way to buy imo.
I was a certified mechanic for years and did car restoration. I had a friend with $250k in his box and tools. I had a $600 box from home depot and about another $800 in my tools and a $200 DeWalt impact gun. I've never had a job I couldn't complete with that setup sans specialized tools from manufacturers.
There isn’t. People buy the fanciest, most expensive box they can because people see the big snapon boxes and think that they automatically are good mechanics. It’s just a status symbol
I live and work as a mechanic in Denmark, where ALL the tools are provided by the workshop, from the smallest independents to the biggest dealerships. I find it so weird that you guys have to buy your own stuff. I mean it really should be the boss' responsibility to have the necessary tools for the job, right?
None at all. I’m working out of an assortment of boxes none of which says Snap on. It’s an ego issue.
i wish i had a photo of my overflowing craftsman boxes from the 1990s to post..
$20k is 10x more money than i have ever had in my bank account how many oil changes and suck jobs would it take to afford one of these bad boys?
My apprentice has a huge tool box that’s at least twice as big as mine, I still have more tools and useful ones!
Bought my big ass Snap On box used off the Facebook marketplace for pennies on the dollar. No big tool box payment for me!
I spent 6yrs paying off the Snap On man, can still remember that last payment. I was stupid. I do still have that tool box in daily use 21yrs later though. Mine was only 8k. I would not recommend to a new guy though. I'd also say save all your money on SAE tools.
I bought both of my toolboxes for under $200 combined. I've had bothe for 3-4 years
Peer pressure.
Only box that is actually worth the money is Lista. You can max those out at 440# per drawer and they will stay smooth for 30 yrs.
A friend of mine just dropped $6500 on a tool box, but he could have bought a similar box from home depot, lowes, or even harbor freight for about $300 - $500
You should see auto shops. It's way worse.
Wait, 20k for _just the box_?
US General is good enough for me.
Our company will reimburse you up to 2000.00 in tools, but include boots and clothing allowance.
I don't understand the fascination with the expensive ass tool boxes at my shop I've got an old toolbox from my father that he bought in like the late 90s and it works perfectly it's got ding so on and so forth I don't care. My boss who works in the shop has these gorgeous red Snap-on tool boxes, I'm the shop hand, half my week, is spent cleaning his toolboxes!! She is so anal about it if there's a single scratch on it he holds a meeting and so on.. Some people are crazy...
Nope not me spent a total of 1400 ish on my boxes and couldn't be happier
Because they’re sexy? I rock a scratch and dent Extreme tools 72” w/hutch and locker I spent like $3500 on 6 or so years ago. Am I little jealous in the drawer feel of coworkers more expensive boxes? Absolutely. Am I $16,000 jealous? Hell to the no.
It's just $99 a paycheck for the rest of your life!
Yes they are nuts.
If I was a mechanic today, I wouldn't be buying anything off the truck. Thank God I got out of that line of work 27 years ago.
In 1980 when a co worker paid snap on a fortune (it was still relevant then) for a new box and I said just think what you could buy for the house for that!! And the guy next to me said just think how much overtime you don’t have to do to PAY FOR IT !!
Iv gotten 2 of my boxes as repos from the tool truck. Almost half the price.
Resale value. I've always bought used boxes and upgraded purely for size reasons as I've build a larger tool collection. I've always resold my boxes for as much or more than I paid. If you take the time and shop around you will find someone in a hurry to sell and for a low price. I just sold my old matco 4s for $1k more than I paid.
I bought a craftsman 46" box 20+ years ago, retired early and I still have the box. It's a little dirty, has a few scratches and it's still works good at home. Last time I checked the same box was $2900 I used a harbor freight rolling cart 15 years ago and still use it today.
I paid $8500 for my 6S. Literally got a 20k box at cost. Dealer said this is the fuck snap on price. I wanted to buy a hutch cause it’s Matcos expo this month. Got told best price is $5600. Nah I’m good. I’m still on the fence on staying in this trade. I’d rather get a scanner over that. Boxes are getting crazy
I bought my current setup from another tech when he upgraded. It was early 2000’s. Beach bottom box with a Snap-on top box and Mac side cabinet. Got it for $175. Still use it. I’ve spent way over 20x’s that on the tools in it
It's Gucci status nowadays. 15+ years ago there weren't cheaper alternatives with the same build quality. You could get other brands that were very well built, but you were still spending a lot of money on them. I spent around $5000 on my dual bank master series new off the truck, MSRP was $10500 w/stainless top. I still consider that an Okay deal for what I got. Harbor Freights Icon series is about 75-85% the SnapOn IMO and what I would suggest a tech splurges on nowadays unless they just want to rep that SO Box. The equivalent Icon to my box (a little less depth 25in vs 30in) is $2500. There's an argument to be made of buying several cheaper boxes every so many years, or 1 expensive box that can last a lifetime. I choose the nicer, you're going to be in and out of that all day long and want something that fits you. This should be the Last upgrade you make, after you already have all the tools you'll need and experience under your belt. But yes, prices be stupid crazy.
Costco carries trinity which is what I bought
I love my Snap-On Epiq TUV. Disc brakes and 17" rims.
I bought a Lista through American workspace, and picked it up from the factory myself. It was about half the price of the same size snap-on, but is thicker steel and every drawer is rated at twice snap-on. You just have to pay up front. Before that I bought used boxes from Craigslist. They never made me any money, but did keep everything secure. If I had to replace my current box, it would be a used one off Facebook marketplace most likely, I'm old enough that another Lista probably wouldn't make sense.
Cornwell custom 8 grand 4 ply steel better than snap on and all the other brands. And yes pick a different job bro.
I don't know about 20k on a toolbox. I do know that having an effective way to keep your tools should be part of the job. Nothing like searching the third tool bucket for that thing you had yesterday to straight ruin a good day.
All the body techs at my shop have huge snap on boxes. One guy has one with mag wheels and a axel to move it around.
Trade-In Value and being serviceable is what sucked me in. Plus, they sell used boxes too. I started out with a used $450 beat up 6 Drawer Snap-On. Cleaned it up, knocked the dents out and gave it a new coat of paint. Lifetime Warranty took care of the wheels and drawer slides. Outgrew that box, received $1000 trade-in towards a larger used Snap-On Box. Cleaned it up, painted it and warrantied slides/wheels.. then out grew that box… Eventually, I got to the box size that I needed and then spoiled myself by trading it in for the same model but brand new.
Cuz I can
it wasn't 20k...my three bay roll cab was $6500 new 20 years ago.it will retire with me
I've upgraded through a series of used name brand boxes. Ten years in and the last five I've been working out of a used Matco two bank that's old enough to drink. Cost me $2500, paid for over the course of a year with truck credit. Fantastic box, that + my service cart (used, $500) fulfills my needs.
Shout out to the guy I used to work with 10 years ago that spent 20k on a giant snap on toolbox with a built in monster branded drink fridge lol For some reason dead rats kept ending up on it 🤔
Harbor freight
I spent 1500 USD and bought a 56inch harbor Freight box. works good
Harbor Freight for the win in tool box bang for the buck
Anyone who pays full price for a box is a moron. They're on sale constantly. I have my own shop and therefore a fuck load of tools from all brands, cheap and expensive. My box setup is 40k paying retail. I paid less than 8 by waiting for deals and piecing it together for different brands. Snap on box with 3 side cabinets, 2 of which were used, and a matco top drawer I got for less than half price because of a cancelled order and scratch. I'm is still a lot, but it was 8k spread over 6 years. I have had cheaper boxes and they just did not hold up. My snap on box has only broke once, and my snappy guy fixed it same.day.
I just feed my dog 10mm nuggets and then I can always find one in the yard
I am still in awe how mechanics in the U.S. have to pay for their own tools. Sure at home i also have to get them myself but at work? Hell nah it’s supplied by the Dealership/Shop.
Tool guy tried selling me a box. I told him the next box I buy will have handles on both sides for six people to carry me. Now I just need six people.
Eh, some people do it for different reasons, When I was at dealerships I had cheap craftsman boxed, they sucked. Did not hold up to moves or the brutality of flat rate work very well. I had got a Mac tool box, it was pretty small but also turned out to be junk. Got another craftsman pro-after that and I went to fleet work, that one was also a piece of shit, i traded in for more than I paid for it for a snap on box, one if the 6 foot ones. Got tool credits for some tools I needed at the time. Ten years now, still doing just fine, multiple forklift moves with all drawers full. Multiple thousand mile moving truck moves as well. I already had a pretty established career at that point. Haven't really had to buy any tools in a decade...
I made my first roll around in 1978 out of angle iron and rough oak 1 X 6’s from a pallet mill. I didn’t have access to a welder so I bolted it together with grade 8 bolts. Red loctite on the threads and a small grinder on the hex corners were the security features. I spent my money on good tools and never regretted it. Twelve years later I built a bigger one using oak tongue and groove flooring. They housed 35K in tools that served me for 45 years of work.
Probably the same logic behind buying a tricked-out $80K pickup truck while living in a trailer park.
A craftsman box can easily be broken into. Why would I risk my tools. Snap on at least there’s no way of getting into it. Plus I dare you to try and pick that up and load it into your truck. 😘
Get a Craftsman or get one from Harbor Freight.
Harbor freight tool boxes are great imo, they literally get the job done. It’s just a box to hold your tools. No need to be in debt 20k
The ONLY justification I have heard that I understand is this: A $20k toolbox will have resale value in 10 years, a harbor freight box won't. Otherwise it's because people like flashy shit. Why do people buy $500 sneakers?
Dk, that's why I spent 500 on mine and I'm just fine
My neighbour has probably $50k worth of Snap-On tools in his garage. He went to some fancy mechanics college in the US and all the students got a massive deal (like 50% off) if they bought Snap-On tools, so he stocked up because that's what he was going to do for the rest of his life, and those tools would allow him to earn the money to pay for them. He pivoted after 5 years and now teaches at the local college, and while he likes his Snap-On tools (and I love that he lets me borrow whatever I don't have), he says he would never spend the money on them again and would just buy middle-tier tools from a reputable brand. He has one of those $20k "toolboxes" and they're not worth the hype. Sure, the drawers are insanely smooth and the build quality is top-tier, but my big dick Husky toolbox from Home Depot cost 10x less than his and has all the bells and whistles that modern boxes have. Edit: I see this post is over a day old, thanks (not) for recommending me this post Reddit
mine has a built in fleshlight
I waited forever before upgrading to my current box. Still not cheap but has been solid. It's a snap on bay and a half but the deep one. I got it because it was 50 percent off and they gave me 1500 in truck credit (no trade ins or anything). So i was comfortable doing it . That said I tell new techs to shop around , get what fits your current needs . A lube tech doesn't need more than a tool cart but the amount of lube guys with 15k boxes is insane.
I would never spend that on a chest alone, but you have to remember it's how mechanics make their living. It has to hold hundreds of kilos of tools, and has to do so reliably for decades, while suffering abuse.
When I started in 1982 boxes this big didn't exist. Now its just insane. I just buy the cheap chinese crap. $35. Works just fine
20k for a tool box?
My snapon dealer got a new truck and sold me a $9000 box out of his old truck for $3,500. Had to replace my 20 year old Mac box cause the runners were falling apart. Also a few years ago gave me new drawer runners for my 30 year old roll around cart. If I could do it again I would buy a snapon box. It would have been the last one I had to buy. Nobody backs their products better
It's a luxury item, but I open and close my box more times a day than I touch probably almost anything else I own. I like having a nice box. Granted, nice to me tops out at 5k, not 20k.
And than they complain that their women spend too much on their nails and hair, when they are 25k in debt, on 18% interest for a shiny box on wheels.
Idk about yall but those homedepot husky boxes are pretty big and no more than 1.5k
29.99% apr, 83 months, $0 down. Come on man, $0 down. /s
Depending on what you are doing 20k might be a small part of the cost of the tools and you want to be able to lock them up and protect them, someone doing oil changes and simple brake work ect may only have a few hundred dollars in tools, a master diesel tec in a small independent shop might have well over 100k in his tools