Shopping for a new tool chest for my work van

I need a new tool chest for my work van. I have a worn out, busted up 10 year old husky brand 9 drawer 27" width in there now. Tool boxes don't age well on the road, its a whole different game than in the shop, and 10 years is respectable for a lower end cabinet like my Husky.

I'm looking to replace it something at least a whole notch higher on the tool chest pecking order. It needs to be a bottom box type chest, and maximum 43" wide, but 36" is more realistic.

Used snap-on, matco, mac ect, are off the table at this time because someone is offering to buy this as a gift for me.

In the sub $1k range I've found some good candidates on amazon, but they are brands that I'm not familiar with.

Here is contestant number 1. Dynamic tools 36" roller cabinet. The size is just right, but I've never heard of dynamic, and I don't think that I could make use of both side doors inside the van. The price seems a bit high for a brand that I've never heard of too.

Contestant number 2. Viper Tool Storage LB4109R 41-Inch 9-Drawer 18G Steel Rolling Tool Cabinet. The internet says these were once sold by Sears, which makes me uncomfortable, but they are rated very highly by amazon reviewers.Viper Tool Storage LB4109R 41-Inch 9-Drawer 18G Steel Rolling Tool Cabinet,

Contestant number 3. WEN 74412 41-Inch 12 Drawer Rolling Tool Cabinet Another brand that I've never heard of, but the size is just right, and its highly reviewed/rated.

I'll add a few more contestants tomorrow.

Why is a ised snap on (or the like) out of the question because it's a gift? Is it because of the difficulty of the aberage joe getting into a snap on truck to make the purchase?

the problem with "lower end" tool boxes when used in a van, is that the drawer slides dont take the pounding of traveling well. i did road service for a few years and chewed thru cheap boxes, eventually, i ended up with a used snap on. it took the abuse

I bought a 42" version of one of these last year:

I am much more impressed with the build quality than I expected to be. Very solid, really good slides, heavy gauge metal. As a bonus, they were stupid cheap. (Home Depot was selling the COMBINATION for $395. I bought 1, but wish I'd bought 100 of them. I could have made a lot of money).

You won't be able to stack them and open the top inside a standard van.

In reply to DrBoost:

It's complicated, but mostly its because its a long distance transaction.

If it were up to me completely I'd go find a used Kennedy chest. They don't have the fancy details of the top end tool truck boxes, but they are bomb proof.

In reply to warpedredneck:

My first road box was a craftsman, and it didn't last long at all. The Husky has done well all things considered. It helped that it lived in a smooth riding Sprinter van for the first 2/3s of its life as well. I'm stuck in a Chevy van with bad shocks now

Boeing uses a lot of Proto boxes that seem to hold up well. They have 100s of them that are used in the maintenance department and beat from one end of the plant to the other.

Looks like you can pick up something like this for about $500.

I've always heard really high praise for Wen, but I have zero experience with them. You may want to cross post at Garage Journal - those guys live and breathe this stuff.

In reply to HappyAndy:

I have a friend who's been a forklift mechanic for ~20-years(also named Andy, coincidentally ). He has an old Craftsman box that is still serving him well, although he admitted the newer ones are junk comparatively.

I was going to recomend a kennedy. My old scratch and dent sale box has held up to normal use, a year at a junkyard being drug outside and 9 months in a van with no issues.

HappyAndy wrote: In reply to warpedredneck: My first road box was a craftsman, and it didn't last long at all. The Husky has done well all things considered. It helped that it lived in a smooth riding Sprinter van for the first 2/3s of its life as well. I'm stuck in a Chevy van with bad shocks now

My first box was a Craftsman. It didn't last long either, and that was in a dealership. Junk sliders and thin steal for the loss.

Alright, I just remeasured the space that I have to work with, and 40" wide × 36" tall is the absolute most space that I have to work with. As a result, a couple of last night's contestants are DQ'd.

Generally the height isn't an obstacle. I usually take the wheels of and bolt some wood runners or pads in their place, the current box is 36" with out wheels, and I can't go any higher.

I think I found a Kennedy in the price range. BRB....

This has become the new front runner. Stanley Proto J442742-12RD 440SS 27-Inch Roller Cabinet, 12 Drawer, Red

If Proto is a Stanley tools product, does that mean it's related to Mac tools also? I know one of the tool truck brand tools is, or was, owned by Stanley tool.

Edit: the internet says yes. Hopefully this will be Mac tool like in quality.

Those dimensions don't DQ the DeWalt. It's available in a 36" width, and you don't have to buy the top box.

The 36" base only is currently selling for $349.

DeWalt bottom box at HD