I really like the layout of the US General except the top. If HFT would redesign their upper box design to that "Hutch" style I would love that. I am wanting to get a new box to centralize all of my tools but I am not in a hurry to do so just yet...
That Kobalt would be a good compliment to someone working on building their collection of Ryobi tools. Sounds to me like your trailer is going to be the one getting tested though 🤔
As an old guy that has spent almost 40 years in the automotive service industry, I own a Snap On box. Having said that, if I we're starting over today, I'd buy the US General series2 72" roll away box and use the savings to purchase a bunch of tools to fill that box. No, it's as well built as my S/O box, but, in my opinion, it's the best value box on the market today. For the consumer, the US Gen has heavier casters, a stronger lower channel frame, and a better internal finish than any other big box store branded tool box and that would also include the Milwaukee branded boxes. Give HF time, they eventually will make a top box with a hutch and a power strip and other features soon.
@@denoftools no, i haven't, but not surprised at all. HF has been upgrading their tool lines and it appears they are trying to set three levels of tools; the budget buyer with there economy line; the semi serious DIY line up and an attempt to capture the Serious DIY or even pros with the ICON premium line. Since I haven't seen any of the ICON boxes yet, I cannot judge, however, on the basis of some of their premium tools, I'm certain that they will be close to a Mac, Matco, Cornwall, or Homak Pro box. Still, the US Gen series 2 is a great box for the money and I stand on that judgement.
Us general no doubt. I have a husky top chest I use as a gigantic junk drawer stuffed under a work bench where the lid won't open. I pulled out the drawers and closed the lid. Drawers stay closed pretty well and open without the top up. I can't lock it like that but it works for what I need it for.
SPOILER ALERT!! Here is what we had happen to our same hf chest after being bolted in a trailer fully loaded for 4 years and 30k miles of offroad racing trailer duty used by college kids. The joints on each side above the top drawers bend and buckle under the weight of the socket set we have in the top tray. Some crack propagation is happening as well due to what I believe is the material work hardening from all the road vibrations, movement of the trailer and the rough/dirt roads we constantly encounter to get to the competition sites. Other than that and someone using the very bottom drawer to stand on which its slide is now bent. Its absolutely fine im not sure if the buckle and cracks will ever get bad enough to even warrant fixing in my lifetime. So far so good in fact i wish i could say the same for the trailer which just had welds fail causing the walls to flap in the breeze and this thing is going from vegas to rochester NY and back next week!
Hey red I bought the 26 x 22 harbor freight top tool box. Mounted it to a yard cart. I dont have a garage. Always working on stuff outside. With the 13" wheels i should beable to pull it around by hand. Insead of carrying everything. The cart is rated 1000lbs also i could switch the handle around and pull it by a lawnmower. Ooooh the coolest thing is its YELLOW my favorite color.
A friend of mine bought the harbor fright tool cart and sprayed a little cooking oil on slides and it opens and closes a little easier,after seeing all of the videos on US general and my friends I’m going to buy one for myself not to mention that the Yukon is also a good workbench too from H.F.Tanks Red bear👍🏻😀
I actually have inside news from waterloo industries aka now Stanley’s new craftsman tool chest plant, that sears has not received any new tool chests from them since last summer. They know this because sears used to source their higher end boxes from Waterloo. Now that Stanley bought Waterloo my guess is they cut there ties with sears.
The shallow drawers are really shallow on the Kobalt. The hadles are better but how often are you going to move a 42 inch cabinet loaded with tools? THe top lid and top cubby layout are better, but if the steel in the lid is as flimsy as the rest of that looked, it'll be out of square in no time. Also, check how much smaller in diameter the pneumatic lifters are on the top lid. My prediction is that thing is going to be out of square and beat to heck by the time you're done with it. I bet some of the drawers won't even be working. Given how many makers are doing their upper boxes that way, it wouldn't surprise me if Harbor Frright follows suit at some point. It really does make them more usable.
I just got the US general 56 in top and bottom chest for Christmas last year. I agree that the top could be deeper. I would also have liked to have soft close slides. I am 6ft tall, so reaching and closing the top is not a problem. I am also debating whether I want to drill a pass through hole in the top to mount a power strip in it.
That’s so funny. I have the bigger HF lift table and my daughter loves standing on it and riding up it too. looking heavily at the US General boxes right now. Sort of waiting on the Icons before I pull the trigger on one.
Hey, nothing says you can't mix and match top chests (as long as they're within the same dimensions)! I like the transformers/supersoaker green of the kobalt, and the website shows it comes in grey and black too. I think both sears and lowes sell an open till craftsman top box for each line if you wanted to swap out the general top - maybe put the Gen top on the side of a workbench for the most-used tools where it'll be a little lower, and have a Red & Blue 26 - A Redhead Bearcules box!
We just bought the US General single bank and the top chest. Was'nt going to buy the chest, but there was a decent 15% off coupon, so the spouse and I agreed that the price is only going to go up. So we got that too. We like HF tool storage. It's well built and at an aggordable price. I showed it to a construction friend who was doing a bit of work at the house. He asked how much and when I yold him, he was shocked knowing the prices at Lowes and Home Depot. He liked the sturdiness and features.
Honestly, the amount of time effort and cost to build a legit toolbox will end up being way higher then buying one. Also, it likely won't be as functional. Buy the tool box and send your sanded money and time building something you love, or something nice for someone you love.
@@evolutionglitch4739 Yep. You could NEVER build anything like one of these modern tool chests in a reasonable amount of time and at a reasonable cost.
First Off.... Nice Addition to the HF 26" I would have done the same. Second... Surprisingly enough that Green Kobalt does have a certain Flare too it. The picture vs. video really doesn't do it much justice. I thought when you showed it in the video I was like "Hey Now..." There's a Nice looking Box!" Hope you have a safe trip. Hope the box survives too. lol Cheers Brother Bear!
My vote is the US General, I do like the lid on the Kobalt better.. Here’s a test put food in them , and expose them to some Bears up in Montana now that’s a test!
I have both and I like them both. I think I prefer the Kobalt a little more due to the top. I also got the Kobalt on clearance from Lowes so the deal was too good to pass up (my bottom box is Kobalt blue and the top is the lime green!). The soft close drawers are really nice. I think they will both do fine on the trip.
The US General may not be the most user friendly chest with the shallow drawers and top area, but the thing's are built solid and they're not gonna break the bank when they go on sale. My only problem with the General's is they're freaking heavy. I have a heavy duty 26 inch Craftsman bottom that I was able to move up a flight of stairs by myself (with great difficulty mind you) but I was able to do it. I severely doubt I could have done that with a US General.
I predict the Kobalt will be the all around winner. I like the 'warming oven' on top . I don't think the 'flimsyness' of it will manifest in any kind of problem. Besides, how many of us will be driving ours to Montana and back? Mine would never leave the shop.
I have a US General. Same as the one you are reviewing. I purchased it because of the number of draws. It had the most draws per it size that could fine as it is well build. Happy Camper with this purchase.
What's really nice about the Kobalt version is when you pull over and it's facing back with it's bright coloring it will be seen even during night making you less likely to get hit 😁
This should be an interesting comparison. I would personally lean towards the Kobalt for myself just for that top hutch. As much as you see them now I expect HF to add that option to the General. Seriously though doesn't HD sell that chest in a different color. I don't think the discount was for the dent but because they figured no one was going to buy that color and they wanted rid of it. It looks like the pet human has lovely assistants.
I have a Craftsman I bought over 25 years ago. It’s in perfect shape as well as the tool box on top. This is heavily loaded, and used several days a week. But the truth is, for a home Craftsman, any of these others will be fine. For a mechanic, it’s a different story.
That was the other thing I forgot to mention. All my stores are sold out of the top chest for the 41" US general. I think there was a big sale on it last month.
the stiffness of U S General wins with me and I need a top section for sockets as I have many hutch style is more wood working kind of box and I hate the green
For me, a light user, the hatch of the green one is very nice. Maybe the construction is not as good as HF but I think it would be ok for me. Loaded with tools and on the road the green one will probably not hold up as well but I think after the round trip it will still be ok.
The neon green box will never make it back to LV. ; A group of extraterrestrials will spot it going down the highway and think you stole one of their home appliances! Safe travels Bear.
I have been looking for a new box for over a year. Hands down in my opinion the Master Force boxes sold by Menards. Is the best bang for your dollar. With that said my pick is the Kobalt. That is because I have the Kobalt 300 pcs. Mechanics tools set and the form trays will fit on the box perfectly. Which is a plus. I like the hutch and lock system on the Kobalt as well. Sitting in my garage the green monster will be a nice upgrade until. I can lay out the money for my dream Master Force box set up. Keep up the good work Bear.
I have the medium-sized (that is, just larger than the one you have) US General, and the handles on that are different, and nicer. I've only had the chest for a couple of weeks but I like it.
Put your low profile tools in the top of the top box. All your socket sets, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drives and impact sets, and metric sets. Got both the 44" top and bottom chests and have about 10 different socket sets up there. Fits easy and easy to pick a socket. Love the US General better than my old Craftsman box.
Right have had my craftsman tool box for 20+ years with the ball bearing drawer slides still works like new and everything still lined up good but it was made when craftsman made good boxes
I recently went tool box shopping. Kobalt is being phased out so I didn't even consider them. I looked at Milwaukee and DeWalt and ruled them both out. It finally came down to Craftsman and US General. I bought the US General 26 inch box. Somehow I have a feeling the Kobalt is not going to hold up.
I think the USG will be better for your purposes. I just ordered a kobalt (but in black) for my garage because it simply is just going to sit in the corner and hold hand tools. After 2 years doing this with my snap on cab I realized I have no need for a heavy built box to do nothing but store screwdrivers and drill chargers. I could spend the extra money on tools.
You've already seen my Craftsman 40 inch hutch style top box. That's on top of my 41 inch (advertised as 42" but they lied) 7 drawer Porter Cable tool chest. I'm price conscious, so I got the Porter Cable roller about 3-4 years ago when Lowes was getting rid of them. It already survived a move of about 70 miles with careless movers shoving it around up & down on their loading ramps. The Craftsman box is relatively new. I like it for the same reasons I see on your Kobalt tool chest. The charging station and a LED work lamp are permanently plugged in and can be shutoff from the single switch. I'm very satisfied with it. It may not have met your needs but for me, the combination of both boxes totaling under $500, with that much storage space, is a deal. If I had to choose from scratch, I would probably buy the 44" US General generation II, upper and lower, along with a side mount locker. I like the blue, but black or red would be fine. I still think they need a 44 inch hutch top box with power inside. It'd be the bee's knees, the dogs... I better not say it 😃 As far as buying anything from Sears, forget it. Eddie Lampert made a fortune by screwing all the employees, the loyal customers, and the creditors. All so he could make a fast buck. I got a special place for people like him that ruin a company as good as Sears once was, and I flush it everyday. Safe journey. Let's hope the Kobalt doesn't let you down. I'm not impressed with them, green or any color.
@@denoftools I hear you there. When I got the Craftsman home and out of the box, it was slightly dented on the front side by two drawers and the lower right corner. Bringing it back was more of a hassle than it was worth, so I got out a couple of body tools and did a quick tap or two. It's not 100% like new, but close enough for the girls I go with. What that told me is, it's no Cornwell or Snap-on level quality metal. It's good enough for me at home, but I wouldn't recommend either the Porter-Cable or Craftsman for a lot of heavy duty use, or traveling around in the back of pickup trucks. I think Harbor freight, although not real heavy gauge metal, is sufficient even for a professional mechanic. Your Cornwell, MATCO brands are really tough, but you have to sell the first born or rent the wife out to afford them. OK, that's probably not going to earn me any PC points. 🙄🤔
I’m telling you, you should have grabbed the 52 inch Husky “Industrial” box with the flat black crinkle finish. Basically the same as the Milwaukee box, just in black. You’ll rue the day you bought that big green monstrosity!🤣 Good luck and looking forward to hearing your experiences.👍🏼
I'm worried about the top attachments. When on the road, could fall off if the winds get too crazy! Overall, I think the U.S. General will last a long time. I'm not too sure about the Kobalt! 👍
As part of your review would have loved to see the work involved to assemble the Kobalt. US General definitely looks made to last and should travel well, not so sure about the Kobalt. I do like the top compartment of the Kobalt, for myself it would be a better choice even if it is not as sturdy. Looking forward to the test results.
I watched your video, and checked out the WorkshopAddict video on the Milwaukee took combo, they said that they cant say enough about it and that they like it. and that Milwaukee continues on with their goal to be innovative. Their storage solutions are designed to be functional, durable and contain organization options that DIY'ers and professional's need on a daily basis. What are your thoughts?
I have the Milwaukee and it works great I seen the video you're talking about and they didn't talk about them as bad as you make it sound they didn't like the layout and the lock on the newer one the layout isn't great for a auto mechanic they seem to be built fine I've had it for nearly 2 years no issues for me. Deeboss garage did a review also and didn't like it either but he never really gave it a chance the sockets weren't going to work in the drawer he wanted so he didn't even try to make it work.
I bought a husky for $149 from Home Depot with the hutch top I use it in my truck under a bed cover I love that the top doesn’t have to be up to open the drawers
Two nice tool cabinets Bear. I think the US General will prevail in the end just from my personal past experience of owning some older Kobalt tool chests that took a beating when I moved from NJ to Vermont in 2015. They got beat up pretty bad by the moving company and they were moved with the tools inside. After I arrived, two of the lower cabinet drawer slides were badly damaged even though they were locked. I tried to re-rivet the slides but it didn't work and I just ended up using sheet metal screws to hold them in place. They work, but no longer close all the way. So, we'll see how your Kobalt chest holds up. Cheers!
I think both will do fine with them being new. but long term... the green box will not last . It looks to be made to park into its spot in the shop and loaded full of tools and never moved. I dont think the green box is not ridged enough to even move across the shop floor full of tools.
My friend, I'm not so sure if you really agree with your statement. I've owned both, 1.) series 1 44" US General top and bottom box 2.) 56" KRL series Snap On double bank and end locker. My thoughts are this. The series 1, I liked a lot, the wrinkle finish trapped dirt and wouldn't come clean, the paint eventually fell off leaving a mess. For the price point... yeah I was happy with the box. The KRL was used when I bought it. It has a smooth finish, lifetime warranty on wheels, locks and slides and i have not seen another box manufacturer where I can pull the top drawer out to full extension on a loaded tool box (5,000 lbs) and put full bodyweight (200+) on that drawer and not tip it over. Now keep in mind that both boxes lived in a diesel truck shop were unlocked and used everyday and I had plenty of time to dwell on things I didn't like.
The one thing I would never ever question from HF is the US General boxes, I have had the original crappy matte finish red 44" set for years (bottom cart, top chest, 7 drawer side cabinet and side locker with an extra shelve)for over 12 years now and it has served me well, I just lube the drawer tracks every so often. I use the top compartment of my chest as a junk drawer area and keep all my actual drawers available for my tools. Kobalt is Krap these days.
I've been looking at that kobalt box because I like the features on it,i believe it has soft closing drawers,nice rubber like sticky mats and that outlet feature is handy too,i think they're trying to get rid of them in favor of the craftsman but the prices are still high.
I looked at HF, Lowe's, and HD, and believe it or not, I ended up with the mid-line Husky 52" top and bottom combo, which I got on a special at Father's Day last year for a bit less than $600. I was honestly pleasantly surprised by the construction and smoothness of operation, and it's been a good fit for my garage. I still have drawers I haven't filled yet.
So far I like my USG 41" top chest. Only minor complaint is the drawers wiggle left and right when extended. All of my storage is stationary so I didn't install any of the handles. I'm not sure how it would fare loaded down in a trailer, especially a single axle trailer.
Other than the color I was really excited about the features on the Kobalt, until you showed how flimsy it was. Love that top though, that would be handy. As for the drawers on the HFT they lock that way for safety. That way when you're rolling it around, there's no chance of them opening up on you. It would be nice if there was an extra position on the lock that left them unlocked though. As for the lid, at 5'7" I'd be better off just having a shelf up there. (Edit for typos)
I have a 44" box and a roll cart and both had the stiff drawers until i sprayed them with PB with teflon. Now my box glides better than the Kobalt and Carlyle next to it.
It depends what you put in each. Normally ,color does not bother me, but...the Cobalt "Bug Squish" Green, make me feel a little bit ill......If the us gen was mine,I would put low profile tools that get used infrequently in the top.
I like the looks of both of those. I wish the Kobalt drawers were also green like the rest of the cabinet. I have a smaller Kobalt and it sucks. I’ll never buy another one. My next box will probably be US General.
I'm anxious to see how beat up the Kobalt is when it arrives in Montana. Let alone, whether or not it'll even make it back from Montana. Cheers Da Bear! Zip~
I also have the 26” chest and was hesitant to get the top chest because at 5’10” it feels to high for me. I am considering getting the side cabinet instead. I like the look of the green Kobalt but it doesn’t seem to sturdy. Appreciate the video. 👍🏻
I got the U.S. General, I pick it. Build quality is awesome. I agree the top is kinda useless. I put my socket collections at the top. With said drive wrenches. It works for me and that what matters! Great vid kinda curios myself how they will work can't wait to see. Shine on and be safe!!!
already have the US General. the old stainless kobalts were good, but i can see just like craftsman they've gone down hill. i'll stick to HF for new boxes and for anything early 90's and older i'll go craftsman or waterloo. my prediction, the kobalt will become green tinfoil before you hit yellowstone and the US general makes the whole trip, except for maybe the casters, and you end up modding the crap out of it.
I like the top of the Kobalt with the electrical plugs and the height to put electric tools for charging, but the General is built better and gets my vote.
I love the hutch of the kiwi i only hope harbor freight pays attention to industry direction. I wish i lived in Montana there is going to be a broken kobalt for sale " brand new, never off the trailer. CHEAP!"
Hi, Red! Love the review! You put up another great video, as always! I am sad the Milwaukee tool box lost........I am putting money on the US General. I like the Kobalt one though with the extra deep top drawer, the extra outlets and pass throughs on top..... Can't wait to see which one makes it!
I wouldn't say the comparison is true. The US General isnt as wide or deep so it would be more structurally sound. The Kolbot, being bigger, is using larger pieces of sheet metal so I can see it giving in some.
I just bought the new Milwaukee 56” box and top chest/hutch back in February. I agree that the other Milwaukee options are underwhelming they seemed exactly like the base husky boxes with a nice Milwaukee livery stuck on them. The 56” is completely different much heavier duty everything (casters slides metal gauge and overall feel). I’m a bit of Milwaukee fanboy and most of the guys in my shop either have US General boxes or Matco/Cornwell boxes. For the money (got a good discount with my military ID) the Milwaukee was a no brainer. Definitely higher quality than a US General for not much more money, not saying those boxes are no good. Even with my student/military discount with name brand boxes like a Matco 4S double bank those boxes are twice as expensive as the Milwaukee for only the bottom chest (2000 for a new Matco 4s double bank bottom chest) I got the Milwaukee setup for 1200 and couldn’t be happier with it so far.
That kobalt looks off? I have the 3000 series. They have the soft close drawers and the one you have doesn't look like the soft close. Just for the record I have the 41PCRCBB for the bottom and my only complaint with that is the top drawer put a set of 3/4 sockets in it and to open/close the drawer you have to push it directly in the center to close it properly. Lighter tools should be fine. The other drawers no issues at all. The top one I have as well but it's white. Got it new in the box and out of the box the side of it was caved in on the corner, I got about 100 to 150 off it and didn't feel like taking it back. I managed to beat it out to where the drawers opened in closed without any issue, it's still functional. The sides on mine are pretty stiff. You wouldn't be able to push in like that. From the looks of it, Kobalt used to have the 2000 and 3000 series, 2000's didn't have soft close, they were a bit cheaper as well. It appears they just did away with the 3k series, and bumped up the price of what was left over? So Kobalt again going down in quality and HF going up slightly?
@@denoftools - Too bad, that's why you can't find anything. We have several around here and they're still doing okay. I have purchased many tools and tool cabinets just recently at really good prices here.
Man I had to move into an apartment and put my garage stuff into storage for the time being and I’m going nuts guys. Withdrawals from being away from my tools is getting to me ;-;
I was surprised the us general is not bad but how long will it hold up full of tools my matco box is like a brick crap house compared to it but it was like 5x more
