I found this new Husky Jobox-style utility jobsite tool box at my local Home Depot, and a bunch of thoughts raced through my head.
Husky makes jobsite boxes? Nearby they had huge Husky and HDX portable plastic tote boxes, which I expected. But this? I don’t recall seeing anything like it before.
Right behind it, I spotted the box it comes in.
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So it’s a ready-to-assemble jobsite tool box? Not quite…
Taking a look at what it says on the side of box and online, Husky came out with a folding jobsite-type tool box.
It features 16 gauge steel construction and can be folded down for “easy storage and hauling.”
The tool box comes with what look to be locking swivel casters.
Price: $348
I found this to be surprising on several levels. The folding aspect seems convenient, but I’d also be worried about finger safety during setup.
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Given that we’re talking about Home Depot and Husky, you’ll either be able to buy this over the next few years, or it’ll be impossible to find in a few months.
Home Depot also recently launched a Husky all-terrain cart – see New Home Depot Husky All-Terrain Cart is Built to Move, which is apparently now has a clearance discount at stores.
Jared
That is a unique idea. I’d be worried about the security of that though. Hopefully you can’t just drive out the hinge pins (which it appears you can see from the exterior) and lift off the top half. Maybe it still offers enough security in certain circumstances.
Bonnie
I figure anything that doesn’t need at least a pallet jack to move is really just there to keep regular people honest. They’re like deadbolts on a wood-framed front door.
Al
Not sure I see the application here. Job boxes exist chiefly for weather resistant security, this doesn’t seem like it would excel at either. I also can’t think of a time one would need to fold up a job box
Jared
I assumed it was more for the purpose of shipping/stocking the product to hit a price point – kind of like the Husky folding garage cabinets. You’re not going to fold your cabinets back up either, but the box they sell you can be considerably smaller than a fully-welded unit.
Matt Perry
It would likely fill a niche of interior job boxes where you need security and portability but not full weather protection.
fred
From the UPC it looks to be made by:
HONGKONG GREATSTAR INTERNATIONAL CO LTD.
Bonnie
I was going to say, I’m pretty sure Husky doesn’t “make” anything. They’re just a house brand.
fred
The Husky brand name was once associated with an actual tool manufacturer that made wrenches and other mechanics tools. I own several Husky wrenches dating from the 1950’s and 60″s
The company was founded in 1924 in Wisconsin. According to Wikipedia it was sold to Olsen Mfg. in 1929, then sold again to New Britain Tool in 1932, New Britain Tool was bought by Litton Industries – when they were in their conglomeration spree (1970’s). Then when Litton was declining in the 1980’s they sold New Britain Tool to National Hand Tool (back then the maker of lots of Craftsman sockets and wrenches). In 1986 Stanley acquired National Hand Tool along with the rights to the Husky brand.
Starting in 1992 (Stanley-SBD) made many of the Husky branded wrenches and sockets exclusively for HD and sometime later sold the brand name. The brand name (trademark) is now owned by Home Depot Product Authority LLC
GaryWI
Great idea, but I agree with this statement: “Given that we’re talking about Home Depot and Husky, you’ll either be able to buy this over the next few years, or it’ll be impossible to find in a few months.” I was finally going to buy into the Husky Build-Out but now it is hard to find or it is out of stock. I can get some of the more common items separately like the roller box and small boxes, but the items like the crate, dolly, and workbench top have been out of stock for awhile now.
Josh
For this reason alone I have never regretted my decision to buy into Tanos systainers or for that matter IKEA samla bins for household storage.
I bought my first Festool the year they switched to Tlocks, you could by the old 4 latch bins on clearance. I still have 2 of them. So through 3 generations and more than 15 years they all still work together. Back in those days packout was just renders I think, I still remember thinking I can’t trust these guys that this packout stuff will be around in a few years. Turned out I was wrong but given the history of “American” manufacturers to just bail on stuff I never invested in the system.
Probably my favorite part of the short history of packout is all the systainers haters saying they would never buy plastic boxes for tools and here we are years later and the packout crowd is more cult like than systainers crowd could ever dream of. Funny how it all works
Bought my first samla box in 2011/2012 I break lids or drill holes in the bins for certain projects. just a couple months ago I needed 2 lids and they still have them for a buck or two and they are still identical.
KC
Doesn’t look like it would take much to cut away the loops that the locks go through. It will keep the honest people out, as well as those without bolt cutters.
fred
We used Knaack boxes – especially when we were working as subcontractors on larger jobsites. In these situations, we’d often also have a shanty (trailer) for our crews changing. Security – especially overnight could be an issue. We sometimes resorted to bolting the boxes down to the deck, adding massive chains or cable to secure them to open steelwork etc. But thieves are ingenious, and the tools of their trade (cutting torches, grinders, cranes and heavy machinery) are often at hand on jobsites. So, nothing is 100% secure.
Bill
Just saw that Walmart has the DEWALT XTREME 12-volt max SDS-plus Cordless Rotary Hammer Drill, model #DCH072B, on sale for $82 with free shipping. This is a bare tool without a battery or charger. I was able to snag this drill from Lowe’s a few weeks ago at $72, but that deal is long gone. While I have never purchased tools from Walmart, they are a major reputable retailer so it should be ok. Maybe Stuart can comment on tool purchases from Walmart.
I also could not locate the correct post where this should go, as there were earlier posts about the deal at Lowe’s and a few reader lamented missing it.
Stuart
(Please try to keep off-topic time-sensitive deal mentions or similar at least within other time-sensitive deal posts. I regularly get yelled at days, weeks, and years later from folks who read a comment and can’t find the same deal.”
I’ve seen a lot of reports of even lower clearance prices at Lowe’s stores. People are likely buying them from Lowe’s and flipping them on Walmart.
Walmart gives us a much highest affiliate commission rate compared to any other tool retailer or home center. That I don’t post about many deals there should tell you how I feel about 3rd party listings on Walmart.
Bill
My apologies, I didn’t realize this was sold by a third party or I wouldn’t have commented about it. In fact, I wasn’t aware Walmart even had third party sellers on their site. Upon further inspection I was able to see issues you pointed out.
Aram
YMMV, but if you use Chrome there are add-ons that will block all third-party listings, so that you only see Walmart items.
…I figured it might be inappropriate to directly link, but they’re easy to find and make the Walmart site MUCH easier to deal with. They generally function by identifying the HTML elements Walmart uses to include the third-party listing, and then deleting anything inside those tags so they never even load in your browser (ie., most of them do not rely on some sketchy external site and don’t need to record your browsing, although they do need to “read” any Walmart page you load).
I believe there are similar add-ons for Amazon etc.
Again, YMMV, but I find them helpful.
Stuart
You can use manual search filters easily. I’d never trust an extension that intercepts and modifies browser data.
Mike
A solution that only solves the problem for them (shipping)
Jobsite boxes are to bring your shop to a site, often these are kept packed with common tools / items that are needed and dropped at the next job once complete.
I don’t think we ever fully unpacked a job box in 10 years i worked industrial installs.
eddiesky
This could be more for those reno/repair contractors that have to be at a home for a month or less, and can secure tools otherwise having to haul back, and take up less room in a van like a Sprinter to next job or back to shop. I think its more manageable than say a Knaack or Jobox that might need a lift/fork to move on/off a job site. But for a handyman company, property management jobber or even a technician that has to have tools secured and shipped, this could work. 16gauge is typical thickness, but I too, would like a closer look at the hinge system and are the ends welded/capped?
I wouldn’t mind this in my next garage to keep inlaws or “neighbors borrowing tools” out of my tools. Or even secure flammables/rechargeables. $350 is cheap… since most non-folding are $500up.
Bonnie
For garage storage like that I like surplussed lateral file cabinets. All steel, can handle a lot of weight (paper is heavy), full-extensions drawers, and they technically lock if you need to keep kids out of them. You can reliable find them for around $50 in my neck of the woods.
blocky
Technically, collapsed, this would fit in an uber XL.
For anyone who doesn’t need the all-weather benefits of a job box, a double wall cardboard c-bin with these dimensions is about $25, and the dolly to roll it on is about $30.
I’m with others here thinking ‘Neat but why?’
Rx9
Have you seen the 170 gal plastic storage bin Husky now has? That thing is like the size of a jacuzzi.
Stuart
I tried to take a photo in-store but it was so large I couldn’t fit it in-frame without also getting too many people, something I always try to avoid.
It’s large and its wheels so tiny that it can’t be used for anything substantial or you’ll need 4 people to lift it.
TomD
I have a photo, but it has my people IN the box.
Thing is ridiculously huge, not sure what you could use it realistically for besides lawn furniture or something.
David Z.
Dimensions: H 27.30 in, W 48.80 in, D 40.30 in
That’s a plastic discount coffin! Uncle Fred won’t mind being folded once.
F. Bootle
I did some research on this and asked some questions to a friend of mine. It seems this was created for the ever growing online space and warehouses specifically. (Hence the included casters). Otherwise it would be called a jobsite box. Not everyone is working outside on a job site. It has 16 gauge just like the job site box, 12ga feet just like the jobsite box. Yes, it’s a supply chain cost savings but they passed this on at $348 to customers with included cover and heavy duty casters which are not cheap. He told me the cover is there just in case someone wants to use outside but it has protective coating just like the jobsite box as well. Seems like a great value to me compared to $500 priced boxes that come in or shipped damaged.
I’m in!
Stuart
That sounds a lot like something that the OEM would say…
Warehouse managers don’t buy Husky-branded equipment from the center aisle at Home Depot. Good point about this folded format being less likely to incur shipping damage.
F. Bootle
You may be right on warehouse purchases. There are lots of storage options out there online.
JP
I have an off grid home and I want to lock up my power stations and kitchen items in a large metal box.
My local Home Depot has 3 of these in stock for $249.00
So I will be stopping by there tomorrow to pick one up.