Earlier today, I posted about the Keter-made Hart technician tool box at Walmart, a design I first learned about when Home Depot released something under Husky branding a few years ago.
After searching around a little more, I found that Harbor Freight also has a version of this Keter technician tool box right now, the Voyager.
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The Walmart Hart Tools version is priced at $25.
The Keter version is $37 at Amazon.
The Harbor Freight Voyager tool box is… $40 at HF’s online store.
Even with a 20% coupon, that Harbor Freight price only drops down to $32. Walmart’s Hart price of $25 is considerably better.
Searching the Harbor Freight coupon database, I found an “Inside Track Club” (subscription member) price of $30.
It looks like there are a couple of non-paid-member coupons that expired over the summer, also with a $30 price tag.
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Walmart Price: $25
Lowest Harbor Freight Price: $30
Lowest Public Harbor Freight Price Right Now: $32 after 20% coupon
Interesting.
Buy Now: Hart via Walmart
Buy Now: Keter via Amazon
Buy Now: Voyager via Harbor Freight (coupon code 81153840 works right now)
Read Also:
Hart Technician Tool Box – a Classic Design at Cheaper Price
David S.
I bought the Keter version at Walmart on clearance a few months ago for $18.00.
Stuart
How do you like it so far?
Walmart likely clearanced it out to make space for the Hart.
David S.
I haven’t loaded it yet. It’s been sitting under my electronics workbench since I bought it. I just seems easier to throw tools in my Husky tool bag and go for now.
Mike (the other one)
I’ve been looking at these, but I can’t really justify it. It looks handy for a PC/Network tool kit, but I don’t think it’s better than my current solution, which is a tool bag.
Mopar4wd
When I did more technician work on control systems (now mostly behind a desk) I had a similar one it was fine but I found the tool bag was easier to handle and more functional most of the time. That said it was easier to keep the tech box looking neat then the bag. Most of our techs seem to prefer the bag too with some exceptions.
Steve
Harbor Freight isn’t usually the lowest price anymore, people just assume they are still are based on reputation. They are like Kohls, they start with a high price on their discountable items to make room for the discount, then you pay the coupon game and sometimes it’s the best price on a comparable item, sometimes it’s not.
You can also clearly see HF has been on a run the last few years to increase margins and not be looked at as so much of a bargain basement anymore.
Steve
One more thing, Wal-Mart probably bought lots of these so they had immense pricing leverage to bring to bear. They bring their suppliers down to little or no margin sometimes.
Mr. Certainly
What frustrates me about Harbor Freight that **in the same circular**, you can have multiple listings of the same item — each with their own coupon, resulting in a different total price.
I don’t mind sales to incentivize a purchase, but this is getting obnoxious. Whenever I deal with Horror Fright Ghouls, I feel like a little old grandmother with her metal coupon box, armed with hours of work of clipping and finding the best deal.
That gets old quick. Yet I still do it because I’m a cheap a…..ahem. You get the picture.
Mopar4wd
I think the comparison to Kohls is apt. If you do your homework good deals can be had but don’t automatically assume your getting a deal by going there. Certain things like the toolboxes do tend to be a good deal and some of the hand tools etc, but it varies from item to item.
I have learned to never buy socks from Kohls they seem to really loved marking them up crazy high then offer buy one get one half off deals that barely get you to other people normal pricing.
Rog
I would actually pay the additional money for the unbranded, non-garish colored box
JoeM
…I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but saying “Walmart beats Harbor Freight” on any metric is about as relevant as saying “Ebola beats Dysentary” on any metric.
Lowest-Common-Denominator retailers like those are as much a plague on business and industry, as terminal viruses are on the Human Population. At least a small business, locally owned somewhere, can get stock in a brand name, or even an off-brand name from a little-known industrial supplier only professionals use, can manage to sell their wares and support their local communities. In this era of “Online Marketplaces” they don’t even have to be limited by their location, only the shipping costs being added to the price.
But take massive chains of cut-rate box stores into account? And it kills the local economy, and all competition. Globalization is one thing, the sweat-shop equivalent of retail stores is no more worth glorifying than having a plague sweep into your household. The low cost doesn’t cover the collateral damage.
I’m sorry, I know that sounds really bleak, and some people have great stories of buying cheap-as-hell stuff from these places with utter joy… but I don’t share that joy as I watch favourite business after favourite business go down in flames in favour of these Locusts of the Economic Landscape.
928'er
Friends don’t let friends shop at Walmart.
JoeM
They lost my business years ago when they tried to open two new locations: One on an Ancient Hawaiian Sacred Burial Site, and the other in the shadow of the world heritage site in Mexico, the Ancient City of Teotihuacan.
Walmart is a plague. I admit some of this anger comes from being Half-Native American, and having this Racist, Abusive, White-Owned Retailer pushing out everything sacred and respectable of what FEW North American, both Settled AND Indigenous alike, small businesses have tried to build here on our ancestral lands… But another part of me, my Jewish side, screams at me that all the problems we have with lost jobs, and the deregulation of the economy, comes from lobbyist scum funded by companies EXACTLY like Walmart and Harbor Freight. Greasing the pockets of politicians North-America Wide in an attempt to let them shovel sub-par wares to the very people they deprived of a good living by beating out the competition that employed those workers.
Both companies make me feel ill. I know both companies carry the odd “We’re Not Evil” type of products, that make them APPEAR like they still support the local continental economy, but their ill-gotten gains from overseas far outweigh that.
I’m sorry, I may be venting on this topic… It’s just not right as a whole. If this is inappropriate, Stuart, please delete the whole thing. I just needed to get this frustration out of my head on this topic.
Frank D
Checked it out in person at HF, as this might be good for a dedicated electronics and low voltage setup … ( and I like stuff that’s a bit more rugged ) and be an upgrade for my 20yr old pc tech work case.
This kit fell short of expectations for $40 or $30. Those hard plastic tool slots seem hard to use. The little small parts box lid did not close readily and lock properly. Had to try three times. Seems a step down from the Keter fit and finish I’d expect.
I have two Keter mobile stackable toolbox carts sitting idle in the basement, that I bought probably 15 years ago at sears. One was my primary tool box setup for years. ( I think they sell a different variation now ) Never a bin latch issue.
928'er
While I generally, like TTI products, I, for one, will NEVER buy ANYTHING from Walmart.