Shopping Cart (Go to Amazon.Com)Craftsman 9-65142 Chest SD 6 Drawer 7-7/8 Caddy - Reviews & Coupon
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From Craftsman
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours 2 new or used available from $167.65 Average customer review:
(4 customer reviews) |
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
28 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
These are not made in the USA is indicated in the description.
By Craig
Folks, Craftsman stopped making these side boxes in the USA about six years ago. I already own the American-built version of this 7-7/8 Caddy (with all red drawers) and recently purchased this version (red with the black drawers) when I ran out of space for my small tools. This side caddy chest arrived in a package that clearly says "Made in China" on it. I CLOSELY examined the Chinese-made box against the USA-made box, and here are my observations:
1. The drawer slides on the USA chest are superior beyond description to the Chinese version. The USA slides are smooth and all-metal. The Chinese slides are substandard, with a partially slopped-on enamel powder coat finish on them that interferes with the drawer's action, makes a terrible noise and is sharp and flakes off (whatever happened to quality control?!?) The Chinese box also uses rubber stops. Yes, rather than using simple metal indentation at the end of the slide like on the USA version, the Chinese version uses chintzy piece of rubber riveted on to the metal end of the slide to keep the drawers from coming off. Removing the USA drawers is a very simple procedure (remember, you MUST remove the top 1 or 2 drawers to install the side rail to hang the box). Removing the Chinese drawers is near impossible and requires a great deal of strength (and I'm 6'1", 230 pounds and can press my weight, no problem).
2. The gauge of the steel used on the boxes: According to my micrometer, the Chinese box uses .005" thicker sheets, though the difference may simply be the result of a thicker coat of enamel
3. Regarding the paint job: The USA version is painted beautifully inside and out and has lasted me for over 10 years without fading. It is smooth the the touch and without flaw. The Chinese version's paint appears to be thicker and softer. Coverage is complete on the outside, but inside the box (and at face value, you probably wouldn't care about this since you can't see it without removing the drawers) the paint is just barely splattered on; at the bottom inside corner, I could see bare metal. I guess they've never heard of rust protection. Overall, the paint is rough to the touch and there were some flaws in the overall finish. The red and black on the Chinese box are slightly darker hues than on the USA box; it's possible that this can be attributed to the age difference between the boxes.
4. Regarding the welds: Both boxes use cold welds and you can see small divits on them. The welds on the USA version are uniform, small and neatly placed. The welds on the Chinese version are all over the place. The Chinese version also has more weld points, but in all fairness, there is no apparent difference in terms of structural rigidity when the drawers are removed.
5. Drawers: The USA version uses a very light, clean powder coat and works smoothly with the USA rails. The Chinese version's drawers are actually quite nice, but they are a little thick with the paint, but at least the application is uniform. I'd say that overall, the drawers are a tie.
Bottom line: Buy a used USA version if you can get your hands on one. This Amazon version is in most likely a Chinese model since they say 20 are in stock and more are on the way. Craftsman's quality has taken an absolute nose-dive since they started outsourcing their tool chests (and tools) to China. I feel fortunate that I did most of my tool buying 10-20 years ago and obtained Made in the USA tools and boxes. The problem I'm running into is that Craftsman's lifetime warranty is useless to me now since if I break something like a ratcheting wrench (formerly made in the USA), I have to replace it with an inferior Chinese product.
This isn't about anti-Chinese sentiment. This is about an American company that sold quality products that were made by companies with generations of experience that built with pride, consistency and care. Craftsman is now outsourcing a huge amount of its manufacturing to China, where the products are built by people who don't know what the heck they're doing. Give them 20 or 30 years and maybe they'll be up to snuff. Until then, complain to Sears, complain to Congress, complain to your neighbor. Just COMPLAIN, and stay away from Craftsman until they get the point that cost isn't necessarily the most important thing. With their infrastructure, there's no reason that their tools can't rival MAC or Snap-On (who are also now outsourcing manufacturing to China).
UPDATE: January 13, 2012
Since I wrote this review, it looks like Amazon has dropped the "Made in the USA" claim in its description. I'm glad Amazon made the correction, but the rest of my review still stands.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Good, Not Great
By Mr. Wonderful
I found this box at the Sears Outlet for 50% off. It is all red, including the drawer fronts, and has riveted rubber like plastic stops on the drawers. To install the hanging bar it required me to drill the rivets on the top drawer and replace with pop-rivets. This installation step was the only disappointment for an overall good product. I will use it for small tools and for that it works very well. Thus, I am happy to rate it good but not as great as I might have expected.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Craftsman 9-65142
By Robert E. Bushnell
Craftsman 9-65142 Chest SD 6 Drawer 7-7/8 Caddy
Overall, I believe that the factory has produced a fine product for Sears, Roebuck.
This tool caddy/chest is correctly constructed with right angled surfaces, the drawers slide freely, welds are substantially continuous, and the red paint on my particular chest is a relatively smooth finish.
Structurally, this chest is more than adequate for my needs, namely storage of gauges, micrometers, and #00, #0 and #1 tools, with a cumulative weight of less than fifty pounds.
The factory neglected to include its label on the chest, and I guess that the factory is either Changshu Tongrun or is located in Changshu, China.
Both keys, and a pouch, were properly attached, and the chest was snugly cushioned with stryofoam within its box.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #62654 in Home Improvement
- Brand: Craftsman
- Model: 9-65142
- Number of items: 1
Features
- Convenient six-drawer caddy attaches to roll-away storage units
- Provides 868 cubic inches of storage
- Durable steel construction
- Backed by lifetime warranty
- Includes a tumbler lock and two keys.
Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer
Craftsman's 9-65142 chest SD six-drawer 7-7/8 caddy has 868 cubic inches of storage space. The Craftsman caddy attaches to either side of a roll-away. The Craftsman 9-65142 includes a tumbler lock and two keys. Overall dimensions: 7-7/8 inches wide by 12 inches deep by 15 1/8 inches high; the drawers are 6-3/4 inches wide by 10-3/4 inches deep by 2 inches high.
