Harbor Freight Reviews

Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com

Item: 4-Piece Nesting Toolbox Set
Item number: 03721 (3721-HHH)
Regular retail price: $29.99
Frequent sale price: $24.99
Target price: $19.99 (with 20%-off coupon)
Item Link (not available for online purchase; check your local retail outlet)

This is one of the few items that we're reviewing that is not available from Harbor Freight™ online. Check with your Harbor Freight outlet to see if it's available locally. Our store has been carrying this item on a regular basis, and it's frequently on-sale for our target price. Don't fret if you can't find it, it's not one of the best buys at Harbor Freight but it does serve a purpose.

Our usual vision of a toolbox by its very nature is a heavy-duty item. It totes around lots of heavy tools (e.g., all of those socket sets and wrenches weight a ton), is subjected to abuse (e.g., dropping, piling on of other toolboxes), and can create quite a mess if it fails (e.g., flops open from a broken latch). In our everyday routine there would seem to be little use for a light-duty set of toolboxes, but alas, there is indeed a niche to be filled by this 4-piece set from Harbor Freight.

We use the smaller toolboxes in this set to carry tools for specialized work such as home electrical maintenance, soldering, and automotive electrical repairs. The larger two toolboxes work well to carry power tools such as electric drills and power sanders. We have one used for a corded electric drill complete with accessories and another used for an electric sander complete with sandpaper. We don't really care that this set nests one inside the other. After all, we use toolboxes for storing things not as things to be stored. (I suppose it does make it easy to carry the set home.)

Our moderate-priced Craftsman™ variable speed power drill from the 1970s (corded, of course) is still running strong and was purchased in the days when only the more expensive tools came with an injection molded case. The larger toolbox in this set works well to carry our corded drill along with its accessories such as a full set of drill bits, nut drivers, and even a sanding disc and wire wheel set. All of this fits neatly in the larger box with room leftover for an extension cord and flashlight.

How well do we like this set? Well, we've purchased two different sets on two different occasions. Even after the latch on the smaller box broke after light use we still considered this set worthy of buying a second set. We only buy when the set is on-sale for $24.99 and on our second purchase combined that sale with a 20%-off coupon landing our toolbox set for only $19.99 which is where we consider this a real deal.

Be well advised that this is a light-duty set of toolboxes. Yes, some might consider this a medium-duty set, but let's not digress again on a discussion of light-duty versus medium-duty and the theory of relativity. Just consider it a light-duty set and you won't be disappointed. In any case, don't overload or otherwise abuse this set or it will seek its revenge upon you by falling apart (e.g., broken latch) at the least opportune moment (e.g., carrying your tools over rough terrain on a dark night). But then again, if you're light enough you might get by with using the larger box as a stool once-in-awhile (not recommended) but don't even think about using it to gain that extra couple of inches necessary to reach a high spot where you're drilling unless you're trying to break a leg. (Hum, do you now understand why we usually consider toolboxes to be acceptable only in their heavy-duty form? )

Bottom line: A good buy for the right guy. If you can use several light-duty tool boxes, this set from Harbor Freight is a great value.