Truck tool box recommendations?

gregfender · Nov 2, 2012

I need to get a good tool box for my Nissan Frontier. I've got a Lowe's (with Kobalt brand) and Tractor Supply in my little town. Anyone have a review on a tool box from there?

Reyer Farms · Nov 3, 2012

Weather guard brand is well worth the investment. Have one 12 years old, been on five trucks, two wrecks, tons of tools, has dents and dings but still all original shocks and latches. Put 10 or so bags of sack crete 80 lbs bags on it and sighted many scopes off it. A civil eng recommended them to me he said he had tried them all and the others all ruined prints from leaking. Have a good one!

P.s. you do not slam a weatherguard box shut, it has always bothered me when I see people do it, just pull down easy and it shuts.

grnspot110 · Nov 3, 2012

Another vote for Weather Guard! They're not cheap, but this is a place where you clearly "get what you pay for"!!! ~~ grnspot

Beltzington · Nov 3, 2012

Good question OP. I have always wondered why you don't see more side-bed toolboxes on pickups. They seem to provide much easier access and increase the capacity of the bed instead of decrease it. Any reason other than there looks folks are not installing side-bed tool boxes?

Reyer Farms · Nov 3, 2012

Beltzington said:
Good question OP. I have always wondered why you don't see more side-bed toolboxes on pickups. They seem to provide much easier access and increase the capacity of the bed instead of decrease it. Any reason other than there looks folks are not installing side-bed tool boxes?

I had side boxes too. I like the pork chop style. They are good for small tools that get lost in bottom dead center of the saddle style boxes. I also like the chest type, have jobox but do not have in the truck now. One company makes a side box with draws at the tailgate, I always though that would be pretty handy. The best boxes for mechanic tools are cpl or montezuma. Everything is neat a stays put. They are super expensive but worth it.

grnspot110 · Nov 3, 2012

This was my last pickup, 2001 Chevy K2500 HD, Large size Weather Guard croos-box w/ cheaper brand rail boxes. I also made an aluminum tread plate cover that slid between the rail boxes to enclose the back. ~~ grnspot

mikehaugen · Nov 3, 2012

whatever you buy, pay close attention to the latches. I have a husky brand box from home depot. The box and shocks are adequate, but the latches are junk. Well not so much the latches, but the latch pin mounting on the lid was made from some cheap bent sheet metal. They were always needing adjustment to close right, then they finally broke off of the lid. I now have a ratchet strap holding it shut, and it drives me nuts. I rarely use it now because of that. I really need a new one, but will probably wait until I buy a new truck, then I will hopefully have the money to buy a weatherguard. They are the standard around here for contractors and farmers.

Rustyiron · Nov 3, 2012

Reading makes a nice box and tool bodies. I'd say as good as Weatherguard or maybe better.
ReadingBody.com | Service Bodies

JDgreen227 · Nov 4, 2012

Back in late 2001 I ordered a Sears Craftsman poly toolbox for the back on my ATV, it was an online order and ship-to-store item. Cost was about $50 total. When I picked it up at the store the carton looked a lot larger than it should be, but the number was the correct one for the polybox. When I got it home I unpacked it and found it was a Delta brand aluminum tread single lid crossover box for a compact pickup...a $200 item !! It was something too big for my ATV so I gave it to my brother as a gift and ordered another polybox...they shipped me the right one that time...:laughing: DARN !!!

Anyhow my brother has had the Delta for all this time and it is still a great looking, solid box and IMO Delta gives you a good product for the price. Sad thing is, I don't know what the quality would be like today. As for the TSC branded toolboxes, I got a shallow depth $100 model for my UT two years ago...quality is only fair, and the lock assembly is junk. They do have several models and mine was at the lower end of the price scale.

kensnelling · Nov 4, 2012

I've got the narrow box (14") from TSC in my shortbed pickup, and the only thing I don't like about it is it doesn't have the lips on it for a sliding tray. everything has stayed dry in it. All in all I've been happy with it, but I don't use it hard. All I carry in it is things like tie downs, chain and some tools.

Ken