Who doesn’t like extra storage? I have an extended cab, so the only storage I have is under a small back seat in the truck. What better way to collect more junk than to have a truck tool box. Well actually this is one place I am hoping I don’t just store junk. We installed the Kobalt Full Size Contractor Truck Tool Box. The box has 13.69 cubic feet of storage. There are push button locks on each side of the box, so a user can access it from the driver’s side or passenger’s side of the truck. Just push the button and it will open up.
The box comes with mounting brackets that you need to bolt into your bed. We bought an after market attachment that allows you to securely mount the box, without having to drill into your bed. If you have a little imagination you can also fabricate a bracket very easily to do the same thing.
We like this box, but we don’t feel it is intended for the contractor for a couple of reasons. While the box looks very nice, the thickness of the aluminum is thin. One thing we really do not like is the bottom of the box. The box has a lot of room for storage, but the bottom of the box is not reinforced with either brackets or a thicker metal. It feels like the thickness is the same as the sides. Considering how big this box is and how much it can hold, someone could put some serious weight in the box. Not sure how long term it will hold up.
The box does come with two keys which is important, but no storage trays. Some people complained about the seal of the box and how they did get water in the box. Since we installed the box we had one rainy day and two snow days and did not have any water in the box. Another complaint is people getting a lot of dirt in the box. We didn’t get a lot of dirt in the box, but we did get some dust in the box. Primary we think it is because where the box is installed to the bed, there are long slots that are open to the environments where dust and dirt gets in this way. Since it is facing down, we don’t see water as a problem. You could probably just put a piece of metal or something to cover these holes.
Kobalt Long Term
We looked at the reviews of this box and saw some issue that we have to take a closer look. Some common complaints were that the lock broke after a while, problems with the seal on the lid, latches and some other items. One person complained about the welds. Our welds seem to be great, but again only time will tell if they hold up. We will continue to monitor this box and keep this page up to date.
Overall it is not a bad box. However we don’t think this is for the contractor who will be accessing tools a couple times a day and puts abuse on their box. This box is better suited for someone who is just looking for extra storage and will not put it under heavy conditions. The box was easy to install and does look great. Very easy to use and the lock assembly seems to be pretty good. As noted we will keep this article up to date as a long term view of this box is needed.
Looks like a nice box. Like how deep it is
Very nice. Just need some trays and I am all set.
I used to really like most of the Kobalt stuff, but over the last 2 or 3 years the quality seems to have diminished considerably. They may not hassle you about exchanging them, but it’s a hassle to run to Lowe’s all the time to do it. I finally bit the bullet and turned to Channellock, Proto, and Klein for my hand tools. It’s worth the extra cash not to deal with Kobalt’s Chineese junk. Even for Chineese it usually falls below my intermediate DIY’er expectations. Some companys pull of the outsource quite nicely (Dewalt, Milwaukee, etc.) but Kobalt has clearly forsaken any resemblance of the quality tool it once was. Don’t know about their toolboxes, but their tools are shadows of their former selves.
Just bought one 1-27-12 and I can’t find a way to adjust the lid for a tighter fit. The other cobalt boxes have a bracket that can be adjusted left/right and up/down however the Cobalt contractors tool box has u bracket that can only be adjusted left/right but not up/down to make a tighter fit. Did you add extra foam to make up the gap?
Good point. I went out and check mine and your right, you can only adjust the U bracket which seems a little strange. Mine just had a tight fit and never really thought about adjusting it. I would take it back and exchange it. Just check the new box before you leave the store. They have a guarantee on the box, so they have to exchange it. You think it would be designed for adjustments.
Is there a tray available for this box? For the money, I was very disapointed that the box came with nothing, no hardware, no tray, nothing. Looks good but doesn’t seem like it will hold up, even for a non-contractor use. Anyway, are there “ready fit” storage trays for this box?
Hi Joe, Yes Lowes has them in the Box section. Plastic tray inserts
I bought this box august 2012 and had to replace it 3 times due to the welds breaking. Very disappointed in the box. I returned the 3rd on and got a full refund. I am now shopping for a weather guard.