Are Kennedy Tool Boxes Good? (7 Helpful Tips)

Kennedy tool boxes good

Toolboxes save you the menace of running around for your equipment when you need them for a job. Securely kept and readily mobile, these boxes help you get your tools to your job site more seamlessly. A discussion about toolboxes is not complete until you mention Kennedy tool boxes. But for such fame, are they worth your money?

Kennedy tool boxes are reputed for their sturdy build, being produced from industrial quality materials. Their premium heavy-duty craftsmanship explains why they are the top pick of machinists globally. They combine their ruggedness with a fine sense of sleekness, giving you good-looking toolboxes that you can use for generations. 

Who makes Kennedy tool boxes and where?

Kennedy manufacturing is responsible for Kennedy tool boxes. This manufacturer started operation in 1911 in Indiana, counting among the first producers of metallic toolboxes in the United States. 

While production started in Wayne, Indiana, manufacturing would later shift to Ohio down the years. Kennedy’s elite operational plants are located in Van Wert, Ohio. 

This makes Kennedy tool boxes one of the renowned few made in the United States with topnotch American ingenuity. 

Are Kennedy tool boxes durable?

This is one question we can’t avoid. The good news is that Kennedy robustly answers the question of longevity by making their toolboxes from industrial-grade materials.

When the conversation comes to heavy-duty toolboxes, Kennedy is one brand that tops the list. One of their top products (relating to durability) is the K20B model toolbox.

This tough dude is made from 20-gauge steel. But what is even more surprising is how Kennedy manages to make this beast portable. The K20B weighs just a pound!

Still, on durability, Kennedy has another stand-out product, the Kennedy Manufacturing 7-Drawer Industrial Roller Cabinet. Yes, there is no way we were not going to reckon its rugged double-wall steel construction. 

Most Kennedy tool boxes are outfitted with wool liners. This provides massive protection for the precision tools, especially in storage and operation.

Another longevity-oriented feature we would note in this brand of toolboxes is their drop front panel. 

Kennedy tool boxes have this excellent panel that excels at securing the drawers from items in your workstation or job site.

How secure are Kennedy tool boxes?

Every DIY wants to know how safe his tools are when he keeps them in a toolbox. With Kennedy tool boxes, you can rest assured no one is accessing your tools without your permission. 

Why? 

Most Kennedy tool boxes are secured by an elite tubular lock and key system. These lock and key sets are usually provided in variants like no cam, cam, hook, and long cam models. 

Kennedy’s box security system also features a radial lock. Such tubular replacement lock and key set taps into the 7-pin tumbler working mechanism. 

Here, seven pins – with differing lengths – are radially inserted into the lock. This way, the lock will not open if the key doesn’t execute the specific notch placement.  

Compared to standard locks, this takes less space and is far more effective security-wise. This justifies the love most machinists have for Kennedy’s tubular lock and key system. 

How much do Kennedy tool boxes cost? 

From our investigation, Kennedy has a befitting toolbox for just any DIYer (or budget). Depending on what you want and the jobs you have, you can go for a low-cost Kennedy toolbox like the Kennedy 20″ All-Purpose Hand Carry Tool Box. These guys come around $142.

If you can still step up your budget, you may go for the likes of the Kennedy 26″ 2-Drawer Mechanics Chest Base for around $334. 

If you have got more bucks, you can step up your tempo and go for eminent Kennedy tool boxes like the Kennedy 11 Drawer Tool Chest. This comes around $1,515.

The most expensive – or one of the costliest – Kennedy tool boxes we saw was the Kennedy K2400 31″ 6-Drawer Benchmark Roller Cabinet. This costs north of $2,600.

Do Kennnedy tool boxes have warranty coverage?

Kennedy manufacturing is one of the rarest manufacturers that provide a lifetime warranty cover for their toolboxes.

Yes, you read that right: FOR LIFE!

This means you get lifetime assurance that the product would have no manufacturing (or craftsmanship) defect for the entirety of its lifespan. 

This limited lifetime warranty policy covers both replacement and repairs if Kennedy determines the issue on your toolbox arises from their end. This warranty does not cover the Kennedy tool boxes you bought in a used state.

Best Kennedy Tool Boxes Review

We tried our hands on several Kennedy tool boxes. The bulk of them warmed our hearts for how they brought together strength, portability, functionality, security, and organizational ease.

That said, two particularly stood out from the crowd of Kennedy toolbox offerings. These are the Kennedy Manufacturing K20B All-Purpose Toolbox and the Kennedy Manufacturing 7-Drawer Industrial Roller Cabinet.

Curious to know why we loved them?

Kennedy Manufacturing K20B All-Purpose Toolbox

We couldn’t help notice the striking similarity between this toolbox and a typical Homak 24-inch toolbox. 

For a manufacturer with Kennedy’s wealthy experience – accruable from 100 years in operation – we were not expecting less wonder from this toolbox. 

The K20B is hands-down one of the toughest (and yet portable) toolboxes we have ever laid our hands-on. This robustness can be traced to its construction being entirely from industrial-grade materials.

Kennedy Manufacturing sends a strong message with the heavy-duty 20-gauge steel construction this toolbox asserts. This is a toolbox that would last you decades – with no exaggeration. 

It doesn’t stop at being tough. The K20B makes organizing your tools really easy, thanks to being fitted with eight drawers. 

You can then give priority – in the arrangement – to tools you use more often. To secure them in position, Kennedy deploys sockets in stratifying the drawers. 

We must mention the locking mechanism. Heavy-duty style, it was just how we like our toolboxes locked. If you are greedier with your tools, you can add a padlock to the lock system. 

You will also love the plated locking hardware this toolbox features. Cumulatively, you have an almost impenetrable toolbox.

Pros

Very secure, featuring three latch-points

Massively accommodating with as much interior height of 9″ and width of 20″

Really sturdy guy

Remarkably simplified tool organization with eight nice drawers

Cons

We feel the trays took more space than they should

Kennedy Manufacturing 7-Drawer Industrial Roller Cabinet

We would easily crown this toolbox as the best rolling tool chest among Kennedy’s collection. This is more tilted towards that workman who desires a sizable box to load all his tools and yet quickly gets them on the go.

Kennedy impresses with how it delicately got the storage compartments right, presenting seven drawers in this toolbox. These drawers offer varying capacities, fitting your small and big tools.

This manufacturer reaffirmed its fanaticism with durability by decking this roller cabinet with a dual-wall steel build.

For security, this roller cabinet is fitted with Kennedy’s famed tubular lock system. It secures well, and it is easy to use. 

We will quickly point out that Kennedy should have done better than furnishing the entire cabinet with just one lock.

That said, we couldn’t complain about the mounting. This baby readily gets on your rolling wheels. This makes it easy to load your tools and get them to your job site.

Pros

It is decked with dual-wall construction

Reliable tubular locking system

The handle’s end is made from steel

Cons

One lock is not enough for the entire cabinet

Resources

What’s the deal with Kennedy tool boxes

Cornwell Quality Tools Buys Kennedy Manufacturing

Warranty & Returns

You Need a Tool Box