Are Waterloo Tool Boxes Good? (9 Helpful Tips)

Agreed, Waterloo tool boxes may not be as popular as the more household names (among the DIY community) as Dewalt and U.S General tool boxes. But does such relative lack of popularity imply that Waterloo tool boxes are inferior? Are Waterloo tool boxes any good?

Waterloo tool boxes are distinct for their premium build. These tools – despite being inexpensive – are made from highly resilient materials. Waterloo’s tool manufacturing process emphasizes reliability. Even after production, Waterloo tool boxes are rigorously tested for quality before being distributed to the market. Overall, they are portable and easy to use.

Who makes Waterloo tool boxes and where?

Waterloo originally started out as an offering of Waterloo industries, starting in 1922. In July 2017, Stanley Black & Decker acquired Waterloo.

But much has not changed about the historic quality of these tool boxes. Most of Waterloo’s tool boxes are designed and assembled in Waterloo’s manufacturing plant located in Sedalia, Missouri in the United States.

Are Waterloo tool boxes reliable?

For a manufacturer like Waterloo to have been operational for more than 80 years – even in the face of the rapid technological evolutions in the tools industry – they must be doing something right.

One of those things they appear to be doing right is turning out reliable products that serve customers sustainably.

Waterloo extensively optimizes its manufacturing and even storage processes to ensure that the product withstands decades of rough usage.

During the manufacturing process, Waterloo tool boxes undergo a series of durability and fatigue tests. After that, they are manually inspected before being distributed.

We can’t exclusively associate the reliability of Waterloo tool boxes to the production process only. The tool boxes themselves are made from top-quality materials.

Waterloo prides itself in using only American steel for its product. Aside from being made from anti-corrosive materials, these materials are robust.

Take the famed Waterloo 14-Inch toolbox for example. This product is produced from high-impact polypropylene that impresses at resisting shock.

We see more durability even from Waterloo’s 52 In. 8-drawer tool chest. This equipment is furnished with incredibly tough sidewall-post construction. This makes it befitting for use in the roughest work sites.

Are Waterloo tool boxes easy to use?

While we usually emphasize ease of use for tools, you don’t want a complicated tool box either. We admired how Waterloo outfits its tool boxes to simplify the user experience, ensuring users can handle the tool box for long without quick fatigue.

Most of the Waterloo tool boxes we checked out were supplied with comfort-grip handles. That means with just one hand, we could move around the tool box with minimal exertion.

No, it doesn’t end there. Waterloo tool boxes are typically fitted with full-width piano hinge pins. This makes it seamless to open your tool box when you need it.

For some of the Waterloo chests we checked, we could not help drooling over the full-extension ball-bearing drawer slides that they were supported with. This makes it easier to reach the extremes of the drawer.

How portable are Waterloo tool boxes?

We can confidently argue that Waterloo has one of the most portable tool boxes in the market today. Yes, we are talking about the Waterloo 17-in portable series toolbox.

Every workman who has used this attests to its remarkable lightweight design. Yes, you don’t easily get tool boxes this powerful, versatile, and accommodating, coming at just 4-pounds in weight.

Moving Waterloo’s bigger tool boxes isn’t that physically demanding. The enormous likes of the Waterloo series 41 in. wide 11-drawer rolling tool cabinet is fitted with casters (enhanced with breaks) that make it easy to roll them to your job site and back.

How secure are Waterloo tool boxes?

We will admit here that Waterloo’s tool box security system is not the best we have seen. But they don’t do a bad job, either.

Most of the Waterloo tool boxes we inspected have their lids kitted with full-width metal hinge pins. They also work with padlocks if you are keen on procuring on.

The bigger chests tend to come with keyed external locking systems. This goes a long way in securing the drawers and ultimately protecting your tools better.

How much do Waterloo tool boxes cost?

If we were to classify Waterloo tool boxes on a financial spectrum, we would place them in the middle category. In our opinion, they are modestly priced.

You can get a typical Waterloo black rolling tool cabinet for as low as $26. Waterloo portable black steel top chest goes for a modest $60.

The price understandably ramps up when you want to go for the bigger guys. For example, if you want the Waterloo-WCA-4111rd waterloo series 41 In., you shouldn’t be budgeting less down $600.

The price further increases when you aim for the WATERLOO-PCA-4111bk professional series. These guys cost around $900.

Do Waterloo tool boxes have warranty cover?

While Waterloo durability sells its product, its warranty offering kind of lets the tool boxes down. We expected a bit longer than the 1-year warranty Waterloo offers on its tool boxes.

Don’t blame us, we have been spoiled with tool box manufacturers offering us as long as five years warranty coverage.

Best Waterloo Tool Box Reviews

To give you an authoritative recommendation on the best Waterloo tool boxes, we went out to try a pretty extensive range of Waterloo’s collections. Two amazed us – and even any other DIYer we asked.

Waterloo Portable Series Toolbox

There is no denying that this is the most beloved tool box Waterloo has to offer. We didn’t really understand the fanaticism other DIYers had for tool box until we tried it ourselves.

It is exquisitely portable. For the tool box with its ample interior spaciousness, it was surprising this baby weighed just 4lbs.

Fundamentally made from plastic, we didn’t have to worry about our tool box rusting any time soon.

When we talked about interior spaciousness, what were you expecting? This tool box unbelievably packs as much capacity as 1415 cubic inches.

We were excited about how easy it made life for us when arranging our tools in it. It has this tote tray that we could remove at our pleasure, making it easier to arrange our tools and access them when needed.

It was easy on the hand. It featured Waterloo’s customary comfort-grip handles.

Still on how easy it was to use, we enjoyed closing and opening this tool box, courtesy of its wide piano hinges. The lock system lasted really well too.

What we liked

It had a voluminous storage capacity of 1415 cubic inches

Made from durable rust-proof plastic

It has a removable tote tray

Easy to carry about thanks to comfort-grip handle

What we didn’t like much

Being plastic, we were careful to use it in high-temperature work sites

Waterloo 23″ Specialty Series Tool Box

This is another darling that excels at organizational ability. It comes with three drawers, so we had enough to stratify our tools and keep them securely.

Each drawer can be put up with a weight of 25lbs. We loved the drawers even more for their full-extension sliding fitting.

It is not that portable, but we were not expecting much portability from a guy this big. If you want a tool box to keep larger tools, this specialty series box is just for you.

The Waterloo 23″ Specialty Series Tool Box doesn’t disappoint when the discussion shifts to longevity. Don’t you find it thrilling that this box is produced from high-impact polypropylene?

More than last you for ages, it is easy to clean and move around.