# Greenlee ripoff



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Quite a few years ago I bought a Greenlee storage box to use on jobsites which was very good. It was made completely out of steel and offered a good amount of security. Then a year or two ago I bought another one thinking it was the same thing. Then yesterday I got to using it for a work bench and got too close to it with the circular saw and managed to cut a 7" long cut into the lid of it. I lifted the board and there was the cut never knowing I had cut into the box. It made no additional noise or gave any resistance. Come find out the new box is made with aluminum sheetmetal. A person could cut the entire top off the box with a zip saw in a minute.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> Quite a few years ago I bought a Greenlee storage box to use on jobsites which was very good. It was made completely out of steel and offered a good amount of security. Then a year or two ago I bought another one thinking it was the same thing. Then yesterday I got to using it for a work bench and got too close to it with the circular saw and managed to cut a 7" long cut into the lid of it. I lifted the board and there was the cut never knowing I had cut into the box. It made no additional noise or gave any resistance. Come find out the new box is made with aluminum sheetmetal. A person could cut the entire top off the box with a zip saw in a minute.


Frustrating I'm sure, but I'm trying to understand how it was a "ripoff"?

I've made a number of un-researched purchases, I never called them a ripoff, I just called myself stupid for not paying more attention. Not saying you are stupid, just wondering how you can blame Greenlee?


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

The JobBox brand I had a few years ago was made of steel. 
Everyone is interested in reducing weight these days. Less weight = better gas mileage Etc. 
Aluminum trailers, aluminum job box, aluminum Ford F150's. 
Aluminum doesn't rust like steel.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

shoot summ said:


> Frustrating I'm sure, but I'm trying to understand how it was a "ripoff"?
> 
> I've made a number of un-researched purchases, I never called them a ripoff, I just called myself stupid for not paying more attention. Not saying you are stupid, just wondering how you can blame Greenlee?


It was a ripoff because they cheaped out and changed the way they built the box using aluminum. This box is no security at all. When I bought the new box I thought I was getting another box like the old one made out of steel. 

I know cutting the box was my fault but with the board laying over the top I couldn't really see exactly were I was cutting. Had the box been made out of steel I would have known it immediately when the saw hit it.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

Lock are for honest people.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> It was a ripoff because they cheaped out and changed the way they built the box using aluminum. This box is no security at all. When I bought the new box I thought I was getting another box like the old one made out of steel.
> 
> I know cutting the box was my fault but with the board laying over the top I couldn't really see exactly were I was cutting. Had the box been made out of steel I would have known it immediately when the saw hit it.


Yea, we'll agree to disagree Steve, I don't see how your mistake, thinking you were getting the same box, is their ripoff.

Everything I do, or buy, is Buyer beware, products, and quality change, assuming something you bought years ago is the same, is a bad assumption.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Steve Neul said:


> It was a ripoff because they cheaped out and changed the way they built the box using aluminum. This box is no security at all. When I bought the new box I thought I was getting another box like the old one made out of steel.
> 
> I know cutting the box was my fault but with the board laying over the top I couldn't really see exactly were I was cutting. Had the box been made out of steel I would have known it immediately when the saw hit it.


Did they advertise it as a security box? Or was that just your thoughts?

I would imagine that most people would praise them for making the box lighter, unless it was specifically advertised as a security box. In general aluminum cost more than steel so the box probably had more material cost.

George

George


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

shoot summ said:


> Yea, we'll agree to disagree Steve, I don't see how your mistake, thinking you were getting the same box, is their ripoff.
> 
> Everything I do, or buy, is Buyer beware, products, and quality change, assuming something you bought years ago is the same, is a bad assumption.


The sole purpose for a box like that is security so you can leave on the jobsite with other contractors coming in and out and have your tools secure when you are not there. The locks are even hidden up under a piece of metal to prevent someone from using bolt cutters on it. It's made identical to the old box with the exception of being aluminum. Had I known they had started making the boxes out of aluminum I would never have bought the box. I can repair the damage to the box but I can no longer use it for what it was intended. Over the last couple months I've had the box sitting in house with a thousand dollars worth of tools in it with no telling how many different people coming in the house. The just had a key to the house hidden outside for anyone needing to work there. I will just have to get the old box out and give it a fresh coat of paint and use that one now.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Give me a crowbar, angle grinder or hell, a high deck and I can be in both of those boxes in the same amount of time, regardless of if they're aluminium or steel. Bent sheet metal doesn't offer a lot of protection, it's like putting a Department of Defense grade biometric lock on a door with a window in it. If I wanna get in, I'm just smashing the window. 

Hell, if I really wanted to steal something, I'd just grab the box and go. Relying on something like that for security and then thinking it's a ripoff for going with aluminium. Heck, there are grades of aluminium that are about as strong as mild steel, 7075 for example. Not like it makes an inferior product, and it's not really a ripoff unless the manufacturer said "yup, that is definitely steel"


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

epicfail48 said:


> Give me a crowbar, angle grinder or hell, a high deck and I can be in both of those boxes in the same amount of time, regardless of if they're aluminium or steel. Bent sheet metal doesn't offer a lot of protection, it's like putting a Department of Defense grade biometric lock on a door with a window in it. If I wanna get in, I'm just smashing the window.
> 
> Hell, if I really wanted to steal something, I'd just grab the box and go. Relying on something like that for security and then thinking it's a ripoff for going with aluminium. Heck, there are grades of aluminium that are about as strong as mild steel, 7075 for example. Not like it makes an inferior product, and it's not really a ripoff unless the manufacturer said "yup, that is definitely steel"


I doubt if this is the 7075 aluminum. The saw cut into it without me even knowing it. I might as well built one out of 1/4" lauan plywood as have this thing. I know one of those boxes can be broken into but the steel box would be a whole lot harder. As far as carrying it off it's really heavy when full of tools. As far as the manufacturer, they never said what it was made out of. I just bought the same make and model I bought in 2000. Until this week I never knew the one I bought in about 2012 was made different.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I side a bit with Steve on this one, checking their website there is no mention of what the boxes are made of, however Home Depot advertises one made of steel. There are several different model numbers so perhaps there is a choice, if so what they are made of should be in the description, rather than a generic one for all models.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Have you actually put a magnet on the box to check it?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

shoot summ said:


> Have you actually put a magnet on the box to check it?


No. Perhaps the lid is the only thing made out of aluminum but that is enough to complain about. Right now the box isn't here so I can't go run a magnet over it until Monday. I did go to their website and they listed a couple different models it might be but they don't specify what any of them are made out of.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> I doubt if this is the 7075 aluminum. The saw cut into it without me even knowing it. I might as well built one out of 1/4" lauan plywood as have this thing. I know one of those boxes can be broken into but the steel box would be a whole lot harder. As far as carrying it off it's really heavy when full of tools. As far as the manufacturer, they never said what it was made out of. I just bought the same make and model I bought in 2000. Until this week I never knew the one I bought in about 2012 was made different.


I dunno about a whole lot harder, even for a steel box. Even the ones greener has listed in steel are still only 16 gauge sheet metal, not exactly difficult to get through. Heck, give me an angle grinder and the steel one would be easier to cut through, abrasive wheels don't work much in aluminium. Locks only keep honest folks out after all, and any lockbox you can cut through that isn't bolted to the foundation just deters the grab-and-go type of thief. Aluminium or steel makes no difference to that. 

I'm still with Shoot Summer on this one, with all possible respect to Steve. Unless the box was advertised as being steel, it's really not their fault and rather unfair to call it a ripoff. Caveat emptor and all that


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> No. Perhaps the lid is the only thing made out of aluminum but that is enough to complain about. Right now the box isn't here so I can't go run a magnet over it until Monday. I did go to their website and they listed a couple different models it might be but they don't specify what any of them are made out of.


I have a cold cut saw, looks like a miter saw, runs slower, carbide tipped blade much like a wood blade. Thing will cut through steel like you wouldn't imagine. I've cut a 2x4 bar with it, not problem. So it might even be possible it's steel, and just cut easier than you anticipated. Will be interesting to know.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

shoot summ said:


> I have a cold cut saw, looks like a miter saw, runs slower, carbide tipped blade much like a wood blade. Thing will cut through steel like you wouldn't imagine. I've cut a 2x4 bar with it, not problem. So it might even be possible it's steel, and just cut easier than you anticipated. Will be interesting to know.


I've cut quite a lot of sheet metal with a circular saw. I've used carborundum blades as well as turning a blade around backwards. One thing I can tell you is it's very loud with a lot of sparks. The board wasn't actually laying on the box, there was 1/4" to 1/2" space between so there should have been a shower of sparks if the lid was steel. With this box there was no indication of cutting metal and I could tell from looking at the sawn edge of the metal it was aluminum or some other very soft metal.

I had been using the box as a catch table behind a little portable table saw and thought I was making the cross cut between the saw and and box and missed by an inch. 

I carry some magnets in my truck so I could try it on Monday. I also should be finishing the inside of the house then as well so I plan on taking the camera and will get a picture of the box too.


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## shoot summ (Feb 21, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> I've cut quite a lot of sheet metal with a circular saw. I've used carborundum blades as well as turning a blade around backwards. One thing I can tell you is it's very loud with a lot of sparks. The board wasn't actually laying on the box, there was 1/4" to 1/2" space between so there should have been a shower of sparks if the lid was steel. With this box there was no indication of cutting metal and I could tell from looking at the sawn edge of the metal it was aluminum or some other very soft metal.
> 
> I had been using the box as a catch table behind a little portable table saw and thought I was making the cross cut between the saw and and box and missed by an inch.
> 
> I carry some magnets in my truck so I could try it on Monday. I also should be finishing the inside of the house then as well so I plan on taking the camera and will get a picture of the box too.


So how did this turn out?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The bottom of the box was steel and the lid was aluminum.


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