Very disappointed in the Gerstner International Base

[Mike Davis]

The review of the original poster was on point. It contained specific reasons behind the disappointment. To attempt to discredit or refute the OP by making a comparison to Harbor freight is a joke. I also purchased the units you have as well as the main roller base. Within 6 months all the rubber came off the wheels and the plastic rails that function as draw sliders were breaking. the lock on the base box fell out in the first two weeks.

Contacting Nancy via email and asking to purchase replacement wheels and locks I provided my credit card info and was told they items would be shipped and my card charged when they did. I never got them, was never charged. I have emailed four or five times since and have gotten no response. The end result of my purchase of the GI product was canceling my decision to purchase the pro series II..... The GI product line IMHO has harmed the Gerstner name more than having this sad price point product available is worth.

I feel that I paid for what I got but only because I purchased it on sale at sears for less than Half the suggested retail. Had I paid the normal price it would have gone back in the box and been returned. It is garbage in comparison to a real Gerstner product.

And by the way, the cheap Harbor freight shop boxes and roller cabinets have held up better to daily use in our shop than my GI boxes. It

[Kenlew]

Mike:
While I understand your concerns about the GI products, I AM surprised with your problems with customer service. I have had great experiences when I've called/emailed, even to the point of Scott personally getting involved on occassion. Maybe something else was going on at the time - not an excuse, but they are a fairly small operation and I suspect they wear several hats.

[Bill]

About 1 year ago, I bought a large 3 piece GI roller unit from a cabinet maker that was either going out of business or downsizing for $500. He had it four about 4 years and decided to sell it. I had looked it up prior, and verified his stated original price. Overall, it was in good shape. The drawer pulls needed tightening, hardware needed cleaning and polishing and a good wipe down with Gerstner restorer. The felt was in pretty good shape, just a little dirty and a good cleaning took care of that. It was missing the push bar and the front vertical lock device for the lower unit. I replaced the push bar with a genuine replacement, but elected not to replace the vertical lock system due to budget. I could see the difference between the Gerstner USA and the Gerstner I products, and I have to say, there was nothing really that wrong with the GI. Granted the fit, finish, and quality of wood was not the same, I saw a product for the budget minded buyer. Cadillac or Pinto? In the end, they both will get you there. It seems from the complaints I've read and heard about the GI's, that the offenders were all second class products with preexisting flaws and defects, resulting in lower prices. I asked the seller if he had bought the roller unit as a seconded class model to which he said no. He quoted original price he paid for the unit supported his claim that it was not a second class product. I've see the Harbor Freight models and I don't think they are any better than a first class GI. Granted, in the end, I doubt that some guy 40 plus years from now is going to find a GI unit on the internet that was that bought in 2014 and restore it. I still use GI roller unit to this date and nothing has fallen off or broken. I did have one guy that wanted to buy it for 900$ but he change his mind and bought one of my older GUSA model 52. Would I buy a new GI? Probably not, but that's not what I am in to and wanting. I want a old, oil soaked and smelly chest. As for Nancy, I know I use to drive her bonkers when I first started. I would order some parts and such and because memory is starting to slip a little, I would forget what I had ordered and call her on more than one occasion. She was always glad to help remind me of what I ordered. My wife got involved, and showed me a system to keep track of what I ordered so I would not have to keep calling Nancy, cause really, on computers, I'm about a point O one.

[sportpak]

My USA product is top notch. The personal experience I got when in Dayton to get my box was excellent. I met Scott personally and several craftsmen. Everyone was helpful and appreciated my 4 hour drive down to see them.
All this poor customer service talk sounds like total BS to me. If you can't swing a US made box your better off staying with shiny red tool boxes. Troll somewhere else.

[seezee]

As one of the posters to this thread whose GI chest broke immediately upon being put into service, I agree that Gerstner's customer service is top-notch. The GI chests aren't terrible; I just expected better at that price point & from this manufacturer. I still think you're better off waiting until you can afford the USA chest & buying it.

[Den052]

One thing I've notice of things made in China or elsewhere is that most of the equipment used to make foreign products is the same equipment used here in the
USA. I've been blown away by some the the stuff coming from overseas and it's quality over the years has improved greatly. I've found that whenever you purchase something this nice, do your homework. Read all the reviews so you won't be surprised. Even though most of the techniques are the same when building a "Gerstner" in Timbuktu (or wherever) there's something about a Gerstner made in Dayton. It has a soul. It speaks to me about the history of what America was and what it can be again. There's a place for International Gerstner and it serves a purpose well. But, when it's all said and done and all the research turned in....it will always be USA USA USA!

[Kcstott]

The review of the original poster was on point. It contained specific reasons behind the disappointment. To attempt to discredit or refute the OP by making a comparison to Harbor freight is a joke. I also purchased the units you have as well as the main roller base. Within 6 months all the rubber came off the wheels and the plastic rails that function as draw sliders were breaking. the lock on the base box fell out in the first two weeks.

Contacting Nancy via email and asking to purchase replacement wheels and locks I provided my credit card info and was told they items would be shipped and my card charged when they did. I never got them, was never charged. I have emailed four or five times since and have gotten no response. The end result of my purchase of the GI product was canceling my decision to purchase the pro series II..... The GI product line IMHO has harmed the Gerstner name more than having this sad price point product available is worth.

I feel that I paid for what I got but only because I purchased it on sale at sears for less than Half the suggested retail. Had I paid the normal price it would have gone back in the box and been returned. It is garbage in comparison to a real Gerstner product.

And by the way, the cheap Harbor freight shop boxes and roller cabinets have held up better to daily use in our shop than my GI boxes. It

And you joined just to post this rebuttal?? I smell shill post

[jerryvan]

@sshankk

I appreciate your honest review of the Gerstner International base. First, I would like to point out that you did purchase a "Second Class" (blemished) product, which will have some cosmetic flaws on the base.

Even though you purchased a blemished unit, some of the issues, like the hardware being loose and rattling should not happen on any product, International or USA made, and I will look into that issue.

We put the name "Gerstner International" on the chests so there wouldn't be any confusion between the imported chests and our traditional Gerstner chests. We engineered the “Gerstner International” to meet a price point, so we specified lower cost materials and hardware to keep the costs down. The joinery used on the International products is Tongue and Groove construction, which is like the USA made products, which helps maintain stability of the product.

If you are not satisfied with the international base, and you would like to purchase a Golden Oak B92XL, I would offer the following:
Since you purchased the base directly from Gerstner, I would issue a call tag to have the international base picked up by UPS returned to me at my expense. I would also credit the cost you paid for the base and the shipping toward your purchase of the Golden Oak B92XL base direct from Gerstner.

If you would like to accept this offer, you can send me a private message, e-mail me or call me at the factory.

"Gerstner International" does create confusion since Gerstner is the most respected name in tool chests, (wood or metal). The use of the Gerstner name on any product suggests a high level of quality, regardless of the country of manufacture or the price point. Hopefully, Gerstner does not learn the same hard lesson that Packard did in the 1950's. Packard wanted more universal appeal, so they offered their "120" line of cheaper 6 cylinder cars. This immediately made every other Packard, regardless of price, "cheaper" by association. They lost their high-end identity and market sector and eventually went out of business. Bottom line, if you don't intend to sell traditional Gerstner quality, then don't use the Gerstner name at all.