DeWalt DCS70-DW235G 70" Contractor Single Lid Crossover Truck Tool Box With VSR 0.5" Drill for Full Size Pickups

Comment: This is one nice tool box. You can spend a lot more and think you will get something better, but I don't think you can beat the quality, good looks and function of this tool box. Looking at it from the outside you can see that it's a good looking addition to your pickup, but when you look inside you gain a greater appreciation for the exceptional quality, heavy duty construction and workmanship associated with this product. DeWalt has long been associated with quality tools and this tool box falls in line with that expectation. The lock/handle is solid and isn't one of those handles you have to worry about coming off in your hand. And the interior connection system is built tough so it won't spring and eaisly bend. The side lifts keep the lid open when you want the lid opened and you can feel the resistance as you close it. The weather seal is strong, tight and complete. There aren't any gaps that will allow dust and water to get in. The tool box installs easily and has lots of interior room for hand tools, power tools and just about anything elese you want to protect and safeguard. I like mine and recommend it to anyone. Things I liked most are the ease of installation, quality construction, nice profile, and the weather seal capability.

Comment: When given the opportunity to do a very close A/B comparison between two similar products, I like to jump at the opportunity. I decided to compare the dewalt dcs70 and the uws tbs-69 against each other due to their similarity and ordered one of each. I figured a good a/b comparison would be what people would like to know. I was wrong thinking this was an a/b comparison though.

Revision & Note: Thule phone call was not completely accurate - the lid profile on the dewalt is about an inch higher than the version Thule sells. We noticed this after both were in service trucks because some drivers complained about the dewalt blocking their window view. The photo doesn't show this detail well but there is a small difference. Some drivers didn't notice so it's pretty minor.

Since the dewalt dcs70 lacked the 1/2" VSR drill mentioned in the product description, unfortunately my Apples to Oranges comparison turned out to be an Apples to Apples comparison after a little research. Continue to History below.

(The History)

Dewalt does not "make" truck toolboxes, but instead contracts this out to a company named Thule (silent h - pronounced tool). UWS and Thule are the same company due to an acquisition in 9-2007 when Thule bought UWS, so both boxes are made by the same company. Judging by the welding skill, burns, splatter, and marks, I'd go so far as to say they were made by the same person.

The dewalt product did not include the 1/2" VSR Drill, which I'll admit seemed a strange combination (buy a truck toolbox, get a drill), so it put the comparison on very level footing.

Making some phone calls to Thule (UWS) I found out that they proudly manufacture the box for Dewalt. They were very helpful to explain that the dcs70 and tbs-69 are the exact same product, which once they arrived on my shipping dock, I discovered was true (except for the nameplate in front)

These two boxes are both made from .063 Aluminium diamondplate, welded. I'll admit Al is not the easiest material to weld, but there was no effort made to clean up the splatter and burn marks on the welding which even I do when welding and I'm by no means "neat" or obcessive about it.

Thule does make a "BETTER" grade box out of .080 Al that weighs 30 lbs more and has a 4 corner locking system plus a "tough coat" tub and lid liner. It's not sold through Amazon though. This box is UWS's entry level box basically.

(The boxes)

Unpacking the boxes didn't take much - the packing left quite a bit to be desired and did not provide adequate protection to the product - no styrofoam corners, just 2 half sized boxes that nest inside each other with the toolbox inside, and 5-6 straps of clear shipping tape on 3 sides holding it all together. Keep in mind it's almost the size of a coffin. I noted some shipping damage, but then again my 2 boxes spent the last week in a fedex ground truck going cross country to my lab in California. I guess it's not as painful when the FEDEX driver dings up your new toy for the first time.

Both boxes are bright and shiny other than their unpolished welds outside which was disappointing. The inside welds are worse. The two boxes did have slightly different keys which was a pleasant surprise, however the lock system offers less than a few seconds deterrent to a determined theif. Keeping in mind how many $ worth of tools could be inside one of these, I'd prefer a high security lock / key. I STRONGLY recommend you purchase a high security lock/shackle that you can weld to the box and lid to keep people out.

(The A/B comparison)

Well, They are the same box, both drop shipped from UWD, with the same accessories inside (a sliding black plastic parts tray). The Dewalt version carries a lifetime warantee and their logo, while Thule/UWS offers a 1 year warantee. Realistically if a weld failed 5 years from now, are you going to remove the box from your truck and ship it by truck freight back to dewalt or get your GTAW welder and fix the leak yourself?

The prices of the same box are within a dollar of each other right now, and they weigh within a lb of each other. It's the same box with different nameplates. I liked the simplicity of the Dewalt installation instructions better, but the UWS seemed to be more of a mechanical engineering drawing showing how to bolt the box in your truck and looked more professional than the dewalt "you'll need these items, drill, bolts, ..."

Other than that, these are the same unit. You could consider the heavy duty (.080") version from Thule but that's the only real other option.

I'll take some photos of the welds so you can see how they look. Both brands are the same. I am deducting 1 point for inadequate packaging and shipping damage and 1 point for weld quality and locking system. Other than those issues they are nice shiny identical boxes that would look good on any new truck.

Comment: The DeWalt DCS70 Single Lid Contractor saddle box seems to be of a decent built. The welds are a little rough, not much thought seems to have been put into cleaning up the weld areas. The box itself seems fairly sturdy, though it has the type of lock and latch system that can be easily defeated by a halfway competent pry-bar user. The box's construction characteristics make me wonder if the tool box was manufactured by UWS, and sure enough with a little research, it seems both are owned by the same parent company. upon opening the latch, the gas assisted struts take over and help open the lid and keep it open. It mounted on my truck with two J-bolts, one on each side, which I question the sturdiness of this type of mounting procedure, but will give it a try for a while to see how it holds up. The box came with a plastic 3-compartment top tray, which seems to fit a little tightly, so I doubt it'll be sliding around from side to side while traversing rough terrain.

The tool box came shipped to me in a shoddily taped together and well beaten-up cardboard surround, that was practically falling off the tool box. The toolbox also had two nasty dents in the lid. For a product of this price, more care should be taken in properly packaging and shipping them, to avoid this type of damage. I am very disappointed that the box came damaged, however since the dents are purely cosmetic and do not affect functionality, I chose to keep it, as opposed to the hassle of trying to exchange for one that may end up coming back to me in even worse condition. Had the box arrived undamaged, in better packaging, and with better quality lock and latch hardware, I would have rated it a 5-star box.