tool boxes

[john112deere]

Now that I've got a (summer) job, I'm starting to think seriously about buying a better toolbox, but I don't know much about them.

I don't have a lot of tools right now, but I do have some, and I expect to continue buying more for a great many years, so I want something good quality. Because I don't really have that many tools right now, I'm sort of considering just buying the top cabinet for a roll-away style box, and building a stationary base for it out of wood or angle iron, and then getting a base cabinet later, when funds allow and my collection requires it.

I'm not, and have no intention of being, a professional mechanic, but I don't like to throw my money away on cheap junk. When I buy something, I expect it to last, provided I treat it well.

Any brand recommendations? Thoughts on drawer configurations?

*I also have the opportunity, at work, to grab a steel cabinet designed for storing engineering drawings. It's good heavy steel, 5 drawers, each sized for "D" size drawings and maybe 1.5-2" high. It's too deep, and the drawers are too shallow to make a great toolbox, but it's free... Finding someplace to store it might be an issue, and it doesn't lock, but, again, free... I'll probably grab the next one I can; I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get rid of if I decided it didn't work for me.

[Fellro]

Make sure the drawers move well, after they get some weight in them, that is important. Ballbearing slides are a must. Removeable drawers are a good thing. Craftsman makes some good one, as well as many others. No one brand is the only, but check for the glide of the drawers, and strength in construction, and go from there. there is a lot of junk out there too, so look them over good. Even some of the lower level Craftsman is junk...

[Brian_B]

If you can afford the top ball bearing box go for it. Watch for sales. Then buy a bottom and intermediate later.

I have a small craftsman 3 drawer box I bought in the 9th grade. It is sort of beat up from hauling around in the back of my cars for years, but still works fine. It does not have ball bearing slides. Lets just say the 9th grade was longer ago than you have probably been alive. :rofl:

I later bought a cheap off brand bottom box at wally world. It does not work as well as the old beat up craftsman does.

I currently have a slightly larger craftsman box. I joined the craftsmand club (free) and get 10% off plus special sales catalogs once a month.

No ball bearings, but I wish it had them.

Here is a pic:


http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/Brian_B_1956/misc/Dscf0049.jpg

The white specs in the picture was packing peanut mess. That was just after I unpacked it all.

[O'Rattlecan]

john112deere, that's a good idea to build a cart around it, I hadn't thought about that. I've been nosing around and looking at prices too. I didn't want the big botom box, but had nothing to do with the top. Good thinking.

I have a storage problem though... Mom and Dad probably wouldn't want to look at that all year while I'm at school. You have a place to keep yours?

Ryan

[Fellro]

I have one of the old Craftsman Home series boxes, and it does it's duty as a parts holder more than tool box, all those special bolts, clips and whatnot. I used it up until I got my Snap On box. The bottom box has taken a beating, and the general bolt drawer fell out, but it holds the top box up pretty good all the same, does the trick. My por snappy box has been though a lot of moves, and did some sliding around in the back of my truck. It's a good thing I don't ever plan on selling it or the bottom box I picked up used... pretty they are not.

[Brian_B]

There is no comparison between a craftsman home box (like mine) and a snap-on box. I was not implying there was. Even the craftsman boxes with roller bearing drawer slides are better.

The plain ones are a lot cheaper in most cases though. I would not want one if I were doing mechanic work for a living, but for home use they are fine. Most people with limited incomes (me) can't afford snap on.

I picked up a rolling cart at HF really cheap. That might be an option instead of building one to roll the box around.

If you can store them for now, grab those old blueprint cabinets. Businesses don't typically store prints (in paper form) too much anymore and you can find some use for them later.

I caught this one sale for $19. I could not have bought the wheels and built it cheaper than that. It is higher right at the moment though.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/05100-05199/05107.gif

[Fellro]

I didn't mean to imply any connection between the home boxes and my snappy, just running off at the mouth...The home box serves the purpose for me fine, back then they were only $100 new. If you can catch up to them, you may want to talk to some of the snap on mac or matco dealers or the like. They take used boxes in on trade from people upgrading. I got my Craftsman home bottom box for $25 that way, and the snappy bottom was a bit more expensive, but the $500 has done well for me. I did do wrenching for a living for a while, until I burned out as well as my back gave out. You can get by on the lesser cost boxes, main thing to watch is how they are built structurally, and that the drawers slide well enough. If it drags with no weight, it definitely will full of tools. I may have way more tools packed in mine than most too...

[john112deere]

I have a storage problem though... Mom and Dad probably wouldn't want to look at that all year while I'm at school. You have a place to keep yours?

Dad'll let me store it in his garage. Only problem is that I can't trust people to stay the hell out of the box, or if they must use a tool, PUT IT BACK. :guns: (I don't always put everything back until I'm done with a project. But me not putting my tools back is very different from someone else not putting my tools back.)

I've got my eye on a particular blueprint cab. we're throwing away; once I empty out the one on top of it, I'll throw it in the back of my truck one day at quitting time. If I'm lucky, I've got a spot it will fit perfectly, but I'm not sure if there's quite enough space.

[Brian_B]

Get a nice big padlock for your box. Then...when you get done with your tools, wipe them down and return them to your box. It will be a good lesson for you and keep others from "borrowing" your tools.


I wish I could get my hands on a couple of those blueprint cabinets. LOL


EDIT: I read on anther forum where a guy caught an old hardware store going out of business. He bought all sorts of bins, drawers, and racks from them. He organized his whole garage with that stuff.

Why can't I find things like that. :(

[O'Rattlecan]

brian, I'll let you know if I hear about any westlake closings or renovations. They will probably give those boxes away for the fasteners, or at least make them cheap.

Ryan

[slmann]

I have a small three drawer craftsman and was thinking about buying a bottom box and setting it on top until I needed or wanted to buy the rest.

[Brian_B]

Ryan...Yes please let me know if you hear of anything. Some of those things in the stores for storage are great for a home garage.

My brother bought a huge load of pegboard from wally world (springfield) for $1 each (4' X 8'). He bought all they had for his garage (lined two walls with it) and I didn't get any. :(

[blacksnapon]

All I can recommend is for you to research manufacturers. Craftsman boxes are mostly made by Waterloo, Mac tools are owned by stanley, etc. You may save money by getting the same box with a different name on it. I always use this test; put a little weight in a drawer, then use one finger at either corner of the drawer pull, open and close the drawer, if any binding occurs, find something else.

[Blue Goose]

All I can recommend is for you to research manufacturers. Craftsman boxes are mostly made by Waterloo, Mac tools are owned by stanley, etc. You may save money by getting the same box with a different name on it. I always use this test; put a little weight in a drawer, then use one finger at either corner of the drawer pull, open and close the drawer, if any binding occurs, find something else.
This is blacksnapon's tool box:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q310/centurycoronado/100_0315.jpg

[lenny1carl]

i bought a base from Ace Hdw and am very happy with it. the drawers are bearing slides, full extension, the casters are tougher than woodpecker lips, the fronts swivel and lock.
my craftsmans box is great...... but i love this Ace box also.

[mrfixit]

Atwood's has these KOBALT rollarounds that I've been salivating over... love the 20 drawer, if any of you are trying to think of a birthday gift for me...

[Brian_B]

......*I also have the opportunity, at work, to grab a steel cabinet designed for storing engineering drawings. It's good heavy steel, 5 drawers, each sized for "D" size drawings and maybe 1.5-2" high. It's too deep, and the drawers are too shallow to make a great toolbox, but it's free... Finding someplace to store it might be an issue, and it doesn't lock, but, again, free... I'll probably grab the next one I can; I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get rid of if I decided it didn't work for me.


If the drawers are too shallow (2") for how deep they are (36"), would it be possible to remove the bottom of one and screw two drawers together? So that the top one is just a frame to make the bottom one deeper. Does that make any sense? I don't speak english very well sometimes.:redface:

[mrfixit]

shhhhhhhhh! You're gonna get yourself deported again....


sounds to me like the box would accomodate most flat wrenches and socket sets, and for the bigger stuff Brian's idea is spot on... a little plasma, a little tacking and voila!