Topic: Garage tool Box

[Accolay]

Ok, another question guys. What's your opinion about garage tool boxes? I'm thinking about a rolling box to start with. I've been scanning C-list, and have found this today: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tls/2841055518.html

The Snap on boxes I'm sure are very nice, but I can't spend 4k on something like that.

[tool14]

good price for box,better to spend money on tools

[70CB750]

Depends on your shop space. I have a small tool box - huge mess in it - and wrenches on the wall and in built in wall drowers.

I think tool box encourages chaos.

[Accolay]

I want the tool box to put random tools into to store and keep the dust off, but that I can find easy. Right now I have a rubber made box and a cardboard box things are in. Murphys' Law denotes that the thing I need will be at the bottom of one of those boxes.

[70CB750]

As long as it works for you.  The rolling option of the toolbox i miss sometimes. To bring it closer to your work - I always walk back and forth hauling tools.

[flybox1]

love that type of tool box. 
if you are sitting, working on an area of your bike, you can roll it within reach. (70CB750 beat me to it) 
one drawer for each type of tool...drivers, wrenches, pliers, bits, etc.
big enough to hold your power hand tools in the lower trays, too.
I got some of those dollar store plastic organizing trays for each drawer as bits, wrenches and sockets get tossed around.  keeps them somewhat contained. 

[Greggo]

Just go with a Craftsman roller chest from Sears if money is a priority.  Scan CL for used SnapOn boxes, as they last forever, and generally have much better roller systems in the drawers.  You don't have to spend a ton to get a nice tool chest/cart...The prices of new SnapOn chests are ridiculous IMHO.

[Xnavylfr]

You can also check at Lowes Home Improvement for the KOBALT brand , a VERY good box IMHO, it is equal to SNAP-ON but way less cost. You can buy a really nice roller for around 500$


Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

[Really?]

I have a large Craftsman rollaway (15 years old) and my first Waterloo roll-away and top box (30 years old).  I have added two rolling Gladiator cabinets, three regular Gladiator wall cabinets and a massive Gladiator cabinet mounted to the wall.  I have tools mounted to pegboard.  I still need more space.

Craftsman has proven to be a good choice.  The Kobalt's from Lowe's do not look to bad either.  I love that large SS one they have with a built-in fridge, speaker and plug in for your iPod.

[Gordon]

I've had this one from Sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00959496000P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5

for about ten years now, and it's been a great, basic rolling tool chest.  It's held up great over the years and several moves and never any problems with the drawers. 

[Stev-o]

Another stainless Craftsman tool chest here, I bought the big boy - rolling cabinet bottom and toolbox top, 5' tall x 42" wide.
I like all my tools organized. You don't need Snap on...

[70CB750]

The tool box does not work miracles - when I worked at a car shop, the tool box was huge, well stocked and a nightmare to find anything in it.

Every tool system is only as good as you consistently keeping it

OK, of my soap box now, I need to reach and have the tool, digging through boxes and drowers and whatnot to get what  I need drives me crazy.

[toytuff]

The best time to buy a Craftsman is around Christmas. I bought a 6 drawer ball bearing top chest for $79.00. just to keep the metric's in.

Craftsman use to be a nice box but the reviews lately have been anything but that. Getting thin metal, bad welds etc.

Good luck.

tt

[WhyNot2]

I have a 5 minus 1 drawer tool box, that survived a gas station fire in 1974. The place burnt to the ground but you could see the tool box in the middle of all the ashes.

The box spent the next five years in the trunk of my car stored behind my mothers house while I was in Germany.

That box has been back and forth across the US several times, and to Germany too.

Still got it, have sanded it down a couple of times, tried to repaint still works.

Still missing the middle drawer.

So go with whatever suits you, man.

[Don R]

If you can, get the ball bearing drawers. You will end up wanting at least 10 drawers. I got the cheaper slide drawers and they drag now that they are older. My brother has a large snap on box, he put body shims on the front casters to lean it back slightly. An easy push will close the drawers on it. Like a lot of things these days I hear a lot of them come from the same factory, the trim and slides are different.

[gerhed]

I have hundreds of tools--can't find most of them when I need 'em.
Recently got this "small engine kit" from Walmart.
I try to put everything back in it when I'm done.
Working --so far.

[Pecantree]

I've worked for so long out of individual tool box's I knew I needed to get organized. Finished a job right before Christmas and bought one of these.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1480010&navAction=
The wife was very skeptical  but came around after I'd consolidated and cleaned up the garage.
Between this and my dad's OLD Snap-on things are a lot easier.
I am impressed with the quality of this toolbox,

Steve

[Irukandji]

 was in Harbor Freight one day and saw the complete U.S. General roll around toolbox set up. The next day I came back and bought the whole thing. Best toolbox and accessories going! Plus you can't beat the price. I set it up at my job in a mechanical/machine shop and the gravitational pull of this thing was awesome. Everyone wanted one. That was in summer 2009. since then I've had to move it (relocate it) TEN times, to ten different job sites. Moving the U.S. General is tough on it and it's a lot of work. My advise is to not take short cuts when and if you have to relocate it and here's why. The roller bearings in the drawers are tough and all, but it is easy to damage them if you take the draws out and then try and put them back in without emptying them first. Also, the drawers for each attachment of the whole collection of tool boxes are NOT interchangeable with each other. If you take a drawer out, make sure it goes back into the same tool box... If you get the drawers mixed up and just put drawers in wherever, you WILL damage them. I couldn't figure out why some of the drawers were not sliding correctly, so I applied extra pressure to get them to go. Big mistake! Those bearings work great if you're careful and match the right drawers with the right boxes. But if you don't the bearings get damaged easy and then the drawers don't slide very well and in some cases it will cause the box not to lock properly because the locking mechcanisim on the back of the drawers may be bent out of shape. That's what happened to me. I got in a hurry and damaged several of the drawers by forcing them into the wrong slots. I was able to do some repairs to it after I realized what was wrong; however, I now have 10 roller bearing drawer slides that need replaced. They're riveted on the inside of the boxes and they support the drawers. But I haven't been able to locate any replace parts for the U.S. General boxes

[Bailgang]

Even if I had the $ I wouldn't buy another snap on box, there are many other choices out there that are of comparable quality as well as being much more reasonably priced. 25 years ago before I knew better I dropped $1k on a large snap on lower box, not a huge "hot dog cart" size but close to it and the matching top box was another $1k. I stayed with the snap on lower box and a few years later bought a no name large top box that fit it perfect at a scratch and dent sale for $60 and in my own opinion that discount no name box is far superior.

If you can try to select a box where each drawer has roller bearing slides. That's the biggest beef I have with my particular snap on box because the only drawer that has roller bearings is the bottom drawer while all the other don't and don't slide all that well even when cleaned and freshly lubed. The el cheapo top box though has roller bearings in the slides of every drawer and slide much smoother and easier.