Tools and Machines Which tool chest

dvoth · 08-31-2008, 11:42 PM

Havent seen any talk on favorite rolling tool chests. I have an old craftsman but it is getting too small. So in the near future I need to expand. Any ideas which is best? Dan

PHOENIX · 08-31-2008, 11:57 PM

I highly recommend a ball bearing one. Its nice not having to mess with sticky drawers and whatnot. As weird as it sounds, having a draw that opens and closes smoothly actually is productive, and less stressful in the shop.

mr2nr13 · 09-01-2008, 08:35 PM

Mac Tools MACSAMIZER!! lol if u had the dough! they also came in a jesse james west coast choppers edition too, thats my personal dream tool box but i have a quiet glide craftsman in black with 4 drawers

TomsMR2 · 09-03-2008, 06:11 PM

mac boxes kinda suck.. terrible value.

honestly, they're all big metal squares with some drawers. if it has some sort of semi recognizable name on it, its going to last damn near forever. even the HF box is welded steel with ball bearing sliders, its gonna last forever. assuming the same dimensions, the only thing thats really different is the price tag on front.

but! cheap boxes tend to have stupid dimensions, like an 18 inch depth. this is where they get you. you want a deep box to utulize space. this also gives you a workbench top instead of a useless riser box that takes up space. if you search you can find good cheap boxes with ~28-30 inch deep drawers. you also want lots of shallow or medium depth, WIDE drawers.. look for wide, deep, shallow drawer toolboxes. drawers that are too tall end up getting filled with junk and ruin organization.. you only want a couple tall drawers to store powertools etc.

check out SK toolboxes, they have good dimensions and they're about 1/3rd the price of other professional boxes.

TomsMR2 · 09-03-2008, 06:18 PM

examples.

box of epic proportion fail. too many huge tall drawers.. narrow too! it ends up taking up a lot of space and really not storing any tools. its a 2/3rd split too, so the drawers on the left end up being too narrow to hold large tools or really be useful.. then its the standard cheap 18 inch deep, so your tools cant be sorted well. it *looks* like it has a lot of storage, it takes up a ton of room, and it really wont hold or organize anything well. avoid this style like the plague.

we dont all have that many tools.. some of us do need a smaller box.. get something like this

much better use of space. has a flat top to work on. none of the drawers are too tall either. this will maximize organization and utilize maximum space of the box. a small box, but effective and useful, minimum waste and clutter. still a shallow 18 inch deep box, but better than the first, more common example.

the ideal box. ~30 inches deep, big top work surface.. that top full width drawer will be your workhorse for sockets and common tools. fantastic organization. you'd be amazed how much quicker you can finish projects when you're not spending half your life searching for tools. this type of box takes advantage of your real estate the best, and ultimately is what everyone whos serious about tools ends up owning, for good reason.

cliff notes, buy for dimensions!

KU_MechE · 09-10-2008, 07:34 PM

the 1st silver box looks like a "garage Toys" box. My buddy has one, and the quality is excellent.

Kurdain · 09-16-2008, 12:30 AM

I purchased the mid level, fairly large, craftsman tool chest.
The one right under their super professional series.

I've had it for years and it still works great.

It was good value for the money IMHO.

MR-3sgte · 01-17-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr2nr13

Mac Tools MACSAMIZER!! lol if u had the dough! they also came in a jesse james west coast choppers edition too, thats my personal dream tool box but i have a quiet glide craftsman in black with 4 drawers

MAC tools suck i wouldnt use one piece of **** tool they sell period. Want a good box save the money get a snap on or matco i have a snap on ball bearing box and i love it, it may have costed me 4500 dollers but i can always expand or trade it in

MR-3sgte · 01-17-2009, 05:09 PM

Heres my tool box

tstoney82 · 03-26-2010, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR-3sgte

MAC tools suck i wouldnt use one piece of **** tool they sell period. Want a good box save the money get a snap on or matco i have a snap on ball bearing box and i love it, it may have costed me 4500 dollers but i can always expand or trade it in

sorry guy, i had the same box. it cost me (and lists for) about $2500 and when i traded it in, all i could get for it was $1600. if you paid 4500 for it, you got jacked. you can buy that box right off the snap on site (part # kra2312) for $2495. you might want to check with your snap on guy to see what else he's ripping you off on.

dont get me wrong the box was great. it has expandability and holds a wide array of tools. its a great box for a beginner to intermediate tech that doesnt have a ton of bulk items. but if you really want a good box, you should get the krl1033 and get the self-leveling casters added to it. i got one and i can fit everything i could imagine in there, plus i have a little room left for more. then i could always expand if i want. yeah it cost me some cash, but i got it for less than retail.

mr.ac · 03-27-2010, 05:40 AM

weak.... Look up Kennedy tool boxes.

I have one at work, and I roll it around all the time. But best part is its quite. It does not sound like sheet metal floping around. Way better than any brand tool boxes out there.

TomsMR2 · 03-27-2010, 02:03 PM

mine sounds like sheet metal rolling around because it IS sheet metal rolling around

a real pos.. its flimsy. annnnd, its seen about 15 years of professional use. 5 or 6 under me and the rest from my cousin. its 100% functional.

its hard to screw up a big metal box, and a tool box never made anyone money. toolboxes are mechanics jewelry. you just need one big enough to hold your tools.

Fabulousj79 · 03-29-2010, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomsMR2

toolboxes are mechanics jewelry. you just need one big enough to hold your tools.

That's right, a tool box never made anyone $1. If I didn't get this repo so cheap,

I would have probably bought one of those "Extreme Tools" boxes on Ebay - Extreme Tools 72" 18 Drawer Roller Tool Cabinet Box BLU : eBay Motors (item 330411807801 end time Apr-06-10 16:10:54 PDT)

That is a hell of a deal for a box that size. 3 bays for $3K??

Sh0ty · 03-29-2010, 10:24 PM

Christ, I thought the three dudes in that last picture were doing something else...

TomsMR2 · 04-20-2010, 01:37 AM

just picked up this pos.. 1050 shipped, 56 wide 24 deep! just needs to hold tools.. this one will do it.

LeePeyton · 04-22-2010, 07:45 PM

Nice tool box Fab

Oteck · 10-25-2010, 02:09 AM

lets raise the dead!!!

I bought this a couple weeks back for 300 bucks, it holds my tools and my oem parts

I don't have the best tools but they work (crapsman), i spent most the day organizing the freak'n thing, im still not done. For now im trying to get a decent air tools to replace rubish that came with my 26gal compressor

These trays are temp untill i can figure out which earnest rails to get

Sh0ty · 10-25-2010, 02:16 AM

I tried to pick up one of those boxes, but all of the boxes I got were poorly made and wouldn't sit level. I wouldn't need shims so much as I would need 2x4s to get the wheels level with each other. I ended up getting a Craftsman box instead. Pics in a few weeks or so, next time I'm home.

rocklizzard91 · 10-25-2010, 02:17 AM

nice setup!!

08-31-2008, 11:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
dvoth No Skills Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Which tool chest Havent seen any talk on favorite rolling tool chests. I have an old craftsman but it is getting too small. So in the near future I need to expand. Any ideas which is best? Dan

09-03-2008, 06:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Still not heraldo. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,908 Thanks: 18 Thanked 404 Times in 301 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	mac boxes kinda suck.. terrible value. honestly, they're all big metal squares with some drawers. if it has some sort of semi recognizable name on it, its going to last damn near forever. even the HF box is welded steel with ball bearing sliders, its gonna last forever. assuming the same dimensions, the only thing thats really different is the price tag on front. but! cheap boxes tend to have stupid dimensions, like an 18 inch depth. this is where they get you. you want a deep box to utulize space. this also gives you a workbench top instead of a useless riser box that takes up space. if you search you can find good cheap boxes with ~28-30 inch deep drawers. you also want lots of shallow or medium depth, WIDE drawers.. look for wide, deep, shallow drawer toolboxes. drawers that are too tall end up getting filled with junk and ruin organization.. you only want a couple tall drawers to store powertools etc. check out SK toolboxes, they have good dimensions and they're about 1/3rd the price of other professional boxes. __________________ Science fact: If you took all the veins from your body and laid them end to end, you would die.

10-25-2010, 02:09 AM	#17 (permalink)
Oteck Eye'm the Str⑨ngest Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Burnaby B.C. Posts: 4,945 Thanks: 11 Thanked 172 Times in 157 Posts Blog Entries: 3 iTrader Rating: (5/100% )	lets raise the dead!!! I bought this a couple weeks back for 300 bucks, it holds my tools and my oem parts I don't have the best tools but they work (crapsman), i spent most the day organizing the freak'n thing, im still not done. For now im trying to get a decent air tools to replace rubish that came with my 26gal compressor These trays are temp untill i can figure out which earnest rails to get __________________ [Oteck's] Project car Garage Pending Projects 1mz/3mz VVTI Hybrid V6 \| LS430 Big Brakes \| Rotary Climate Control \| Power steering Commander \| Power Tilt & Telescopic Steering Column \| Completed Projects Stainless Door Sills \| Power Folding Mirrors \| Motorized/Steering Fog lamps \| Pedal Conversion \| LED Gauges \| Lexus Door Cover \| Sway bar Relocation Tab \| RFID Push Start

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08-31-2008, 11:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
PHOENIX Beams Owners Group Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: On Hiatus....... Posts: 9,266 Thanks: 92 Thanked 292 Times in 224 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (49/100% )	I highly recommend a ball bearing one. Its nice not having to mess with sticky drawers and whatnot. As weird as it sounds, having a draw that opens and closes smoothly actually is productive, and less stressful in the shop.

09-01-2008, 08:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
mr2nr13 No Skills Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 17 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Mac Tools MACSAMIZER!! lol if u had the dough! they also came in a jesse james west coast choppers edition too, thats my personal dream tool box but i have a quiet glide craftsman in black with 4 drawers

09-03-2008, 06:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Still not heraldo. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,908 Thanks: 18 Thanked 404 Times in 301 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	examples. box of epic proportion fail. too many huge tall drawers.. narrow too! it ends up taking up a lot of space and really not storing any tools. its a 2/3rd split too, so the drawers on the left end up being too narrow to hold large tools or really be useful.. then its the standard cheap 18 inch deep, so your tools cant be sorted well. it looks like it has a lot of storage, it takes up a ton of room, and it really wont hold or organize anything well. avoid this style like the plague. we dont all have that many tools.. some of us do need a smaller box.. get something like this much better use of space. has a flat top to work on. none of the drawers are too tall either. this will maximize organization and utilize maximum space of the box. a small box, but effective and useful, minimum waste and clutter. still a shallow 18 inch deep box, but better than the first, more common example. the ideal box. ~30 inches deep, big top work surface.. that top full width drawer will be your workhorse for sockets and common tools. fantastic organization. you'd be amazed how much quicker you can finish projects when you're not spending half your life searching for tools. this type of box takes advantage of your real estate the best, and ultimately is what everyone whos serious about tools ends up owning, for good reason. cliff notes, buy for dimensions!

09-10-2008, 07:34 PM	#6 (permalink)
KU_MechE Cage Fighter Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 123 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	the 1st silver box looks like a "garage Toys" box. My buddy has one, and the quality is excellent.

09-16-2008, 12:30 AM	#7 (permalink)
Kurdain Cage Fighter Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 685 Thanks: 39 Thanked 35 Times in 29 Posts iTrader Rating: (9/100% )	I purchased the mid level, fairly large, craftsman tool chest. The one right under their super professional series. I've had it for years and it still works great. It was good value for the money IMHO.

01-17-2009, 05:09 PM	#9 (permalink)
MR-3sgte Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 191 Thanks: 2 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Heres my tool box

03-27-2010, 05:40 AM	#11 (permalink)
mr.ac Just Say NO to Snorkes Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Central Coast, CA Posts: 388 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 18 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	weak.... Look up Kennedy tool boxes. I have one at work, and I roll it around all the time. But best part is its quite. It does not sound like sheet metal floping around. Way better than any brand tool boxes out there.

03-27-2010, 02:03 PM	#12 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Still not heraldo. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,908 Thanks: 18 Thanked 404 Times in 301 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	mine sounds like sheet metal rolling around because it IS sheet metal rolling around a real pos.. its flimsy. annnnd, its seen about 15 years of professional use. 5 or 6 under me and the rest from my cousin. its 100% functional. its hard to screw up a big metal box, and a tool box never made anyone money. toolboxes are mechanics jewelry. you just need one big enough to hold your tools.

03-29-2010, 10:24 PM	#14 (permalink)
Sh0ty Armchair Racer Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Novi, MI Posts: 1,273 Thanks: 22 Thanked 57 Times in 54 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	Christ, I thought the three dudes in that last picture were doing something else...

04-20-2010, 01:37 AM	#15 (permalink)
TomsMR2 Still not heraldo. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,908 Thanks: 18 Thanked 404 Times in 301 Posts Blog Entries: 1 iTrader Rating: (4/100% )	just picked up this pos.. 1050 shipped, 56 wide 24 deep! just needs to hold tools.. this one will do it.

04-22-2010, 07:45 PM	#16 (permalink)
LeePeyton Building Motor from Hell Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tennessee/USA Posts: 1,696 Thanks: 23 Thanked 67 Times in 61 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	Nice tool box Fab

10-25-2010, 02:16 AM	#18 (permalink)
Sh0ty Armchair Racer Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Novi, MI Posts: 1,273 Thanks: 22 Thanked 57 Times in 54 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	I tried to pick up one of those boxes, but all of the boxes I got were poorly made and wouldn't sit level. I wouldn't need shims so much as I would need 2x4s to get the wheels level with each other. I ended up getting a Craftsman box instead. Pics in a few weeks or so, next time I'm home.

10-25-2010, 02:17 AM	#19 (permalink)
rocklizzard91 Cage Fighter Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bonney Lake, Wa Posts: 2,691 Thanks: 0 Thanked 35 Times in 34 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	nice setup!!