What tool box do you all have??
What tool box do you all have?? I'am going to be needing a box soon. I can't be having tools laying around the house ya know. What do you guys recommend, Craftsman, Snap-on, Mac, etc. It will be for my personal use in the garage. And later on I will need a box once I start working for a dealership. Any info and suggestions would be great. 
Re: What tool box do you all have?? i have a Craftsman chest. It's 2 pieces and about 5 1/2 feet tall (I don't like the ones that are so tall you can't see in them). It has ball bearings. It usually runs about$500 for the set. Pretty nice.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,036
Likes: 1
From: Lake Zurich, IL
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I've got 1 4 drawer craftsman chest (ball bearing drawers) I use at home (actually I use 1/2, my dad uses the other 1/2 for his heavy impact sockets, i also get 1/2 of his old chest that doesn't work very well...)
I have a cheapy craftsman 4 drawer too box I use for when I go to the track (load up some tools I may need and off I go)
I have a cheapy craftsman 4 drawer too box I use for when I go to the track (load up some tools I may need and off I go)
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I am getting married in 26 
days so cash is tight, but I managed to pick up a nice Craftsman 15 drawer chest for $300 . Usually goes on sale around the bigger holidays. I wanted black, but only the red was on sale. I like it a lot, not too tall, lots of drawers, and it has a big handle and locking wheels. Page 11 and 12 of the Craftsman hand tools book. Good piece for what I use it for. 
days so cash is tight, but I managed to pick up a nice Craftsman 15 drawer chest for $300 . Usually goes on sale around the bigger holidays. I wanted black, but only the red was on sale. I like it a lot, not too tall, lots of drawers, and it has a big handle and locking wheels. Page 11 and 12 of the Craftsman hand tools book. Good piece for what I use it for. Re: What tool box do you all have?? For work I have this work box
And for at home I have the box I bought when I first started doing this to make a living which ishome box
Personaly I would rather have the long box over the tall box because:
1. You can fit long tools in it easier, extensions torque wrenchs serp belt tools pry bars ect.
2. Its less likey to tip over
3. It gives you a work bench to work on (or keep your radio and coffe maker ect)
4. Its heavier, no one can walk away with half of your box and tools.
5. Easier to chain to wall so no one can walk off with tools.
6. You can keep all your wrenchs in the same drawer, sockets in one drawer, ect
7. No need for a ladder to get into it.
8. only need one key (if you only have the bottom box like me)
My words of advice what ever you chose give your self more room then you need, becasue it will fill up. Buy something quality so it doesnt fall apart. If you or someone you know is a craftsman club member you can get like 10-20% off. Good luck in the dealership, its a rough game.
And for at home I have the box I bought when I first started doing this to make a living which ishome box
Personaly I would rather have the long box over the tall box because:
1. You can fit long tools in it easier, extensions torque wrenchs serp belt tools pry bars ect.
2. Its less likey to tip over
3. It gives you a work bench to work on (or keep your radio and coffe maker ect)
4. Its heavier, no one can walk away with half of your box and tools.
5. Easier to chain to wall so no one can walk off with tools.
6. You can keep all your wrenchs in the same drawer, sockets in one drawer, ect
7. No need for a ladder to get into it.
8. only need one key (if you only have the bottom box like me)
My words of advice what ever you chose give your self more room then you need, becasue it will fill up. Buy something quality so it doesnt fall apart. If you or someone you know is a craftsman club member you can get like 10-20% off. Good luck in the dealership, its a rough game.
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I have two Craftsman (6, 10) drawer chests and
one Craftsman rollaround base, a 6-drawer
Waterloo (seems as good or better) and a couple
of other small drawer chests. All of them from
either yard sales or pawn shops. They won't be
shiny for long anyway, but they'll always be
cheaper than retail.
Besides, if you show up for work the first day
with a shiny new Craftsman tallboy, the other
mechanics will probably give you a wedgie
A beat-up Snap-On chest will make ya look like
a lifer.
one Craftsman rollaround base, a 6-drawer
Waterloo (seems as good or better) and a couple
of other small drawer chests. All of them from
either yard sales or pawn shops. They won't be
shiny for long anyway, but they'll always be
cheaper than retail.
Besides, if you show up for work the first day
with a shiny new Craftsman tallboy, the other
mechanics will probably give you a wedgie
A beat-up Snap-On chest will make ya look like
a lifer.
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Re: What tool box do you all have?? Not the greatest but not bad for ~$600.00....bought years ago...now need double(maybe triple?)the size. I agree...get a box that has much more space than you need right now(I wish I had)....you will need it later if you do your own mods. Also...make sure you get the ball bearing slides(makes a big diference when loaded), and the gas filled lid lift cylinders(the regular hinges are cheezy).
Husky Combined 19-Drawer Pro Tool Chest -
• 18,593 cu. in. storage capacity
• Ball bearing drawer slides
• Rear locking mechanism
• Steel tote tray included in top chest
• 5" swivel casters, 2 with locking brakes
8-Drawer Top Chest (Stainless steel)
• Gas filled lid-lift cylinders
• Quick-release ball bearing drawer slides
• Includes drawer liners for all drawers...$268.00
11-Drawer Roller Cabinet
• Automotive-style paint process
• Quick-release ball bearing drawer slides
• Includes drawer liners for all drawers
• Heavy-duty 5" casters, 2 locking..... $329.00
Husky Combined 19-Drawer Pro Tool Chest -
• 18,593 cu. in. storage capacity
• Ball bearing drawer slides
• Rear locking mechanism
• Steel tote tray included in top chest
• 5" swivel casters, 2 with locking brakes
8-Drawer Top Chest (Stainless steel)
• Gas filled lid-lift cylinders
• Quick-release ball bearing drawer slides
• Includes drawer liners for all drawers...$268.00
11-Drawer Roller Cabinet
• Automotive-style paint process
• Quick-release ball bearing drawer slides
• Includes drawer liners for all drawers
• Heavy-duty 5" casters, 2 locking..... $329.00
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TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (10)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,766
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From: Gainesville, Denton TX
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I have this one: http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summ...id=00959891000
Except its black, I'm not completely crazy about the grip latch, like I thought I would be, but oh well. I got it on sale too... 200 bucks.
Whatever you get get the good liner stuff that is like 20 bucks for a 22x85" roll. Its really nice.
As for a box that you will be working out of, I'd recommend Mac or SnapOn, Cornwell and Matco are there aswell, as some others... I worked for the local GM dealership in town for a while, and it seemed as if no one had enough room. The shop foreman and a former Dodge tech had boxes that had to be moved by wreakers because they were so heavy. They were long and then had another box on top of them. I say if you are planning on working with tools for a living, get a good quality box, the extra deep drawers will help aswell as the length of them. Most of the tool sales man have used boxes they get in on trade-in or repo or whatever. Check with all of them, and they may have another companies box etc. I haven't heard to many things about the quality of the Craftsman Professional line compared to the Mac, Snap On, Matco, Cornwell, etc. however.
Another thing I dont like about the Craftsman box with Griplatch, is the fact that the top has to be open to open the drawers, with the limited room in my shop, my box has to sit on the work bench taking up valuable space.
Except its black, I'm not completely crazy about the grip latch, like I thought I would be, but oh well. I got it on sale too... 200 bucks.
Whatever you get get the good liner stuff that is like 20 bucks for a 22x85" roll. Its really nice.
As for a box that you will be working out of, I'd recommend Mac or SnapOn, Cornwell and Matco are there aswell, as some others... I worked for the local GM dealership in town for a while, and it seemed as if no one had enough room. The shop foreman and a former Dodge tech had boxes that had to be moved by wreakers because they were so heavy. They were long and then had another box on top of them. I say if you are planning on working with tools for a living, get a good quality box, the extra deep drawers will help aswell as the length of them. Most of the tool sales man have used boxes they get in on trade-in or repo or whatever. Check with all of them, and they may have another companies box etc. I haven't heard to many things about the quality of the Craftsman Professional line compared to the Mac, Snap On, Matco, Cornwell, etc. however.
Another thing I dont like about the Craftsman box with Griplatch, is the fact that the top has to be open to open the drawers, with the limited room in my shop, my box has to sit on the work bench taking up valuable space.
Re: What tool box do you all have??
a 6-drawer
Waterloo (seems as good or better
Waterloo (seems as good or better
) Although If I was starting over again I may have checked out home depot they have some decent boxes. 
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I have a six drawer top chest and a six drawer roll-away. Both ball bearings and no griplatch (whew). Mine is the extra deep version with 16" deep drawers. Only about half of the room I need.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 521
Likes: 0
From: Farmingdale NJ
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I have a Mac MB7100/MB7200 top and bottom combo, with a full length side locker with shelves, great for big stuff like books, kits (like FI test kit and other big boxes) etc. If you're really serious about being in it for life, the Craftsman boxes just don't hold up, especially if they're not ball bearing drawers. But they make great starter boxes since you'll probably outgrow it within the first year or two anyway.
I'm pretty happy with my Mac box, I paid $2300 for the setup used off the Mac truck but it's a fairly large box and in great condition. I'm sure it will meet my needs for at least another 10 years if not more. It's getting pretty full now but I always find a way to make room without being on top of myself with it. The great thing about being at a dealership is you generally need only limited tools, and you'll figure out what they are pretty quick. For example, I got my first dealership job about a month and a half ago at a Honda dealer. For as long as I'm there, guess what I will NEVER have to buy? SAE tools! Hell I think back to all the different sh*t I spent money on trying to fix every car under the sun and I cry. Hell I can take an entire Honda apart with 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 36mm wrenches and sockets. Dealerships will also have most of the speciality tools so that saves a lot of money and room in the box. Just go by the "borrow it more than three times ya gotta buy it" rule and you'll figure out what you really need to invest in
Good luck and what type of dealership are you planning on working for? GM? Japanese? European?
I'm pretty happy with my Mac box, I paid $2300 for the setup used off the Mac truck but it's a fairly large box and in great condition. I'm sure it will meet my needs for at least another 10 years if not more. It's getting pretty full now but I always find a way to make room without being on top of myself with it. The great thing about being at a dealership is you generally need only limited tools, and you'll figure out what they are pretty quick. For example, I got my first dealership job about a month and a half ago at a Honda dealer. For as long as I'm there, guess what I will NEVER have to buy? SAE tools! Hell I think back to all the different sh*t I spent money on trying to fix every car under the sun and I cry. Hell I can take an entire Honda apart with 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19 and 36mm wrenches and sockets. Dealerships will also have most of the speciality tools so that saves a lot of money and room in the box. Just go by the "borrow it more than three times ya gotta buy it" rule and you'll figure out what you really need to invest in
Good luck and what type of dealership are you planning on working for? GM? Japanese? European?
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I'm attending UTI and going into the Volkswagon or Audi program. So basically I'm just starting out and need as much info as I can get on items related to this. There are quite a few boxes out there..but cost a pretty penny. Just trying to see what is all around the best. I may end up getting a snap-on since I get it at 50% off. I'll have to wait and see.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 521
Likes: 0
From: Farmingdale NJ
Re: What tool box do you all have?? Yeah I hadn't considered that. There's a kid at the dealership I work at who is in vocational school, he gets like 50-60% off for like a year or something like that from Snap On as well.
I forgot another valuable peice of equipment, a good toolcart. I've found less use for it at the dealership than in the past since I have my own bay there, but they are still indespensable for doing bigger jobs where you need a close place to put parts and bolts and have to change tools frequently, like internal engine, transmission or major suspension work. I also use mine a lot for moving big parts like a cylinder head from parts to my bay, or assembled struts from my bay to the spring compressor; that way I can bring all the parts and tools I need in one trip not four.
I forgot another valuable peice of equipment, a good toolcart. I've found less use for it at the dealership than in the past since I have my own bay there, but they are still indespensable for doing bigger jobs where you need a close place to put parts and bolts and have to change tools frequently, like internal engine, transmission or major suspension work. I also use mine a lot for moving big parts like a cylinder head from parts to my bay, or assembled struts from my bay to the spring compressor; that way I can bring all the parts and tools I need in one trip not four.
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
From: Tampa, Florida
Re: What tool box do you all have?? ta12sec has some good points. The only thing I would add is that if your just starting out you will probably need to upgrade a couple times over the next 3-7 years. I use Craftsman at home but at work I have a MAC. The good thing about buying a MAC or Snap-On is you can trade them in (on each other also) and if you keep it in good shape you don't loose a lot of money. I've upgraded about seven times and I've never lost more than 700.00 and that was on a three year old box. Think of it like a investment. But you won't get crap for the "other" boxes from the tool trucks (as far as trade value).
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I got this on sale for $599
http://tinylink.com/?jsa76JrHlr
But read about my choices here...
http://www.miataforum.com/cgi-bin/ul...;f=14;t=000485
http://tinylink.com/?jsa76JrHlr
But read about my choices here...
http://www.miataforum.com/cgi-bin/ul...;f=14;t=000485
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 521
Likes: 0
From: Farmingdale NJ
Re: What tool box do you all have?? On the topic of toolboxes, here is the one I want:
(and I'm sure everyone else here would too )
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2431449123
(and I'm sure everyone else here would too
)http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2431449123
Re: What tool box do you all have?? I used to work as an Avionics Technician. When I was doing that type of work I owned a 40" (36"?) wide roller cabinet from Snap on. I used the top as a workbench and usually had $30,000 in radio gear parked on top of it at all times (for some kind of project), so a top box was out of the question. My SnapOn box didn't have ball bearing drawer sliders, and it sucked. Don't get me wrong, Snap On builds a nice box, but make sure you buy roller (ball bearing) drawers in any cabinet you buy (you'll thank me later). When I moved a few years ago, garage space became tight so I got rid of that cabinet....
I recently bought a Craftsman 3 cabinet combo (similar to tony's, but red with ball bearing drawers) for home use. It's not a Snap On, but I like it better than the Snap On I owned (there are other Snap On boxes I'd like better....trust me). And, currently, it serves my purpose just fine. They both get the job done, right now my Craftsman box gets it done for about $800 less..... (however, if I went back to work in the field, I'd buy another snap on with roller drawers this time, and take it to work...just a preference).
I recently bought a Craftsman 3 cabinet combo (similar to tony's, but red with ball bearing drawers) for home use. It's not a Snap On, but I like it better than the Snap On I owned (there are other Snap On boxes I'd like better....trust me). And, currently, it serves my purpose just fine. They both get the job done, right now my Craftsman box gets it done for about $800 less..... (however, if I went back to work in the field, I'd buy another snap on with roller drawers this time, and take it to work...just a preference).