Good metal toolboxes??

[dhoff]

Need recommendations. Years ago, my monster rollaway mechanics toolbox went missing and with it, probably 20,000 in Snap-on/Mac, etc. tools. As I dig in to my winter project, (see "winter project, motorcycle"), I am fast seeing that the big bag o'tools I have accumulated is not adequate to meet my needs, serving instead to piss me off every time I want something.

So I will never be a pro wrench, don't need the 42" Snap-on rollaway. But I do need a good box with drawers where I can stay sorted. A good top box would work fine. I am not going to pay Snap-on money this time. The truck no longer stops at my garage on pay day. Craftsman is an option I have never liked, they do not seem to age well.

What do you use? Do you love it?
Used is fine if someone has something they no longer need.

[steve garro]

Ask around at local tool guys and craigslist - I've picked up a few Kennedys that way - my favourites.
I have some Macs and Craftsman ones and while they certainly hold tools they just aren't the same QC.
- Garro.

[Too Tall]

I completely lost it one day over the fact I had 6 different toolboxes. This resulted in my scoring a 6' tall MAC double decker from, of all places, Home Depot. It's fine. It is the clincher of toolboxes {bannana:bannana}

[EddieBirdsell]

In the past year or so I've assembled a tool kit in a Homak 3-drawer. It's got a nice deep top box and a carrying handle. It's not the highest quality, but it is serving my needs quite nicely. Lives on the workbench at home, I close the top down and it goes in the back of the car for race weekends. Though, it sounds like you might be looking for something just a bit bigger.

117725.jpg

[steve garro]

In the past year or so I've assembled a tool kit in a Homak 3-drawer. It's got a nice deep top box and a carrying handle. It's not the highest quality, but it is serving my needs quite nicely. Lives on the workbench at home, I close the top down and it goes in the back of the car for race weekends. Though, it sounds like you might be looking for something just a bit bigger.

117725.jpg

That's smart, too.
Our 89' chevy with 275,000++mi has the "Baja toolbox" you can barely lift with everything for survival - it never leaves the truck.
- Garro.

[EddieBirdsell]

Thanks Garro. It is quite a bit of heft to lug from the basement to the car, and stuff does tend to shift around a bit, but man is it nice to have your "basic" everyday toolkit on hand right in the back of the wagon - no fumbling for tools, everything right where you expect it. I have a plan to eventually build in a false bottom to the middle drawer (where I keep my crescent wrenches - don't require much depth) so that I can store some cable housing underneath.

Looks like this - I keep ferrules, spoke nipples, cable ends, metric bolts, proprietary wheel and pedal tools, plumb bob, backup brake pads and chain links, etc. in the cut-to-height water bottles. There's a "junk" area in front of that - a few files, some zip ties, adhesives, etc. Oh yeah - a Park DAG serves as a divider up top, and is real nice to have at 'cross races.

1106121059b.jpg

[dhoff]

The Kennedy's look great and are certainly less $$ than Snap On. Has anyone used Waterloo? They seem to be about 1/2 the price. My nearest Kennedy Dealer sells them too.

Ask around at local tool guys and craigslist - I've picked up a few Kennedys that way - my favourites.
I have some Macs and Craftsman ones and while they certainly hold tools they just aren't the same QC.
- Garro.

[musgravecycles]

another Kennedy fan here...

[jamesand]

Where is the bottle opener in there? I must be missing it.
Kudos on assembling that. I love it.

Thanks Garro. It is quite a bit of heft to lug from the basement to the car, and stuff does tend to shift around a bit, but man is it nice to have your "basic" everyday toolkit on hand right in the back of the wagon - no fumbling for tools, everything right where you expect it. I have a plan to eventually build in a false bottom to the middle drawer (where I keep my crescent wrenches - don't require much depth) so that I can store some cable housing underneath.

Looks like this - I keep ferrules, spoke nipples, cable ends, metric bolts, proprietary wheel and pedal tools, plumb bob, backup brake pads and chain links, etc. in the cut-to-height water bottles. There's a "junk" area in front of that - a few files, some zip ties, adhesives, etc. Oh yeah - a Park DAG serves as a divider up top, and is real nice to have at 'cross races.

1106121059b.jpg

[steve garro]

Where is the bottle opener in there? I must be missing it.

I'd be hard pressed to find something in the picture you CAN'T open a bottle with, up to & including the box.
A Pacifico bolt-to-the-wall one would be pretty bad-ass on the lid, though.
- Garro.

[EddieBirdsell]

I'd be hard pressed to find something in the picture you CAN'T open a bottle with, up to & including the box.
A Pacifico bolt-to-the-wall one would be pretty bad-ass on the lid, though.
- Garro.

I like this idea, but I tend to agree - I take great pride in the number of articles with which I've opened a beer bottle. I find that ice scrapers give great leverage. SPD pedals work great. Oh man I could go on.

PS There is a Shamrock Cycles NAHBS Richmond 2010 bottle opener in there.

dhoff - are we helping at all or only distracting? Give us a little more guidance as to what you want to keep in this thing and how big of a unit you're looking for.

[Jacques]

I'm a Kennedy fan too. Got an 11 drawer chest at work and another at home, but they're definitely not mechanic's boxes. They're great for laying out a bunch of delicate mics and dial gauges etc, but you wouldn't want to load one up with a few houndred pounds of wrenches and impact sockets.

I'd reccomend whatever's on craigslist, otherwise Gray and Waterloo seem like good value.

[false_aesthetic]

A few years ago I called up the Snap-On truck and asked if he had any used/damaged chests.

Few days later he stopped by the shop with this and sold it to me for $300.
Attachment 47905

It might be worth a call.

[Larry]

Dhoff

I other cheap option is the Harbor Freight 44" Cabinet. It's been getting good reviews over on the Garage Forum for years and it's currently going for $389.

[AngryScientist]

you probably already know this, but not all craftsman stuff is created equal. they have a few different lines of toolboxes, from the pretty crappy consumer line to really nice boxes. the higher end stuff is made very well in my experience. roller bearing drawers, solid feeling all around. it's worth a trip to your local sears to check them out, at the very least.

craftsman stuff too - you could literally drop the box off an overpass, have a semi drive over it, bring it back to sears and the monkey at the counter will just hand you a new one. no questions asked.

[GAAP]

A few years ago I called up the Snap-On truck and asked if he had any used/damaged chests.

Few days later he stopped by the shop with this and sold it to me for $300.
Attachment 47905

It might be worth a call.

That is an amazing score.

[Matthew J]

My problem is I do not have enough room in my condominium to hide a tool box large enough to hold my tools and small parts.

My solution: Heavy Duty Utility and Equipment Cart | Convoi Cart from Anthro (the four drawer configuration). These Anthro Convois are very heavy duty (rated up to 500 pounds) but attractive enough that I can roll it in the corner between my sofa and wall put a lamp on it when not in use. The top is a good place to lay out tools and components.

Not cheap if money is an issue.

[anomaly]

Cheap: Harbor Freight ball bearing
Not quite so cheap: CL find or Craftsman ball bearing
Willing to spend a bit: MAC/Waterloo/etc are all pretty comparable

[dhoff]

Just found a top and bottom set of Snap On boxes. I am due to pick them up tomorrow night for $500

It's not the huge base cabinet I once had, but then I dont have anywhere near the tool stock I once did.

But it is probably a $3-5K set new so $500 seems like a deal. Does anyone have a Crumpton frame for me for $500? It seems like today is bargin day.

frankly after looking today, if I were looking for new, I think the Kennedy store would be hearing from me.

[Jacques]

Nice find!

This thread reminds me of how much I want a Kennedy roller cab to throw my box onto.