I need a new tool box

[Keithmac]

I was thinking the other day how many times I've opened my Snap-on draws at work.

Never had any problems and always got good money back when trading in.

My son has a Halfords Professional toolbox and as nice as it is it isn't a patch on the Snap-on boxes.

This is my current box, the Epiq do look a nice design but hopefully this one will see me out now!.

 

[arther dailey]

I have second hand snap on boxes , look for ones with made in canada sticker on the back, they are heavier gauge than the newer ones which are like biscuit tins in comparison , hard to get at a realistic price you need to be patient to find reasonable condition at fair price. Thought I would sell mine on for profit aafter clean and tidy..but like it so much bought another !

 

[Memmeddu]

Never seen one tipped over
Only way to tip one would be to have multiple drawers open at the same time

Beta toolboxes have a system which allows to open one drawer at once , preventing the toolbox from tipping over
And there are newer ones which are cheaper .
Anyways I've opted for a cheap no brand toolbox because it has just to store my tools, it's not a bench and I just close the central lock if I need to move it around.
I need another one maybe with more drawers even if shallower.

 

[winchman]

This chap on Ebay sells high end used Tool boxes, great saving on the new price, he will deliver too. But it all depends on what you want to spend? look at his other Items.

snap on tool box 55” bottom box roll cab tool box With Key black stainless top | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for snap on tool box 55” bottom box roll cab tool box With Key black stainless top at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

As you may know I collect Beach boxes but the wider ones are very rare and whilst they are great the older Snap-On boxes are the best Value, but old Mac boxes are usually much cheaper but the same quality as the Snap on.

 

[premmington]

FWIW the kit that the fitter had (which looks like the Costco/Kirkland kit that @Agrismith posted...... has nice individual latching drawers.

Other lad in same workshop was a total Snap-On Tart. His rollcab was very nice for sure, but at £9K before you put a single tool inside it..... sorry but I failed to see where the value was.

Well I might be abit old fashioned - but I think you should go to work and earn money then bring that money home with you.

Spend the least you can earning it on overheads.

Every tool drawer I have ever had - is bent at the back where I got stuff stuck in it... I would not spend over £1000 on a tool box ever.... I could afford it - but could never justify it to myself. £9k on a tool box - is just too much for me.

 

[julianf]

Well I might be abit old fashioned - but I think you should go to work and earn money then bring that money home with you.

Spend the least you can earning it on overheads.

Every tool drawer I have ever had - is bent at the back where I got stuff stuck in it... I would not spend over £1000 on a tool box ever.... I could afford it - but could never justify it to myself. £9k on a tool box - is just too much for me.

If he is a young chap, maybe living with his parents, spending 9k on a snap on box, ideally second hand, is WAY better than him spending it on branded cloths and trainers, or beer at the pub.

If he is getting it on credit from the van, at least it forces him into payment schedules and diverts the money from the pub.

When the time comes, he has an asset. If he bought it new, it will have devalued, but not nearly as much as the beer or the trainers. Or the Ford fiesta body kit...


The thing is, I don't disagree with you - there would be no way I'd be spending that either. But I reckon there are some positive spin offs in some situations.

To update this thread on my one status -

I would find it very hard to spend more than about £400 in one hit on a box. I'm not looking at resale and so it's money just sitting there holding tools. I'd rather spend it on something else!

 

[rtcosic]

I really like the look of some of the stuff that comes up in Costco

Kirkland Signature 42" (106cm) RedLine 16-Drawer Garage T...

The Kirkland Signature™ 43 (106cm) 16-Drawer Redline Combination Garage Tool Storage System is a professionally engineered product, made for and designed by expert garage mechanics. This combination has a 6-drawer top chest that includes a retro-contoured top lid that creates an infinite...

www.costco.co.uk

One of my sons has one. I'm impressed with the build quality. Not suitable for me as I need ones at worktop height.

 

[Munkul]

I got a snap-on 40" last year to hold milling tools. Said toolbox is well over 25 years old and well used. However, it's still strong and runners work well, after they got all the grit and crap cleaned out.

The equivelent sealey, clarke etc would feel rotten after the sort of use this thing has had.

That's why they cost the big bucks.

I'd rather spend the £400-£500 on an old snap-on/Mac, than a new cheapo. It'll always be worth something, too.

Having said that, I also have 2 beta C24s, if you can find them at discount price or 2nd hand they are very good value. The top boxes are pap, but the rollcabs are decent. I have the bottom drawers loaded to the max in both of them...
I ahve an old britool which is good, and also have a sealey for drills. The sealy... is ok. Same capacity as the Beta's, but the drawer capacity is poor. I couldn't load it up like I can the beta.

 

[RWD3M]

One of the last things I bought before Covid cost me my living (and I still had 2 pennies to rub together!) was this roller cab and top box combo from MM:

Roller bearing drawer runners, fully lockable, and If memory serves, I paid a little under £800 for it on a VAT free day.

Moving up from this Craftsman set-up:

I thought all my storage issues would be answered.

(no mugs provided for scale but the Clarke is 40" wide and the Craftsman only 26" wide)

Then I bought more tools!

So unsurprisingly, the Craftsman tool cab has been pressed back into service

 

[zzr1200]

I have the unit listed below, and an earlier Kirkland unit of the same size, from about 8 years ago which lived in the back of my service van for 3 years with no ill effects (I did build a metal frame to bolt it down to the floor and bulk head of the van, both units are fantastic value for the money. The only problem is when you change/move jobs.

If your planning fitting/fixing it in a van, cut the correct size/thickness ply sheet to pack under the skirt of the base unit to support the bottom of the box properly and build a frame to bolt it down and stop the side to side movement that kills tool boxes in service vans...

I'll agree with peeps above, Snap-On boxes are well over priced these days, lets face it most are just purchased, then rolled into a space, filled with tools and left there until the owner changes jobs or get the "Tin Tack" and has to move them....

I'd recommend the unit below and they deliver in about a week, and all purchased on line from the comfort of your settee..

Kirkland Signature 42" (106cm) RedLine 16-Drawer Garage T...

The Kirkland Signature™ 43 (106cm) 16-Drawer Redline Combination Garage Tool Storage System is a professionally engineered product, made for and designed by expert garage mechanics. This combination has a 6-drawer top chest that includes a retro-contoured top lid that creates an infinite...

www.costco.co.uk

 

[Keithmac]

I think everyone is different.

I like to use quality tools, the right tool for the job and I look after them.

My works toolbox and tools are majority Snap-on, because I like to use them.

Could have bought cheaper no doubt but I enjoy using what I have.

When I hang up my tools my son and daughter will carry on using them so nothing wasted money wise.

Each to their own.

 

[winchman]

I think everyone is different.

I like to use quality tools, the right tool for the job and I look after them.

My works toolbox and tools are majority Snap-on, because I like to use them.

Could have bought cheaper no doubt but I enjoy using what I have.

When I hang up my tools my son and daughter will carry on using them so nothing wasted money wise.

Each to their own.

Quite right, we all have different thought on this. One thing about Snap on is you can usually sell it in years to come and get at least your investment back. I only have couple of pieces as I am too tight to pay.

 

[Trevorleach]

Quite right, we all have different thought on this. One thing about Snap on is you can usually sell it in years to come and get at least your investment back. I only have couple of pieces as I am too tight to pay.

When I was a boy I bought a set of snap on impact sockets on a a rail, 25 or so years later they were well worn, but sold on ebay for what I paid for them originally.

I think if you look after the snap on tools even just a little bit they will at the very least hold their value.
Even better if you buy used but nearly new or in excellent condiiton.

 

[pint]

or the trainers

you don't know the trainer market very well https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/28374300...uWo_IJuaDcQZ0fAmuznb0jVOx6IBK5ihoCrV0QAvD_BwE

 

[zzr1200]

I think everyone is different.

I like to use quality tools, the right tool for the job and I look after them.

My works toolbox and tools are majority Snap-on, because I like to use them.

Could have bought cheaper no doubt but I enjoy using what I have.

When I hang up my tools my son and daughter will carry on using them so nothing wasted money wise.

Each to their own.

The main problem with Snap-On these days is the guarantee isn't what it was back in 1972 when I started my apprenticeship, several other tool companies have upped their game with the guarantees, and quality of their tools.

I still have some of my original Snap-on stuff, although I've had 2 sets of Snap-on boxes destroyed in service vans over the years, and a fair amount of hand tools repaired/swapped out, which ends up a bit like "Trigger Boom" in the end.

I've spent thousands over the years and lost a fair amount as well.

Kirkland boxes you can afford to buy, unlike Snap-On which require a "Mortgage"....

I'd hate to tot up all the tools in the workshop, it'll probably give me another heart attack.....

 

[keithski122]

Quite right, we all have different thought on this. One thing about Snap on is you can usually sell it in years to come and get at least your investment back. I only have couple of pieces as I am too tight to pay.

Picked this up 15 years ago for £1500 secondhand plus £350 for the sidecab new. Easily still worth the same money, try saying the same for a £300 halfords box.
I have a halfords side cab but don't like the fact the drawers don't open fully.

 

[cheb]

When do we start factoring in the decreasing value of money because of inflation into the resale value of these boxen? Just because you can sell it for the same amount doesn't mean it hasn't cost you anything.

Buy the cheaper boxen and invest the balance.

 

[atomant48]

I was thinking the other day how many times I've opened my Snap-on draws at work.

Never had any problems and always got good money back when trading in.

My son has a Halfords Professional toolbox and as nice as it is it isn't a patch on the Snap-on boxes.

This is my current box, the Epiq do look a nice design but hopefully this one will see me out now!.

View attachment 412950

That’s cool I’ve got a grey KRL cab that Guy signed at one of the trade shows. It’s an awesome box - hardly gets used to its potential but the capacity is immense. Also got 2x Clarke top/bottom boxes - the blue ones - and one gets used daily. Also a great box - the drawers don’t quite line up and the depth is really quite restrictive (as someone mentions above you really need to check the depth of the drawers - both front to back and the actual depth) as some of them are very small. One of the Costco ones I looked at years back was really shallow. But the Clarke is fine as an overall box. But sorry, there is no comparison between it and my SO one for solidity, size or accuracy. Very valid question whether it’s a factor of 10 or whatever it is … but there is no comparison.

 

[keithski122]

I had a clarke one, traded it in against something decent when the bottom drawer started falling out.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I've got one of the cheapy US-Pro boxes, - one of these with a single side cabinet:

https://usprotoolboxes.com/product/professional-tool-cabinet-box-heavy-duty-2pc/

Seems to be OK for the money, which was a lot less when I bought it then they seem to be charging now!

Only two issues I've had is one of the locks not working, which was down the mechanism not being secured properly on the back of the lock - was an easy enough fix.
Recently one of the drawers doesn't "detent" in the closed position anymore - probably related to it having about 50kg of pliers stacked in it. Sliders still work fine otherwise

It has been grossly overloaded to be fair - I've now thinned it out a bit and spread it across more storage. Far more tools then I suspect the average snap on boxes will see.
I do think the snap on boxes are better built though, and if the OP wants to roll it about and take it for walks, I suspect the snap on box will hold up a lot better.

For me it just sits in the same spot and I wanted to put the money into the tools rather than the box - so it works for me and nothing else came close for the money.
Second hand boxes locally seem to go for a premium for something that looks like it has been run over by a tractor (probably not that far from the truth, actually).
If you are lucky enough to score a nice second hand box then that is probably the way to go.

I would prefer it to have deeper drawers, but on the other hand i haven't really got the space for a bigger box.
The same thing is sold in the U.S under the "US General" brand, and seem to be well received.
Annoyingly they also get the "gen 2" version which has deeper drawers.