I need a new tool box

[Trevorleach]

Pic of Snap On 40 inch roll cab I bought used 35 years ago, two years in a workshop, three years bolted to a renault traffic van (L reg) floor with a vice bolted to the top of it, and has since spent the rest of its life in my garage.
As you can see I cherish it!

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

I'm reading you guys, and doing the calculation in my mind. Steel boxes bent to order, 1.2 mm thick, industrial rails with balls, powder-coated, frame and sheathing with sheets, castor wheels, and fittings (profile aluminum pipe, lock and rod) = it will turn out much cheaper than 1000 euros for a box wide ~ 80 cm and a desktop on top.

And industrial design in the old style, like these legs.

 

[Stueeee]

What an interesting thread. I have a foot in both the Snap-On and ANother toolbox camp. Here's the setup in my workshop garage, it started out as just the top box more than 40 years ago. Having traded up to this from a cantilever toolbox, I thought, can't see me filling this up , the first drawer section arrived a few years later; the bottom drawer section was an Ebay purchase that Ibought and resprayed about 10 years ago.

When I had a new garage built on the other side of my garden, I soon got fed up of trundling the Snap-On stack backwards and forwards between the two buildings, not to mention the risk of some of our 'travelling friends' seeing the toolboxes in transit . So I bought the Halfords stack and a second set of tools for the 'new' garage. This setup is just peeking up in these two photos. The Halfords stuff seems reasonable quality for the money. The drawers have bearing runners which my Snap-On setup doesn't, but the base unit did also have really crappy casters which I changed for decent ones.

But more recently having seen the quality of the Costco/Kirkland toolbox stacks close up, I think that they would be my first choice if I was buying today.

 

[GRW]

Used Kirkland on FBMP today....

Kirkland 42inch tool chest

Really good solid box Selling due to making room Comes with key all draws are perfect On wheels and 2 handles Open to offers

www.facebook.com

 

[zzr1200]

Used Kirkland on FBMP today....

Kirkland 42inch tool chest

Really good solid box Selling due to making room Comes with key all draws are perfect On wheels and 2 handles Open to offers

www.facebook.com

Yep, seller is recouping, hopes to recoup £450.00 and keep the top box into the bargain.

Not worth the money imho, buy a new top box/roll cab from Costco online....

 

[GRW]

Yep, seller is recouping hopes tom recoup £450.00 and keep the top box into the bargain.

Not worth the money imho, buy a new top box/roll cab from Costco online....

I realised after posting that the top box was AWOL. Yep, you're right - better off with new than that one

 

[Brad93]

My dad has the costco toolbox. Pretty good by all accounts. He has had it about three years now. So far id says better than my Clarke HD which i've had for about 8 years. Time will tell.

 

[zzr1200]

A picture of my tool boxes that lived in the back of my Service Engineers Van for the first 3 years of its life, they're now about 8 years old, still look new once dusted off.

 

[addjunkie]

A picture of my tool boxes that lived in the back of my Service Engineers Van for the first 3 years of its life, they're now about 8 years old, still look new once dusted off.

View attachment 413289

Have you ever figured out what the cupboard is for?

 

[GRW]

Have you ever figured out what the cupboard is for?

Lunch box, surely?

 

[keithski122]

How about this? I have a teng roll cab and really like it.

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[My Old Landy]

I have SGS and Halfords and Clarke.
Not a professional in fact I haven't done anything in the workshop for a long time.
They will be up for sale at some point soon

 

[8ob]

I bought a couple of these US pro type generic roll cabs when they were £500 a piece, that was over ten years ago and they are holding up well.

• 

 

[sickpup]

I've got a 27 year old 3 box Clarke HD stack with friction slides that is still doing great. Was their top of the range US made set up before bearing slides came out. It has the front security bars to lock it which are annoying to use but very secure.
I also have a Clarke CBB226 bottom cab with an SL41C side drawer unit on each side.

Best advice I can offer as to how well a box will last is to try and flex it while empty. Cheap thin walled boxes flex easily in the diagonal which thick walled, well braced ones don't. If it doesn't flex much it will last longer when you overload the drawers.

Older boxes tend to not be so deep front to back and the drawers are shallow. Having a large deep top one or two drawers is useful. Means you can hold all of your spanners and sockets, the two most used automotive tools in one or two easy to reach drawers but the box needs to be good quality or the drawer bends and the runners fail prematurely.

Brand is no longer a good indication of quality. Some cheap boxes are very good and some expensive boxes are flimsy, always take a look in person and don't just buy online.

 

[Sergei Slovenija]

I've got a 27 year old 3 box Clarke HD stack with friction slides that is still doing great. Was their top of the range US made set up before bearing slides came out. It has the front security bars to lock it which are annoying to use but very secure.
I also have a Clarke CBB226 bottom cab with an SL41C side drawer unit on each side.

Best advice I can offer as to how well a box will last is to try and flex it while empty. Cheap thin walled boxes flex easily in the diagonal which thick walled, well braced ones don't. If it doesn't flex much it will last longer when you overload the drawers.

Older boxes tend to not be so deep front to back and the drawers are shallow. Having a large deep top one or two drawers is useful. Means you can hold all of your spanners and sockets, the two most used automotive tools in one or two easy to reach drawers but the box needs to be good quality or the drawer bends and the runners fail prematurely.

Brand is no longer a good indication of quality. Some cheap boxes are very good and some expensive boxes are flimsy, always take a look in person and don't just buy online.

You will have to build the tool chest of your dreams yourself. The design has already been made. Just a chest from the store - it looks boring..