Home Garage Toolbox Options

[Twistytee]

I am trying to get some better organization to my home garage. I know these threads are all over garagejournal but curious what guys here do if they have access to a home garage/shop. Is something like a used 56” roll cab too big? Better to stick with smaller more movable stackers?

[dannyzabolotny]

I just bought whatever I could find cheapest, which happened to be this:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2893/33082870673_8cf49d7aa8_h.jpg

Now it's at my shop, where I continue to use it on a daily basis. Best $150 ever.

[Twistytee]

I have a similar 26” craftsman stack but from the late 60s. I’m quickly outgrowing it and looking for wider drawers. I do have a 3 drawer intermediate chest from the same era that needs refurbed before I put it into use.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7900/44635752720_e8cf0f23f4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2b1iUcs)Untitled (https://flic.kr/p/2b1iUcs) by Twistytee (https://www.flickr.com/photos/89knights/), on Flickr

[jp5Touring]

I have something similar to this, and it's full. Get the biggest box you can fit and the best you can afford.
This is hand tools only,doesn't include power tools that I have.

https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/93cb9c27-293f-41a9-ad33-6ddaeb02274b/svn/black-textured-powder-coating-husky-tool-chest-combos-hotc5623bb2s-64_1000.jpg

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

I traded in my old SnapOn box that I bought back in 1994 for $3500 brand new, lugged it around through the years, both between home and the shops ive worked at. This summer, I bought a new bigger box from SnapOn, long story short, the box was ordered for somebody who backed out after the box got delivered to my SnapOn dealer. He got stuck with it, I had been looking at that particular box, and one day while he was at the shop, I hopped on to replace a lost 4” quarter inch extension, and ended up getting the box, was a $13,500 box, when he told me he was gonna give me $3,800 for my old box, it was a done deal. Especial when he told me he was knocking $3,500 off the original price of the box. The box is 47 inches high, 60” wide, and 30” deep. With all the tools I have, it’s still too small, lol.

Anyway, at this size, you gotta have a trailer, ramps, or have a tow truck lug it around for you.. Here’s a picture of it while I was transferring my tools over from the old box. The old box was all beat up, scratched up and all, But I did replace all the ball bearing glides a year ago, surprised I got $300 more than what I payed originally!!! I don’t know, you guys probably think I’m nuts for getting such an overpriced toolbox, it is quite more substantially built than those boxes from the Home Depot’s and Lowe’s stores. If you’re not a professional wrench, I don’t know, get the Milwaukee toolboxes that HomeDepot sells, they’re not that bad, but the steel on my box is double the gauge of the Milwaukee box.

[JimLev]

Nice box Snotty. I just keep buying more Craftsman boxes. Got 7 of them now and 5 Gladiator wall mount cabinets.
I need one more but will have to wait until I can open up some floor space that the '33 boxes are taking up.

[Twistytee]

I don’t know, you guys probably think I’m nuts for getting such an overpriced toolbox, it is quite more substantially built than those boxes from the Home Depot’s and Lowe’s stores. If you’re not a professional wrench, I don’t know, get the Milwaukee toolboxes that HomeDepot sells, they’re not that bad, but the steel on my box is double the gauge of the Milwaukee box.

That new box is sweet! I don’t professionally wrench so I can make do with something less substantial. I’m also good with picking up something used if it’s better built. Would like something in the 44-56” width range. I built a couple of workstations to house my power tools and my powder coat oven. Used old solid core doors and Formica as my toppers. But I’d still like some wider drawers for sockets, torque wrenches, breaker bars, etc.

[jp5Touring]

Nice box Snotty,my Kid has one very similar and has out grown it also.
Agreed the Home Depot Husky brand has some boxes and work benches that are pretty decent for the price.They make the Milwaukee boxes also.
Been waiting for the workbench to go on sale.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Nice box Snotty,my Kid has one very similar and has out grown it also.
Agreed the Home Depot Husky brand has some boxes and work benches that are pretty decent for the price.They make the Milwaukee boxes also.
Been waiting for the workbench to go on sale.
Dude, your son’s tig welding skills has me envious! Keep on posting his latest projects!

I’m actually thinking of buying another identical box so I can double them up, side by side. I asked if SnapOn could build me one completely opposite of the other, they said it wouldn’t be a problem. I priced out some tops for the box, they have the butcher block top in wood, $1200! So that’s not happening, the stainless top comes in at $800, might do that, but I might just fabricate one for myself, powdercoat it that hammered metal and be done, $200 or less in material and powder coating, + my labor. Fun to think about, then I start to wonder when the hell am I ever gonna have the time to do this.... :( Maybe I should just break down and order that stainless top. Wish I could pause time!!! How cool would that be?!?

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Nice box Snotty. I just keep buying more Craftsman boxes. Got 7 of them now and 5 Gladiator wall mount cabinets.
I need one more but will have to wait until I can open up some floor space that the '33 boxes are taking up.
Thanks! It’s the top line that SnapOn makes, the Epiq Series, the stupid thing was like 900 lbs empty, and it’s rated to carry over 10,000 lbs of whatever you care to shove in there. One of the things I like about the box, the wheel casters. Each caster has a lever that lets you lock it in place, if you need to maneuver the box into a tight spot, you pull the lever and the casters will swivel any direction. On my old box, one end was fixed, and the end with the handle had free swiveling casters, to maneuver into a tight spot, you had to pull an Austin Powers parking job. Haha! The little things in life make me happy. Another thing they have too are these tool box ends that hang off the box, one for each side, you end up adding another 24” worth of drawers, they usually go for about $1,500 a piece. I don’t know, maybe I’ll do those. Hopefully when it’s time to move on up to a larger box, hopefully SnapOn gives me more money for the trade in again! Lol

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

That new box is sweet! I don’t professionally wrench so I can make do with something less substantial. I’m also good with picking up something used if it’s better built. Would like something in the 44-56” width range. I built a couple of workstations to house my power tools and my powder coat oven. Used old solid core doors and Formica as my toppers. But I’d still like some wider drawers for sockets, torque wrenches, breaker bars, etc.
That’s cool! Back in ‘91, I was an electrician, company I worked for did only commercial work, we did a doctors office, and we demo’d the whole place, got to keep anything we wanted, I got a whole supply rooms worth of closets with built in ball bearing drawers, all kinds of cool stuff that was just gonna get tossed. Did my whole garage, they actually did a good job of storing all my tools, power equipment, the works. When I sold the place, the new owners were so excited about all the custom work I did in the garage. Guy was a car guy too.

[ross1]

I am trying to get some better organization to my home garage. I know these threads are all over garagejournal but curious what guys here do if they have access to a home garage/shop. Is something like a used 56” roll cab too big? Better to stick with smaller more movable stackers?
You can never have too much horizontal surface.

I use a 40" roller with chest alongside a 52" roller cab without a chest. Even though it is usually cluttered I still have a nice height work surface which can be moved around my shop.
Second hand pro boxes are a great value. My MAC roller is nearly 40 years old now and still works great, it won't win any beauty contest but I'm not competing anyway. I have hundreds of pounds in some drawers and they still slide smoothly. I can stand in an open one to reach stuff on the shelves above.

[adm750]

Craftsman boxes....several of them...but I have long since run out of room. (I do still have the first tool box I ever owned...a gift from my father when I was about 10...)

I built a nice workbench for the front of the garage right after we bought our house. My son was about 5 the time and we did it together in the driveway. It's been about 10 years since we built it so can't exactly remember the BOM, but it has treated 4x4 legs, 1x6 face around the top (under the work surface), and 2x4's under the top work surface and the lower storage shelf portion for support. 3/4" plywood work surface and lower shelf. 8' long x 36" deep x 36" high. (I'm avg height so I had to be creful how deep I made it...lol...). Lag bolts (3 per corner top and bottom...making 24 total...joining the cross braces to the legs...). Work surface and lower shelf held down with black coated screws countersunk flush. I wanted it to be able to hold a small engine for sure. It will...maybe even if it is still in a car..haha... (actually, I just wanted it to hold the engine from my gsxr is all...figured that would be substantial enough for me...). Lower part is storage for most power tools and spare car parts...

Materials were cheap compared to buying a pre-fab work bench....and it fits perfectly between the two windows at the front of my garage... ;)

[Shadow88]

+1 on the Husky toolboxes. I got a similar rig to Dannyz's for Xmas a few years ago and I have already outgrown it. I would definitely go to a local HD and put your hands on one to see if it's up to your liking though. The model that they replaced mine with is now a joke. Super flimsy.
I'm now looking at a horizontal roller cabinet- still trying to find one that I feel is worth what they are asking for.....

[ULtm8drvnmchn]

Harbor Freight has great prices on roll cabs... $500. for a 52" box for home use is a great deal in my opinion. I happen to have a Snap On roll cab box because I was a mechanic professionally for years before it became a hobby. I just kept the box through the years.... I also have a really old OTC top box that I bought at a garage sale for 30 bux... Good place to buy tools and boxes are yard/garage sales

[jp5Touring]

Snotty, some more of his fab work,not a lot of wielding,yet. He made all the floor pans in the pic from stock sheet metal for a Torino project.
Super proud of where he's at for 25yo.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49898541_2330772826956772_4390468814404321280_n.jp g?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=86b4f157fd7db83a951aa6e7c985d8ee&oe=5CE70647

Recent finished project

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/49773477_2327596133941108_8283009782281928704_n.jp g?_nc_cat=102&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=c040c74e4decf84c8a69c0430b15ec45&oe=5CFF8393

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Wow man!!! That Camaro is awesome!!! Dude, he’s at that age where his work can really take him for a great ride and eventually become one of the big name builders. That’s no small feat. Tell him to keep up the good work!

[StephenVA]

Looks great!
on tool boxes I upgraded awhile ago from my Craftsman mult stack to this wide version
Craftsman EDGE Series 52 inch 19-Drawer Premium Heavy-Duty Tool Chest Combo - Midnight Bluehttps://www.sears.com/craftsman-edge-series-52-inch-19-drawer-premium/p-009CO68469512B?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=23&blockNo=23&blockType=G23
waited for a 50% off sale with free shipping. Dropped ship right to the driveway three days later.