Locking you tool box in your home garage

[Murphy4570]

When I worked as a professional mechanic, I usually locked my toolbox after every work day. Some times I would forget.

With my box at home now, I don't bother to lock it. The keys are left on top the toolbox. I couldn't lock the hutch if I wanted too, too much **** on top the toolbox. Needs a cleaning.

 

[evanbaker08]

I keep mine locked while I'm away at college because my dad loses his tools all the time and I don't want mine missing.

 

[logical]

I do not lock them but probably not a bad idea.

 

[Inabox85]

I lock my box when I go on vacation. My wife's friend house sits but I don't know her boyfriend. So I lock my box. Then I put the key in my wifes jewelry box. Lock that. Then I put that key in my draw. Lock my bedroom. I give that key to my grandfather whom lives at my house.

 

[slip knot]

I put my tools away each day and lock my boxes, just a habit I got. Working in the field makes you get to where you put everything away when the day ends or its gone the next day.

As for the installer, I would make a complaint to the alarm company. My alarm service has a bonded tech come out and when he's finished he asks if there is anything I'm not happy with before he leaves. If your company is hiring someone who will use your tools what makes you think he wont be back while your gone. he knows how to get around your alarm system, hell he installed it. I would make the call.

 

[Squddle]

When I was a lube tech at a local dealership, I usually only locked my box at night before I'd leave. Never had a problem. Only time someone went into my box when I wasn't there, they were looking for something. I was rushed out of the shop to pick up a customer's vehicle. MUST HURRY they said, so, off I went. When I returned, my box... all the drawers had been ransacked. Nothing missing, but definately someone was looking for something. I tried to tell myself, maybe they were looking to borrow a tool, but as the lube tech, I had the least tools. Then all of a sudden every car that came in for an oil change for the next few days, had either a wallet or cash sitting in the center console. Hmmmmm.... I thought everything was going great, but to come back to this was a real bummer. I think they thought I had taken some money, but I didn't. It really hurt. It took over 2 weeks for the "tests" to stop. They leave the cars unlocked all day with the keys in the ignition outside, so it could have been anyone. But nobody ever asked me or anything. Then they suspected the car wash guy and he kept finding money under the seats. It really hurt at the time, but I got over it. Just goes to show you, no matter what you think, people aren't always as friendly as they seem.

 

[Robbie UK]

Am I the only guy wondering why you have a CO2 detector?

What are you doing in there that requires you to be concern with CO2 levels?

 

[Alinnh]

At home on weekends I will leave my tools unlocked during the day but close garage door if I go inside the house detached garage. At night and when I'm not there everything gets lock up. The other day my wife asked if her friends kid who is 15 could come over and use my tools to cut some wood cause they were going to build bird houses at the next 4H meeting. I said no way anyone is to go in or use anything in the garage if I'm not there, she could not understand what my problem was like I'm the bad guy. I have table saw, bandsaws, radial arm saw, and countless other things. All I could think is this kid cutting a hand off and his parents sueing use for everything we have. I told her they can come over when I'm home and I will cut the wood and show him how it's done but not to use the saws himself. So now I need to also pull the safety locks for my power tool when not there too.

 

[Shootingblanks]

I lock my tool box and am the only one with the keys as added insurance. You just never know even though I've got pictures and their insured. Garages are easy to break into and most pos criminals know that. It also keeps family (kids, in-laws, siblings) from stopping by and using a tool with out asking permission first.

 

[MikeF2316]

Am I the only guy wondering why you have a CO2 detector?

What are you doing in there that requires you to be concern with CO2 levels?

I assumed he really meant CO detector... And since it wasn't pertinent to the reason for posting I just went with it. But if it really is a CO2 detector, I'd be interested in why too.

 

[WWShop]

I never lock my box unless I'm gone for several days. I do keep the box locked that holds all of my Grandpa's old tools though. I would be furious if someone went through my toolbox without asking.

 

[blown94conv]

I lock mine when I'm away for long periods of time, but when at I'm home nightly I don't. Luckily I have Snap On boxes which most people "not in the biz" think are locked anyways when they try to open the drawers.

My wife knows that no one goes in the garage, ever, without me or me giving express permission, and that would only apply to about 3 people. If someone were, there would be problems.

 

[CJM8515]

When I worked in the shop I locked it, people have sticky fingers. At home, only if someone is coming to work on stuff. The downside is the shop has pegboards of woodworking tools all over the place someone could easily lift. This past year we had work done to fix a drainage issue in the basement and the jerks took my shop broom...

 

[sberry]

Is anything really missing and again another safety device causes a problem.

 

[Jsf721]

My mistake it is a carbon monoxide detector. I have them on each floors of the house and outside the our and the kids bedrooms. They are hard wired into the fire and burglar alarm connected to central station. Recently had a cellular dialer added as the bad guys were cutting phone lines.

QUOTE=MikeF2316;5267401]I assumed he really meant CO detector... And since it wasn't pertinent to the reason for posting I just went with it. But if it really is a CO2 detector, I'd be interested in why too.[/QUOTE]

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

I usually make it a point to have work like this done while I'm around. It keeps them honest, and if they need something (help, tools, advice, suggestions, understanding of the home setup, etc.) I'm there to help. It also helps to improve the "quality" of the job and customer satisfaction. I cannot tell you how some of the stuff was done when I wasn't there that I later reworked myself to my satisfaction.. If not, everything that can be is shut and locked is. Other than that, the exposed stuff (on peg boards) is 5S.

I had a ATT guy come out, the upstairs Uverse box was on the blink (changed the box so it had to be an issue with the cable). He came in and replaced two of the wired boxes with wireless and ran a better cable for the main unit. I offered to have his trash thrown into my recycling bin, and he said no thanks.. I am required to return to the shop with all my waste and properly dispose of it there. Interesting work tactic...

Good luck figuring out what might be missing.. and go after them with a vengeance..

 

[SantaAna12]

I usually make it a point to have work like this done while I'm around. It keeps them honest, and if they need something (help, tools, advice, suggestions, understanding of the home setup, etc.) I'm there to help. It also helps to improve the "quality" of the job and customer satisfaction. I cannot tell you how some of the stuff was done when I wasn't there that I later reworked myself to my satisfaction.. If not, everything that can be is shut and locked is. Other than that, the exposed stuff (on peg boards) is 5S.

I had a ATT guy come out, the upstairs Uverse box was on the blink (changed the box so it had to be an issue with the cable). He came in and replaced two of the wired boxes with wireless and ran a better cable for the main unit. I offered to have his trash thrown into my recycling bin, and he said no thanks.. I am required to return to the shop with all my waste and properly dispose of it there. Interesting work tactic...

Good luck figuring out what might be missing.. and go after them with a vengeance..

That is the spec for the Craftsman of ATT. Some still exist.

 

[Bessy]

In all honesty, I'd love to be able to lock things up, mostly because I know how things tend to go missing. Dad's tools are never locked (or even drawers closed for that matter), and typically short of larger wood power tools I don't tend to use any of his stuff any more (though I did when I was younger and didn't have a lot of my own stuff). As a consequence, my stuff tends to stay unlocked as a courtesy to him. Anything that has gone missing since I've been away at school, if attributed to Dad, is typically found somewhere on the Trawler, which is less than convenient. I don't however like to extend said courtesy to others as that is when stuff goes missing.

Now that my uncle has permanently moved back to town we will need to discuss locking boxes, because often when something goes missing I find it in the back of his truck and usually coated in rust. I've also come home on one account to see he, my cousin and my dad using my tools for a project (grill stand for the boat) and observed a number of horrors:
Using the no-mar hammer to beat on the edge of a piece of stainless (which has all but destroyed the head)
Using my Kershaw pocket blade to cut WIRE
and on another occasion finding my drill and impact driver grips caked with river muck after spending the day installing/removing the docks for the season.

You get the picture.

I really hate borrowing stuff for the sole reason that it means I should in fairness return the courtesy. Typically my rule is three times. If I borrow it three times I buy it myself. This however has to be balanced against what I can afford and what I use on a regular basis, so for instance I will not be buying a chop saw until I actually move out of the house permanently.

 

[Cato]

I wish tool boxes came without locks for homeowner types like myself. I never use the lock and have found it was more trouble - I had to take out those bars from the back of my Craftsman top boxes.

 

[dodge610]

I have numerous tool boxes in the garage and the work shop in the back yard. None of it is locked. My BIL and son both use from it and have never lost a thing. My son is a little lax about putting things where they belong but has never lost anything. Guess I am just the lucky kind of guy. Will add I can go to my BIL and get whatever i need in turn from his box.

 

[Outlander]

I need to re organize the drawers as this guy must have been looking for a tool I don't have as the screw drivers what have their own drawer are not mixed with wrenches and on and on.

Sounds like you need to get in your car and go over to their office and give the repair guy a ride over to you place next time! He obviously is not prepared to work and if you will be providing tools you might as well supply transportation.

That said, if a repair guy asks me for something to make his life a bit easier and I have it I don't mind contributing if it make things go faster.

 

[ZRX61]

If I'd have come home & caught the guy with his hands in the toolbox I would have lost my ****. My usual reaction is to kick the drawer shut while the persons hand is still inside it.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

That is the spec for the Craftsman of ATT. Some still exist.

Yeah, he was a relatively young guy.. Did a nice job even thought he cracked the vinyl siding. He handled that very well and professionally as well.

 

[ttpete]

When I was a lube tech at a local dealership, I usually only locked my box at night before I'd leave. Never had a problem. Only time someone went into my box when I wasn't there, they were looking for something. I was rushed out of the shop to pick up a customer's vehicle. MUST HURRY they said, so, off I went. When I returned, my box... all the drawers had been ransacked. Nothing missing, but definately someone was looking for something. I tried to tell myself, maybe they were looking to borrow a tool, but as the lube tech, I had the least tools. Then all of a sudden every car that came in for an oil change for the next few days, had either a wallet or cash sitting in the center console. Hmmmmm.... I thought everything was going great, but to come back to this was a real bummer. I think they thought I had taken some money, but I didn't. It really hurt. It took over 2 weeks for the "tests" to stop. They leave the cars unlocked all day with the keys in the ignition outside, so it could have been anyone. But nobody ever asked me or anything. Then they suspected the car wash guy and he kept finding money under the seats. It really hurt at the time, but I got over it. Just goes to show you, no matter what you think, people aren't always as friendly as they seem.

I'm afraid I would have had a chat with the service manager about that. That's insulting. The fact that the cars sat outside unlocked would have made the whole thing useless, anyway.

 

[MemphisR32]

Completely unprofessional and I would call or drive over to the business and speak with the owner about this condition.

 

[sleepy127]

I usually keep mine unlocked unless I am not going to be home for a few days or longer. The wife and sun both have their own tools now and have no need for mine.

 

[toddacimer]

I lock mine when I'm not in the garage