tool storage suggestions

Hi gang,

i lurk quite a bit but rarely post. up until a few months ago, for the last 12 years i had a house with a one car shoe box that i could barely fit my porsche in.



I finally sold it and now i am contingent on a house with a 2 car garage that i hope i can sink my teeth into. The price of the house was also nice enough that i have a good jump in savings to where i can tear down and build a 3 car steel building in a few years.

anyways, long story short, i started out with a cheapy two piece tool chest that my dad got me when i 18 and first moved out. i have kept the chest but ditched the cheapy tools for better ones, mostly craftsman and the occasional snap on if i decided to splurge.


here is a better pic of the POS i currently have (but i have amassed many many tools since this was taken)



I have quickly outgrown the 2 piece chest and I am looking for something a bit more substantial to go in the new garage when we move in a few months. I am hoping you guys may be able to give me suggestions, tips and thoughts, and lead me in the right direction so i can step up my game.

what works best for you guys here in terms of storage and organization?

I keep going to different styles..

1) the long big chest with tons of drawers

2) the stacker sets you see.

sometimes the long chest will be a bottom for a stacker and sometimes it seems to be a stand alone.

what do you find that you like or works for you? I like the idea of a big long rolling chest with cutting board top that i can use as a rolling work bench of sorts. but at the same time is that the most practical? what also saves space?

budget is a huge consideration. id also like something with good roller bearing drawers. Im not a pro, but i love to wrench on my porsche and have a parts car and a donor that i want to restore as well, so nothing ******, but nothing crazy expensive. craftsman comes to mind, harbor freight didnt seem to bad when i looked at their stuff, but how does their stuff stand up?

anyways, would love to hear thoughts and recommendations.

Long chests with deep drawers are the best IMO. Get something that is big enough to store what you need and work your way out not up. I would say no more than mid chest high would be my max. Personally being able to double the top of the box as a work space is a huge bonus. Perfect place for me to put battery chargers, rag boxes, and other things of the sort so they are in easy reach.

Now what box to get is up for debate, but that's my opinion.

Thanks, that was my initial though as well. im a shorter guy (5'8"), so i dont want to get a massive stacking unit that i have to use a stool just to see whats in the top drawers.

I like the idea of something work bench high that can double my work bench space.. however, i dont want to shoot myself in the foot by taking away valuable workspace. (ie, is it better to go virtical and stack to save space? or would the space saved be negligible?)

so i was thinking one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/roller-cabinet-44-13-drawer-gloss-red-industrial-uality-69387.html




http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-...-bearing-griplatch-reg/p-00959624000P?prdNo=1





http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-53-in-wide-8-drawer-basic-ball/p-00931011000P?prdNo=6





anyone have other suggestions or options you think i should consider? sub 500 seems to be about my range..

For sub, the US HF44" would be a good piece new.

If you were really lucky you might find a lista cabinet or the like for that price, used of course. That would be my preference as they have the most storage in^2 per floor space. Outside of those, you are going to be pretty limited for a ball bearing box. Most of the used truck brand boxes in that price range are going to be friction or maybe well used ball bearing. New, the HF44" is really a good bang for the buck.

Where abouts are you located, roughly?

Thanks zkling. so you would take the HF over both of those craftsman i listed (also ball bearing).

agree on finding a used lista, snap on etc, but that will be the challenge.

hoffman912 said:

Thanks zkling. so you would take the HF over both of those craftsman i listed (also ball bearing).

agree on finding a used lista, snap on etc, but that will be the challenge.

Click to expand...

Sadly yes. That HF44" bottom box is one of the few gems at HF. And believe me when I say I HATE going to harbor freight. I don't personally have one of those boxes, but I have used one a fair bit. I personally enjoy the vintage truck brand boxes as they are a better storage / $ value as I am very budget limited for the garage. I also don't mind friction slides so they work well for me. The craftsman are just super flimsy these days. Now the grip latch is not bad, but for the money the HF is really hard to beat.

What does your local craigslist look like? Maybe check there? You never know what may pop up. One thing that is REALLY attractive about the HF44" is for $350 it is clean and ready to go. Where as with a used box it usually needs to be cleaned and maybe a little fix up here and there before it can be put to use.

hoffman912 said:

im a shorter guy (5'8")

Click to expand...

In that case, a KRL722 would be perfect for you.

The HF units are truly hard to beat. I love mine except for a few things....

1. They just have rubber detents for the closing action. My previous (tall stacking boxes) had a cool gripping mechanism that grabbed the drawer when pushed in 80% or so, and pulled it in the rest of the way.

2. Smells like Harbor Freight.

If you have a menards close to you I would look at both their performax and Masterforce Boxes. The Masterforce Boxes are more expensive than the HF units, but are just as good, if not better and come in more sizes.

The Performax are darn good cheap boxes, and aren't the quality if MasterForce or HF, but are much better than CMAN, Husky, Kobalt, etc. My previous box was a performax, and if they made a 42+ performax box, I would have picked it up in a heartbeat.

hoffman912 said:

what works best for you guys here in terms of storage and organization?

I keep going to different styles..

1) the long big chest with tons of drawers

2) the stacker sets you see.

sometimes the long chest will be a bottom for a stacker and sometimes it seems to be a stand alone.

what do you find that you like or works for you? I like the idea of a big long rolling chest with cutting board top that i can use as a rolling work bench of sorts. but at the same time is that the most practical? what also saves space?

Click to expand...

Congrats on the garage expansion!

I think you know you'll want to allow for adequate storage in any future case. So, go a little bit overkill on the upper cabinets and lower (roll) cabinets so you have room to grow. You seem to be considering a HF 44; get two.

And your layout of the new garage might make a cart or smaller roll cab very sensible. I tend to think in terms of how I'm going to put tools accessible to work on cars; other guys are more of a carpenter mindset. At the same time "what saves space" is making the most of the space that's out of your way. Up high cabinets for less-used tools with step-stool to suit. Or low shelves & cabinets with slide-out trays for larger, less-used or heavy tools.

Excellent point about height and related ergonomics. One of the first things I did in my garage was set up basic wooden workbenches that suited me by work surface height.

I keep a folder on the computer of architectural things I like. Pictures and sometimes notes of things. This includes garage ideas. Layout of toolboxes, upper cabinets, visual storage devices. All kinds of stuff. Much of that has come from reading the Garage builds forum on here. It's a huge enjoyable abstract adventure compared to the tool discussion in which you've posted your thread. And I certainly hope your new garage gets it's own thread in there.

Keep reading and building your dream.

Thanks guys! Appreciate the feedback here. What i am thinking is two work benches, two long rolling chests (double as movable benches). current bench i have was a craftsman i picked up on CL for a song. it has essentially a tool chest built into it underneath the bench top, so with that in mind maybe a third or fourth smaller rolling car to fit underneath the bench(s)

other than that, over head cabinets, and likely a set or two of shelves, or tall cabinet to contain parts etc. big air compressor is a must, media blasting cabinet is on the wish list, welder of course, drill press, and perhaps a bandsaw down the road.

my goal is a 2 or tight 3 car garage, where i can easily fit 2 and shove a 3rd in when i need it (ie a 3rd being a parts car any time i want to get one and part it out to fund my hobby or use for a project). I have been parting out cars in the drive way in the middle of summer and winter (all covered and done so as not to p*ss off the neighbors). no more now that i have a true work space.

found this rust bucket full of premium rare parts (wheels paid for the car alone)

https://sphotos-b.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/383615_10150936183515510_1519630611_n.jpg

result


I would like to be able to have capacity to turn half of it into a temporary paint booth when i want (i really enjoy body work and have done quite well on a few items i have redone and repainted on the porsche).

the idea would be that the rolling chests/carts would be on the 'booth' side since they would be mobile and easily relocated to make room for paint work. of course i think i need to be over there for a while to really get a feel for it.

I am also excited that I will have my own place to do major projects for now on.. last spring i had to take up my best friends garage for 4 weeks while we refreshed my entire suspension. we hoped it was only going to take 2 weekends and i hated doing that to him..





the new house though, we're totally psyched for (been in a 1 room apt for a few mos while looking). I get my garage space, and we get a really cool turn of the century house with tons of character, and my fiance is totally giddy bc its her dream house too, and she finally gets to have a house to set up how she wants as well.

We have an inspection tomorrow.. last few houses either got into a bidding war or had a bad inspection.. i dont want to jinx it so ill wait til after the inspection to post pics..

I will agree with the votes for the Harbor Freight box if you are wanting to buy something new. Don't be afraid to prowl auctions or pawnshops for boxes though. I've seen nice, vintage Craftsman boxes sell for cheap on auction.

Since you are a Porsche guy, maybe a Hazet Assistent in your future?? You did mention a rolling cart.



By the way, best of luck with your new home.

Scott

a HF (or 2) 41" roller if you have the room,
or a 41" top & bottom

or try to locate a used 33" -36" truck brand box on ebay or CL.


new or used, wide or tall, big or small....

once you get your "new" box home, dont be so quick to get rid of what you already have. as many members will attest to, you can run outta storage in a heartbeat.
ive seen small roer cabs repurposed as welding carts, smaller top boxes repurposed for drills, taps, or consumables.
they can kinda keep the clutter out of your main toolbox.


take a look at the toolbox & service cart threads as well

Thansk guys, the Hazet would be awesome, but its a pricey piece (or was the last time i looked). not sure if anyone makes replicas or not.. honestly id rather dump money into Fritz (the 912), Dieter (the E40 BMW), or my unnamed rolling shell that will be converted to a 911 R gruppe style car.

Crew Chief - agree wont be tossing out my existing box, as i could use it as a dedicated box for plumbing or carpentry or detailing or a tool cart. I am a firm believer of keeping tools for separate purposes separate. wood working away from mechanical, plumbing away from electrical, detailing away from body work or what have you.. That and it has decals and stickers from events and rallies i have attended, so too many badges of honor there to just toss it.


BTW, inspection went well. some things need addressed, but over all shouldnt be too bad.



The garage has some termite damage (especially in the lean-to addition). not overly concerned because i want to tear it down in the near future. on teh other hand the shingles on the roof of the garage are abspestos.. which leaves me to wonder how the f am i going to get those removed for a reasonable amount..


anyways here are some pics of the new house and the garage

oops.. ran out of space here is the garage..

I made the same decision recently. Had to choose between a used truck box, HF 44" or the craftsman grip latch 40".

I couldn't find a decent deal on a used truck box. Plenty of newer 72" and larger truck boxes for >$2k but nothing around the 40" size.

The HF 44" box shell is sturdier than the craftsman with welded steel angle supporting the casters. However the drawers seem more poorly finished and the sliders were not as smooth. I also own an 26" craftsman griplatch 8 drawer and HF/US general 26" and never liked the drawer feel with detents on the HF.

I ended up purchasing the 40" craftsman griplatch even though I ended up paying quite a bit more than I would have for the HF. The craftsman drawers feel great and I think the griplatch system is excellent. No effort at all is needed to open or close the drawers compared to detents. The paint on the craftsman is much thinner than the powdercoat on the HF boxes which makes the HF boxes seem sturdier but the overall thickness of the metal (once the paint is taken off) is the same. There are things that I don't like about the craftsman such as the weaker system used to attach the casters and lack of a full length drawer however the opening and closing of the drawers on the craftsman is far superior. The wide top drawer on the HF has a relatively low load rating compared to it's size.

I think both boxes are fairly similar but when I compare the griplatch boxes that I own with the HF/US general boxes I own, I have been much happier with the craftsman griplatch. Each to his own though. Others will have had different experiences.

I still like cman ball bearing.

Might try a US general 44" next time around.