Beach Tool Box...Export Version

[lilredex]

Ran across this on Ebay UK. Anyone run across other examples?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTOPRO-H..._Tools_Tool_Boxes_Storage&hash=item20cdbbf113

EDIT: Updated pictures that disappeared.

 

[pcos]

Interesting. We now have house brand (Beach), Mastercraft (Canadian Tire), Gray, Sears Craftsman and Auto Pro all produced at Smith's Falls.

The box itself appears to be the standard "pro" size with a non-standard drawer config - that "extra deep" bottom drawer is quite rare in my experience.

The rolled/stamped ridges on the front cover have the down turn at the logo - indicates older production from my experience (my collection).

Thanks for posting!

 

[lbgradwell]

Interesting indeed!

Autopro appears to be an English brand too (as opposed, say, to Napa's similarly-named brand) and that the boxes were sourced from Beach (and not the result of someone moving to England with the box)...

 

[timbitca]

I would love to own a vintage Beach box. Hate having to pass up some deals on Kijiji lately due to budget constraints.

 

[D350RDV]

Apologies for bringing an old thread back from the dead, but this seemed the best place to put a piccy of my latest bit of Beach goodness - an Autopro badged B29:

I've got 9 Beach boxes now (oops) of which this is the only Autopro badged one. The interesting thing about the Beach ones (and others I have seen for sale that amazingly I didn't buy) is that they have all been in two very distinct and confined geographical areas - most of them just to the north and slightly east of London, and a few around Leicester. A couple have the remains of Cartel Tools stickers who seem to have been dealers in the north London area. No idea who sold them in Leicester.

One or two seem to have escaped further north - I picked up a B67 side cabinet with a B64 side box attached from Manchester last autumn.

The Autopro came from Birmingham and I'm now on the hunt for a B89 to put it on.

Anthony

 

[Canadian Charlie]

Thats what my Beach box looks like, same drawers and same drawer handles. I got mine in the early 80's

 

[Canadian Charlie]

The bottom box on the left is a Beach box branded Craftsman, I got that in the early to mid 80's and the top middle box is a Beach that I got in the early 80's

 

[lbgradwell]

Apologies for bringing an old thread back from the dead...

This is the perfect reason to bump an old thread: new, pertinent info!

Thanks for posting, as I am very interested in knowing the relationship between Beach and Autopro. Do you know where this brand was sold in Britain? Do you see the brand often?

 

[PCO6]

Apologies for bringing an old thread back from the dead, but this seemed the best place to put a piccy of my latest bit of Beach goodness - an Autopro badged B29:

I've got 9 Beach boxes now (oops) of which this is the only Autopro badged one. The interesting thing about the Beach ones (and others I have seen for sale that amazingly I didn't buy) is that they have all been in two very distinct and confined geographical areas - most of them just to the north and slightly east of London, and a few around Leicester. A couple have the remains of Cartel Tools stickers who seem to have been dealers in the north London area. No idea who sold them in Leicester.

One or two seem to have escaped further north - I picked up a B67 side cabinet with a B64 side box attached from Manchester last autumn.

The Autopro came from Birmingham and I'm now on the hunt for a B89 to put it on.

Anthony

I have that same box except that the stampings on the closing panel are different in the centre next to the logo. I've never seen one like yours where they point down (mine are straight). I know there were a few changes over the years but yours is the first one that I've seen like that.

Either way they are a great box.

View media item 35001

 

[drivesitfar]

my Beach top box. i think it was built in the early 80's, but not sure. the previous owner put carpet in the drawers for liners and it is in like new condition.

another place to put these nice old boxes is maybe on the vintage toolbox thread, but good to have the Beach boys in one thread too.

 

[D350RDV]

Do you know where this brand was sold in Britain? Do you see the brand often?

Based on what I've seen come up for sale, I'd say Autopro is a lot less common than Beach. There's not really enough evidence to say for sure but the Autopro I have seen has tended to be in the north of the country, and the Beach in the south east so I suspect two different main omporters/distributors - one with their "own" brand, i.e. Autopro.

Britool had a very limited range of tool boxes with nothing bigger than top chest which dated back to the 1950's in their catalogue until the 1980's and several people have suggsted that they bought their Beach boxes via their Britool dealer - bit NOT via Britool so perhaps it was an unofficial solution by Britool dealers to provide their customers with tool storage lest they go to the Snap on man?!

Either way they are a great box.

That they are! The first ones I had came as a job lot with a lot of Britool tools a couple of years ago. Everything - boxes and tools - was absolutley filthy and probably hadn't been wiped down in 30/40years, but I could see a lot of Britool spanners I wanted so I bought it without bothering much about the boxes (a B27, B22 and a very late B26 with full width handles) thinking I'd sell them on. I set them up in a corner of the workshop at home to start taking stuff out piece by piece to clean it and sort out what I'd keep and what I'd already got and soon realised that they were much nicer boxes than the mish mash of Snap on and Britool I was using at the time.

Very few people know about Beach in the UK (which helps keep the prices down) partly because I don't think it has been available new over here since the late 80's , but those who were "on the tools back" in the day rate them as equal or better then anything else available at the time. I've no doubt mine will last me well beyond my retirement - and that's still a quarter of a century away!

Anthony

 

[winchman]

I have now joined the Beach owners club
I will check but once closed up it has an Auto Pro badge on the front, but Beech sticker on the base.

 

[winchman]

Would anyone have a catalogue?

 

[WittHay]

Beach didn't have much of a catalog. More like a few page brochure. Red friction slide tool boxes in a few sizes and blue hand boxes. Been a while early 90's but i think they also made some green machinists boxes.

We had 6 drawer and 12 drawer Beach top chests in our old shop

 

[winchman]

I did find a 1971 one on line but its not in that?

 

[lilredex]

These are the only catalogue sheets I have, with the colour options sheet.

Most boxes were red, the machinist's boxes usually were green, with a few blue, depending upon who sold them.

 

[winchman]

Thanks very much looks like mine is a B89

 

[landrover bodger]

Thanks very much looks like mine is a B89

I have the same box as you it was new in the late 80s . just badged as a beach . a few years back when I mislaid my keys beach sent me replacements .

 

[winchman]

My son has just bought me an early Fathers day present A Beach mid section I didn't even know they made them as I have never seen one?

 

[Markbigears]

Hi Winchman, I wished my son would do that for me! Yesterday I bought, a totally mint top and bottom box with side tray, been stored in a barn untouched for most of its life.
They don't come up very often over here, do they? On the look out for more bits now!

 

[winchman]

He once bought me an Anvil!

 

[Markbigears]

strong lad!

 

[pracydna]

Hello guys, this is awesome to find out more people own these things and love them. I had no idea what I was buying, it just looked very unique so I bidded on it at an auction and won it. Looks like I have the B97! This thing is literally built like a tank. I own 2 snap on tool chests and this one is much better built, which I find amazing. This is exciting to find this forum. I'll post my pictures here for you guys.

 

[winchman]

Just managed to buy a very nice B89 badged Autopro, the strange thing is I have two B89's both badged Autopro and both bought in the same Cheshire town?
Now this latest one has a set of Hazet screwdrivers badged Hazet on one side and Autopro on the other?

 

[chrisbee]

Hi Everyone,
I have just joined.. I found this forum whilst doing some research on Beach toolbox's.
my surname is Beech, so when I saw a toolbox with Beach on it, I was intriqued, and did some research, and here we are...
The chap selling the Beach box, hasn't replied to any of my messages, but now I have seen these boxes, I just have to have one.... The toolbox for sale was in Melton Mowbray, England

 

[chrisbee]

this is the Beach Box...
it was advertised at £35, so I guess the seller must have had a lot of interest, and realised it was too cheap, and withdrew from the sale...

 

[winchman]

You have come to the right place, lots of Beach info here.
In the UK they have also been sold under the Auto Pro Brand by Independent tool dealers in the 80's who competed with Snap on.
I have a small Beach collection my self as I just like them.
They do occasionally pop up oneway and Facebook

 

[winchman]

I am looking for a Side cab if any one sees one?

 

[winchman]

Just seen it on Facebook, much nice examples about, but for £35 a great start

 

[chrisbee]

Just seen it on Facebook, much nice examples about, but for £35 a great start

i dont think the seller wants to sell this box to me...
BUT, now i know a box with my name on exists, i will trawl the internet, until i own one

 

[chrisbee]

Just seen it on Facebook, much nice examples about, but for £35 a great start

Its sold now..
not once did the seller reply to my messages..
I am a bit tiddled off tbh

 

[chrisbee]

Not too sure how to ad pics, but i managed to pick up a beach topbox today... chuffed to bits is an understatement

 

[Markbigears]

Great so see a loving for the beach Boxes here in the UK, I own a stunning example and love their retro look

 

[lilredex]

Not too sure how to ad pics, but i managed to pick up a beach topbox today... chuffed to bits is an understatement

You can add pictures from your computer files...just open "Attach files" and load. You can do it on that original post too, just open the "edit" button.

 

[lilredex]

Great so see a loving for the beach Boxes here in the UK, I own a stunning example and love their retro look

Do you have pictures? We all love pictures.

 

[keef]

There's an Autopro badged Beach top box for £50 on ebay UK at the moment

Autopro Mechanics Tool Chest 3 large drawers 6 smaller ones Exc cond Lockable | eBay

3 large drawers 6 smaller ones Lockable drop down front plate.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[lilredex]

There's an Autopro badged Beach top box for £50 on ebay UK at the moment

Autopro Mechanics Tool Chest 3 large drawers 6 smaller ones Exc cond Lockable | eBay

3 large drawers 6 smaller ones Lockable drop down front plate.

www.ebay.co.uk

Are you bidding??

 

[DavyMac]

One on Marketplace in the UK for £75

 

[winchman]

Just a small update on my collection. I managed to find a side cab, but had to buy a complete Stack which is a very nice Snap on Top box with a Beach Roll cab I have never seen before as the handles are different?
A fellow UK collector told me about a Mid section on Ebay, I had dismissed it as standard B22 but its not its much deeper and fits under a B29

 

[winchman]

Has anyone any more Beach Catalogues?