Half Hutch Tool Boxes?

[BarrelRoll]

Edit 8/27/23 See post #22 for pictures of the actual box.

A full 54" or 72" hutch seems like a waste of space to me to though having some locking hutch space with some top drawers would be a great use of space. The idea of a half hutch came up and I started playing with the Snapon Ultimator. Snapon offers a 36" Epiq end cabinet hutch and 36" end cabinets and upper side drawer sections. Here's a photo shop of what I came up with, 36" non power end cabinet, 36" power end cabinet, 36" upper drawer section, and a 36" work center hutch and bedlinered top.



Is anyone else interested in a setup like this? I found a couple pictures of this setup actually built. I'm surprised this isn't a more popular setup for mechanics with limited room for tool boxes. The only thing missing building out of end cabinets is a wider drawer for long tools, though there isn't the right width epiq roller cabinet to just set them on top. My dealer may try and pitch the idea to snapon at the tool show next month.

This whole idea came to be after I had a Master series top chest for a 54" Master's roller my dealer had in stock. They canceled my top chest order after waiting for 6 months because of a change sanpon made in the master series and the current generation top chest would not fit a less than year old roller cabinet. I'm just going to pull the trigger on an epiq since I'm getting the vibe they are starting to phase out some master series boxes/ accessories. I work at a mine as a millwright and always have a tool bag full of tools I drag all over the mine. It will be really nice to throw my tool bag in the hutch at night/ have it at eye level for digging things out instead of the bottom of a locker along with hanging my welding helmet and the occasional bucket of tools that don't fit in my tool bag in the hutch. The mine provides a locker for my long tools like pry bars though I think I'm going to order a slotted side rack and locking pry bar holder to give me the option to store longer tools outside the box.

 

[BarrelRoll]

Update, after a quick google search it looks like Matco offers or did offer a half hutch. Too bad there isn't a Matco dealer for 500 miles or more.

 

[Zewnten]

I think the people the half or partial hutch appeals to usually buy a short top chest and make their own from all the DIY ones I've seen when I was looking.

 

[BarrelRoll]

Maybe Snapon was spying on my rep's truck, they offered the exact combo at the tool show this past weekend. My rep was able to grab me one for several grand less than it was to put the pieces together. Hopefully he'll tell me what color he grabbed me over the next couple days. They also had some other mini epiq cobo options like a 36" stack of drawers and a locker and a lower 36" box with hutch and locker.

 

[Daslucas]

I just don’t like the upper half-stack of drawers. The top 3 drawers are useless unless you have a stepladder or moonlight with the globetrotters. What I’d really want would be a drawer stack on the bottom and a half locker on top of it. Snap on used to make a lower half locker but I believe it is discontinued now.

 

[m6z]

That's pretty interesting, though I'd want a full width socket drawer. Maybe twin socket drawers would be okay.

What's the price on something like that black and red box?

 

[lugnut71]

 

[lugnut71]

just another thought, you can get a power locker, or the 36" drawer unit could be swapped for a power version

 

[lugnut71]

This one i think would be sweet for a lot of techs, small hutch for computer, papers, etc, plenty room for hand tools and locker for all the plastic cases of special tools .

 

[KnurledNut]

I would like this setup better:

 

[jpaw]

This one i think would be sweet for a lot of techs, small hutch for computer, papers, etc, plenty room for hand tools and locker for all the plastic cases of special tools .

Unfortunately these days that would be a great starter box...

I would want another deep drawer up high for air/cordless tools. Though I suppose there could be drawers in the locker that could work for those.

 

[jpaw]

I would like this setup better:

Top of the green one with the bottom of the teal/grey one if you are running without a locker. With a locker I'd definitely go green except maybe with the 1 deep 2 shallow full width drawers.

 

[jpaw]

I really think these are very practical options. Once you get into a triple bank it starts to consume a lot of real estate, especially if you add a locker.

 

[lugnut71]

 

[BarrelRoll]

I just don’t like the upper half-stack of drawers. The top 3 drawers are useless unless you have a stepladder or moonlight with the globetrotters. What I’d really want would be a drawer stack on the bottom and a half locker on top of it. Snap on used to make a lower half locker but I believe it is discontinued now.

I had my rep throw a snapon step stool in instead of another hat and t-shirt. I have some stuff I rarely use I'll put up there. I do like the idea of an upper half locker. My current box has 2 shelves/ a cabinet in half of my lower box and hate it. I keep my tool bag and blow molded cases with my commonly used sockets and welding helmet down there. It's a pain to dig through and find things, having the locker up top would make it 100% more usable. I plan on keeping the tool bag in the hutch along with my welding helmet and having the socket cases in drawers.

I do wish I had a full width drawer or 2 though there's not currently a way to do it in snapon without buying a 60"+ epiq bottom and adding a 36" end cabinet and hutch which wasn't in the cards. Matco isn't an option where I live. I work on mine processing equipment so my tool collection/ work environment is a bit different than your average auto mechanic. My go to sockets are a set of 1/2" deeps in a blow molded case that will stay in the case and don't need to be in the same drawer as the rest of my sockets.

 

[BarrelRoll]

I see this box as a great box for mechanics to grow with instead of buying a classic series you really can't build on and have to trade in to get more room. When this is full throw a 60" or bigger epiq in the middle.

 

[jpaw]

I see this box as a great box for mechanics to grow with instead of buying a classic series you really can't build on and have to trade in to get more room. When this is full throw a 60" or bigger epiq in the middle.

Is it just bolted together? If it were modular that would definitely be a good way to start albeit expensive...

 

[BarrelRoll]

Yes, this "series" is just epiq end cabinets bolted together without a roller cabinet in the middle. While not cheap snapon's business model is easy financing, you might as well make payments on your forever box instead of one you know you are going to trade in in a couple years. If you are using your box daily, want a tool truck box and are making payments it makes sense. Que the harbor freight or husky is all you need crowd which I'm not saying you NEED a tool truck box, it's just the route some people take.

When you compare a 36" wide x 30" deep Epiq end cabinet with 23,016 cubic inches and 5,5824 square inches of storage with a 4,000lb load capacity for $4,8020 retail price with a very common entry level 55" wide x 24" Classic with 23,055 cubic inches of storage and 6,391 square inches of storage and 2,400lb pound load capacity for $6,260 retail the benefits of the epiq start to show. The biggest down fall is the lack of full width drawers with this setup though you end up with 30" deep box compared to a 24" deep box.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/KEE...r-EPIQ™-Series-End-Cabinet-(Red)/KEEN361A0PBO vs. https://shop.snapon.com/product/KRA...h-Black-Trim-and-Blackout-Details)/KRA2422BKG

 

[jpaw]

I didn't realize that they made a 36" hutch. In that case the locker setup is a nice starter set. When you upgrade to a full box the 36" could be easily turned into a sweet cart.

I wouldn't recommend a classic series to anyone. Don't waste your money on shallow tool truck boxes.

My first real box was a new early KRL1001 that I've added a used side box, used locker and used classic hutch to over the years.
The only thing that really bothers me is on the early 1001's the top drawer is too shallow to stand up some deep sockets. Other than that I've felt no need for a new box other than my wants.

 

[lugnut71]

That s interesting, i had the krl1001 and krl1003 with one full width drawer, with the hansen peg socket holders all my chrome and impact 1/2 deep sockets fit just fine. Actually when they made the drawer deep on the newer models i didnt understand why.

 

[jpaw]

Most of my sockets fit ok but things like axle nut size sockets and bigger are too tall. Most will stand up without a rail though.
Either way that is really my only complaint, though I would like 2 full width drawers.
Oh well one can dream but I'm to frugal to do anything about it.

 

[BarrelRoll]

I finally have the box complete with all 4 pieces. I've been working out of the bottom boxes and hutch for a while. I really like the half hutch for throwing tools in and going home at the end of the day. It does collect junk though a full hutch would just collect more junk. I still need to put tools in the top box, I barely fit everything in the bottom boxes though can't decide how I'm going to organize the top box/ redistribute things. Having a company provided locker gives me a spot to fit bigger than 24" tools, 24" pry bars/ ratchets/ torque wrenches fit in the drawers front to back with room to spare. If I leave this place and need locking long tool storage one of these bolted to the side would work in a pinch Pry Bar Rack. One day I may try to sneak in a snapon locker for longer tools and blow molded cases though I have room to spare currently. I think I could have crammed everything in the bottom boxes in the right side stack if room was really a concern. The right side stack with a power locker would also be a nice option if I didn't want a hutch. The 30" deep box has a lot of room. I think there's more usable room in the 36" wide right side stack than my coworker 56" US general top and bottom boxes and similar or more room compared to my coworkers 72" master series.

So far I'm extremely happy with my purchase and would do it again.



Here's how I have been using it before the top drawers got here.




24" Tools laid out front to back