ClrkLndeKmt'su
Well-known member
Free beat up cabinet to 47k last year. Just me.
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Let's see your toolbox.
- Thread starter wythors
- Start date
Free beat up cabinet to 47k last year. Just me.
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Thomasofthekeefer
Active member
I've got one good large Craftsman box, one Husky box, a couple ****** stackables without the ball-bearings... Separated the stackables and built them in, and used an old kitchen cabinet and used the microwave space to house a top section off a stackable, Painted them all black and there you have it...
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mkIValh
Well-known member
I can understand I hate having to use my clean tools on dirty greasy vehicles. I'm sorta like you everything must be cleaned before going into the toolbox can't stand having dirty tools.
nuklbstr83
Well-known member
^^^this
Heavy Metal Doctor
Well-known member
What I paid or list price? Either way, the numbers even scare me (in a good way!
)
DieselRiver
Well-known member
Stroked383
Well-known member
$9k box and made $66k at the dealer (not including my lawn care business or what feels like a million sets of 6.0 head head gaskets on the side)
Its hard to pass up .9% financing and having a nice trade in. But I cant wait for this grass to start growing, I really enjoy mowing grass and the money that comes with it!!
archirelic
Well-known member
Well I've got a hodge-podge of assorted boxes...Husky, Craftsman, and Harbor Freight with an assortment of old tanker desks & filing cabinets that I also use in the garage. The Harbor Freight being my most expensive since I got it at 349 w/coupon back at the beginning of 2011. Every other box I've picked up has been second-hand and/or on deep discount.
If I added up the cost of all my boxes, I'd still be just under 1500, which is under 3% of my income.
Once my garage gets a little more organized, I'll have to take some updated pics of my set-up.
archirelic
Well-known member
I've got one good large Craftsman box, one Husky box, a couple ****** stackables without the ball-bearings... Separated the stackables and built them in, and used an old kitchen cabinet and used the microwave space to house a top section off a stackable, Painted them all black and there you have it...
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I am really digging this set-up!! Nothing like using what you have & making it all fit together & look good in the process.
warmpancakes
Well-known member
Zero dollars of my salary went to my box or tools last year, Its all paid for with spare money from Buying and selling garage sale, flea market finds etc, Been doing it for years before it became "cool"
alpinewhite
Well-known member
Nice. I did this in the 80's with car stereos while in college. I bought and sold in The Recycler (way before the Internet). Now, I do whatever i can buy/sell with CL.
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Kind of like scrapping. Now everyone and their mother is doing it!
GTA Matt
Well-known member
I'm not really sure how to take this. I mean, you wouldn't go up to somebody with a brand new $50k truck and ask what their salary to pickup truck ratio was. Why is it always different for tools? I see guys with corvettes and vipers tell me there's no way they could afford my setup
Two months pay for my whole setup (minus tools of course). I'm in my twenties, I will be standing in front of that box for at least another 20 or 30 years (by choice, not because I have to) by then, that guys brand new $50k truck will be long gone. Everything in it is 100% paid for btw.
Two months income would pay off my box. Hopefully by April is actually paid off. I bought it least June or July. Just over 5k total i don't know what i paid in ingest but i know it's not nearly as much because I'll have it paid off really early.
I've got one good large Craftsman box, one Husky box, a couple ****** stackables without the ball-bearings... Separated the stackables and built them in, and used an old kitchen cabinet and used the microwave space to house a top section off a stackable, Painted them all black and there you have it...
I like the use of available components. Looks good too. Probably the best feature of it is the full-on entertainment center!
I take it that a guy is interested in statistics (like someone looking at the Salary <--> ERA of an MLB pitcher). The salary to Mercedes ratio of that pitcher is not as interesting.
alpinewhite
Well-known member
I'm not really sure how to take this. I mean, you wouldn't go up to somebody with a brand new $50k truck and ask what their salary to pickup truck ratio was. Why is it always different for tools? I see guys with corvettes and vipers tell me there's no way they could afford my setup
That's the beauty of the web -- anonymity. I don't judge. I'm just curious.
With any financial matter, this ratio is taken into consideration. Buy a house and your debt-to-income ratio is used. Business is business and it all involves money.
If you were to start one of two businesses, you will probably choose prudently. Business A generates $1M in revenue and needs $100k in capital equipment. Business B also generates $1M in revenue but only needs $20k in capital equipment. All other things being equal, which business are you more-likely to start?
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bobemmerich
Well-known member
I've got one good large Craftsman box, one Husky box, a couple ****** stackables without the ball-bearings... Separated the stackables and built them in, and used an old kitchen cabinet and used the microwave space to house a top section off a stackable, Painted them all black and there you have it...
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I like that. Looks good. Gives me some ideas....
alpinewhite
Well-known member
We want the "dirty pictures" too.
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GTA Matt
Well-known member
Well, when you put it that way it makes a lot of sense
However, I look at the mega tool boxes much like I would look at somebody buying a corvette to commute to work. You don't need it, you buy it because you want it, but darnit, it sure as heck looks good sitting their. Time savings from having enough room to organize as you wish for best efficiency plays a small role, but it would honestly take years for it to break even over a lower priced unit.Thunderballs
Member
Matco 4S, don't mind the mess, hasn't been cleaned in a while.
Heavy Metal Doctor
Well-known member
Well then, can't have too much unanswered curiosity...... list price = 12% for me --- I paid a LOT less than that.....if you take the time to research it all out, then good for you
This is my home box now. It used to be my work box but I switched jobs no room at the new shop for this size box.
Is that upstairs?
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alpinewhite
Well-known member
BINGO!!!! Big box owners better have room at home if this ever happens. Otherwise, there will be killer deals on toolboxes.
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A friend of mine got a really good deal on a triple bank snap on box. The seller was keeping it in his backyard under a tarp. The dealership he was working at remodeled and installed new modular tool storage systems. He had no place to store it so he had to get rid of it fast.
Its in my barn/ garage.
rancherbill
Well-known member
cburnscrx
Well-known member
I'm not really sure how to take this. I mean, you wouldn't go up to somebody with a brand new $50k truck and ask what their salary to pickup truck ratio was. Why is it always different for tools? I see guys with corvettes and vipers tell me there's no way they could afford my setup
Two months pay for my whole setup (minus tools of course). I'm in my twenties, I will be standing in front of that box for at least another 20 or 30 years (by choice, not because I have to) by then, that guys brand new $50k truck will be long gone. Everything in it is 100% paid for btw.
Well, when you put it that way it makes a lot of sense
I think most of this conversation sums it up accurately from both sides. I think alpinewhite was pretty spot on with the business analogy. Everybody has different reason for doing things and it doesn't make it right or wrong.
I'll say this though, I personally look at the guy who bought the $50k truck and immediately think he's not too smart or good with his money. That may be wrong, but it's certainly how I feel. He should listen to Dave Ramsey. My bosses husband is worth millions and yet he drives a 13 year old Pontiac. Hmm...
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dfreeman616
Well-known member
List? Around 25% of my yearly. What I paid for it new off the truck? Just over 1 month.
kool_BOY8323
Well-known member
it'd probly take me 4 months at my current wage to buy all my tools, and i own alot of harbor freight.
take this into consideration too: wages vary from job to job, and geographically. alot of you have said 'one or two months' salary would pay for your toolboxes. i can only dream of making that kind of money where i work.
ive had to spend school grants, loans, and income tax returns over 3 years to get what ive got now. i just paid off the last 500 bucks i owed cornwell, and im leaving the industry this week. i can make more where im at playing with computers at the local community college than the going rate for mechanics and techs in my area.
to put it simpler, in n out burger starts their people at 9.50 an hour to flip burgers and make fries. my first job in the auto industry was 7.50 an hour. when our local in n out opened, we literally had guys going to flip burgers and make more money than we did in a skilled trade.
take this into consideration too: wages vary from job to job, and geographically. alot of you have said 'one or two months' salary would pay for your toolboxes. i can only dream of making that kind of money where i work.
ive had to spend school grants, loans, and income tax returns over 3 years to get what ive got now. i just paid off the last 500 bucks i owed cornwell, and im leaving the industry this week. i can make more where im at playing with computers at the local community college than the going rate for mechanics and techs in my area.
to put it simpler, in n out burger starts their people at 9.50 an hour to flip burgers and make fries. my first job in the auto industry was 7.50 an hour. when our local in n out opened, we literally had guys going to flip burgers and make more money than we did in a skilled trade.
great white tj
Well-known member
metalhead212121
Well-known member
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- 2,897
alpinewhite- to answer your question about what I paid for my tool box.... the answer is A LOT in comparrison to what I make at the end of the year. I figure since Ive been driving ****** cars for the last 16 years, have a bare bones flip phone, try my best to invest wisely, and RARELY take a vacation I can spend money on a big tool box and tools. I TRUELY feel I am winding down as far as tools go.. I try not to go over 1K a year. Even 1K a year is a little excessive for someone like myself that doesnt make a living as a tech. Again.. I justify it by what I stated above. I started buying tools when I was in my teens. If I just started out buying tools in my 30's and had a wife and kids to support I would NOT be spending money like I have in the past. If you want I'll try to find pics of my tool box in this thread.
Stroked383
Well-known member
Well who doesn't like more pictures. The sunshine and warmer weather has seemed to keep people away from the shop here for the last 2 days. So needless to say, the shop floor has been desalted and waxed my tool box today!
Lil Toe
Well-known member
Well who doesn't like more pictures. The sunshine and warmer weather has seemed to keep people away from the shop here for the last 2 days. So needless to say, the shop floor has been desalted and waxed my tool box today!
Which dealer do you work at?
I like all the Ford stuff, but the 383 and the 'Bu wagon confuse me
Stroked383
Well-known member
I work just south of St. Louis on the Illinois side of the river at a little Ford dealer. My family and I drag race and have always had GM or VW powered stuff. All the go fast goodies are GM powered and the tow trucks are Power Stroke powered. The majority of my family members drive pre 70s vehicles every day so I go home or where ever their broke down 
and play with carbs and distributors.
and play with carbs and distributors.
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<a href=http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/jimclift91/?action=view¤t=IMG_20140216_185556_zps1010f103.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/jimclift91/IMG_20140216_185556_zps1010f103.jpg border=0 alt=></a>
ihateminimumwage
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 3,960
I know the feeling. I've made more money propping houses, fixing cars in my driveway and doing independent carpentry ($15-25/hr) than I have in an automotive or diesel shop ($8-12.50/hr). It's definitely given me doubts as to why I'm going into debt finishing school to start out at half what I made in other industries (and having to constantly pay for more tools).
Love all the skills I've picked up, but seeing as my ol' lady works as a meat cutter with no schooling and will be making over $18/hr within the next 2 years, it kind of kills the motivation for school.
I was thinking about starting a thread on this in the 'Free Parking' section just the other day to see what everyone else's experiences have been.
I know the feeling. I've made more money propping houses, fixing cars in my driveway and doing independent carpentry ($15-25/hr) than I have in an automotive or diesel shop ($8-12.50/hr). It's definitely given me doubts as to why I'm going into debt finishing school to start out at half what I made in other industries (and having to constantly pay for more tools.
I was thinking about starting a thread on this in the 'Free Parking' section just the other day to see what everyone else's experiences have been.
Are in automotive or heavy duty? I'm not even out of school yet and I'm at 16/hour.
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