Need help deciding - toolbox vs cabinets

[rockcrawler]

Just finished building my 35 x 45 shop. BendPak lift should be installed next week sometime. I’m having a hard time deciding on tool storage. I currently have a Craftsman 42” bottom and top box and it is overflowing. I’m looking at the Homak 72” RS Pro bottom and top box and the NewAge Pro cabinets. For about the same price, I can get the Homak box or I can get two 42” 5 drawer cabinets with 84” stainless top, a 28” 5 drawer cabinet and 28” two door cabinet with 56” stainless top NewAge Pro. I’d like to hear some pros and cons that maybe I haven’t considered. The toolbox is a much smaller footprint in the shop and it’s fairly mobile. The NewAge cabinets take up a lot more space, but offer a sizable worktop area and I won’t need to stand on something to see into the top drawers like the toolbox.

 

[Roschili]

I think the obvious answer is you're just going to have to buy both


I'm actually getting ready to build out my garage as well, so I'm curious to see what people have to say. Glad to know someone else is working on the same problem as me!

 

[tarmy]

Yes...I say yes...

 

[Kaizen]

Building drawers for most stuff. Using stacked metal drawers for auto stuff. About 3x as expensive as building drawers with full extension slides. Really liking having specific drawers for stuff. Flooring? Painting, etc.


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[u2slow]

I have three smaller boxes (24", 36", 42") with top boxes. I have no desire for one monstrous one.

I like open shelving so I can see stuff. Use bins on some shelves too.

My 2 cents.

 

[rmmiller]

I had the same dilemma when I built my bench. I did three Husky 42" bottom boxes in a twelve foot bench and kept my 46" American General with a Snap On road box on top. That caused a shortage of floor space and a re-think so I did a reorg. I took all of my inherited tools from my grandpa and my dad, tools that I never use and sent them to the shed.

With room in the bench freed up I moved everything over to the bench, gave my brother the bottom box and his boy the road box. That was one very excited three year old, his very own box so dad will stop yelling at him to get out of his. My workspace is small enough it isn't a problem having my tools in stationary storage.

 

[Paul_The_Builder]

I'm also on team "toolbox". And then build/buy upper cabinets as necessary. When you price it out, you get MUCH more usable drawer space by buying toolboxes compared to any wall cabinet combo deal.

 

[cvairwerks]

Bench vs mobile box is going to depend on what you do and your work style. Smaller area and consistently work in the same location all the time, tends to point at bench storage. Varying projects and the need to work different areas on projects and the mobile box is going to work better.

We've got fixed location tool storage at work for the most part, and it necessitates a lot of walking back and forth getting tools for whatever we are working on. There have been jobs that we have done, where someone ends up as a tool chaser and spends the majority of their night walking back and forth chasing tools for the rest of the crew.

 

[pbon]

The tool chests are sturdier. Buy a couple of the HF 72” and put a top across them for a nice work bench. The NewAge Pro are more gentleman’s garage grade. I have 29’ of them and they look great and work fine for my purposes. I had 3 HF 44s before and they are definitely sturdier.

 

[Black300zx]

The NewAge cabinets take up a lot more space, but offer a sizable worktop area and I won’t need to stand on something to see into the top drawers like the toolbox.

Having a straight down line of site to look into toolbox drawers is my favorite aspect of having to toolbox under my workbench (steve-o style). Shallow wall cabinets fit my needs for larger stuff. If you need mobility for your large shop, perhaps keep the casters on the under-the-bench toolboxes?

 

[matt_i]

Best imo: Below eye level, drawers. Above eye level, cabinets.

Both can work in the opposite domain but the limitations are clearly there. Stuff gets lost in the back of low cabinets and you need a stool or ladder for the high drawers.

I have some of the latter slightly undesirable scenarios...as my storage is thoroughly cobbled together. It works but isn't ideal.

 

[zmotorsports]

I would say all of the above for tool storage. My "go-to" tools are in my toolbox and then slightly less used tools are in the boxes under my workbenches then the least used tools are in the overhead cabinets as well as my locker style cabinets in the shop. There is no way I could use only one style of tool storage and having multiple allows flexibility.

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[Hobby_Man22]

Is your toolbox that's on blocks sagging in the middle?

I'm also on team "toolbox". And then build/buy upper cabinets as necessary. When you price it out, you get MUCH more usable drawer space by buying toolboxes compared to any wall cabinet combo deal.

 

[jhl1963]

On the obsessed garage giveaway he had fixed cabinets with a mobile roller that seemed like a great solution.


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[rockcrawler]

I'm also on team "toolbox". And then build/buy upper cabinets as necessary. When you price it out, you get MUCH more usable drawer space by buying toolboxes compared to any wall cabinet combo deal.


Problem is that I don’t have walls to put cabinets on. It’s a welded metal building with spray foam insulation. Hopefully someday I can put up some plywood walls.

 

[Paul_The_Builder]

Is your toolbox that's on blocks sagging in the middle?

Its a camera artifact from taking the picture in "panoramic" mode. The workbench top is straight and true across the entire length of the toolboxes.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, The answer is "It Depends", if your work will be brought to you, like small appliances or carburetors, a nice cabinet will give you a place to keep your tools organized and secure between jobs.

If your work is where the problems are then you will need a sturdy tool box to carry your wrenches, pry bars, hammers, screwdrivers and specialty items to the job.

Somethings just can't be brought to the shop, the shop has to go to the problem.

 

[allinon72]

In the past I've always been a toolbox guy. I had planned on getting 2 HF 56" boxes and using them as a table base. But then I asked myself why I didn't just integrate both. So I ended up with this Saber cabinet array and it's been perfect.

 

[brownbagg]

mine are old school stack on top of each other, got have a stool to look into, I hate it
i like the hf idea with counter top, I also like the two drawer service cart for common tools to take to the car repair

 

[rockcrawler]

IMHO, The answer is "It Depends", if your work will be brought to you, like small appliances or carburetors, a nice cabinet will give you a place to keep your tools organized and secure between jobs.

If your work is where the problems are then you will need a sturdy tool box to carry your wrenches, pry bars, hammers, screwdrivers and specialty items to the job.

Somethings just can't be brought to the shop, the shop has to go to the problem.

I’m not running any type of repair shop. This shop is just for me to tinker in and to store toys, etc. So, all my work will be done here. I really like the look of the NewAge stuff. Plus it will give me a work bench area without having to build one. I had planned on selling my old toolbox to recuperate some of my cost. I’m not a fan of the Craftsman toolbox because the drawers are pretty shallow. But, I guess I could keep the lower roller box and sell the top. Not sure yet.

 

[rockcrawler]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I’m really leaning towards the NewAge cabinets due to the clean look.

 

[CraigStu]

To me it depends on how much you need to store different sized stuff. A tool box full of 3 inch deep drawers is nice for tools but useless for qt cans of oil, gal jugs of antifreeze, or spray paint, etc.