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Need toolbox advice

B

bochnak

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Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
1,230
Location
Mt. Prospect, IL
Guys,

I need some advice. I'm looking to buy a new toolbox soon and wondering what you all would recommend.

Here is a video where I have up to 72" for a box:

Options:

1. HF 56" - $700
2. HF 72" - $1100
3. Extreme 56x20 or 55x25 - $950-1000
4. Extreme 72x25 - $1450
5. Used snap on classic 78 - $1600-2500+ (probably not gonna happen)

Extreme prices above are Rockin Tool Boxes scratch and dent:
https://www.facebook.com/Rockin-Tool-Boxes-672619146231528/

Link to HF 56"
http://www.harborfreight.com/56-in-11-drawer-glossy-red-industrial-roller-cabinet-67681.html

Link to HF 72"
http://www.harborfreight.com/72-in-18-Drawer-Glossy-Red-Industrial-Roller-Cabinet-61656.html

Extreme 56" x 20" deep specs
http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com/extreme-toolbox/extreme-tool-boxes-56-11-drawer-tool-cabinet.html

Extreme 55" x 25" deep specs
http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com/extreme-toolbox/extreme-55-x-25-deep-12-drawer-base-cabinet.html

Extreme 72" x 25" deep specs
http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com/extreme-toolbox/extreme-72-19-drawer-tool-cabinet.html


I'm thinking I don't want a top box??? Or is bending over often going to get old? If I ever get a top box, then I do not want to block the window.
 

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kngelv

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May 25, 2011
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2,214
Location
Detroit, MI
I have the HF 56". A great box. I really like the Extreme 72" you mentioned. It has a better drawer layout than the others.

James
 
H

Holzarbeiter

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Joined
Jun 22, 2014
Messages
212
I would go for the biggest box I can afford. With that being said take drawer depth into consideration (how far the drawer extends). IIRC HF box dimensions include the handle, so for the money I would lean towards the HF 72" box unless there is a deal to be had on a Snap-on, Matco, Mac, Cornwell Box. Dealer support on those boxes is great in my area and if you have tool truck dealer you normally deal with, they make great deals on trade-in's. The pro boxes are nice and if you can find one cheap go for it. I got a KRL722 a few years back of craigslist for 800$. It was well worth the 3 hour drive.
I have no experience with the Extreme tool boxes but there are plenty of others that do and they seem to like them.
Another option would be a smaller box and a full drawer roll cart. I work out of my cart 75+% of the time, it is amassing how much they can hold and having the mobility is nice, less trips back and forth to the main box.
 
E

Eslader

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Feb 27, 2013
Messages
674
Drawer layout is really important. That HF 56 wouldn't work for me because it has a few deep drawers instead of a lot of narrow drawers. My wrenches, sockets, screw drivers, pliers, etc, are all thin - if I tried to store that stuff in a deep drawer I'd have a pile of tools to dig through every time I needed something. But with thin drawers I can store them all in single layers and find stuff very easily as soon as I need it.

Your situation might be different - maybe you have a lot of big tools that need big drawers. That part is what you have to decide.

For home boxes I always recommend Masterforce. They're well-built, have really good drawer layout, and best of all the prices are really reasonable. The drawers aren't as long as what you'd get from something like Snapon, but then you also won't be paying anywhere close to as much. You can find them on menards.com - and it's even possible that Menards has joined the 21st century and will ship them to you even if there isn't a physical store near you.
 
G

GTO

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NJ,FL
Depth is what you want,save your $$ and get a 30" deep roller.It would be well worth it.

Good luck
 
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S

Sticks McGee

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Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
470
Location
Trail Creek, IN
GTO said:
Depth is what you want,save your $$ and get a 30" deep roller.It would be well wort it.

Good luck
Click to expand...

I agree with this..

Some things to consider:

How close is the box going to be to where you work (3 ft..50 ft, etc)

What kind of stuff are you going to work on?

Do you want/need huge drawers (front to back, side to side) or are your tools organized in smaller segments?

Do you have tools in cases that need stored that may take a deeper drawer?

My work box is an old Snappy KR1000
Outside dimensions are 28" front to back and 53" side to side. It has the left bank of drawers that are 15" wide and 27" deep. The right side drawers are 31" wide and 27" deep. Right side has 8 drawers and the left has 7 with the bottom one double deep.

Small drawers:
Top is kinda a catch all for small stuff
2nd is my 1/4" drive drawer. Pretty much all my 1/4" drive sockets, extensions and ratchets are in this drawer
3rd is my 3/8" drive drawer
4th is my 1/2" drive drawer
5th is my drawer that has my thread chaser kit, some taps and dies and two small puller sets
6th is where I keep my drill bits, master bit driver set, screw gun, etc
Bottom drawer has bulky items. A larger puller set, my 6 inch angle grinder, 1/4" drive torque wrench, dial indicator, welding gloves, etc

Large drawers
Top is my screwdrivers and prybars, reamer, body panel clips tools
2nd is my pliers
3rd is my wrench drawer
4th is hand impact driver, flaring tool, nut drivers, punches, chisels and files brake caliper tools, misc
5th is mostly electrical and misc. Test lights, test leads, tape, solder, soldering iron, butane torch, torx screwdrivers, inverted torx bits, torx bits, allen bits
6th is air tools and battery tools
7th is my hammer drawer. Hammers, large punches, 3/4" ratchet, clutch fan tools
bottom drawer is some 3/4" drive sockets. Bushing driver kits, seal drivers and all my abrasive and cut off wheel stuff.

I have all of my sockets mostly on metal rails with clips. Shallows on a rail, deeps on their own rail. The 1/4 and 3/8 stuff it's very easy to grab a couple rails and go. I do some small stuff in the warehouse where my trucks all park for the morning sort/load. I have a small cart I can load a few things up to roll out there but a fully stocked cart for out there would be a waste because most of my main work is done in the shop. I have one useable bay with a lift and it's literally 3 ft from my box. I know some guys like to have the one very large top drawer with all the sockets, extensions and ratchets in one place on like those Hansen trays/racks. This would be an option for me that would also work but my box is big enough for my needs and has been paid for 23 years ago. The cost of trading this box for something with that kind of drawer set up just is not worth it to me. If I really lacked the room I might think about it. My box is a little crowded but its well laid out for me. My Snappy boxes at home (top, bottom and side) are much shorter front to back and some things are set up like my work box the small drawers on the side are not big enough to hold the individual drive sizes like the one at work. If I worked in a shop where my main box was in one area but I regularily worked 50ft or more away and not always in the same bay I might look into a nice cart to put my go-to tools in.
 
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S

shaveradam

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2012
Messages
14
I believe there is a coupon right now that can be found for the 72" HF box that brings thr price to $999. I will be buying one in the next two weeks hopefully. The coupon should be good through the end of April if I recall.
 
R

roc_on_the_rocks

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Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Messages
1,519
Location
South central Indiana
Eslader said:
For home boxes I always recommend Masterforce. They're well-built, have really good drawer layout, and best of all the prices are really reasonable. The drawers aren't as long as what you'd get from something like Snapon, but then you also won't be paying anywhere close to as much. You can find them on menards.com - and it's even possible that Menards has joined the 21st century and will ship them to you even if there isn't a physical store near you.
Click to expand...
That's what I have, I'm very happy with it.
 
OP
B

bochnak

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Apr 9, 2007
Messages
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Location
Mt. Prospect, IL
GTO said:
Depth is what you want,save your $$ and get a 30" deep roller.It would be well worth it.

Good luck
Click to expand...

Going from ~25 deep to 30 deep is a huge jump in cost. Also, you need ~60" clear space in front of the box. I don't have this much space.
 
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LonestarLando

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Mar 18, 2015
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Location
Missouri City, TX
I vote for the 60" Milwaukee lowboy from Home Depot. I picked one up and love it...and it looks like it could fit your needs as well. I use the top 2 drawers for my sockets and wrenches. I can supply pics if you want. Here was my comment in a different thread found here ( http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=330420&page=2 )


I had been looking at toolboxes for a long time and had made my mind up to purchase one of the Homak H2Pros from Northern Tool. I had considered alot of toolboxes for a long time and put my hands on alot of them and Homak was my choice.

However, I walk into Home Depot one day for some screws and came out with the 60" Milwaukee Toolbox. It was perfect for my needs and the build quality and price were a clear winner for me.

What I like:
-Price
-Size
-Drawer Arrangement
-Drawer Weight Rating
-Build Quality
-Slow Close Drawers
-Wood Top
-Built in Power Strip
-Built in Side Shelf
-Room for Milwaukee Chargers
-Room for Milwaukee Power Tools
-Metal Peg Board Option (even though I don't use it)

What I don't like:
-Paint on drawers seems to chip flake easy. Some people have complained that the paint comes off when they remove the promo stickers it comes with.
-Color. This one I like and don't like. I like the flat red, even though it's a bit more difficult to keep clean. But I've always been partial to black tool boxes. So this one is a minor issue. The drawers are black, so that makes it at least not all red.

If necessary, I may consider buying the 46" to go along with the 60" lowboy(the price of those 2 combined would be the same or less as the 1 Homak I was originally looking at). I wish they had options for side cabinets or side lockers, but I think for the home shop...their tool boxes have hit the nail on the head. I'm very happy with mine. It's given me good quality storage and an extra working surface for my small garage.
 
T

TNBurban

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Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Messages
106
The HF tool boxes can be had for less than you have posted, if that makes a difference. You can get the 56" for $649 and 72" for $999 (plus tax of course).

If it were me with the space you have, I would go HF 56" top and bottom for about $1,100 total. That leaves some room left or right that could be useful for other things in the future. Right now you are using that left wall for storing items. A 72" box would take away the first 4 feet of wall storage.
 
OP
B

bochnak

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Apr 9, 2007
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Location
Mt. Prospect, IL
TNBurban said:
The HF tool boxes can be had for less than you have posted, if that makes a difference. You can get the 56" for $649 and 72" for $999 (plus tax of course).

If it were me with the space you have, I would go HF 56" top and bottom for about $1,100 total. That leaves some room left or right that could be useful for other things in the future. Right now you are using that left wall for storing items. A 72" box would take away the first 4 feet of wall storage.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have the coupon for the 56" for 649. With tax it's over 700 and why I put that number in OP.

That wall storage you mentioned is my compressor closet or partition. I decided to line with pegboard and store items on it. Having said that, moving a 72" box to access the compressor would be a pain.
 
T

thickhead

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Joined
Apr 4, 2014
Messages
817
Location
Connecticut
If you are near Menards (none in these parts), that Masterforce 56" sure looks like a nicer box than the HF56" for about the same money. I'd like to have that full width deep top drawer. Better drawer latches. Two extra wheels. Choice of 4 colors too.

2451672_56in_cabinet_green.jpg
 
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J

John in OH

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Jun 2, 2007
Messages
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Location
SE Ohio & Eastern Virginia
There is no reason that a top box has to be the same width as the bottom box. Get a wide bottom box that fits the available space beneath the window and a top box that fits between the side of the window and the wall.
 
M

Mr_B

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Nov 21, 2016
Messages
5,373
Location
Reading
72" HF is good 22" in depth ($999 coupon available) and drawer layout is good for how I would need it.
If going 56" them masterforce tends be little better layout and they got rebate going at moment .
If you got room for 72" HF at £999 makes nice storage and work area plus could keep old top box on it too and still have surface space, 56" best if floor space more critical and 72" binding you up .
 
OP
B

bochnak

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Apr 9, 2007
Messages
1,230
Location
Mt. Prospect, IL
Ended up getting a Tool Vault 55x24.

Here is the unboxing video:

strictlytoolboxes-tool-vault-55x24-unboxing.jpg
 

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tarmy

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4,645
Location
Nor Cal
I just picked up three of that same box...
IMG_0524.jpg

IMG_0527.jpg

For my set up...built in works best...
 
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