Several 26" chests vs. one large chest

[HanShotFirst]

My brother in law has 11 26" tool chests in his garage. He just gets what he can find cheap as he needs them. He's actually dedicated one of his chests to just fasteners which at first seemed a bit wasteful, but after seeing how quick and easy he finds a nut, bolt, screw, pin etc, I get the logic.

I actually have 2.5 26" chests in my garage...I may be going that route by default.

So just wondering if anyone else has gone this route...photos?

 

[Ohmthis]

I think ducksface is mostly right. I have a couple big boxes to hold all of the tools, but most of the time I take the tools to the project. I work out of a 2 car garage that is shared with the wife and kids things (I have a 30 x 40 pole barn waiting for concrete and power). And it is hard to get the projects in the smaller space. Once the shop is ready and my tools are set up, the projects come inside to the tools. Everyone is different. At work we have lista type cabinets that have dividers and hold small parts and fasteners. I like the idea and may make some for my shop. Do what ever works best for you. I've tried several different adaptations to my set up and I'm sure there will be several more.

 

[warmpancakes]

i have one big box, and a small roll cart to take to the car, I usually only work on a single type of vehicle so I know 99% of the time tools needed for the job

 

[s14kev]

I like 26" boxes. I was working out of 3. Now have a Snap on classic 78 which is great but still have two 26" boxes. Main benefit of the large boxes is long drawers for long tools. Small boxes are great for reorganization and mobility.

 

[afmrick]

After years of selling the old box and upgrading to a bigger one until I reached the "big box" stage, I will say that I love the big box but, that the multiple small boxes is cheaper for the storage space, lets you more easily add capacity, and it lets you be much more granular about how you organize your tools.

Those 26" stacks go on sale for pretty cheap from time to time. Of course the HF 44" Cabinet is pretty popular here and a price that's hard to beat for the amount of storage too.

 

[nine4gmc]

Several smaller boxes for sure.

 

[zkling]

My favorite is 36x20, followed by 33x18 then 26x18. The deeper boxes are nice, but become a space issue in a small shop.

 

[dutchgray]

I would go for several 26" boxes myself.
They are not considered small here, outside of a pro shop anyway.
I do not yet own a box myself, but am saving for a decent one, rather than getting a cheap one now.

 

[owenst7]

I started out with 3 26" stacks when I moved out of the shop I worked in in Alaska and moved to Reno. I switched to a 44" stack with a locker and a 26" stack next to it because it used my limited floor space more efficiently.

I think it depends a lot on the type of work you do and the environment. I work on 4x4s primarily, so I use 1/2" and even some 3/4" frequently. I like to have my ratchets in the drawer with the sockets so that I only have to open one drawer to get a 7/8" socket with a breaker bar to go remove a bolt. The 27" wide drawers aren't even wide enough for some of my ratchets. Actually, my 3/4" torque wrench won't even fit in my 44" chest. A lot of my pullers and front end tools won't fit in the 27" shallow drawers either, or they will end up being the only thing that fits, and leave a bunch of empty space around them.

 

[crewchief888]

Several smaller boxes for sure.

My favorite is 36x20, followed by 33x18 then 26x18. The deeper boxes are nice, but become a space issue in a small shop.

"back in the day" there were no double, triple,or quad bank boxes. if you needed more room the only real option was multiple boxes...

i dont have anything bigger than 36" wide in the garage.

26" wide boxes in the basement, and a couple in my service truck.

multiple boxes are easier to move, and IMHO easier to rearrange as needs change. i've lost count how many times i moved stuff around in my garage.

 

[s14kev]

One other limitation is the 26" boxes are usually pretty flimsy with cheap casters.

 

[Packard V8]

There's no right answer. I have a giant box and several smaller three-stacks and several really small Kennedy 526s. They all serve a purpose.

You'll know when you have too many when there are empty drawers.

jack vines

 

[s14kev]

That's a fairly odd thing to say.
Look up.
Report back.

Maybe I should reword. "Most of my 26" boxes have been pretty flimsy with cheap casters"

 

[mrvm]

I would like a big 56" one day in my diy garage but for now my 3 x 26" bottom rollers (with full depth top chests) offer a lot of storage options since they are 9 drawers tall. Moving to a larger home (bigger garage) was relatively easy with the 26s versus a big 56" chest.

 

[geartow]

I feel I have the need for a 54 inch box with a full lenght drawer. My SO 3/4 drive ratchet ,3/4 breaker bar and my large prybars will not fit in a 40 inch box due to there lenghts. But for organization the small drawers in 26 inch tops are hard to beat.

 

[rsanter]

It depends on what you do and what you need.
I have one mac teck1000 that holds my general use tools and then all of my other boxes are 33 to 40" units
I have them divided between measuring tools, machine tooling, clamps, specialty tools....etc

Bob

 

[Adam.C]

We had efficiency experts from Japan in to review the factory where I work. One recomendation they made was to move the tool boxes 2 feet closer to the work. The other was to reduce the need to twist between the tool boxes and the job (picture a slow moving assembly line).

I personally want a single drawer with all my most used sockets, extensions and ratchets. And that drawer is 99% metric. But the box most be mobile. Prefer to have it just a few steps from the job.

As cool as the boxzillas are, for a home shop mechanic like me, I might as well use stationary kitchen cabinets.

 

[Cato]

As cool as the boxzillas are, for a home shop mechanic like me, I might as well use stationary kitchen cabinets.

Ain't that the truth! I got by for years with plastic Stanley handboxs I bought at Target.

 

[dodge610]

I have One triple Bay Matco. And 5 or 6 26 in. chests spread between my 2 shops. Attached Garage and 3 bay out back. This seems to work out the best for me.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

So you need pads and rotors on your 1500 Silverado... No problem, just hook a tractor up to boxzilla and tow it to the other side of your garage.. I am sure the 1" drive impact tools and electronic test equipment will be needed for the job.... Would having smaller, job specific boxes be a bit more logical? or do all those small boxes simply look too cluttered. Many choices with split solutions.. They all somewhat work.

 

[Bill Ramsey]

My SO 3/4 drive ratchet ,3/4 breaker bar and my large prybars will not fit in a 40 inch box due to there lenghts.

I have three 26" stacks, and they work great for me for all the reasons that others have mentioned. My long prybars and breaker bars are the only thing that make me wish I had just one wide drawer.

 

[Bunit98]

Do you have a pic of all these toolboxes in your brothers garage?

 

[d.mcfarland]

For all tools? One big.

For just essential tools or the basics? A hand box.

Wrong forum to ask the question though. Most people likely have both.

 

[Goohead]

2nd one big box

 

[toddacimer]

1 big box works for me. Having drawers big enough to put all of my like tools together seems like the best way to organize.

 

[Strouty]

Everyone is different and every garage/shop is different. I personally went with the "mothership" box and a cart. I also have enough room that I can move the big box to where I am working, but most of the time it is centrally located. I just upgraded to an even bigger box and new cart so now I am all discombobulated. The 26" boxes tend to be shallower than the larger boxes as well, so if you have tight spaces, they could be better than a deep box. I personally do not like shallow boxes, because I have the space for the deeper ones.

 

[sberry]

Mine are for efficiency, not production but maintenance, mine are more on "islands" or Peninsula type locations easy to walk past to or from and have a couple storage boxes along the back wall, The super common tools on carts within easy reach.
Its kind of like an adjustable wrench or Channelock, its not perfect but serves a lot of area fairly well.

 

[sberry]

I have another setup for hoist and another bay. The one top and bottom is pretty much for extra and seldom and some specialty, I am willing to walk over to it.

 

[sberry]

The one box serves outside on the apron at side door. I am building a project out there now as the weather is nice. Its not much further for tools, I only need a few things and battery power drills. Most of the fab work is done and installed on this project.

 

[2oolhound]

nice little shop you have there sherry

I agree with your bro in that tool boxes save room. Thin drawers are super efficient for storing tools and fasteners and other supplies. When you can slide out a drawer and see what you're looking for right away because it's not buried under a bunch of other stuff you have to dig through just to see if it's even there, you're saving time. When you don't have to move boxes to get to the ones under them you're saving time also. My garage is only 8' wide at one end and 12' at the other so I have no extra room. If the walls were lined with tool boxes or cabinets with mainly thin drawers from one end to the other I'd be happy. The way I see it if you're working in a confined area tool boxes and cabinets actually make room by condensing your gear and keeping it organized.

 

[HanShotFirst]

Do you have a pic of all these toolboxes in your brothers garage?

No sir I do not, didn't have the forethought to snap one when we were there last.

 

[toddoky]

I think the unique advantages of each justifies owning both if your work space permits.

 

[MikeF2316]

No sir I do not, didn't have the forethought to snap one when we were there last.

So you know what your next mission is, should you choose to accept it...

I have a 40x20 toolbox. I now wish it was 40x24, that extra depth would make it ideal. It's already at the limit of what you can easily roll around when it's full of tools. 26" stacks give flexibility and easy rolling, but there are some tools that are too big for their drawers.

 

[wyo george]

My father in law has a 60x120 shop where he builds his old cars. When I was at his place last I counted 13 different 16" stacks with bottom, middle and top boxes on each one. I have no idea what he keeps in them all seeing as how he also has parts storage with shelves full of parts and metal fastener bins so I doubt the boxes are full of hardware.

 

[speed bump]

I keep all my used all the time tools in a cart and pull it to the project if need be (typically the project goes to there though. The big box is more about efficiently storing tools that aren't pulled out every time so in that case bigger is better. For hardware I prefer bins on the wall as it is way more efficient.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I like a bigger box. Not only are they better for storing longer tools but, they also give you an extra working surface. I rarely use my main bench any more. I just the top of my box because it's nice to have the tool I need right there. With the larger drawer foot prints, I just put dividers in to break the drawer down into smaller compartments for better storage. When working on projects that I need more space I'm still able to roll it out of the way for more floor space. On big jobs where I can't bring the project into the basement, I load up my cart and take that where it's needed.

 

[BK13]

Does anyone make a 26" wide box more than 20" deep?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mrvm]

Does anyone make a 26" wide box more than 20" deep

Gladiator makes some deep non-truck tool boxes. Pricey when not on sale but great diy deep depth tool boxes I got from Sears for under 225 each after sale/points/codes.

Premier Series Modular GearDrawer Model # GAGD275DRG
28" wide x 34.5" high x 25" deep
5 full-extension adjustable drawers simplify organization
Holds up to 1,400 lbs. per cabinet and 65 lbs. per shelf

 

[taumac]

Myself I have 2 44's but would like 2 56's. I like the big longer and deeper drawers. I also have 26's bottoms and some chest. One thing I learned I really like is full depth chest like the Snap On ones pictured above. Each box serves a purpose and you just have to find what works best for for space you have available and price your willing to spend. If I had to do it over again I would buy either a bunch of 44 or 56 bottoms and 2 tools carts ( not boxes) idea.

 

[zkling]

Does anyone make a 26" wide box more than 20" deep?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Industrial cabinets are pretty much standardized at 28"x28".