Tool Box/Cart Color Preferences

[oldschoolcraft]

What do different toolbox colors mean to you? Is there some prejudice you have for mechanics who pick one color over another? Not that it’s a bad thing, but maybe someone who picks candy apple red you might assume was alive in the 70s and 80s whereas someone with bright green might have been born in the 90s or early 2000s.

Wondering what the color choice says about the mechanic to you. Obviously won’t be 100% accurate, just wondering what the perception you have based on color. And maybe it’s not purely color. Maybe it’s a combination of box brand and color that makes you think a certain way.

 

[Etchase]

Candy apple red? I thought it was called tool box red.

 

[Samuel D]

I like red. It’s a classic colour for a toolbox.

Not a fan of lurid colours like green or the daft names like “Extreme Green” that plague American products.

Search: 12 results found for "Cantilever"

東洋スチール株式会社 | TOYO STEEL Co., Ltd. 「夢は、錆びない。」1969年創業。大阪の工具箱メーカーです。

www.toyosteel.jp

Colours!

 

[MushCreek]

My boxes are red, except a 5 drawer HF cart in yellow, just because it is a pretty close match to my 92 Miata. I also have a kennedy riser box in wrinkle brown, and a Gerstner box in (duh!) wood.

 

[CS454]

I have legitimately considered ordering a pink KRSC430. Yellow a close second.

 

[CGarage]

I have legitimately considered ordering a pink KRSC430. Yellow a close second.

Are you transitioning?

I only ask because I, too, support breast cancer awareness month.
Financially, for bolt ons, and otherwise.

 

[AEAdam]

For no good reason that I know, mechanics tool boxes have traditionally been red. And Snap On’s “Kenosha Red”, the KR in most toolbox model numbers, is a warm tomato red, not the elemental or cooler red used by HF. Candy apple was a special order color for many years.

My guess is, red is the most popular box color and would fetch the highest resale value. Not that we care, but I suspect that may tell you about most peoples‘ thoughts on color.

My boxes don’t get super dirty, at least not from 5’ away. If you wanted a white or yellow box, I would not listen to folks who say “don’t because they get dirty“. Any box color is practical if you like it.

I think extreme green is not a pretty color. The tools are okay. Don’t love orange either. We have blue Epiqs with stainless tops at work. They are pretty nice, but look like a factory box to me. Black and silver bore me and look cheap, tho the gray, both HF and Snap On look pretty sharp. I think the black trim looks trendy. I agree I think there’s an age thing at work here.

 

[Blueshound_GJ]

Mine are red. But if I could snap my fingers and change the color, they would all be hammered "Wilton Green". I do not care for garish colors.

 

[Cadfael]

Not fond of red, but for tool boxes its appropriate. I've always associated red with Snap On. Got a small multi drawer red box on rollers (not Snap On), and numerous other carry arounds. It's not really color to me, people with multi drawer boxes I consider more organized, instead of those who drop tools on the ground, or throw them on a bench.

 

[CGarage]

Red is the world standard.

I like black / silver / grey because of the neutrality and probably easier to keep the “appearance” of clean.

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I love yellow and my 5 drawer cart is yellow. My work box is a Kennedy that is wrinkle brown. It is filthy but you’d never know.

I cannot get behind black or gray. Color is a beautiful thing so why not enjoy the spice of life.

 

[Pulse_GTO]

My first box was red, got it in the mid 90's and that is what pretty much what the local Sears had in stock in the size I was looking for. My second tool box is black because that is what the local Sears Outlet had in stock. They are both 26" wide boxes and now I prefer them to be different colors. It comes in very useful while under the car asking an assistant for a tool and having to tell them where to find them. "Please grab me the 9/16" wrench, bottom black box, top drawer, left hand side."

 

[bwringer]

I bought a Harbor Freight five-drawer roller in the classic red a few years back. Fantastic toolbox.

However, about two weeks later, they announced the availability of other colors, including a lovely bright blue. I've always been salty about the fact that I just barely missed such a cool color; I would have happily waited and ordered a blue toolbox.

So anyway, yeah, I really like that blue. The classic "toolbox red" is kinda boring, frankly.

 

[GeoBruin]

I feel personally attacked...

 

[zmotorsports]

I don't necessarily correspond a mechanics choice of toolbox color to any personal attribute of theirs, it's just their personal preference. We've had mechanics in our shop with about every color imaginable and I have seen no pattern nor criteria that would suggest one color means something more than another.

That being said, I'm a fan of red and only red. I've only ever had red and will never own anything but red. Maybe it's because in the back of my mind all of the mechanics that I have looked up to and admired had red boxes. However, that was also well before toolbox colors are what they are today but I guess it's imprinted in my brain now.

 

[TRLKC]

I’m partial to black. But, red is a close second. I recently saw this post from a member who converted an old red SO mid cabinet to white. I’ve got to admit, that white with blacked out trim and logo looked really sweet. I couldn’t imagine keeping it clean in my home shop, never mind a working pro environment. But, it got me liking white as a third possible color on my list. At my age, I won’t be buying any new boxes, so my black box is what I got. But it’s fun to dream!

 

[CS454]

Are you transitioning?

I only ask because I, too, support breast cancer awareness month.
Financially, for bolt ons, and otherwise.

LMAO

 

[AE2]

I have the HF 44 in Orange. I usually stick to black, blue, grey and so forth. I really picked orange because it was a change from my norm but I do like it. I do like tool bags and boxes that have a bright color on the inside so I can see what's in there without a flashlight.

 

[rick carpenter]

I have a white USG 30" single-drawer cart because my Tacoma is white.

 

[bobg03]

I am partial to any shade of gray, especially the lighter shades but I'm not a professional wrench. Stainless would be my second choice, then black or red.

 

[Madjik Man]

I’ve only bought one tool box my whole life. A POS Kobalt about 20 something years ago.

It’s black. It’s all they had.

I’ll be buying a Masterforce set up sometime in the next year. I love the gunmetal color - but hate the green handles. Will probably go blue.

But if I had my choice I do like the gray of the USG3 boxes with black handles.

 

[boom_bap]

I've got a green usg 5 drawer. When I get a bigger box some day it will be red or black.

I do like seeing the skittles configurations though on the internet.

 

[redragoon]

I prefer black toolboxes, but any darker color is best.

Honestly I'd take one of these Excelsior benches in any color. Not that I could justify the price, though.

 

[qdvuu]

I have a random assortment: red, brown, gray, green plus a metallic blue one. I don't like black because the interiors are also black which makes it difficult to see some items.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

Mine are red. But if I could snap my fingers and change the color, they would all be hammered "Wilton Green". I do not care for garish colors.

Might be cheaper to have it plated in gold these days.

 

[txvwnut]

Two red boxes, one black box, two red tool carts and one orange tool cart. How the colors break down, red was about the only color you get in a box when I started buying tools and a box for my chosen career path. The black box is a custom paint edition from Snapon and I wanted that particular box. One of the red tool carts I bought in the 80's and red was the only color option then. The other two were priced right for the buying so color choice played no part in the decision.

 

[dr_clyde]

My boxes are red, black and orange. I also have a few Kennedy wrinkle brown and some oak Gerstner and Union machinist chests.

I’d love to get a nice yellow box, but I can’t seem to justify the money when the boxes I have work just fine. It would be a vanity thing for sure.

The shop I started in had a variety of colors, but mostly red and black. A few metallic ones and the occasional blue or grey. Machinists typically use a red or brown roller with a brown or oak top, so I’ve seen a lot of those over the years too.

The worst mechanics I’ve dealt with over the years have tended to buy wildly oversized boxes with crazy loud colors or graphic schemes on them. All hat, no cattle so to speak. The best and most talented guys worked out of whatever they had and would occasionally upgrade as the opportunity arose.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Personally I’ve always been a blue guy but can’t beat classic toolbox red. My work setup is all orange the cart and box. Only because I needed a toolbox for work as I had outgrown my 5 drawer cart so I went to HF checked availability at all of them and the only one’s available were orange or yellow and I absolutely despise the color yellow it’s a girly color to me lol. So I got the orange. Yes it sticks out like a sore thumb but I have really grown to like it over the last two years. I took my blue cart home and I also have a gray Craftsman box that my parents got me for my 12th birthday. When I bought my roll cart for work I had strongly considered black or blue but my parents surprised me with an orange one to match my box. So I didn’t complain about that. I got the full bank cart when HF first released it and when my parents went to pick one up for me they said it was orange, yellow or black so they thought I’d like the orange best. I love my setup. Orange has always been my third favorite color with blue and red being first. I absolutely despise green and yellow unless it’s a dark green. I need a new box for home too so who knows what color they might be. I prefer blue but really anything goes for home lol.

I’ve met tons of techs most had either red, black or blue boxes. I knew one who had a tan box and green cart. Army colors. To me color is just something someone likes. But the way I see it is if paying big money for something it’s going to be the color I want. Had my boxes been from a roll truck no way would I would’ve went with orange it would have been blue or candy apple red or maybe burgundy. I’m wanting to add a side locker to my box waiting for orange to become available. Went to get one and it was only red available.

 

[CGarage]

Looking sharp, Blake!

 

[AEAdam]

Porsche race cars were/are often yellow. Not sure why but it’s true.

Porsche concept cars, cars in ads were often silver. Silver was Germany’s GP racing color. Red was Italy’s. France was blue.

Yellow always looked fast to me. I’d have a yellow box, but my tools are yellow….

 

[Jtels85]

Black, because I don’t want people driving past my garage seeing a bright, colorful tool box in the back that screams $$$$$$$$.

The color of your empty box doesn’t matter if all of your tools are being sold at the local pawn shops for meth and hookers.

 

[MarkH]

My first box was red, got it in the mid 90's and that is what pretty much what the local Sears had in stock in the size I was looking for. My second tool box is black because that is what the local Sears Outlet had in stock. They are both 26" wide boxes and now I prefer them to be different colors. It comes in very useful while under the car asking an assistant for a tool and having to tell them where to find them. "Please grab me the 9/16" wrench, bottom black box, top drawer, left hand side."

I have in the home shop one blue, one black, one silver, one red and one maroon. The last one is why I will never repaint any tool boxes again. Each of the daughters and wife have have gotten similar instructions to the ones you described. In time the learned where to get the common tools and what they were.

 

[Al Borland]

I have a black stack, a red stack, and a Kennedy brown stack now. I used to have a Matco stack that was "Colorized" by myself or others testing spray patterns, color matches, etc. It's last paint job was black basecoat with a translucent red blended into the clear.
Color preference now...something that hides dirt, grease, dents. And makes me look thinner,

Upon further consideration, I realized that my Red box went into the house, and the Black Husky and Brown Kennedy are in the Garage because they are MUCH less visible if I have the Garage door open, so I'll skip bright colors. The resprayed Matco was ignored/un-looted in two break-ins at the shop it was in. All the shiny red boxes got pried open and looted. Mine was unlocked and untouched.

 

[Steve_P]

Red is my preference since I'm over 50 and this was the standard forever, and all I saw, up until the last 10 years or so. It's also what I always had up until ~12 years ago. Saying that, all of my current boxes are black, because that's what Craftsman switched to around the time I went toolbox crazy. This was back when the HF box was the horrific red-ish wrinkle finish that I despised, so that wasn't an option. It was also before all of the other import options. But if I was going to buy today, I'd get red, if possible, once I settled on a choice.

My shop is clean, not eat off the floor clean, but it's in a basement garage so I really try to do messy stuff outside; but black shows dust like crazy. And it's just normal dust like you have everywhere in your house, not from even working on something.

One thing about color choice is that I see a lot of otherwise great newer Snap On boxes with truly garish color combos on Marketplace. IMO a yellow box with purple trim kills its resale potential since your fast and furious colors just eliminated 95% of the shoppers. If you go with something basic, you won't turn off the masses. And I know everyone that buys a Snap On box says this is my forever box and I'll never sell it so I'm going to get what I want... And then in 5 years they can't unload it when they change careers, or have a financial catastrophe and need the $.

 

[vavet]

Red….because it’s the best.

 

[crewchief888]

red is the only real answer

i do have a set of harley snap on editions in cranberry.
also have a 2 shelf snapon cart in teal got it for a steal. my SO guy literally had to give it away to get rid of it. this was back in the day when different colors were just appearing in the toolbox world.
guys in our shop have yellow, red, black, blue and white and orange HF carts/ boxes. one of our other shops has blue, red HF carts, orange and cranberry SO roller cabs. current box in my service truck is black.

 

[tamaraw]

The marbled/hammered dark green on Grizzly and older SK is pretty nice. I have also seen a cart on here done (temporarily) in Boeing primer green that was pretty cool.

I did just order a Beta cabinet in grey because red wasn't available in the style I wanted and orange would be a long wait.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I could always get the best price on red, thus my stuff is red. Cart is now orange, bought used. It looks nice, not sure I could do an orange box.

As a dream,, I'd like to swap all my stuff for an epiq in white with black trim. Not worth the money IMO to do so.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

My boxes are red, black and orange. I also have a few Kennedy wrinkle brown and some oak Gerstner and Union machinist chests.

I’d love to get a nice yellow box, but I can’t seem to justify the money when the boxes I have work just fine. It would be a vanity thing for sure.

The shop I started in had a variety of colors, but mostly red and black. A few metallic ones and the occasional blue or grey. Machinists typically use a red or brown roller with a brown or oak top, so I’ve seen a lot of those over the years too.

The worst mechanics I’ve dealt with over the years have tended to buy wildly oversized boxes with crazy loud colors or graphic schemes on them. All hat, no cattle so to speak. The best and most talented guys worked out of whatever they had and would occasionally upgrade as the opportunity arose.

Oversized.....vs their tools inside? I got a lot of hat, but I got the cattle too. I've been considering a hutch to put all the scan tools in and free up some locker space.

 

[dr_clyde]

Oversized.....vs their tools inside? I got a lot of hat, but I got the cattle too. I've been considering a hutch to put all the scan tools in and free up some locker space.

As in they buy a triple bank when they only have enough tools for a single bank. I know a guy who had a snack drawer because he didn’t have enough tools to need the drawer space.