Tool box- Top Shelf Suggestions?

[NitroShark]

I recently decided to purchase a new tool chest and purposely bought one with a shallow top shelf to reduce clutter. The box I’m unloading has been used for 30 years and you can see that the top shelf is just a catch all/junk storage area.

So now that I’ll be offloading my Old box to the new. What would you use the top shelf for? I was thinking breaker bars, long measuring scales, possible a 48 inch level.

Suggestions? What does yours look like?


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[Zewnten]

I keep my diagnostic electronics, mostly a laptop and note pad in mine.

 

[Revere Cycles]

I keep specialty tools up there, stuff like my OBD2 scanner, compression tester, cam tools, etc. Lots of stuff in blow-molded cases that are slim and fit neatly together. I also keep one box with common fuses and relays for my "modern" car. (the only car I own with fuel injection). It's rare that I need to get up there for anything, and I like that those items don't take up any of my more valuable deep drawers.

 

[ItsNemo]

I leave a bunch of the little quick grab stuff on the top shelf...so work gloves, glasses/goggles, pencils/markers, measuring tapes, screw and drill bit sets, have a little tray for random onsies and twosies of fasteners, sawzall/jigsaw blades, etc.

 

[DSLTRK]

All the replies above are great advice. I personally keep the torque wrenches and large pry tools on the top hutch.

 

[Legion Prime]

I knew plenty of guys that kept all their sockets up top so that no matter what they needed they were all right there front and center. I on the other hand have all my drill indexes up there along with my rubber gloves and nomex sleeves and a binder of manual printouts. I will admit it does have it's share of nowhere-else-to-putems like my specific gravity testers. I also keep magnets up there as well only on the lid.

 

[Matt XYZ]

Similar to others I use it for my common use items and gauges- gloves, OBD2 scanner, tire gauge, multimeter, utility knife, tape measures, etc.

 

[Kent_B]

That's where I store most of my 3/8 drive sockets and my 1/4 drive set

 

[Heap64]

Impact sockets and a few odds and ends, trying to keep it closed.

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