Toolbox Design Opinions Needed

[global72]

Ok I have been away from GJ for a few weeks. We have moved into a new warehouse plus sick kids etc. Just been a very busy time. Also we have been working on a new design for a toolbox exclusive to www.strictlytoolboxes.com

The final version I have come up with is the same roller cabinet that Nissan_crawler has http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42889 However we would simply make the box just 24" deep rather than 30"

My thoughts are to stick with the 250lbs and 500lbs drawer rating. However the 24" box would be tailored more for home use so maybe 100lbs and 200lbs drawer rating would work just fine for many people.

With the 250/500lbs drawer capacity I would be able to deliver the box for around $1750 If I went with 100/200 the price would be $1550

I am going to order the boxes next week and always value GJ members input

 

[scottmlew]

I think the lower capacity would be fine, except for the deep wide drawer, which can get quite heavy if loaded with sockets. With that said, if you offered both options at those price points, I'd order the more expensive version "just in case".

I know you didn't ask for other input, but I thought I'd offer some as someone who is seriously looking at new tool storage (long overdue) but is procrastinating since I can't find anything that's quite right at a price I can afford. Point 1 is that I'd still want the 30" deep, even for home use. Point 2 is that I'd still want more shallow drawers. The 2 wide shallow drawers are great, but I'd replace at least one of the three pairs of deeper drawers with a pair of shallow drawers (I hope that made sense). If you offered the box in this configuration, it would fit my requirements well and the price would be right...so I'd buy one!

btw, are you going to make a matching top for the bottom you're producing? I like the design Nissan has, with the deeper wide drawer for socket overflow...I'm not sure if I want to get a top for more storage, or leave it open as a work surface. Which leads me to another thought...what surface choices will be available on your box?

 

[speed bump]

An 11% increase in price for a 60% increase in weight capacity seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[Blwnsln]

I must say I checked out your website, and those portable tool boxes, are slick...I might have to order one of those up, as im always carting tools around. What kinda of discount do GJ members recieve?

On a side note sorry to hijack your thread.

 

[Deafautotech]

I am rather to have toolboxes with heavy duty ball bearing slides that can hold much than 100 lbs.

i has snap on KRL1203 and KRL1003, i keep lot of tools in one drawer until it is full then move to other drawer to fill it when i buy a tools..

 

[Chris Adams]

Well, I'm in the minority, but I do think the lesser weight at the lessor price is a worth while way to go.

I also agree like the others that if you could offer it as an option, for 200 more, it would make a nice 'value added' upgrade.

I find few boxes that are really 'loaded' to the max, and a lighter slide may make for a more lively drawer, thus giving a better feel to the user.


If the only practical difference would be the slides you could even go with an À la carte offer where the customer could pick the drawers he felt were going to need more weight capacity.



Most boxes I see have one or two drawers heavily loaded, and the rest carrying almost nothing.

This is in a homeowner setting, but nine out of ten boxes I buy or sell are for homeowners, not true shop environments.


Of course customization can cost a lot more, so that may not be practical and still keep your very competitive price point.

If you did have a product that allowed for fast, easy, client-level load swapping, it would be a selling point.

"The XYZ box, allows you to pick the Load Level YOU want for YOU'RE tool needs" sort of thing.

Of course, if you offered that as an option, you would be best off if the slides were screw in, rather than rivet, and defiantly not spring loaded types.

The screw in can be swapped rather easily without intimidating the client, or forcing him to 'learn something' which is often a hard sell.

The spring-lock type roller slides are almost invariably a pain, as about the fourth time the client pries the spring back, it's going to break.
Now he ain't happy, and thus you ain't happy.

Anyway, wish you luck on the prospective new product line.

 

[orangeastre]

The higher weight rating is a bonus even for homeowner stuff.Who buys a box just big enough to hold what they own right now?

 

[48548]

I must say I checked out your website, and those portable tool boxes, are slick...I might have to order one of those up, as im always carting tools around. What kinda of discount do GJ members recieve?

On a side note sorry to hijack your thread.

Here is a picture of mine, the la-400 and he through in some free tools when I got my box, thanks sk farmer, he was really pushing the quality and after I looked at them I agree best bang for the bucks and will last forever.

 

[ossaguy]

I know it would't be "portable" anymore,but I think it would be neat if they made a wide version of the nice top box.A 54 inch wide one to go on a 54 bottom box would really usable,I thnk.
I like how all your sockets are right in front of you,easy to pick out.

Steve

 

[wreckercologist]

All I know is every time I've bought a toolbox, I always end up later wishing I would have bought a bigger one. I would like to have a bigger one at work as well as one at home.

Just my .02, but I'd get all the box I could afford.

 

[sk farmer]

Here is a picture of mine, the la-400 and he through in some free tools when I got my box, thanks sk farmer, he was really pushing the quality and after I looked at them I agree best bang for the bucks and will last forever.

nice pic 48548, that is a great box and tool asortment/set. glad to hear i steered you right and are happy with your purchase. i would have hated to steer you wrong. this type of box may not be for everyone but i sure like my crossover. yours is also very appealing to me. i wonder if vince would let me use one like yours for a comparison!

 

[Chris Adams]

You know, all these posts remind me of what killed the beetle.
The original Volkswagen bug.

Every year the folks at VW would survey all the owners and ask what they wanted different.
It was the same every year.
More power.
Bigger.
More room.
More luxuries.
Etc. Each year the results were identical.
Each year Volkswagen made a sincere effort to 'fix' the bug to get what people wanted.
In 64 it was a good, solid, cheap, reliable, nice car.
By the time it 'died' it was crummy, unreliable, expensive, and not too much fun to drive.

The problem wasn't with the customers, or with Volkswagen. It was the fact that people wanted to buy a more powerful, bigger car.
But they didn't want to pay for it, and they wanted the gas mileage and they wanted the reliability.

So basically, Volkswagen made their car into something it wasn't.
And it didn't work out.

I think the point here is that the OP wants to be able to sell the toolbox at the super competitive price point.

A BIG box for a homeowner.


If it keeps getting bigger, or it keeps getting heavier duty, that's great, but then it isn't that box, it's another box.
That already exists.
Heck, he sells it.

 

[Merkava_4]

I want double slides on all drawers 4" and deeper.

 

[boro_boy70]

You know, all these posts remind me of what killed the beetle.
The original Volkswagen bug.

Every year the folks at VW would survey all the owners and ask what they wanted different.
It was the same every year.
More power.
Bigger.
More room.
More luxuries.
Etc. Each year the results were identical.
Each year Volkswagen made a sincere effort to 'fix' the bug to get what people wanted.
In 64 it was a good, solid, cheap, reliable, nice car.
By the time it 'died' it was crummy, unreliable, expensive, and not too much fun to drive.

The problem wasn't with the customers, or with Volkswagen. It was the fact that people wanted to buy a more powerful, bigger car.
But they didn't want to pay for it, and they wanted the gas mileage and they wanted the reliability.

So basically, Volkswagen made their car into something it wasn't.
And it didn't work out.

I think the point here is that the OP wants to be able to sell the toolbox at the super competitive price point.

A BIG box for a homeowner.


If it keeps getting bigger, or it keeps getting heavier duty, that's great, but then it isn't that box, it's another box.
That already exists.
Heck, he sells it.

Great point, allthough I voted for the heavier rating. But I always tend to over build stuff. Ya know how it goes. If 2 screws will hold something, then 4 screws would be better, and 6 should just about do it.

 

[Deafautotech]

I want double slides on all drawers 4" and deeper.

yes! if drawer have slots that it can add other slide on.. so i dont have to order and pay more for it... i rather to buy toolbox that already had double slides on like Matco did...

 

[global72]

I want double slides on all drawers 4" and deeper.

I run into this every day. It costs less to put on 2 sets of lighter drawers slides than 1 set designed to do the job. Additionally 1 set of 250 lb slides will rack from side to side less than 2 sets of 125 lb slides.

On this box if I go with one set of slides they would be 250lb slides. If a second set was added that would be 500 lb capacity on the drawer. Most people - especially home owners - do not have 10 drawers in there box loaded up to 400 or 500 lbs.

So my idea was that is we just use a single set of 250 lb slides people can upgrade drawers to 500 lbs drawers if they need it. Regardless of whether double slides are put on at the factory or ordered later the end user will still be paying for them. By shipping it with just one set of slides people would only have to pay for the upgrade on the few drawers - if any - they felt the need to upgrade. This would keep the total cost for most people down.

The top drawer - 50"x24"x5" would come with double slides