Your first toolbox.

[Unruh]

The summer before 7th grade, I mowed lawns in the small town I grew up in. I was mowing this ladies yard and I saw a Tote Goat in her garage. Her husband passed away two years before and it was just sitting. She told me it was only ridden twice. I asked if she wanted to sell and she came up for an idea for a trade. I had to mow her lawn twice a month and shovel her walk whenever it snowed for a year. I was so excited. I pushed the Tote Goat home (I couldn't get it started) thinking how proud my Dad was going to be of my deal. When he saw it he started laughing. The front tire was bare and it was clearly had been ridden hard for many years. He said I was going to have to learn how to work on it myself and he gave me some tools and a old toolbox. The box was one of those that opened like a fishing tackle box.

BTW, that winter we had records amount of snow and every time I was at that house shoveling.

The box was kinda like the one below and I also found a picture of a Tote Goat. They both are in better shape than mine were. Where did you guys start out?

 

[dr_clyde]

Technically my first tool box was a blue plastic hand carry box. Nothing special. My dad bought it for me as a boy with some screwdrivers and a hammer. Possibly a set of wrenches and a socket set, although that may have been a year or two later. I still have the box somewhere.

The first box I bought with my own money was a rollaway and top chest combo my boss had in the shop where I worked in high school. He was going to trade it into the snapon man and I offered to buy it off him instead. It's a 5 drawer craftsman bottom with a 3 drawer snap-on top. Both from the late 80's or so. I love that box, I'll never sell it. I upgraded fairly soon after, maybe within a year so I took it home. When I lived at home I had it in my bedroom. Now I keep it in my laundry/mudroom for my "house tools".

 

[Richard Cranium]

My first tool box was an Kennedy machinist box.

 

[Zapp Branigan]

I accidentally ran my first tool box over with my 1969 Chrysler 300. It looked like one of these.

 

[LXCam]

My first real box was a monkey wards top box with 9 little drawers and three wide drawers. It was my graduation gift from my dad when I headed off to motorcycle mechanics institute after high school, 40yrs later it's still in my shop all though regulated to third world country misc tools. I can't bring myself to ever getting rid of it. I also still have the complete set of CM metric raised panel combo wrenches in my main box along with a few other things he bought me. I can still remember how all those new tools smelled too, crazy huh?

 

[mbshop]

Just a std craftsman box. Then a ten drawer craftsman box. Then graduated to a snap on box with the pneumatic tires. That is just the start of it all.

 

[Unruh]

Just a std craftsman box. Then a ten drawer craftsman box. Then graduated to a snap on box with the pneumatic tires. That is just the start of it all.

I'm looking for my first Snap-on toolbox now.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

The Christmas after I turned 16, I asked for tools for Christmas. On Christmas morning there was a grey Craftsman toolbox under the tree (flip lid, with a tray) stuffed with all of the tools it could hold. I still use the ratchets regularly and even have most of the screwdrivers (I'm 53 now).

That box served me through high school, it went to college with me (might have even led me towards Mechanical Engineering at the time), it went to my first apartment when I got a full time job at General Motors, and then went to my first house with me and served wlell as my wife and I started a family.

Eventually I outgrew the box and moved my tools FIRST to a flip top box with 3 drawers and eventually a roll around. The toolbox set forgotten for many a year.

Then my oldest son turned 16 and that Christmas the old box was shined up and readorned with a bow....and stuffed with every tool I could fit in as it sat under the tree waiting for its new owner.

He graduated from Purdue with a masters in ME last year and is currently living in his first apartment where the toolbox is tucked in a closet when he isn't wrenching on his car.

Phil

 

[Chromdome35]

The Christmas after I turned 16, I asked for tools for Christmas. On Christmas morning there was a grey Craftsman toolbox under the tree (flip lid, with a tray) stuffed with all of the tools it could hold. I still use the ratchets regularly and even have most of the screwdrivers (I'm 53 now).

That box served me through high school, it went to college with me (might have even led me towards Mechanical Engineering at the time), it went to my first apartment when I got a full time job at General Motors, and then went to my first house with me and served wlell as my wife and I started a family.

Eventually I outgrew the box and moved my tools FIRST to a flip top box with 3 drawers and eventually a roll around. The toolbox set forgotten for many a year.

Then my oldest son turned 16 and that Christmas the old box was shined up and readorned with a bow....and stuffed with every tool I could fit in as it sat under the tree waiting for its new owner.

He graduated from Purdue with a masters in ME last year and is currently living in his first apartment where the toolbox is tucked in a closet when he isn't wrenching on his car.

Phil

Awesome!!! I still have that same CM grey flip top with tray that my parents gave me on my 18th birthday (53 now). I'm giving it to my grandson when he's old enough.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

Oh, this bring back memories. My Dad, whom was a mechanic all his life and who I idolised as he could fix anything, gave me my 1st toolbox... I believe I was 10 at the time...a small Craftsman hand carry that I had PACKED with Craftsman tools. I had a go-kart at the time, and one fateful day my older brother hauled me, my buddy and my go-kart out to an abandoned road for us to run the kart up and down and would return for us later. Well, this was out in the middle of nowhere and we were having a blast...then when my buddy took it for a spin and didn't return, I figured he ran out of gas, so I grabbed my gas can and started walking in his direction. After I filled it up and walked back to where all my stuff (toolbox, gas can, snacks) was...NO TOOLBOX!!

I was totally shocked, heartbroken and scared shitless at the same time as I knew I would have to face my Dad and tell him the bad news. My brother showed up and we loaded up and headed home (about 2 miles)
I couldn't find the words to tell my Dad so the next morning, I walked (yes, walked) back to the 'scene of the crime' to search the bushes, gullies and anywhere I thought some scumbag would have stashed my toolbox, only to return for it later. Well of course I wasn't that lucky and had to walk back home and tell my Dad.

I'm sure that he could see by the tears in my eyes, that it hurt me more than it hurt him, so I just got a "well, you've learned a valuable lesson now...right?" speech.

Well, next week rolls around, I wake up to a brand new Craftsman toolbox, bigger than the last one and filled with tools! (My Dad knew even back then, how much I loved my tools) My Dad was a great father that taught me so much in life and is truly missed everyday. I still have his old roll front Snap-On box that he used at work and everytime I put one of his well worn wrenches in my hand...I look at it and think of him.

 

[hammerhead611]

My first toolbox was a Kennedy 20" box. My dad gave me and my brother both one for Christmas one year, and it was loaded with Proto 1/4" and 3/8" drive ratchet/socket sets, screwdrivers, nit drivers, hammer, Proto wrenches, and anything else he thought we may need. I think we were probably 10 and 11 years old. I still have my box to this day, using it for my Starrett precision tools from when I worked as a millwright.

 

[nbruno]

My first box was a plastic, underseat craftsman box when I was about 14. My life long friend and I rode our bikes to sear and each bought one. Had a pair of pliers, a crescent wrench, couple of screwdrivers, and a hammer. When I was 17 I bought a Craftsman 26" top chest. I still have it. On the left in the pic. It's a little worse for the wear but holds some lighter stuff. I'll never get rid of it. Makes me smile.

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[crewchief888]

My 1st real toolbox was a small CM machinist box my dad gave me when I started my machinist apprenticeship, january 1976. I bought a CM 5 drawer roller cab as a graduation gift to myself in June.

I upgraded my machinist boxes to Kennedy's a year later


My 1st mechanics boxes were Kennedy's as well.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Little craftsman box was my first birthday gift from my grandpa its small no tray in it. Was loaded with companion and harbor freight wrenches 3/8 socket set but driver little 8 ounce claw hammer but driver set and possibly screwdrivers but as a kid screwdrivers disappear fast. Second toolbox the craftsman top box mom got me when I was 13 and had gotten my camaro. My little box was out of room and a pain to work out of. I had bolted the craftsman box to a furniture dolly to make it portable to work on that car. 01 v6 camaro. Rack and pinion rebuild Rebuilt it new timing chain never got it to work right but the toolbox got used and quickly full. Ended up selling the camaro and getting my 97 jimmy 4wd last summer when I was 16 1/2 and had gotten my license. In between there my Step dad gave me the craftsman bottom box loaded with tools. Snap on double box end set missing of course the 10MM 13mm and 15mm sizes I use a lot but has the rest up to 22mm I think. Craftsman profesional for standard wrenches. Lots of other tools I still use a lot. Last September got an old sheldon lathe and some tools with it and I was out of space. Found a retired guy selling a lot of Kennedy boxes. A 526 two 520s the intermediate for the 520 and a 20 inch box. Mom got the 20 inch for her car youngest brother got the 526 because the 520 with intermediate box was better drawer layout for me and other brother got a 520 for Christmas. My Kennedy intermediate and 520 were too tall for the shelf so my craftsman got sent there to hold excess tools. And now I've even taken over one of the drawers in the desk under my work bench. But mom made me promise I wasn't going to bring another tool box home due to lack of room.

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[jd_1138]

I always just used my dad's tools, but after I got my first apartment I went to the local Sears at the mall in 1996 and bought a Craftsman 3 drawer portable box. I also bought a few sets of CM tools -- 3/8 and 1/4 ratchets, sockets, wrenches. SAE and metric. And some CM screwdrivers.

 

[gungatim]

LGR!

 

[Semi-hole mechanic]

I also used my dad's tools until I graduated from HS. Went to Menards and picked up a StackOn hand box a set of Chinese made SAE wrenches a screwdriver set and a 3/8" drive socket set. Still have the box with some of my lesser used tools in it the wrenches I gave to my son, the screwdrivers have mostly been lost or broken, and the socket set I gave to a buddy who needed a basic set of tools around the house. My son's first box is my dad's big Cman hand box that I gave my dad as a Xmas gift in the mid 70s. It is all beat up but holds all his tools plus holds memories of his Grandpa Everytime he has to dig to the bottom for the tool he's looking for.

 

[Unruh]

Some great stories. I wish I could have gotten my Dad's old toolbox. A few years after he passed away, my ex-brother-in-law took them while I was at college and pawned them all.

 

[2oolhound]

Here's a similar thread with lots more photos:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=239054

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Some great stories. I wish I could have gotten my Dad's old toolbox. A few years after he passed away, my ex-brother-in-law took them while I was at college and pawned them all.

My stepdads uncle stole 100k plus of heavy machinery tools his grandfather left for him in his will and pawned them for 10k because Step dad was in desert storm at the time. Hate stories like that

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[toolman9w]

My first box was a Kennedy I found it a pile of stuff my Dad had in the shed. The lid came up and was froze open. The hinges that went to the little tray that opened when the lid was raised we're rusted. I hated the brown crinkle paint. I painted it black. I still have it. I was 15. 30 years ago.

 

[toolman9w]

I was so proud to have some place to put my tools. It still makes me smile.

 

[MikeF2316]

I copied this from the vintage toolbox thread:

Here is my first toolbox, possibly late 1960s, probably early 70s. It's never been restored in any way, the red on the tray is either some kind of primer, or some red trays were painted Craftsman gray after the fact.

This baby was carried around in a car trunk with a few rust holes behind the rear wheels for a number of years, as well as being stored on and slid across a concrete garage floor. Today it sits empty, except when I load a few tools in it for a rescue trip.

Here you can see the scar from when I almost backed over it with my first car. The spare tire well hanging down hit it, the noise made me stop.

 

[Bessy]

My first box was a 19" red International hand box with tray. Parents bought it for me and packed it with some el cheapo screw drivers, pair of water pump pliers, combo pliers, hammer and maybe a few other bits and pieces. I want to say I was probably 10 or 11 at the time. It wasn't until I was probably 14 or 15 that I got my first rollaway (craftsman 4 drawer with ball bearing slides) which I think Dad bought solely so he could have the far right cupboard in his garage back as I had been using it as a hutch of sorts for a year or two as I outgrew the 19". I would go on to buy a top and mid section for that box over the next year and a bit. Finally in 2015 I bought the VRB-4211 (another International brand box, made in Canada) which I am still wanting a full size top for (I have a powr-kraft 26" top on it now)

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[Coach James]

My first tool box was a .30 caliber ammo box when I was maybe 8 or 9. All of our dad's were army lifers and ammo boxes were pretty common as tool boxes.

I still have that box and the tools I started with.

Coach

 

[MikeF2316]

My first tool box was a .30 caliber ammo box when I was maybe 8 or 9. All of our dad's were army lifers and ammo boxes were pretty common as tool boxes.

I still have that box and the tools I started with.

Coach

The first tool box I remember of my dad's was an ammo box too. I remember dumping everything out more than once so I could hand him a tool he needed while working on the car. That got replaced by a Craftsman Gray/Red 6 drawer. Oh the space!

 

[Rileysan]

. And now I've even taken over one of the drawers in the desk under my work bench. But mom made me promise I wasn't going to bring another tool box home due to lack of room.

LOL!!!

You've done very well for yourself over the past year and I think it's fantastic you've found a hobby that is teaching you trade skills. Whether you decide to be a professional mechanic or not, you are learning life skills and are prepared to do things most young people your age have no interest in - and I think that puts you a rung above the rest.

Brian

 

[Bacon Man]

My first tool box was an Allen 3/4" socket set box.

Grandpa gave it to me for when i started driving, since it slid right under the seats, he loaded it up with common tools for working on a car, ratchets, wrenches........

Still have the box but it now serves it original purpose.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

LOL!!!

You've done very well for yourself over the past year and I think it's fantastic you've found a hobby that is teaching you trade skills. Whether you decide to be a professional mechanic or not, you are learning life skills and are prepared to do things most young people your age have no interest in - and I think that puts you a rung above the rest. [emoji481]

Brian

As of right now plan is not to be professional mechanic. I am going into the navy as a nuclear engineer. Current date for boot camp is July 24th but I'm hoping it can be moved up since I've graduated. That's why mom won't let me get more boxes. Youngest brother is very interested in mechanics and everything. Middle one, well not really. Youngest currently has one of Stepdads other stacks. Ill post a pic of his in case he finds this place in a couple years be funny if he did and saw his toolbox posted.

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[michaelwolson]

I got my first toolbox when I was twelve for christmas. Basic craftsman toolbox from my grandfather who was a ww2 navy corpsman, dentist, farmer, race car driver, amateur pilot, gunsmith, machinist and knife maker. It was loaded with all the necessities he believed a boy of my age needed.

Unfortunately, I am a california born millenial and guess what, that toolbox was never touched by me again. I did luck out though. My father said if I wanted my own car I would have to buy it myself and he'd teach me the mechanics of it. My first taste of work, mechanics, and the beginning of a tool addiction.

Still don't have my original toolbox from my grandfather. My dad ended up taking that one and I got the toolbox he was given by his father when he was 12.

Long story, sorry fellas, but i do want to say it worked out in the end. I've rebuilt/built 4 engines, 3 cars, 2 transmissions with my dad.

100% regret the fact that I never bonded with my grandfather when I was younger seeing as how now that I'm in my 30's and he's long dead we're interested in the same things...

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[fsae0607]

For my 16th birthday, my parents bought me a Cman 26" roller cabinet and top. I got the intermediate chest on my 18th birthday.

Filled it up at first with cheapo tools and slowly built my tool collection with better quality as time went on.

I have very fond memories of shopping once a week with my Dad at Sears for tool sales. Always looked forward to those times.

My Dad smiles from above when he sees how much money I spend on tools now. He created a monster

Ignore the side roller add on. I bought that recently.

 

[4 Ever-Fish N]

My dad was a merchant marine. On one of his trips, a guy sold him a box of tools for $35. He bought them for me. It was a mix of decent brands of sockets and wrenches. I used an electric etcher to put my initials on most of them. I still have a few. That was about 50 years ago.

 

[Mikeske]

I was 15 years old when my father and oldest brother bought me a 120-200 (I do not remember the exact number of pierces as it was over 45 years ago) piece set of Craftsman tools with that set I also got a gray Craftsman 2 drawer hand carry box. I still have all the ratchets and some of the sockets and a few of the screwdrivers. This old Craftsman box has been all over the world with me when I was in the Air Force and it served as my secured box when I worked in the Airlines and at the Boeing Company. I used my Bonney roller cabinet and the Bonney top box and this sat on a home brewed metal shelf on the side of the roller and I used this to store my wallet, watch and personal effects in the factory environment.

It does have the numbers 65334 that are faintly seen opposite from the Craftsman logo. I just do not know what those numbers represent. I discovered that the toolbox number 65334 is the model number

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

Dad bought me one of these for Christmas when I was 15. It's all I had until I was 24 / 25, by which time it was stuff full of all the basic hand tools and a few specialty items you'd need for home auto repair. It was enough all the way through my military time since I could use the auto hobby shop on base for big specialty tools ( I got thrown out of there when the management decided I must being doing more than "helping" other soldiers with their cars. LOL)
When I left the military, this box was all I had when I walked int my first civilian job in 1995. It ended up being used for a road call box and eventually the bottom rusted away from all the water in involved in the equipment I work on.

 

[davethorik]

My dad bought me a no name large cantilever box when I was about 15, it is really well made but no idea on mfr. I used that for a while until I was 22, when I got my first machine shop job. I wound up buying a Kennedy 520 full of machinist tools for dirt cheap. Later picked up a 2 drawer mid box to match. Then wound up getting a screaming deal on a Kennedy roller/mid/top/side cab, and sold the old 520 and mid box to another young guy I worked with. He still has those boxes, and I still have my Kennedy stack.

 

[JABgj]

Had to think back how long I have had this Craftsman box. Something like 40 years. I used to keep all of my tools in it and it went where I went. It's not thrashed but it is well used. Looks like a similar box to what Mikeske has. I keep my welding parts and pieces in it for now.

 

[Mikeske]

Had to think back how long I have had this Craftsman box. Something like 40 years. I used to keep all of my tools in it and it went where I went. It's not thrashed but it is well used. Looks like a similar box to what Mikeske has. I keep my welding parts and pieces in it for now.

It looks the same and of the same vintage. I betcha if you remove the label for that door company you will faintly see the part number. I had a old sticker where the part number was also and after I removed the sticker I saw the numbers faintly. It also looks like you had to put new door pulls on yours. Mine were bent over slightly and just using a pair pliers I gently pulled them straight.

 

[Rarified27]

Add me to the crowd...

 

[rharman]

Just picked up one of these for my nephew's 11th birthday next weekend. Had to go thru four of them at Sears Pickup before I found one that wasn't all banged up.

 

[JABgj]

It looks the same and of the same vintage. I betcha if you remove the label for that door company you will faintly see the part number. I had a old sticker where the part number was also and after I removed the sticker I saw the numbers faintly. It also looks like you had to put new door pulls on yours. Mine were bent over slightly and just using a pair pliers I gently pulled them straight.

Yeah, it looks like I grabbed a few "bathroom drawer" pulls and took care of a problem some time ago. Probably won't pull off that sticker for now, part of the patina. Maybe someday I'll fix it up, but she is still proudly serving the garage after all these years.