leftthread

What's your favorite tool storage chest or rolling cabinet?
And there's always pegboard.
Gee, maybe I will finally get the workbench organized.

oddjob2

If Roger Penske isn't paying for your Snap-On or Knaack box, the Husky unit below is great value, plus it is sturdy and has lots of room. But the key is 19 drawers in a compact unit. After 10 plus years, the unit below still looks new. Harbor Freight has more value oriented ensembles.

I have a vintage Kennedy machinist box, trash day find, on my bench. It was my old cub scout leader's tool box. Also, a 5 shelf 36" wire rack for most of my power hand tools, which number around 30.

Curtis Odom 

I have a vintage Snap-On stack but it only holds a fraction of the tools I have.

wrk101

IMHO, if you are going to work on vintage bikes then you should get a vintage tool chest, or two, or more. I have vintage Snap On, Cornwell, Craftsman and Huot roll chest and boxes.

while hunting for deals on bikes, you will find tool boxes. Buy right and they make great bases for polishing wheels, truing stands, etc.

On the new front, the 44 inch Harbor Freight roller chest, commonly on sale for under $400, continually gets great reviews.

https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in-1...net-68784.html

Bradleykd

I'm a big fan of Snap-On. People always talk **** about it because it's expensive, but exceptionally nice tools are as much of a vice for me as nice bikes. I have a big Classic 78 stack and a 1974 vintage top box in my shop.

As far as bang for your buck goes, you can't beat the Harbor Freight US General Pro boxes and roll carts. Make sure it is the Pro version though. Those are twice the box any modern Craftsman or Waterloo is.

mechanicmatt

Got a craftsman 3 drawer portable that is the same design as their old rally box style as my bike tool storage currently. Anything bigger than that will need wheels. I also own a craftsman project center, craftsman quiet glide topper and a husky ball bearing topper but that is for other tools. I used to house the bike tools in an old
master mechanic 2 drawer portable and a plastic fishing tackle box before that.

3speedslow

I have my Fathers old wooden tool chest. My cherished possession. It has a lift top area with 6 small draws below it surrounding a large pull out draw. Below these are 3 large pull out draws.

It's not huge but it holds all my tools for bike work.

orangeology

something like this?

KJK

Its funny how those same people always want to borrow/use them. When I ask why they want those in particular they say they like the way they feel and that the Snap-On tools just seem to fit the fasteners and work better. Okaaaaay... The truck comes by on Wednesdays.

Bradleykd

Hex bit sockets will generally reveal the men from the boys when put to the test. As an industrial mechanic, I can say that nothing will remove a stuck socket head bolt like a Snap-On bit socket. Some brands will twist and strip the bolt, others will break, but Snap-On sockets will almost always do the job (even if you do have to heat it and beat the socket with a 2lb ball-peen hammer). This is not much an issue in bike mechanics, but I hold strong in my views of quality tools, even across disciplines. Park Tool doesn't hold a candle. If it isn't a specialized bike tool, I use a mechanics tool instead.

rootboy 

…but I don't keep my bike tools in here.

clubman 

Parts here



Tools here

rootboy 

Nice vintage cabinet there, Clubman.

leftthread

Thank you.

I believe you're referring to Snap-On's Flank Drive wrenching system for gripping on the flats?
They have a wall full of patents at their headquarters.

I looked at these this morning. Really smooth action on the drawers. I'm leaning towards the cabinet chest top to start. I also looked at Craftsman Griplatch stuff at Sears and some other options at Farm and Fleet.
A thread on this topic at the Garage Journal forum has some more info.
Other ideas: International Pro line at Home Depot, made in Canada, and a Rubbermaid utility cart.

JReade

I've got a snap on stack I got for $90. Works great, lost some paint over the years, but I've gotten my use of it.

Bradleykd

No, but those are nice too. I rarely use the open end of a wrench for anything other than hydraulic fittings, I buy their wrenches for the smooth lines and beautiful chrome.

OldsCOOL

Stacking rollaway. I'm totally automotive with tools, having restored vehicles from the '50s.

Ed.

Tough call:



Your basic rollaway.

But this -







Was my Grandfather's. A few of the tools contained within were his, too. I wish I had some of his talent!

But the other box contains items of interest, too:

qcpmsame 

Ni pics, but I love my Craftsman Basic red roll around base, a mid-3 drawer box and the top is a basic C'Man red, top box, all are the glide bearings and are locking. Picked them up in the returns pile and saved around 60%over the retail. No damage at all, just got returned right after they were purchased. My gain.

Bill

dedhed

My main box is 70's - 80's Craftsman and Snap-On, Then an old Grey J.C. Penny I first got used from the MAC man that I bolted some box I found to, an old wood one from a yard sale I bought full of industrial quality drills, taps and dies for $5, a cheap big box in the basement with cheap wrenches & sockets so I don't need to run to the garage, and the bike specific tools in a couple of portable bags/boxes.

rgver

For years I was a big snap on naysayer, too expensive, the snap on guy who came to my shop for 10 years was rude and barely said 5 words to me in that time, I used Mac which were a very good tool, until taken over by Stanley and a lot of manufacture went to Asia, moved shops and started my snap on collection, they are beautiful tools, worth the money? I don't know but I bought a lot. As for the tool box, for the thousands asked for Snap on, Mac, Matco and others I want the box to have an engine and the ability for me to drive it home at night, I have the large Harbor freight cab and chest as my main box, it's a box it holds my tools, it does exactly what it is supposed to unlike many other things from Harbor Freight whose garbage tools have no place in my Harbor Freight tool box.

rootboy 

Real nice ED. I love that.
Do I spy a Lie Nielsen No. 10 1/2 ?

Ed.

A 10 1/4, actually.

My Father, in a fit of masculine dering (sp?) do, attempted to take this box, in its entirety, off the wall by himself. It was empty, but he still dropped it. When he eventually hung it, the case was tweaked and would not close. I took it to a furniture person, who thought I should use it as a coffee table, LOL. Anyway, he got things back to rights, and I got a key made for the lock. Happy boy! When we moved Mum out of her house, my dear wife picked up the key collection. Within that was the original key to the case, along with an address tag, and the key to his last car.

When I hung the case, I had three bodies, we didn't drop it.