One question

[clyde]

why are tool chests so friggin expensive? :dunno:

[rumatt]

Yes.





If I ever have a house with a garage than can fit a tool chest, I'll be upset about this.

[ff]

Who knows. They can't be that expensive to manufacture. I suppose it's just one of those things that you buy once, and the thing lasts forever, so they just have to ding you good up front.

I would venture a guess that Sears is probably (?) going to be one of the more affordable places to look.

[rumatt]

Just buy used, and they're cheap. :speechle:

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/tls/235962599.html

[operknockity]

I suppose it's just one of those things that you buy once, and the thing lasts forever, so they just have to ding you good up front.
:+1

[BahnBaum]

Watch Sears for sales.

Alex

[John V]

I've had my big sears tool chest for 11 years now and it still is working and looking great. Although with the advent of Craigslist, if I were buying today I'd probably go used.

[FC]

why are tool chests so friggin expensive? :dunno:

:+1 I keep saying it will be my next b-day or xmas present, but then I find more critical ways to spend ~$1000, or whatever it is.:rolleyes:

I really, really need to get one soon. My tools are everywhere.:ack:

[clyde]

I've been watching ebay (craigslist not so much, I probably should), and the prices on a lot of the snapon, matco, and sears stuff is substantially below new prices for the regular stuff (the prices on some of the special edition snapon stuff is unreal)...and it's still obscene.

What I think I'm really asking is if there's something about their construction that makes them expensive to manufacture? The ball bearing chests generally seem to be very well engineered products that are assmebled with care, but they still seem so pricey for what they are.

[bren]

...generally seem to be very well engineered products that are assmebled with care, but they still seem so pricey for what they are.

Sounds a lot like a car trailer.

[CABINBLACKM3]

It must be the machining (spelling error) process that makes it so expensive.

[John V]

FWIW I don't have the ball bearing chest and it's fine. The ball bearing stuff is great, but their real advantage is that they work really well for a long time when they're filled with heavy stuff. If you don't fill the drawers with impact guns, drills, etc and use them a lot, the ball bearing slides are, IMO, a waste of money.

My suggestion is to start medium sized. Don't start small - a basic set of tools will easily outgrow it. Get one of the medium ones (like my big red one) that will fit on a benchtop.

Is this a good place to talk about what kind of tools you're going to be using it for? If it's strictly for automotive tools, you really don't need THAT much stuff to be very comfortable working on a variety of projects.

I got by for years with what I consider to be the basics (all metric):

12pt combination wrenches in 1mm increments from 5mm to 25mm, plus a 1" wrench
12pt 3/8" drive deep and shallow sockets, 10mm-18mm in 1mm increments.
6pt 1/2" drive medium depth sockets, 17mm-28mm in 1mm increments.
6pt 1/4" drive deep and shallow sockets, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm-12mm in 1mm increments.
1/4", 3/8", 1/2" standard length ratchets.
All the extentions you can afford (you can never have too many)
various drive adapters
3/8 and 1/4" drive universals (they're nearly useless for 1/2" drive stuff)
Good screwdriver set, including stubby sizes
Various big-job pliers, channel locks, vice grips
Various precision pliers
A cheap metric tap and die set
Cheap set of punches
16"-24" breaker bar, 1/2" drive
Dead-blow hammer
Mechanic's mirror
magnetic pickup tool

Over the years I added a lot of extra socket sets and standalone sockets, including a 2 1/8", 3/4" drive socket for the flywheel nut on a rotary, a 32mm socket for the motorcycle headstock, an O2 sensor socket (with a slice in it for the wire, various brake job tools (flare wrenches, a piston retractor, a spring installer for Ford e-brakes, etc) and all sorts of other odds and ends that I needed as jobs popped up. Ken's expanding collection is filling in the holes in my collection - it's amazing how often a deep socket is just a bit too big and a shallow socket won't fit over a protruding bolt, and a medium depth socket fits like a glove. Ugh. You can never have too many tools, and the beauty is if you buy decent quality bits they will last forever. Even my cheap craftsman stuff has survived for 11 years and a LOT of abuse (with the exception of ratchets, which I destroy frequently).

Then came the air tools... :D

But the bottom line is that all the "basics" I listed fit in my big red tabletop chest.

[bren]

I'm assuming by now you've seen this...but just in case:
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/tabviewer/startBrowseBook.do?bookid=148&preview=&type=RET&simple=

[rumatt]

I'm assuming by now you've seen this...but just in case:
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/tabviewer/startBrowseBook.do?bookid=148&preview=&type=RET&simple=

Is it single-use-then-discard, like most of the stuff they sell?

[dan]

my tool chest was cheap :dunno:

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/165807_4.jpg

$10

[Nick M3]

Is it single-use-then-discard, like most of the stuff they sell?
You have no idea what kind of heart palpitations I had when bren asked if terry's transmission jack (at this point near full extension, and supporting the M3's entire rear axle) was from HF...

[rumatt]

You have no idea what kind of heart palpitations I had when bren asked if terry's transmission jack (at this point near full extension, and supporting the M3's entire rear axle) was from HF...

:lol:

[dredmo]

use a peg board =D

[John V]

my tool chest was cheap :dunno:

http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/165807_4.jpg

$10

But that won't hold enough tools to do much of anything car-related unless you know the size of every fastener on your car and only put the bare minimum in there.

[Nick M3]

But that won't hold enough tools to do much of anything car-related unless you know the size of every fastener on your car and only put the bare minimum in there.
bren can tell you that i've proven that isn't technically true. ;)

some sacrifices must be made, though...

[bren]

bren can tell you that i've proven that isn't technically true. ;)

some sacrifices must be made, though...

Right, nothing like spending 15 minutes digging through a PILE of sockets to find the one you need :ack:

[operknockity]

But that won't hold enough tools to do much of anything car-related unless you know the size of every fastener on your car and only put the bare minimum in there.
Well, maybe, but only if you are wrenching on a MatchBox car :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Pinecone]

But that won't hold enough tools to do much of anything car-related unless you know the size of every fastener on your car and only put the bare minimum in there.

Heck, I had a smaller one that I crried in my Fiat and it was capable of everything, including removing, rebuilding and reinstalling the engine.

But that car was smart, it has 10mm, 13mm, and 17mm nuts and bolts. The only thing not in those sizes were the locknuts for adjusting the valves nad those were 14mm.

And with the low torques on everything, you could get by with a 3.8 drive set, and open end wrenches.

[Pinecone]

My original Sear tool chest setup is over 20years aold and still going strong at my Dad's place. My second one is about 18 years old and still gong strong.

But I do disagree in that ball bearing slides are WELL worth it, to me. Just so much nicer.

[John V]

Well, like I said, if you want to pick and choose the sizes that you need to work on one particular car and only buy those sizes, you can get away with a pretty dinky tool chest.

Thing is, I never know for sure what car I'm going to end up working on, and having enough stuff to work on anything that is metric (which is basically everything reasonably modern) is important.

Ball bearing slides are great, if you have money to throw away on them go for it. But the standard slides will work just as well if the drawers aren't overloaded.

[BahnBaum]

Big sale today at Sears on cabinets and chests.

Alex

[clyde]

the sale is all weekend according to the circular in our paper and the crafstman club mailing earlier this week

[Pinecone]

Hmm, do they have the ball bearing slide project center? I am thinking about replacing the current one with a ball bearing one. This si the little roll around that I keep the wrench, sockets, screwdrivers, and pliers in.

[clyde]

I was in sears today, playing with all of their tool chests. I'd never really paid attention to drawer action before. I was really surprised by how much smoother the ones with ball bearings operated than the "improved" friction type, never mind the cheap friction type. I don't think it's really that important, that I'd mind if I got the friction type, but the ptrice premium doesn't seem to be that significant. I've got time to think about it.

As of right now, the CSPS one at Costco is sounding like the best deal for something new, though...

[John V]

If the BB slides are in the same price ballpark by all means get them, they are a worthwhile upgrade. When I bought my box getting the BB slides nearly doubled the price. I haven't looked at the prices of these things in years.

[Rob]

I have one of the costco stainless steel types and have not yet seen anything that can come close to the price, sale or no sale. It wasn't cheap per se, but I know exactly where every tool I own is (unless my wife hasn't put one back yet), both mechanical tools and woodworking tools. The only thing better would be enough wall space to hang everything.

On the other hand, I bought it before I had other considerations to worry about - like a kid.

[lupinsea]

I was going to mention the Costco one, too. I've drooled over it numerous times and it seems to be pretty good. I just couldn't find a picture of it on thier website.

Instead, found this (http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=91468&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=) from Harbor Freight. Looks almost exactly like the Costco version with similar specs.

Personally, even the Costco one was out of the budget for now in my garage and honestly I don't think I'd have room for it. Instead I've been investigating a peg board system to get my tools organized (it's atrocious, really, how disorganize I am). I've found this:

Triton Durahook system (http://www.tritonproducts.com/listproducts.aspx?catID=22&section=2)


http://www.tritonproducts.com/images/products/Picture%20018.jpg
Note screw anchoring hook to board.


http://www.tritonproducts.com/images/products/76342.jpg
They have LARGE clips like these to hold standard spray
paint cans (organize your spray paint, brake cleaner, etc.


http://www.tritonproducts.com/images/products/43_bin_clip.jpg
They even have "bin clips" so you can hang those plastic
parts bins right on the pegboard.




It looks to be the best peg-board hook system I've seen. The various acoutrements have lower hooks that fit into the peg board and then a fat screw that anchors the upper end in. That way the hooks stay put when you grab a tool from the pegs (my biggest annoyance with peg boards).

I've run across the Durahook sets in my local McLendons Hardware store and compared to anything else it's REALY nice. The peg board hooks from Home Depot and elsewhere are utter crap by comparison. The Durahooks aren't "that" much more than the regular hooks either.

Anyways, with limited storage in my wee garage at a premium I'm looking to use this when I get around to it. I plan on covering an entire wall from the floor to about 6-7 ft with peg board.

[clyde]

My main experience with peg board comes from the garage in the house that I grew up in. It was a one car garage with peg board lining one entire wall, a nearly full width workbench at the far end, and a full size fridge and freezer on the wall with the door into the house. The garage was far from a working garage, as it also held the bicycles, lawncare equipment and general junk. When a car was in there, it usually just barely fit. Somehow, though, I managed to strip and prep the 69 Corvette in there before it was repainted.

I really wasn't fond of the peg board system, but that probably had more to do with the specific implementation than it's potential. It had its uses, but I remember thinking that it just didn't cut it for a full tilt tool storage solution.

[FC]

http://www.tritonproducts.com/images/products/43_bin_clip.jpg
They even have "bin clips" so you can hang those plastic
parts bins right on the pegboard.


THAT, I like.

EDIT: Like Clyde says above, it cannot not do it on it's own, but there are some things that work better displayed and hanging, than in drawers.

[rumatt]

I'm thinking of making an offer on these (http://newjersey.craigslist.org/for/262961258.html).

Both are ball-bearing drawers. The top is this 5-drawer craftsman (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Storage%2C+Chests+%26+Cabinets&pid=00959714000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Chests+%26+Cabinets&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes). The bottom is this Husky 11-drawer (http://cgi.ebay.com/HUSKY-PRO-11-DRAWER-MECHANICS-TOOL-BOX-STORAGE-CHEST-NR_W0QQitemZ270050941263QQcmdZViewItem), which is apparently based on this craftsman unit (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Storage%2C+Chests+%26+Cabinets&pid=00959719000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Chests+%26+Cabinets&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes), but I'm not sure what that means. The husky doesn't seem to be sold any more.

I'm debating whether I want to try to strap the Husky on the E46's roof rack :speechle:

[dredmo]

I have these in my garage.

http://www.qualifiedremodeler.com/online/article.jsp?id=182&siteSection=28

This stuff works awesome and the composite material used is ultra strong. I have no problem mounting my 26 foot aluminum ladder amove my motorcycle. I can seriously hang from two if the round hooks lol.
Not cheap, but extremely attractive and rugged.

[dan]

I was at sears the other day, and checked them out. If I used the chests often, I'd never buy a non-ball-bearing chest

[John V]

Why not?

[dredmo]

I was at sears the other day, and checked them out. If I used the chests often, I'd never buy a non-ball-bearing chest

Something that may work out well for you is to buy cabinets that you like, but then line the walls with the rail system. They make attachments that range from cabinet suites to small J-hooks that may hold a hammer or a gardening tool.

Again, it is expensive, and there are cheaper ways to go, but for someone interested in looks and durability, I may call this the ultimate way to go.

[bren]

I'd never buy a non-ball-bearing chest
:yes:

[rumatt]

Update: Sears has this combo (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Storage%2C+Chests+%26+Cabinets&pid=009H0194000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Chest+%26+Cabinet+Combos&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes) on sale for $399 (normally $599).

It's similar to the ones I listed above, but doesn't have the "griplatch" system. With the griplatch units, the drawers lock in place and you need to lift the handle to pull up on the handle to open the drawer.

Does anyone have experience this griplatch business? It is supposed to be good, but it seems somewhat annoying. It makes it harder to open 1000 drawers when you're searching for that tool you never use.

[Rob]

Seems like a good price. I doubt that you will notice grip latch one way or the other if you leave your tool chest in one place.

If your tool chest is organized, you won't have to search for that tool, you know. Even one that you never use. :)

[FC]

Update: Sears has [url=http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Storage%2C+Chests+%26+Cabinets&pid=009H0194000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Chest+%26+Cabinet+Combos&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes]this combo] on sale for $399 (normally $599).

It's similar to the ones I listed above, but doesn't have the "griplatch" system. With the griplatch units, the drawers lock in place and you need to lift the handle to pull up on the handle to open the drawer.

Does anyone have experience this griplatch business? It is supposed to be good, but it seems somewhat annoying. It makes it harder to open 1000 drawers when you're searching for that tool you never use.


Dammit that's pretty tempting. And my garage is a mess. I may have to go to Sears this weekend.:eeps:

[bren]

GripLatch is really nice, it lets you just give the drawer a little push to close and it doesn't bounce back open. Certainly not necessary, but nowhere near an inconvenience IMO.

[rumatt]

GripLatch is really nice, it lets you just give the drawer a little push to close and it doesn't bounce back open. Certainly not necessary, but nowhere near an inconvenience IMO.

Yeah, I just went to sears and fiddled with the boxes. The griplatch didn't seem hard to use once you get used to it, and it does ensure they close nicely. I guess it's one more thing that could break and/or malfunction over time though.

It turns out the used one on craigslist don't have griplatch anyway, and now I sorta want it. :eeps: Maybe I'll wait for the next craftsman club sale.

[rumatt]

OK, I checked out the used Craftsman/Husky combo for sale on craigslist. It was in fine condition, and the drawers rolled nicely, but the friction mechanism that keeps them from opening on their own was very strong. You had to pull hard to get the drawer to start opening, and push hard to make it shut all the way.

Does anyone know if this is adjustable somehow? Maybe turning a screw, or dropping some oil in the right place? If not, I'm going to pass on it because it was just too much resistance to open/close the drawers.

[FC]

I was at Sears yesterday. The griplatch stuff was nice, but given the sale above 600->400, the griplatch becomes somewhat overpriced I think, considering the closest equivalent with griplatch was $700+. Griplatch is not worth $300 to me.

I'm thinking I'll pick up the $400 now, and if in many years I find the need to upgrade, I'll buy something nicer and worst case give the other one to my Dad.

[FC]

Bought it (the $400 Crafstman stuff above). Too good a deal to pass up. Seems nice and sturdy and I don't yet have that many tools. I'll bolt on the casters and fill it up tomorrow.

[rumatt]

Bought it (the $400 Crafstman stuff above). Too good a deal to pass up. Seems nice and sturdy and I don't yet have that many tools. I'll bolt on the casters and fill it up tomorrow.

Cool. Let me know what you think of it. It was a good deal, and it seemed like a very reasonable tool chest.

I'm going to make an offer on the local used tool chest since it's bigger, and see what happens.

[FC]

Cool. Let me know what you think of it. It was a good deal, and it seemed like a very reasonable tool chest.

I'm going to make an offer on the local used tool chest since it's bigger, and see what happens.

I'll let you know, but it appears identical to the one we have at the lab at work, and that is a pretty nice, sturdy tool chest/cart.

[rumatt]

I picked up the used tool chest this weekend. Holy crap, it's amazing to have your tools organized rather than in a big pile on the floor. I can't believe I didn't get something like this sooner. I used to think I didn't have room for a big tool chest, but it actually saves space by organizing the tools.

What I can't believe is that I nearly filled the damn thing up already. :yikes: I did waste a couple drawers on things like nuts/bolts/screws, etc, but still.

Ignore the trash pile in the middle of the floor. Almost done cleaning/organizing. (9 bags of trash so far: :yikes: )

[BahnBaum]

I picked up the used tool chest this weekend.

:thumbup:

Alex

[bren]

Almost done cleaning/organizing.
Almost done? Looks like you have a ways to go. :speechle:

[rumatt]

Almost done? Looks like you have a ways to go. :speechle:

:mad2:

You didn't see the "before" pics. :speechle:


PS: That pic was taken a couple days ago.

[clyde]

cool

[FC]

I picked up the used tool chest this weekend. Holy crap, it's amazing to have your tools organized rather than in a big pile on the floor. I can't believe I didn't get something like this sooner. I used to think I didn't have room for a big tool chest, but it actually saves space by organizing the tools.

What I can't believe is that I nearly filled the damn thing up already. :yikes: I did waste a couple drawers on things like nuts/bolts/screws, etc, but still.

Ignore the trash pile in the middle of the floor. Almost done cleaning/organizing. (9 bags of trash so far: :yikes: )

Nice!:cool:

I just got around to "putting together" and rolling it to where it belongs:rolleyes: , but I need a complete roganizational overhaul. It will come next weekend.

[lupinsea]

Ah . . .nice. It's great having one's tools organized. I've gone too many years with unorganized tools.

Although, speaking of which, I still need to put away some of the wrenches from my last Jeep project. :eeps: