What size tool chest do I need?

Hey guys,

I'm in the process of packing and moving and need some help with my tools. I have some tools in a Craftsman roll around and some tools hanging over a workbench on a peg board. I'm not sure how I'll set up my new garage, so I thought I'd put all of my tools in chests. That way I can easily move them around as I figure out what sort of arrangement I want in the new space.

So, my question for you guys is this: Judging by the pic of the hand tools hanging on my peg board and the existing roll around I have, what size tool chest should I be looking for? I don't want to go overboard and have lots of unused space, but I want it all to fit conservatively. Will a setup like my current Craftsman tool chest(s) work for this? Do I need to go bigger? smaller?

Thanks guys. I'm just not too good at judging how much I can fit in the various sizes of tool chests out there.

 

http://www.mactools.com/shoponline/product/tabid/120/p-319299-12-drawer-work-station.aspx
http://store.snapon.com/KEXN725A0-E...1-Drawers-144-Wide-Arctic-Silver-P650835.aspx

 

Whatever size you get, you needed the next one up.

 

just like a trailer

 

That size craftsman will easily hold the hand tools and such. If you just need a bit more room that will work. Two of those should suit you fine. Personally I like carts. I keep my most used items in a Snapon KRSC326.

 

If you dont want to give up the pegboard... Id get one with a locking hutch.

 

Haha. Mr. Bigs are cool.

@Sharkattack, what kind of money are you looking to spend?

 

This. Find the biggest one you can afford, then borrow to get the next biggest suze

 

I'd like to stay under $500. I just need storage for a home shop, not necessarily top of the line Snap On stuff. While that gear is top notch, it's not needed for my uses.

Besides Craftsman, what are some other brands that are good for a DIY type? What about the house brands from Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Frieght or Morthern Tool?

 

The house brands are fine for home shop use. It sounds smart ass, but these guys aren't kidding when they say buy bigger than you think you'll need. The extra room will quickly get eaten up, and until then it will make it easier to find things. Based on what I see, I would buy a four (deep) drawer roller and a four drawer chest to go on top

 

i was just being a smart ass
for a honest answer something from harbor freight might fit the bill, i'v heard good things on their tool boxes and for home use they are alot cheaper then craftsman.
cobalt from lowes, is solid. but they really aren't that cheap.

 

I have had good experiences with the higher end Kobalts ones from Lowes.

 

Honestly, all those brands are about the same. Personally I'd look on craigslist to see if you could find and older craftsman pro. It'd fit your need perfect while keeping cost right where you want it. Plus, you'd be much happier every time you opened a drawer.

What area are you in? I have a couple used ones in the $1k range.

 

I'm in 63128, but $1K is too steep for me. Thanks though.

 

I've been hearing good stuff on harbor freight. One of my techs (who has the biggest matco box made) said that there boxes look pretty nice. My dad just bought a harbor box for home use and he really likes it.. I've never seen one myself but they sound like they are decent and they are well priced.

 

I've got a matco at work with a cornwell cart and a small craftsman at the house , hf boxes really do look decent for the $ . If I ever upgrade for home use I would buy one

 

The red 44" roller cabinet from HF gets really good reviews from people on the Garage Journal forum. It runs $350-$400 depending on coupons & sales and has end pieces and top boxes to add. Some of the other HF cabinets are pretty crap.

 

Just to throw more confusion into your decision I will say this; I have two full rollaways and a couple of tool box top sections in my shop and they are still not enough. Remember, as the years go by you will obtain even more tools than you have presently. I prefer the less expensive toolboxes since most of them do not have the real easy opening ball bearing systems. Those are nice but unnecessary. It's a real pain in the ass when you grab onto a box set and spin it around to move it and have one or more drawers roll open. If it's the top drawer or two sliding open the momentum could even cause the box to tip over. I had that happen once and it took me two hours to put everything back where it belonged. (Plus it fell onto my creeper and broke it.)

 

Look at cragslist. You can find some awesome deals on tools and tool storage. I got a 800-900 Matco tool cart for 350