[98rocket]

the box and almost all tools are craftsman. it's not the biggest set, but i think it's a good start...



i only paid a little over $65 for this box. was $120 before i took advantage of double discounts.

[malc]

All you guys have enormous space to work with,and you´re better equipped than the mechanic workshop in town.
In fact most workshops here are not big enough for two cars
at one time.
I got half a garage that has more stuff in it than the Smithsonian.
That´s why I do all my work outside and am lucky I can.
It´s only now that new houses are being built with large
garages before, cars did´nt figure in the Spaniards life.
Only after the death of Franco and later entry into the European Community.
For a few weeks now it will rain but after that total sun ´till
November.Even then it will be sunny but chilly and there won´t be as many hours of daylight.
After doodling around here a bit, it´s seven thirty in the
morning, I will go get started.

[Nos]

i think im gonna start investing into some tools now.. maybe next time the moms and pops go to sears.. ill tag along..

Nos

[dmorris1200]

Hey Nos, when I was still in college I was in a co-op program sponsored by Toyota. I used to work part time at a Toyota dealership while taking classes. I used to drive up to the shop, open my trunk, and pull out my tool box which sat on a workbench while I worked. It looked just like the one in 98rockets picture except it had only three drawers. I had that little box packed full and kept it in the trunk of my car. At the time it got the job done and was all that I needed. Even after I got my first rollaway box at work I still kept a small box in my trunk with basic stuff in it since I was so used to breaking down all the time. It felt strange when I finally started making enough money that I was able to drive better cars and didn't have to deal with the constant chatter of tools banging around in my truck as I was finally able to leave my tools at home. Everybody has to start somewhere.

[38 special]

98Rocket I started out with a tool box half that size twenty years ago.
NOS My oldest is a mehcanic and bought it for 400 bucks on sale at Sears. He bought a new one twice that size and my wife bought the black one from him for me to use hoping I'd clean up my garage. Says she can't find anything out there. (Snicker) That's the idea. Since it's (MY) space there's nothing she needs out there. Shhhh! quite , honey. I'll clean it up in the spring. I don't want the guys to hear you. It'd be embarrassing. Gotta go fellas. Spring is in 27 days.

[Erk]

You can go to rural-king and pick up a three-droor one for $25.Stack-on kind..i used it one year and it worked wonderful, even though it doesn't have the craftsman name on it.

-eric

[S10Fan]

Here's mine, nothing special. The Craftsman combo on the left was originally purchased new by my dad in 1967 when he opened his first gas station. About 7 years ago I removed all the paint and refinished the top and bottom. The box on the right is a recent purchase from Sears. Most of my tools now are Craftsman and they suit me well. My ex made off with my original collection of Snap-On and Mac.

At some point I want to get the combo sold at Sam's Club. It's a large top and bottom combo that I go by and stare at at couple times a month.

My dad passed away last year so I plan on keeping his old boxes until I pass them on to one of the grand kids.

Oops. I forgot to add. I also use the white and peach color cabinets for the larger stuff.

[choyboy]

I've been building my tool set for quite a while. I've brought my Mac Tool boxes about 25 years ago and added another smaller chest to hold my overflow tools. It's mostly full of various Snap On, Mac, Craftsman, Gray, Proto, and other high quality tools I've collected over the years. I don't believe in Asian off shore cheap tools since they are dangerous to use when they break and can be really painful on the knuckles and skins, not counting the damage they will do to your fasteners. I've enclosed some recent photos of my tool boxes. Choyboy

[RAAH521CI]

Well I Tried To Install My 3 Bay Matco Box But They Say Its Too Big,so I Set Picture To 45% And They Said Its Still To Big,i Guess You Cant Install Kodak Easy Share Pictures On This Web Site.

[kenseth17]

I only have a smaller 5 drawer craftsman with the storage on the bottom. I bought it many years ago while going to tech school. It was over $300 is all I remember. It followed me to a few different jobs till I had a few jobs where I didn't need tools. Then it sat at home for awhile which was nice. Now I do bodywork for a living again and its at work. I repainted it once several years ago because people liked to set batterys on top of it, and all the paint was ate off the top of the box. It now has green overspray on it cause I used it at home for holding parts while painting. At the job I have now, people like to set thier crap on the top of my box too. I want to get a top box just for this reason. Someday if I ever get around to learning how to airbrush I would like to get a little bit bigger box and maybe paint it black and yellow with something to do with matt kenseth on it. Of course then it would stay at home. It would probably get ruined at work. I need either another set of tools for home, or a different job I think.

[sbchevfreak]

I had (key word) a Snap On KRL series roller cabinet, with a medium sized Westward top chest, 7 drawer side cabinet, and two Beach rolling benches with the lower parts full of tools bought at auctions or that I had pupose made for specific jobs. Mostly Westward tools, with the big ticket stuff (air tools, prybars, specialty equipment) in Snap On, Mac and OTC. Around $45,000 CAD in retail value.

Then my shop burned to the ground, and the insurance company raped me. Got zippo, and had to start all over from scratch, on my nickle. Why did I bother to pay for TOOL INSURANCE??! Then I found an older farmer who had a full set of tools (Snap On, Mac, ect, in Snap On boxes) for sale. Only SAE stuff, and missing some key stuff required for day in, day out service work, but a start. Appraised at $27,500 replacement value, I got 'em fo $10,000 CAD. That was two years ago. Now I have sold the Snap On boxes, and replaced them with much larger units from SPG International, who builds boxes for, among others, Westward and Crapsman. Picked up the rest of my tools here and there, and made what I had to make, bought what I needed when I needed it. New value is right around $52,000 CAD replacement, but they are priceless to me. Now I am starting a new job at a dealership shop, so most of my specialty tools can go home, and I can start building a "home set" of tools, and maybe make a few bucks on the side doing A/C work and carb rebuilding.

[4lug39]

The big one I have had for about 10 years. The small one was my first. I have had it about 20 years. The blue one is just a dream tool box. I tell my wife that I need to add on to the garage so I can get that tool box. I can find pics of my box at the shop. I would have swore that I had some.


James

[Rickrak77]

I'm an aircraft mechanic for a major airline out here in CA. I've done pretty well with craftsman boxes, one thing you gotta remember, all the toolbox has to do is hold the tools, the more you save on the box, the more you getta spend on tools and car goodies.

First, you're gonna need a good set of wrenches, a good socket set, a good set of pliers, and a good set of screwdrivers. These are the tools you will use the most, so you need them strong and well made. When you start getting into the specialty stuff you gotta look at what it's gonna be used for. For example, stubby wrenches, you'll never get enough torque on a stubby to break it. I got mine from harbor freight, they do exactly what I need em to do, and if I ever need to, it won't bother me one little bit to take them to a grinder and modify them.


Just remember, it's more fun to show off with your car than your toolbox.

P.S. A four dollar hammer from harbor freight works just as well as a fifty dollar hammer from snap on...

[Jim57]

Stainless Steel less than $700, lots of room to grow.
Jim

[choyboy]

I've seen those stainless steel tool boxes sold by Costco. While the price is low and the box is huge, I'm not too impressed by the workmanship and the fact is it's made of stainless steel. The casters that comes with the low price boxes are not too sturdy like the higher end ones and can develop flat spots when loaded with tools and sitting in one location too long. My personal choice of colour has always been a red tool box and not one of those flashy neon or dark colour. I've worked in a large municipal heavy duty shop for almost 30 years and the only tool boxes that always gets the double take and the long looks from visitors and crews walking by are the big red fancy boxes made by either Snap on or Mac Tools. It's no difference that fancy cars parked or driven by will always attract the looks and stares from people. They recognized quality when they see it and know it's expensive. I know the prices for these tool truck type boxes are out of this world, but the trade in or resale value is still there long after the cheaper boxes are gone. I believe a used or repo high quality tool box is within range for most people who don't want to spend their life saving for it. A domestic car vs a Japanese import is a good example on how a good investment will hold on to their value after many years due to the manufacturing and sale price of the product. At some time, a mechanic will trade in his old Craftsman, Beach, Waterloo, Kennedy, or other no name brand for a high end tool box because he can now afford it and knows he's probably buying the last tool box in his career. Of all the mechanics I've known, I've never seen anyone with a Snap On or Mac Tool box trade down to a lesser known type (unless of course the ex-wife took it in the settlement and have to start from scratch again.) Buy the best you can afford and you won't regret it. I know some guys will whine about spending thousands on a good tool box vs a lower quality one that is more affordable. But my money is on these same guys will spend thousands more for a engagement ring on their girl because they want to impress her. A good diamond is like a good tool box, you pay for quality and not size (remember the diamond rules of the 4 "C's" of cut, color, carat, and clarity). I still remember Snap On Tools famous logo many years back "Good tools aren't expensive, they're priceless".