• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Let's talk tool storage

Horseplay

I Don't Care. Do you?
Donator
So as happens every winter my garage gets pretty cluttered. I think I'm finally to the point of investing in more organization. Currently, I have three of the typical 26" Craftsman triple stacked tool chests to house most of my tools. I want to replace those with a single, larger box. No, I am not going to flush thousands of dollars on something like a Snap-On or similar unit. I did, however, happen to check this out the other day.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-52...nd-Cabinet-Textured-Black-H52CH6TR9/206828259

Anyone here bought one of these? I think it is a fairly new offering and substantially different than the other Husky boxes with the chrome handles. Beefier gauge steel and drawer slides that also feature a soft-close function. The link is the 52" box but they also have a 56" but at $300 more I can't see the sense buying it. I have quite a few specialty tools in their own plastic cases that take up room in the current boxes which I could store in other ways so I think I can fit the bulk of my normal wrenches, sockets, etc. in the one new unit.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Opinions?
 
I bought one similar to that 2 yrs ago. Also bought the rolling workbench/drawers too. Love them both! Got a heckuva deal around Christmas. They both are around 60" IIRC.

Tool box.png Bench.png
 
I did look at the HF boxes. Found them OK. Better than a Craftsman unit but not up to this new Husky level in some areas. The weight rating on the drawers of the new Husky is 120# while the HF is 80#. The drawers also have soft close feature while the HF doesn't. Tired of slammed drawers causing tools to shift about.
 
I really like the idea of soft closing drawers, even with foam padding my tools move around quite a bit in my Craftsman. The one thing I don't like in a mechanic's tool box is the large lower drawers. I don't need to store my circular saw or router in my tool box. I would prefer more of the thinner drawers for hand tools. I like the idea of the power supply, but there is no way I could fit all my cordless tools and chargers up there. For the price, it looks to be a key buy!
 
The large bottom drawers are perfectly sized to house specialty tool kits in those plastic cases like my pullers sets, vacuum gauge or timing light, etc. While these could also be stored on shelving or such in the garage putting them in the chest affords the ability to lock them up. I've found that with the use of good tool organizers you can fit a TON of stuff in a single drawer...provided it can handle the weight. That's why I am fairly confident I can get all the stuff in my current boxes into this new one.
 
I look forward to seeing the final product stuffed with the tools. My plastic cases are of such oddball sizes they don't readily fit in the bottom drawer, but this one appears to be of a better size. Also am curious as to your "good tool organizers". I have a set of aluminum socket racks that work well, but take up a good amount of room.
 
No problem, Ken. I'm going to likely upgrade to some type of socket rails this go-around. I've tried a couple other options but this seems the best route to meet the custom design I want to fit the box and layout as desired. Thinking of making my own. I like the Westling plate type a lot for function but not size, etc. I want a magnetic rail that can be sized to meet my needs and house sockets the way I want them laid out. Still haven't found just what I want yet.
Either going to just waste the cash and buy some Snap-On wrench racks or make my own. Trying to find a contact with either a water jet or laser who could cut some custom aluminum pieces would be first choice. Same goes for a rack to line up adjustable wrenches and such. Maybe I could go the route of 3D printer as well...

I waste WAY TOO MUCH time on this kind of thing. lol
 
Westling! that is the name of the racks I have. By far the best I have used. Keep the sockets organized and they don't move around. Yes, they do take up some space, but with my old eyes, it is much easier to see and grab the right socket the first time!
 
Westling! that is the name of the racks I have. By far the best I have used. Keep the sockets organized and they don't move around. Yes, they do take up some space, but with my old eyes, it is much easier to see and grab the right socket the first time!

What happens if you tip those over? Would the sockets fall out?
 
What happens if you tip those over? Would the sockets fall out?
Yes, but so far I have yet to tip one, even with the deep sockets and a hard close of the drawer. They have a pretty decent base plate and are heavy enough I really don't expect an issue. I have had them for a couple of years and am more than pleased with them. Not to mention they look damn good in the tool box!
 
Trying to find a contact with either a water jet or laser who could cut some custom aluminum pieces would be first choice. Same goes for a rack to line up adjustable wrenches and such. Maybe I could go the route of 3D printer as well...

I waste WAY TOO MUCH time on this kind of thing. lol

You may want to check out Metal Supermarkets. They have quite a few stores in the US. I don't think all their stores offer the same services but do offer both laser and water jet cutting.
https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/services/

On the tool boxes... My 20 year old craftsman base cabinet is painful to open. I skeptically bought one of the harbor freight 44" lower cabinets. While not soft closing, the drawers open and close nicely. the latest sales flyer has them listed at $339. At some point I'll probably get another since I prefer to work out of the lower cabinets.
 
The main manufacturer for most large tool boxes is Waterloo, where the prices are a bit cheaper if you can find a retail or discount outlet. Get the best box you can regardless of the cost; it will be a lifetime purchase.

Well, maybe a short lifetime when the wifey finds out the actual cost...
 
Finally got around to picking one up. Stuck to the 52" vs going up to the 56". Deciding factor was drawer sizes. The larger unit had more drawers but each was smaller and I liked the layout of the smaller one better for my tool collection.
I spent a lot of time researching socket organizing options and was pretty set on going with Magrails right up until I didn't. I went with the Eastwood racks instead. Partly due to cost (Magrails would have cost me hundreds more) and also because there is an Eastwood store in the Chicago area and I could get instant gratification by driving there and buying in person. Not too mention I got to go home and play around with setting it all up that night! While not quite as versatile, since you can't move everything around as you might like (1/2" row can only house 1/2" while the 3/8" and 1/4" share the same slots) once I got it all together they worked very well in this size box.

I had to use the Hansen style socket holders for the 1/2" deep sockets. While the drawer has good depth, the Eastwood unit has a resting height of almost 3/4" from the drawer bottom. The drawer depth being 3.75" the tall 1/2" sockets wouldn't clear. As it was, I had to grind about 3/32" off the tops of the Hansen posts to get them to clear. There is enough material there that the markings were not affected. I could have avoided doing this by removing the drawer liner pad but that would have created other issues like parts shifting around, etc.

I need to get one more socket rack to run up that center vertical where I have some ratchets in the picture. It will be for Torx and other specialty pieces. Ratchets and extensions will have their own drawer.
IMG_1703.JPG IMG_1704.JPG
 
Last edited:
For now I have this box in a different part of the garage. I have to sell off a couple of my Craftsman boxes and move some other stuff around to make room. I don't want to leave it where it is now as this is the area where I do metal work and it gets pretty dirty.

I'm also changing all the lighting over to LEDs. No more buzzing and flickering fluorescents for me! More pics of the shop set-up to come.

I will say to anyone interested, this box is really good. That drawer loaded with all the sockets is HEAVY and it opens and closes with one hand like nothing. Can't wait to get all the other stuff loaded and arranged.
 
Buying new fixtures for the lighting conversion. Will buy a enough to do a single bay area and judge the effectiveness before doing them all. I'm told a one for one swap will be adequate. We will see. Given the advertised life expectancy of them it's worth the money, I think. Plus no flicker and buzz.
 
I went with the Eastwood racks instead. Partly due to cost (Magrails would have cost me hundreds more) and also because there is an Eastwood store in the Chicago area and I could get instant gratification by driving there and buying in person.

Terry.

I only see Eastwood's Z-rack style socket storage on their website. Are those racks you bought only in-store? I like those ones you have but that style is hard to find around here.
 
Back
Top