Tool Chest for diy automotive tools

Panda60

Panda60

Panda60

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Joined
12 Apr 2019
Posts
43
Went to Halfords, and saw some tool chests for diy automotive tools. They were from 87£ to 115£ for 8 or 6 drawers ones.

I preferred £115 one with 6 drawers one, because every drawers could be locked. The 87£ one with 8 drawers were slightly smaller and could only lock top drawers.

What have you got for tool chest? Do I need tool chest when I have a few tool boxes? I think I do. Because many times, I dont know where the tools are I am looking for. Having all the tools in one chest would help combating the problem?
 
I bought one of the cheaper Halfords chests and I think it locked the top draws with a drop in flat bar so not ideal and the construction is thin sheet metal so would never take much abuse. However for my DIY purposes it is more than adequate as it rarely gets moved more than a few feet plus I've been using it for over a decade and it's still standing.

The top draw sliders are weak and the very top one always wants to droop and fall out but I'm used to it now. For the rest of week I'll be in a commercial garage and the guys there have all got expensive Snap On tool chests which are bullet proof and glide around easily. So yeah you gets your monies worth!

Just had a look and the £87 one is basically mine but slightly improved so my recommendation would be to go at least one step higher for the extra draw weight capacity.
 
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I have a small Snap-On one that I bought nearly 30 years ago, it's in the cupboard under the stairs and is used quite regularly, still works absolutely faultless despite being knocked about a bit when I was an apprentice fitter.

I like the look of the stuff at Costco but that's really heavy duty as well, I think for the home diyer the Halfords stuff is more than adequate.
 
The £87 and £115 are the pap ones - don't buy those, unless it will only be used to store a few screwdrivers etc.

The old "professional" range was always well priced and always on a good offer regularly.

This looks to be the replacement -

https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/storage/tool-chests-cabinets/halfords-5-drawer-cabinet-black
https://www.halfords.com/workshop-t...ts-cabinets/halfords-5-drawer-top-chest-black

I'm sure it'll be on offer at around £100 for the rollcab and £200 for the whole lot in the summer. The old ones used to be on offer every bank holiday weekend!

I've a 4 drawer middle chest (image search link) which I got for £40 and a 7 drawer top chest (image search link), which i got for around £70 - both on bank holiday weekend offers.

IMO you're better off buying something that will last.
 
The Halfords Industrial range (the black ones) are great and often on sale. Keep an eye out over Easter.
 
Where does the old Halfords Professional cabs sit, same quality as the advanced or in between the basic and advanced?
 
Went and bought the blue 6 drawers one for £115.

The top box was stuffed inside of the bottom box, and was wondering where it was when opened the package. It had to be un screwed from the bottom of the bottom chest.

The chests look great with lovely blue paint and all the drawers open and close smooth, but it is true that the metal is not thick enough. It feels flimsy, when pressed with fingers it will dent, so really fit enough to hold light tools. Or store heavy tools, but be careful when taking out and placing the tools in, and also must be careful not to smash things on them.

But for the money, it seems not bad with good space and all the drawers and cupboards lock with the key.

When I put my spanner sets and some wrenches and breaker bars in the chest, they got real heavy, that I couldn't move or lift easily. I only filled in about 60% of my tools, and the tool chest is already full. So might need another one.

Yeah, it is not the best, and by no means high quality, but the case of you get what you pay for. No bad for diy purpose. Also seen a lot for sale in Amabay, and I could have done a lot worse.

The ones in Costco, I have seen as well, and cheaper one was 350£ and larger one was 500£ Plus. I think they add vat on the displayed price as well. They were real thick metal bodied and heavy as tanks but at the price.
 
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