Spec me a tool box

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Imy

Imy

Imy

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Warwickshire, UK
I'll try to keep this short and to the point.
  • Width: up to 60cm
  • Depth: up to 33cm closed and 50cm open
  • Height: up to 37cm
  • Build: sturdy plastic is fine, it's staying indoors 99% of the time
  • Weight: nothing too heavy, under 5kg empty is preferable
  • Budget: up to £100
A shelf above where the toolbox will sit in the cupboard will make it impossible to open the main compartment while in place and I'd rather not pull it out of the cupboard each time I want to retrieve a tape measure or similar. So what would be of great help is if it has drawers which can open while the main lid is shut.


Here are some examples I've seen that come close to fitting the bill:
I have seen some much nicer ones but most have an automatic mechanism which locks the drawers in place when the lid is shut.
Anyone have any suggestions of similar tool boxes to the ones above?
 
What are you intending to keep in the toolbox?

Clarke CB5 - 3 Drawer Chest is a good chest, also a 5 drawer available.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cb5-3-drawer-chest-cw-front-cover

Most drawer tool chests have rear locking bars to secure drawers when not in use.

Look on the bay for 'Drawer tool Chest' you can pick up Sealey American Pro 6 Drawer very reasonable price.

Plastic tool chests don't last, got one here,broke the drawer within six months, one hinge also broke, use steel chest every since, ,will last a lifetime.
 
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It's a fairly random collection... hammer, large wrench, plumbing tools, spanners, grips, plyers, knee pads, gloves, screwdrivers, etc. Nothing too big. The thickest item is 7cm which I'm happy to go in the top bit. Most items are under 5cm thick so are suitable for drawer storage.

It may not sound like a lot of stuff but every time I do a new DIY job I end up buying more tools so I'd like a little space to expand into.

I have another toolbox just for my Dremel and accessories, a case for my cordless drill and charger and another case full of drill accessories.

I'll have a close look at that Clarke unit - thanks.

Edit: just seen your edit, I'll run that search on ebay but have to avoid anything with the rear locking mechanisms.
 
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Definitely go for a steel chest, the weight of tools soon mount up, & you will soon add more to the collection at an alarming rate.:o

Keep a lot of my plumbing kit keep in two steel tool chests, plastic ones just wouldn't cope with the weight.

The rest of my kit is in 4 drawer & 10 drawer filling cabinets, & I still haven't got enough storage.:o
 
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Do you ever have to transport those tool chests? They must be well heavy when fully loaded!

What attracted me to the Dewalt T-Stak system was that even though it's plastic, it looks sturdy enough to hold lots of heavy tools and you can disassemble it for easy transport.
 
Nope, far too heavy, I just pull out what I need & throw it all in to a Plumbers/ Carpenters Tool Bag & a Stanley tote bag.

When I moved house, it took two of us to lift them on & off some sack trucks each end.
 
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Yeah that sounds like the sensible thing to do. I wish I had a garage or something to put this stuff in but am limited to the space on top of a mobile air con unit in a cupboard within my 2nd floor apartment. I'll post a photo tomorrow.
 
Stanley fatmax all the way, aside from a cabinet it's what I've been using for a while - tools, cables, spare parts. They're excellent build quality, waterproof and honestly, I'm 150kg and I feel no issue standing on the structural foam to use it as a step up.
 
I'm replacing the black toolbox in the pic below. The new one will sit either where the black one is now, or under the blue one. The blue one is for my Dremel kit.

unjh.jpg


The old toolbox is only 20cm high so can open up under the shelf, but any new one will be a lot taller so won't (maybe partially).

After taking some measurements again last night, there's a good chance the front cover of the Clarke CB5 will bang into the hoover on the left so I've had to rule that out and every other metal drawer chest I've looked at within my size limits require the top lid to be open in order for the drawers to unlock.

So at this point, metal drawers are pretty much ruled out.
 
tigerstyle said:
move the shelf...
Click to expand...

There's another one above it. It's already at the height I want it and is full of stuff. It's a custom shelf (changes into a weird shape to the left) and fixed into place.

lo5t.jpg


hawkhench said:
Any objection to getting a tote bag and just dumping everything in it? Cavernous, lots of pockets, looks like it should fit fine.
Click to expand...

Actually no, I hadn't considered it. I'll take a look - thanks.
 
I've taken a quick look at tote bags and looks like they meet all my requirements. They come in the sizes I need, lots of organisation options, light and portable, and (importantly) easy and quick access to tools while in situ in the cupboard.

I didn't realise they came in such large sizes or what high quality products they could be. I guess I thought they'd be too small, flimsy and flop about, slipping off, etc.
 
I got a really nice DeWalt tool bag from Screwfix a while back. It's like a tardis, you can fit so much in there and keep things like screwdrivers and pliers/cutters in the pockets so they are easy to get to. Think I paid about £30 for it. Lots of internal pockets, long enough for a 450mm level as well.
 
I saw the DeWalt one. It's very similar to the Stanley one I'm looking at getting but the Stanley one is a bit longer I think (spec says will hold a 600mm level).
 
I've got the big Makita LXT bag, very handy for lobbing kit in and it has a suitcase style handle and wheels. Plus it looks great. I'm such a tart!
 
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