The ideal tool chest?

If he has a lot of tools or you just want to get him a good one that will last.Make sure it has roller ball bearing draws.
There is a store called Rule King here.They carry a box made by Clarke it is much cheaper than Sears Craftmen and as far as i can tell it is also made much much better! Not sure of the model but There Black with gold name plate,roller ball bearing and huge tote handles bolted on the sides of the top chest (a plus in my book). The top chest im wanting is $110 dollars about 100 less than sears closet quality. (note im sure the Craftsmen boxes are made as good as they used to be!) Not sure what brand Lowes sells,im sure ive looked at them atleast ten times but i cant say i remember what i thought of them.(Ill look agin if i think about it,i need to go there this weekend anyway!)

When looking them over see how easy the drawers open (R.B.Bearings)will open with the pull of your pinky finger even with a hundred pounds of tools in it.
Even when it says RBB on the label i usually grab the draw (with it pulled out) and check for slack by pulling up and down on it.A little slack now might increase over time.I don't like any slack in them at all.
Craftsmen does have one feature on there better boxes i like.They know make a lift handle on the draws that must be lift up on to open the draw.A big plus if you have ever had a 1000+ pounds plus box fall over because you opened to many draws at once.(might warn DH not to do this!!!) When it starts to tip it would be easy to tip it back up until those other draws slide open.Nothing is more fun then trying to up right a box that big when its laying on its front with the draws smashed closed on the floor! :waa: My dad was a VW then Datsun last Nissan mec. He had three Snap-On Box's bolted together, yep those where his Brand New $6000 boxes i turned over! About got squashed trying to hold them,as they tipped and i watched all the draws slide open in slow motion. Took a engine host to pick them up half way,enough to clean out some of the tools,Four other mec's. to upright it the rest of the way.And about 4hrs to chase down and put the tools back where they went.
He just did it again himself last year! :haha:

 

Buy the way how many mec's. tools does he own? Does he mec. very much?
Own an air compressor and impact tools? Impact tools require deep storage drawers.Reason i ask is a big top box will hold a lot of tools!
I my self only need a fairly good sized top box,with a couple of deep draws.Its nice to be able to roll them around if he has a concrete floor,big shop.But i myself (being only a weekend mec.) don't really have the need to roll mine.More of a need to have them all in one box that can be loaded in my truck. And when i do get set up for impact guns there will not be enough of them to need more one deep drawers. One other deep drawer for Speciality tools or big hammers and id be happy.
Might use the money for more tools instead of a bottom box.For tools i Would highly recommend Sears!

What hobbies does he do?


Heres a link to a small top box.By Clarke.
http://www.arizonatools.com/catalog/detail/16831/

Heres what id really like to have.Well close any way.The store i mentioned here has one with a better layout of the drawers,and still a better price,much better. http://www.arizonatools.com/catalog/detail/16836/

From what i see Clarke may make three differnt quality/priced boxes.Cheap, Good, Best! I cant say i have ever seen there cheap box,unless thats what the store here is selling.If that there cheap one id really love to lay my eyes on the best they make.

 

I personally have Snap-On as I used it every day for my business. Very high quality, very expensive, but in some ways worth the money. For a good quality box you would have to buy top of the line Craftsman or Lowes with ball bearings and such.

 

I cant afford snap ons,but have 2 craftsman,top with roller bearings,bottom without.Get the roller bearings for sure.
BooBoo

 

Skip the boxes at the large ripoff stores and get a Kennedy set. Just about the best on the market hands down and only can be found in places like industrial tool suppliers etc. There are two popular styles to choose from, Machinists and Mechanics boxes. Plan on paying for it.... I have had mine for 20 years and it was my grandfathers for a long time. Only a few scratches from moving but still in great shape.

 

IMO, having a "roll-around" tool cabinet is not usually necessary... most folks never roll them around (too big and too heavy). I have two tops and two bottoms which roll-around, but I've rarely moved them. I like a roll-around tool "cart" and leaving my tools in one place. The cart is great, not only to hold tools but parts, supplies, manuals etc while working on that particular job... and its portable enough to take anywhere.

When it comes to tool cabinets, you usually get what you pay for. The best value is the high end cabinets from machine shop or industrial auctions... names like Lista, Snap-On, some of the Kennedy's and other well made but lesser known to the home type user. I've seen $5,000+ Lista bench/cabinets sell for $600. Many of my tool cabinets are from auctions. The one I use most is a huge double door cabinet with interior shelves, about three times the size of a standard top+bottom roll around from the hardware stores... $100 from an auction... and it don't roll around.

cheers,