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Toolchest Recommendation?

java

java

Well Known Member
I'm going to get the standard Avery tools, and wanted to treat them to a better home than just strewn around the shop wherever there is a flat surface. I'm sure I'll be acquiring a few more tidbits as well, based on the recommendations from these forums.

Does anyone have a good recommendation regarding a rolling toolchest size to keep everything organized? How much room would the Avery kit, plus assorted add ons, require?
 
The aircraft-specific tools take a surpisingly small amount of space to store - a few shoeboxes worth of space.

I've got a ton of tools so have a big rolling Craftsman cabinet with a tool chest on top. The airplane tools could easily fit in just the top unit with lots of room to spare. The bottom unit is good for air tools (drill, squeezer, etc.).

I haven't been at this long enough to give anything more specific than that but like Jay Pratt told me, the most important thing is that you know where everything is.
 
I have the complete Cleveland set and it takes a depressingly small amount of space for ~2k.

Don't buy storage until you've got your tools and worked with them for awhile. You may find as I have that after putting them all away neatly you just pull most of them out again the next time you work. I'm not much of a neat freak, have lots of table surface, and mostly just leave them out and roughly organised by task.
 
I have one of the standard sized craftsman units with 3 sections (top middle and bottom) each with multiple drawers.
With all the A/C tools, rivet gun, sets, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc it is full. Now I wish I had something bigger, but the bigger ones are pretty pricey (1000$ plus). I am happy with the one I have but if I get more tools it may need to be upgraded :D

Thomas
 
Costco?

I can't recommend it as I don't own it, but I've seen a nice looking stainless steel chest in Costco the past few times I've been in there. It's big, but it comes with the lower and upper chests for a good price. If you have a Costco nearby, it might be worth a look.
 
TOOLCHEST

I purchased two Husky 4-drawer rolling toolchests, which are roughly 34" high and about 24" or 30" wide from Home Depot. All my "aircraft" tools are in one (with "general purpose" tools in the other). I may get a set of drawers to stack on top to better organize my stuff, but it's working for me right now.

Fred Magare
RV-9A
magare "at" hayscisd.net
 
Fact is that all tool boxes are expensive for what they are. After shopping around for a while at places like Sears, Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply etc. I found this at Sams Club. It is so totally bad to the bone for the money it isn't funny. When I bought mine it was actually powder coated black. About 2 weeks later I saw the same thing in all Stainless Steel at about 1/3rd what a similar one would cost. It appears they are only available online now. May be the same one as seen at Costco by Brad?

Merry Christmas to you! ;)

-Jeff

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=348961

0471097720411_L4.jpg
 
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Another handy item or two

In addition to a tool chest, take a look at roll around service carts. I find it very handy to be able to have a place to put the tools I am using in a cart that I can move to wherever I am actually working.

I bought a really nice two shelf adjustable unit at Sams club for $45 or so.

Lastly, the bin box racks that hold 40 or so plastic bins are really nice to have.
I keep cleacos, rivets, ETC in there, and I can just roll the entire unit to where the job is, or grab a bin or two as needed.

Mike
 
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Alternative Tool Chest

Here is what I did for a tool chest. I remodeled my kitchen a few years ago. It had a butcher block counter top that I just couldn't throw away. I now use part of the old kitchen (base cabinents plus counter top) in my garage as storage for tools, parts and work surface with grinders, etc. It may not be a perfect, but the butcher block top comes in handy.

Dave Syvertson
RV-10 tail
Sugar Land, TX
 
Believe or not, Harbor Freight has many of the previous good suggestions beat. Looking for a huge cabinet with 13, ball bearing, already-lined drawers for under $400? Look for the red powdercoated ones at Harbor Freight under the brand name of U.S. General. I'm always skeptical of Harbor Freight (lack of) quality, but this is of better quality than the ones I saw at Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears. I will say that the Costco stainless steel ones looked pretty nice as well. They were just too big, and a little bit more ($599-$650, I think) than I wanted to spend. It's amazing what this cabinet has done for cleaning up my garage. Here's the link...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Category.taf?CategoryID=503&pricetype=
 
$7.5k is full list. Actual retail is much less. We are a manufacture/wholesaler only, but have them listed in the shopping cart for full list so as not to step on our dealers....and for the individual who insists to buy factory direct.
You can typically find a 41" combo (chest and cabinet) that I have on my website for $1900 for less than $1000 in stores.
The $500-$750 stainless toolboxes you see in Costco, Sam's Club, and other big box stores mentioned here are a completely different quality than what I sell. How do I know this? It just so happens that a good friend & business colleague of mine supplies these toolboxes to the accounts mentioned. He sells these stores specifically what they want, and typically they are very price point conscious and willing to scrap alot of quality to meet their target price. Whenever you see a stainless steel toolbox for less than a steel toolbox in any type of store, take a good look at what you are getting. Typically the drawers will be pop riveted together instead of welded, drawer slides are light ga. steel, and the entire box is constructed of light ga. material. Higher end toolboxes will be heavier ga. material with welded drawers and heaver slides. Probably nothing wrong with the lighter toolboxes in a home owner's garage for the money you can buy one for, but for comparison it is like comparing a Ercoupe to a RV....it just doesn't make sense.
 
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Sears carts

At the lower cost, and smaller end, I like these from Sears... as always, look for sales... :)

00959496000


And with these drawer dividers to keep the little stuff separate...

00965297000


Not as fancy, but easy to roll around, and leaves more RV goodie $$ in the pot.... :)

gil in Tucson
 
N819VK said:
$7.5k is full list. Actual retail is much less. We are a manufacture/wholesaler only, but have them listed in the shopping cart for full list so as not to step on our dealers....and for the individual who insists to buy factory direct.
You can typically find a 41" combo (chest and cabinet) that I have on my website for $1900 for less than $1000 in stores.
The $500-$750 stainless toolboxes you see in Costco, Sam's Club, and other big box stores mentioned here are a completely different quality than what I sell. How do I know this? It just so happens that a good friend & business colleague of mine supplies these toolboxes to the accounts mentioned. He sells these stores specifically what they want, and typically they are very price point conscious and willing to scrap alot of quality to meet their target price. Whenever you see a stainless steel toolbox for less than a steel toolbox in any type of store, take a good look at what you are getting. Typically the drawers will be pop riveted together instead of welded, drawer slides are light ga. steel, and the entire box is constructed of light ga. material. Higher end toolboxes will be heavier ga. material with welded drawers and heaver slides. Probably nothing wrong with the lighter toolboxes in a home owner's garage for the money you can buy one for, but for comparison it is like comparing a Ercoupe to a RV....it just doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...

You are correct, sir. If you want quality that lasts, you have to spend money. And you need to know what you are buying. I would love to buy a big a** box like that. A "Taco Wagon" as we call'em in these parts. My ultimate dream though, is to go to my local tool guy and say "Just give me the keys to the truck, here's a check." If your going to dream, dream BIG.

:)
 
java said:
Does anyone have a good recommendation regarding a rolling toolchest size to keep everything organized? How much room would the Avery kit, plus assorted add ons, require?
Click to expand...
You can fill pretty much any size chest with assorted additional tools you'll acquire, so just get the biggest one that fits into your budget. Number of drawers is more important than volume.

One very important feature: ball-bearing slides. Go into a store and try both types. You'll never want to touch the others again...
 
N819VK said:
Higher end toolboxes will be heavier ga. material with welded drawers and heaver slides. Probably nothing wrong with the lighter toolboxes in a home owner's garage for the money you can buy one for, but for comparison it is like comparing a Ercoupe to a RV....it just doesn't make sense.
Click to expand...

I would love to have something like one of your toolchests Vince, but like you said, for home owner (even one building an RV), it may be overkill (that and it could cut into my engine / panel funds :rolleyes: )

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Looks like I have some shopping to do.
 
Sears Cheapy

The black version that Gill shows is the same one I have and I'll second the motion as to it's size and usefulness. I think I paid around $85 on sale about two years ago just to use it for general tools out at the hangar. When I decided to build my 7, I cleaned it out and moved it to the garage. I have a combo of Cleveland, Brown and Avery tools including Pneumatic squeezer. So far it holds them all and has some room left. If you are on a budget like I am, then I'd consider it. BTW it comes with a power strip, storage under the top and peg board holes on the side which I also find useful.

az_gila said:
At the lower cost, and smaller end, I like these from Sears... as always, look for sales... :)

00959496000


Not as fancy, but easy to roll around, and leaves more RV goodie $$ in the pot.... :)

gil in Tucson
Click to expand...
 
Vote for Costco

Since I was just out to the shop taking a picture of my drill bit organizer for another thread, I thought I'd get a picture of my tool chest:

toolchest.jpg


It was a Christmas present from my wife last year before I started building airplane parts in January. It holds nearly all the tools in my shop, but only one drawer is pure airplane stuff. It has 4 drills, 1 skilsaw, a planer, 3 sanders, 2 die grinders, safety equipment, 3 socket sets, one drawer of just screwdrivers, one drawer of just pliers, one of just wrenches, and the top section is pretty much totally devoted to measuring and marking. Ball bearing slides, stainless steel, Made in China, it was $700 if I recall. Not the highest quality available, but very suitable to this task.

Highly recommended.

George
 
Tool Storage

C'mon guys, you need to spring for the ultimate in quality! After all, nothing is too good for storing our tools, right?
Seriously, I found this three drawer, ball bearing slide, stainless steel goody at Big Lots on sale for fifty bucks! It will store most of your airplane specific tools and is of surprisingly decent quality.



 
I have a basic Crafstman toolbox for a lot of stuff. But for the tools I use frequently (Drill, Gun, Squeezer, etc.), I hang em all from a pegboard over the work bench. That way I just reach up and there they are.

This pic kinda shows some if it:

emp.jpg
 
Will Womack said:
I have a basic Crafstman toolbox for a lot of stuff. But for the tools I use frequently (Drill, Gun, Squeezer, etc.), I hang em all from a pegboard over the work bench. That way I just reach up and there they are.

This pic kinda shows some if it:

emp.jpg
Click to expand...

Uh, Will... I hate to tell you this but your elevators are on the wrong sides.

Karl
 
Peg board

Did mine like Will Womack, $100 worth of peg board and pegs gets most of the tools out of the way. My tool set came with a small tool box which I use for small items such as spare drill bits, microstop bits, step drill bits etc.

I like the "on the wall - in "plane" sight" method myself and it costs SO much less.

Some of the tool chest prices I've seen in this thread cost more than some folks' avionics, certainly more than a Hartzel. High-falutin tool boxes may look nice but the don't fly very well.

Of course, who am I to judge - Most folks think I'm crazy for sinking all my money into a flying erector kit in the first place :D

Jekyll
 
the truth

borislav said:
One very important feature: ball-bearing slides. Go into a store and try both types. You'll never want to touch the others again...
Click to expand...


this is the most truth ive heard gere yet. ive used cheap craftsmen boxes everyday for the past 16 years and the last one i bought was in 95. used it every day since in a dealership environment. they work great as compared to the 10,000$ boxes i wanted to buy from snap on, mac and matco. the matco boxes are actuallt probally the best but the top three are all awesome. you can open the bottom drawer of a matco box and stand in it with the box empty. i just wanted storage so i bought a craftsman box and built a 24x24 shop at my first home with the rest of the money :eek: ;) DONT NOT GET ROLLER BEARINGS. THE SLIDES OVER TIME GET REALLY TIGHT. a loaded bearing drawer in a cheap box still opens great. now if yuur rolling this box all over the flight line you may want the good stuff. but you'll also need some wheaties :D
 
Karl, the entire vertical assy is upside down in that pic :D Easy to take the pic that way as the horns stick up not down into the table. But hey, most of the tools are right side up :cool:
 
will

vertical is up and down :D :eek: do you mean horizontal? :rolleyes: as far as the tools that would depend on the user... yeah i know ,but i was bored. :eek:
 
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Out of the box

I found that there were so many tools and that I never knew which one I would need next, so I wanted them ALL at hand.

I ended up stealing an idea from a French company that makes very nice and very expensive benches.

The tool 'rack' is above the and slopes at about 30? from the horizontal.
You can see under the 'rack' to the back of the bench.
It keeps the tools off the bench.
It holds the Plans at eye height- off the bench.

Also, not the 'Office Partition' bench tops and that, like European workshops, the bench top is at elbow height. Easy on the back.
Pete.
workshopbenchhy3.jpg
 
Will Womack said:
Karl, the entire vertical assy is upside down in that pic :D Easy to take the pic that way as the horns stick up not down into the table. But hey, most of the tools are right side up :cool:
Click to expand...

I was pretty sure you knew but just wanted to make sure. Don't want someone going around thinking that the elevator control horns are supposed to be pointing up. Couldn't see enough detail to tell if the HS was upside down also.

Karl
 
fodrv7 said:
I found that there were so many tools and that I never knew which one I would need next, so I wanted them ALL at hand.

I ended up stealing an idea from a French company that makes very nice and very expensive benches.

The tool 'rack' is above the and slopes at about 30? from the horizontal.
You can see under the 'rack' to the back of the bench.
It keeps the tools off the bench.
It holds the Plans at eye height- off the bench.

Also, not the 'Office Partition' bench tops and that, like European workshops, the bench top is at elbow height. Easy on the back.
Pete.
Click to expand...
Pete,
No offense intended, but just looking at that scares the heck out of me. :eek:
Looks great for drawings and manuals, but I have enough trouble avoiding denting skins without a potential tool avalache. I hope you are a very careful or lucky guy.
 
fl-mike said:
Pete,
No offense intended, but just looking at that scares the heck out of me. :eek:
Looks great for drawings and manuals, but I have enough trouble avoiding denting skins without a potential tool avalache. I hope you are a very careful or lucky guy.
Click to expand...

Don't forget, he's in Australia, so wouldn't the tools fall.......UP?
 
Which way is up.

fl-mike said:
Pete,
but I have enough trouble avoiding denting skins without a potential tool avalache.
Click to expand...

Morning guys.
You for got to mention I am always asleep when you blokes can see the sun.

The bench has a 1" lip of quad and is covered in Marine Non Skid. (I used to live on a boat in Hong Kong)

And as Paul knows, there is really no such direction as up, but he is right about my 'hose'.
Pete.
shelflipbv0.jpg
 
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Toolchest Recommendation

I had been kind of looking for a new toolbox for my hanger, but never found one I really liked at Sears, Northern Equipment Etc.

I spoke to Vince (the guy who sells the Montezuma Manufacturing Tool Chests) a couple days before Christmas. He offered to sell me the 27" rolling chest shipped to my door (no sales tax) for $325.

I got it a couple days after Christmas and let me tell you I am impressed. This is one very nice toolbox. Much better built than the ones I had seen at the local places.

Today, I stopped back by Sears to try and find the equivalent toolbox and compare the price. There was no direct match, but it seemed to fall somewhere between the one Sears sells for $475 and the one they sell for $1000.

Now I just have to keep repeating to myself, "You don't have enough tools to even need the matching top chest from Montezuma" every time I start to reach for my Visa card.

Bruce
flying RV-8
N297NW
 
MSFT-1 said:
Now I just have to keep repeating to myself, "You don't have enough tools to even need the matching top chest from Montezuma" every time I start to reach for my Visa card.

Bruce
flying RV-8
N297NW
Click to expand...

So go buy more tools!!!!

Dont let such a good opportunity escape.

Mike
 
The best toolchest....EVER

This has been the absolute best tool chest I have ever used. I got the idea form my father who uses one when he works on offshore racing boats. It's open so no drawers to mess with. Everything is together like a surgeon's table. Minus the naughty nurse. :D You can roll it around the project. Everything is at you fingertips.



Rubbermaid 4520-88 2 Shelf Utility Cart

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com/rcp/ObjectServer?table=Images&id=22743

It can be found HERE


Kobwo

Oh, and do a Froogle search for it. I found it almost 1/2 price.
 
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box

I purchased a Snap-On $8,500 tool box for 5 grand at the snap on scratch and dent sale... It's 3 bays.. holds my 14K worth of tools just fine. It's 1600 lbs empty and NOBODY will steal it.. as it requires a Flatbed to move it. It's got the thick metal top on it for doing sheetmetal work. Ordinarily I would not of spend that kind of money... but I will have it forever.... and you spend more money buying scrap boxes and breaking them than if you just buy one good one for the rest of your life. This is not needed for the normal builder... but I've never been happier. She handles like a battleship but I have a real small roll around to do roll around stuff with... I dont just have this for a hobby... It is a good deal of income for me being a mechanic. And nothing says I love me(and the customer) better than having the right tool for the right job. (And your customers are usually impressed that you have all the right tools instead of just trying to do it without the right stuff and possibly dinging their stuff)
For the regular guys who are building an airplane... two of the big costco boxes should do the job. I SHADOW ALL MY TOOLS>>>>>>!!! That way I know if something is MISSING... AND ROLLING AROUND IN SOMEBODYS AIRPLANE....
Best
Brian
 
Shadowing tools

You line the drawers with foam, or something, and then make cutouts that fit each tool. Minimally, you draw the outline of the tool. That way you know that a tool is missing. Standard practice for FOD control so that you know there's nothing left behind in the airplane that doesn't belong.
 
yup

yup. Everything has it's own indented place in a foam sheet. No rolling around... no getting lost... instant inventory.
I dont envy the payment though...
 
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