Tool Chests are a great way to store and sort your hand tools and although they have been used by Automotive Mechanics for years they are finding their ways into home garages too.
There are many options when purchasing a Tool Chest so you should look for one that meets your own needs.
Models are available in many sizes and with special options. You can choose from a single piece tool chest or start off by buying a top or bottom box to build your shop storage as your hobbies or profession grows.
Saving Time By Sorting Your Tools
Normally you will find that after you have purchased a number of small hand tools such as wrench and screw driver sets they tend to get misplaced or mixed through your other tools.
Although a Tool Chest may look like an expense that you don’t want to add the ability to quickly grab your tool and have them stored in a clean and sorted method will reduce many minutes or even hours trying to find that 12mm deep socket for that one stupid bolt you need to remove.
Yes, we have all been there and even with a nice tool box you will find yourself digging through items you don’t need to find things that just aren’t there.
Remember time is money and even if you are off the clock working at home your down time is just as important.
Protecting Your Investments
A tool chest will also help you protect your expensive tools.
If you work in a shop with others then having your tools laid out in a way that you will know in a glance if one of your screw drivers is missing is really important. By taking this approach you can quickly see which tools have not grown legs at the end of the day by opening each drawer and taking a quick inventory.
Additionally you may be interested in different locking features. If you are in a shop where your tools will be left overnight you want to make sure that you have a secure way to lock your chest and you should also look into methods of anchoring your chest to the shop floor or ground. Heck nothing is going to stop everyone but they may just decide its not worth it for the time it would take.
Finally the tools themselves may be delicate. You want to protect that snapon torque wrench from being slammed around or dropped on the floor and the same goes for your paint gun and your chisels.
Once you get to the point where your tools combined are worth more then the box then its definitely a must but you probably shouldn’t wait that long.
Tool Chest Size Choices
Smaller Tool Chests can actually serve as a tool box for contractors that are often on the move.
Slightly larger then an average tool box they offer a number of drawer compartments that can hold small and medium sized tools. Many have a larger top or bottom compartment to allow for the storage of larger test equipment and tools.
If you need a Medium sized box then you may want to purchase the top or bottom half of a full height set so you can go back and get the other half when you need to.
For a full sized tool chest you should look for a set that is matched if you can this will provide optimal storage area in the original footprint.
If you are simply adding on then get the dimensions and match boxes the best you can.
Final Note
If you are thinking about buying a Tool Chest or Box then take time to understand its usefulness to you over time. Mechanics in professional shops are pretty much required to purchase these things because they secure their tools in a work environment where they don’t have full control of who can access their expensive tools. A home mechanic may not need that and there can be other and cheaper ways to store tools while still providing easy access. And what is really important to keep in mind is the tools inside your tool box should cost more than the box they are in. I have seen some people fill tool chests with garbage not worthy of the storage unit they are in and that money could have been spent on tools instead of the box.