Should I purchase a stationary or portable tool box?
Nowadays finding a toolbox you can throw in the bed of your truck and carry off to the job site one that isn’t too heavy but has room for all your tools, is not a very hard thing to accomplish, The market is saturated with tool boxes, tool bags, and tool cases of all shapes and sizes. With the generous selection comes a wide gap in price. First thing you need to determine when looking for the best portable toolbox is your specific needs. How many tools do you need to store? How large are the tools you need to take with you? Will a tool bag do, or is the job one that you may need a wide array of power and hand tools where a nice stack able toolbox on wheels may be a better fit? These are some of the first questions you need to ask yourself in looking for a new portable toolbox. In this article, I will go over in some detail a handful of newly designed portable toolboxes to point you toward the best-suited toolbox for you. Personally I’m not a huge fan of having to lug around a bulky old metal toolbox from job site to job site, if your using tools on a daily basis, you know having your tools organized and in the same place saves you time frustration and if you use tools as a part of your job it can save you money. Nothing is worse than needing a tool and opening your toolbox and the socket or tool you need is missing. Tool bags are a great add-on to any good toolbox they are great for throwing some power tools or hand tools in and just going but they are terrible for the organization of tools, it’s the equivalent of having a huge man purse you must constantly dig through to find the proper tool. I like to you both a tool bag and a box in conjunction so my tools are accessible yet still well organized and in place. I’m not a professional, I Am however remodeling my first home. I’ve found that I don’t always need a truck-load of tools but as soon as I skimp on the tools I bought, there will be something happen and I’ll desperately need something I didn’t make room for. My remedy for this is a nice medium sized toolbox on wheels, there are a bunch of different brands and styles of these being made now because of their recent popularity, I use a “22 in Milwaukee- PACKOUT” it’s not the cheapest modular toolbox system out there, but i include it to show you the price differences. It is made of very durable composite plastic that will last a lifetime. it’s about as large as you really need and also small enough to fit small to medium range power tools allowing for enough space for you to bring along plenty hand tools or anything else you may need for the day. You can stack up to 3 boxes or pull a box off and carry it with you to your work spot. Here’s a list of some modular toolbox systems and their prices some cost more than others based mainly on features like the locking mechanisms or the materials that are used. Some materials are aluminum where others are composite Plastics, I have seen more composite Plastics than aluminum tool boxes, but they are out there. I want to compare and contrast some more popular tool boxes are on the market, but still won’t break the bank or lighten your wallet too much. the systems we will review range from 3 box systems down to a large single box with wheels.
Milwaukee “Pack Out” comes in at a whopping $300″ it is exceptionally crafted it is not a budget toolbox set so I ‘m going too much detail about it but if you get a chance and you’re looking at these systems, take a quick look at the Milwaukee. it looks different from all the others and you can tell by just looking at, it it’s an amazing tool box. You can purchase this tool box on Amazon for a great price too.
DeWalt Tough System is $109, and another reasonably priced modular toolbox system very similar to The rest of the toolboxes we’ve been looking at today, With a unique twist this system is so versatile because DeWalt has a metal framed dolly that you can stack the tough system on it has arms that are adjustable on each side can you stack the whole system on this metal dolly, what’s great about this metal dolly is you can use it for other applications you can fold the arms down, load bags of concrete or cinder blocks or whatever you like and move things from place to place. Once you slide the boxes onto the dolly they lock on with a metal latch system on the back of the dolly you just flip the switch, and all your boxes are locked. it really is a Unique system and absolutely something to look at if you’re going to buy a modular toolbox system.The DeWalt tough system dolly or carrier has a call it is an add-on for the system so it cost extra at $189. It’s rugged and sturdy like all the DeWalt products are. The second box down has a see-through lid to easily locate tools,. The wheels on this unit seem to be smaller than the rest we’ve looked at today this may seem trivial as you will not be taking it through the grass, but bigger Wheels maneuver better on dicey terrain just as an afterthought. The DeWalt tough system stands out on account of the brand new rack system that integrates with the stack able toolbox you mount this rack at home or wherever you like to store your tools and after you get home with your toolbox, you can organize each box on a rack on your wall to always have access to your tools at a moment’s notice. no other toolbox system has a 440 lb weight capacity perfectly integrated storage rack for storing your toolboxes after the job is over. Buy yours on Amazon here.
The Craftsman Versa Stack System will be the best bang for your buck by a long shot, everyone knows Craftsman stand behind all of their products with the best warranty on the market. the Craftsman versus max system Would be my first pick if I was looking for a modular toolbox system because the price is the cheapest on the market. It’s a great brand it has metal latches that are even lockable with a padlock. the very top toolbox has a clear top to easily look down and see the tools inside. Every single tool box in the Craftsman system has weather-proof seals along the edges so that nothing, no water, no dust, nothing can get inside the toolbox. The pulling handle looks sturdy like you could haul a few hundred pounds with ease Pulling handle is also telescoping so it drops down to allow clearance if you want to store it in a tight spot. The Craftsman system has pull out drawers when most other stack able systems did not it’s very handy because the tools are very accessible you don’t have to open any latches you don’t have to dig through a box, you simply slide open the drawer and grab whatever you need. Last but not least is by far the best application I’ve seen for a toolbox yet, and that’s the Craftsman versus stack integrates with Craftsman’s radio and charger system if you haven’t seen this you really need to take a look. The radio Clips on the top of the toolbox, and allows you to have music at the job site, when you open the radio up it has two USB ports for cell phone charging or what have you, and also has a charger for their v20 system of power tools. If this was a contest the Craftsman would be the winner at $89 how can you complain? Amazon has them on sale sometimes as well.
Stanley FatMax System T Stak Tower – Sells for around $100. The Stanley Fat Max system is an exceptional toolbox, with a class that can rival even the best boxes on the market, It has more compartments than most of the other tool boxes have, there are plenty little compartments and compartments to put screws, sockets, anything that will fit, the extra compartments are very nice to have, I need function of the little compartments are they pull out so you can bring your screws wherever you need to they are like little cups and then they fit right back down into the system perfectly . The pull-out drawers are also very nice, some of the other systems don’t even have pull out drawers.the handles are all the metal and made of high-grade anti-rust aluminum It telescopes, to drop down out of the way while you’re not pulling the system. The fit and finish of the Box is thoughtful with a clear top on one box for quick glances while trying to locate tools. The three-set tower the system is set for someone in a professional setting or just the everyday chap working on his bathroom sink. Check them out here on Amazon.
Husky makes a toolbox that is eerily similar to the Craftsman in price, and in quality, the Husky is black with brushed aluminum latches Smaller Wheels and also a clear lid to view down into the toolbox. the price I found the Husky 4 online was $84. I’m not sure of huskies warranty but I’m sure it’s no Craftsman warranty.What really impressed me about the Husky system is it has removable compartment like some of the other systems we’ve looked at and the wheels are very large to allow you to go over just about any terrain you encounter which is a big plus because you don’t know where you’ll end up taking your toolbox. Bottom bucket is very nice cuz it’s deep and you allow for space for many power tools it has plenty of compartments and it really is reminiscent of the Craftsman system, it has many of the same functions in compartments in the Aesthetics are very similar as well. It’s a good-looking tool box for the money it would be at the top of my list if I was in the market for a new one.
The Bostitch 2 in 1 rolling tool box is unique among all the other systems, it has three toolboxes like all the others, however, this toolbox has pulled out drawers, unlike all the other systems. The system is only 19 in tall most of the other systems we’ve covered are 21 to 22 in tall this system separates into two parts It has a 65 lb load capacity or a 9-gallon volume. it is substantially smaller but the price tag of smaller than well as $59 it’s the cheapest toolbox we covered today so far. They do have a bigger system for around $110 that is very similar to the smaller system with ball bearing drawers that pull out at an angle at the bottom and standard pull out drawers at the top with a detachable toolbox on the very top, it’s a very nice system for the money and something to look at definitely a budget modular tool box system.
Now I can’t leave out the monster that Stalwart Makes, it’s a massive stainless steel 3 part toolbox that looks like it could withstand a tornado, the thing looks heavy as I’m sure it is it’s a very nice looking tool box At the biggest toolbox we looked at today it tower’s at 33 in tall and demand your attention. The biggest downside I see with this specific system is that it has plastic latches, Stainless steel boxes are lined on the inside with plastic which I was happy to see, nobody wants to be banging around in a stainless steel tool box making all kinds of noise. back to the back to the latches, you would think they would have gone with stainless steel but they opted for composite latches, that wouldn’t be my first pick. Stalwart also makes a two-piece stack able system at a very reasonable $40 it’s a no-frills stack able system but for that price, it’s absolutely worth a look. stalwart seems to make quality products I’ve never personally used any but from the research that I’ve done there’s not a lot of bad things said about any product that made which makes me consider this box the top contender in the market.
If after looking at all of these stack able toolboxes and you’ve decided you really don’t need the 3-way stack able tool boxes if it’s just too much and you will not use all of that you may want to look at Something like Huskies rolling contractor’s tote tool bag it’s like a tool bag but it’s on Wheels you can also stack things on top like other tool boxes if later on, you decide you would like a bigger toolbox system but the tote bag As separate pockets in dividable spaces on the inside the bag, it’s actually very nice At only $69 it’s in the budget’s realm toolboxes. And it’s not just husky every big name brand has these contractor bags on wheels so it’s something to seriously take a look at if you have decided you’re not in the market for a very large toolbox system. however, me personally I have way too many tools and need plenty of space to store them. I’m really not trying to compare these systems although many of them are very comparable they all seem to come off pretty much the same basic model some have extra bells and whistles but really we’re just trying to have a modular toolbox we can take With us, just throw in the back of the truck and go.
Do they still make portable tool boxes with quality?
China has really taken over the market, when it comes to copying products and bringing them to market at a cheaper price, sometimes the quality can be less than satisfactory but more times than not the quality we’re seeing from China is actually superb and most of the products they develop tend to, for the most part, last a very long time. As technology progresses we will continue to see better quality products come out of places like China and Indonesia. If you’re looking for a tool box that won’t break the bank maybe that’s not a bad place to start. nobody said you have to buy the best brand to get good quality. you can get on Amazon or wherever you like to shop online and find Maybe an off brand, often times no brand toolbox with wheels an exact copy of the products that we went over. Just make sure you look at the comments see what other people say about the product, see what they say about the durability and if it seems like a good deal, then it probably is.I know plenty of people that has about Chinese products and you’re still using them today in a very satisfied so don’t shy away from products dinner made in China because you think the quality may be sub par.
I hope this helps you find what you’re looking for in a modular toolbox system, I didn’t go over all of them there are many more out there some nicer than the ones that we went over. Some cheaper some more expensive, I implore you to do a little research and find the one that best fits you, these ones that I went over I can assure you our quality products that I would personally purchase. I have included links to different tool boxes that you can purchase on Amazon for a very cheap price.