Portable tool chest

Farmer2750 · Jul 23, 2016

Okay guys and gals, I'm lookin for a portable tool chest too keep a good number of the basic tools in,(sockets, wrenches, hammers, prybar, ect..) I want to keep it in the shop then load it in the bed of my truck and take off down the road to fix the neighbors tractor, and more than likely keep it in my truck during spring and fall. Anybody have any ideas? I'm willing to make it if I see a design I like, any ideas or photos would be awsome!

EddieWalker · Jul 23, 2016

As a contractor, I have about a dozen toolboxes. Not the same as a tool chest, but another option. I like to group tools into each tool box. One is for sheetrock, another is for copper plumbing, another is for sanding with three sanders in it and a bunch of sand paper, and so on. I've tried a variety of brands and I've learned that you have to have three things for a good tool box, and most of them don't have all three. Metal latches, metal in the hinges and a solid handle that does NOT snap into position. It has to be bolted, or riveted on. It also does not have any holes or openings around the handle for water to get in.

Stack-On is the only brand that I've found that has everything I need in a tool box. If it rains, I don't care because whatever is in the tool box remains dry. It's big enough to hold quite a bit, but never to heavy that I can't carry it.

Stack-On PR-23 23-Inch Professional Multi-Purpose Plastic Tool Box, Red - Toolboxes - Amazon.com

CreekyB · Jul 23, 2016

I really like the wedge tool boxes for portable. We do a lot of industrial equipment service and they make sense for us. We can strap them to the side of a pickup bed and slide on to the tail gate for offsite service. They fit in the utility beds of our golf carts for onsite service and as well can be lifted onto a service cart to go into the shops where the golfcarts cannot access.

They come in different sizes the one pictured is pretty small. I cannot remember what we paid for ours but they are a little bit bigger and have more options for storage. Montezuma makes the ones we have.

motownbrowne · Jul 23, 2016

My portable tool chest is a 1987 Jeep wrangler. I paid $300 for it. Costs $45 to register for 2 years (farm plates). It goes wherever I need it to, though it's not as comfortable on the road as I would like. It is very handy not having to load and unload portable boxes all the time, though.

Gem99ultra · Jul 25, 2016

CreekyB said:
I really like the wedge tool boxes for portable. We do a lot of industrial equipment service and they make sense for us. We can strap them to the side of a pickup bed and slide on to the tail gate for offsite service. They fit in the utility beds of our golf carts for onsite service and as well can be lifted onto a service cart to go into the shops where the golfcarts cannot access.

They come in different sizes the one pictured is pretty small. I cannot remember what we paid for ours but they are a little bit bigger and have more options for storage. Montezuma makes the ones we have.

Geez! That's the Cadillac of tool boxes. Thinking that I'd have to have one, I found them online. oopppss - the prices just kicked me in the teeth. Cheapest I saw was >$250. I think that's higher than the price of my travel tools.

If you have a cheaper source, I'd like to know about it. Beautiful setup though. Thanks.

CreekyB · Jul 25, 2016

Gem99ultra said:
Geez! That's the Cadillac of tool boxes. Thinking that I'd have to have one, I found them online. oopppss - the prices just kicked me in the teeth. Cheapest I saw was >$250. I think that's higher than the price of my travel tools.

If you have a cheaper source, I'd like to know about it. Beautiful setup though. Thanks.

I am thinking they came from either strictlytoolboxes or maybe them through Amazon but that might have been something else, might have been from the Northern Tools store here I can't remember. We bought one and it served it's purpose well. Tools are neatly organized, when picking up you can see if something is missing. It severely reduced the problem child's propensity to lose tools at a rate of 3 or 4 a week. So I bought three more of them. They paid for themselves in tools retained. The guys still loose tools, and break tools, we supply the tools so they they use them like they borrowed them. But it has improved their ability to hold on to the tools for a while longer. I think I still paid more than 300 a piece for them. I did negotiate a discount on the three purchased at once, but it wasn't huge.

Even the better quality tool boxes at Harbor Freight are pricey, good quality metal tool boxes are not cheap.