Find the best price on this toolbox with our affiliate link: geni.us/8510-8520 FULL DISCLOSURE: Milwaukee is sending us tools to use, to make videos with, and to give some away. I received the bottom cabinet as a media sample and purchased the top chest myself. We are under no obligation to review their products as part of that relationship, and this video went live before they saw it or gave us any feedback on it. I have had this tool box since the beginning of August, did not receive monetary compensation for this video (just the toolbox), opinions are my own, and everything is scripted myself. Thank you guys for watching, it's nice working with companies whose products we already use, but you guys are the reason we get to keep doing what we do.
DEBOSS GARAGE my snapon sockets came with a magnetic tray they stood in i was skeptical of plastic at first but it's one of my favorite features by far I'm the same way with sockets and wrenches even my pry bars have a tray to size organize them
I love how he going through his tools and grabs a few random things and says “this thing is garbage, you want it you can have it!” Then proceeds to chuck it. Lol
@@aeromedical6750 WHAT ARE THESE GLOVES EVERYWHERE, ARE YOU A GODAMN DOCTOR OR A FABRICATOR PAULY, AND THESE COFFEE CUPS, HERE AND HERE AND HERE, RHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *PAUL SR. ACCENT*
Its awful. As an engineer who works in a cleanroom, this video drives me nuts, my box is layed out the way Air Force technicians do it. Everything has its own place, and is cleaned before ending the day.
This is a late reply but cupboard lining rolls work great too, they are great for slick things like glasses, or it this case chromed tools, and they are thin so you dont lose space. Pluto they're dirt cheap
Amen, “engineers dont ask mechanics.” I would consider putting shelves on the side for your laptop and scanner, but small enough it wont collect junk. Maybe just mount on a swing out arm the right height.
I’ve been a diesel heavy equipment mechanic for over 10 years and couldn’t agree more on not financing tools! It’s insane how much debt I’ve seen guys rack up for a few tools. If a name brand is something you really need/want shop used. GP sockets are awesome for the price haven’t broke one yet. Never buy a snap on Mac or matco box new it’s insane how much they cost. This year I finally got the snap on 3 bay tool box I’ve always wanted after saving the cash to buy it I got it for less than 1/3 of the price the original owner paid retail off the truck. And it’s basically flawless. Craigslist, eBay, and online tool retailers are awesome for great deals on tools for guys just starting out in this line of work.
spoken like an experienced man get the used box keep looking they are @. I have a 52" older snap on professional series with the chrome on it for the professional technicians its a "Special edition"... The guy just retired sold me the top n bottom box with easy 40k in tools in it for $1800 cash.. My dealer who is terrible offered me 6k on trade for the box alone. Plus I got a porta power... name brand. A Hein Werner Shop Jack n stands and some other bs... He was done and I was in the right place at the right time. Best deal of my life. The body tools alone are worth over 5k and then all snap on mac and s&k hand and air tools sockets, specialty stuff. etc. It definitely made my year.
I always do the same thing and got some amazing things for great deals. Just last month i got a practically new Matco sercice cart for $40 and got him to throw in a Snap On drill with the boot for $10. The drill and cart are like new this guy was just a rich tool snob. The drill had initials on it.. And the cart was not snap on so it did not match... his loss my gain the drill is goin for $250 used on Ebay.
Agreed. I always had a bill with them but it was never more than a grand or so at a time. I bought some ratchets, screw drivers and specialty tools because I wanted them but the rest was cheaper stuff in a $1000 box and I made money while guys gave half their check to snap on.
Hi. Having been a mechanic for nearly 40 years. I'v tryed most tool manufacturer . And have been using teng for about 20 year's. I found them to be much better than the other big brand name tools. And one of the things I like about them is drowr organization ( they have been doing same as milwaukee for a good 15 years or so ) and the life time guarantee. .. just started watching your channel and slowly working on the back catalogue 🤘🤘
i have teng tools stuff too. and yes the tool trays are good the only thing is with time the grey plastic does split but a little expanda foam fixed that. what is good is the lids clip on and off so you can take a couple of trays with you to do a job rather than the whole tool chest and the lids keep em in place in transit. they have a large range and its quality at a reasonable price.
I have been working as a mechanic for around 23 years and I’m always keep everything very clean and organize. But of course I can’t judge A person just because it’s dirty. I know some good mechanics that are very dirty but Very efficient.
Petroleum based lubricants shouldn’t even be used on rubber o-rings, it causes the rubber to swell and weaken over time. Silicone based lubricants should be used.
@justin watch Exactly... coolant, air (pneumatic) and hydraulics (depends), red rubber grease or silicone based products should be used. but i will say from material selection in engineering rubber is changing and most new* o-rings aren't made of natural rubber anymore. Vaseline does swell rubber a bit but is usually fine on oil/diesel components. it isn't an argument its just a fact.
I had the husky version of this box for a month then traded it in for a Matco revel 3 bay 28” and I love it. Tons of room and even more room to grow. Also love the plastic socket stands from cornwel. They have spaces for short, mid, and deep sockets. Bought some harbor freight socket holders and they suck, they would either break or the sockets don’t fit.
I love mine. Im an rv technician and i roll my box around alot. But these Milwaukee boxs are nice, might pick one up to put tools i cant fit in my box.
They are pretty much the best you can buy before stepping up to tool truck quality boxes, which increases the price 3x at least. Anyone who's not a totaly "lenny" with their tools and toolboxes (the kind of person who could ruin a ball bearing in a bucket of grease bare handed) the harbor freight toolboxes are competely adequate for all day every day professional *USE*, of course there's tons of people who want them to hold up to all day every day professional *ABUSE*, which is ridiculous, Craigslist is littered with snap on toolboxes abused into non-functioning in some way or another.
I recently got one of Harbor Fright's new boxes (40 inch, upper and lower). My 25 year old Craftsman finally overflowed and was falling apart. I'm really, really impressed by the HR's quality for the money. If you get a chance to see it I'd like to hear your opinion. I have to think there can't be more than three or four companies world wide that make mechanics tool boxes so HR is probably buying from the same manufacturer that Craftsman, etc. buy from. One way to solve the socket stored flat and can't get them out problem is to build a fixture to angle then up at one end so that the top of one row clears the bottom of the next one. Easy bending with a sheet metal brake but wood would work too.
Brother, I feel your pain.. Short story on me. I am 57 years old and have a bad back. Many years of turning wrenches and welding in INSANE positions and conditions has left me fused for four levels. I'm 6'3" and am doing the same thing right now. I have had Snap On boxes for 35 years. I love them, but they are showing their age. I have a bottom, Mid and top box. Before buying the mid box I put all my sockets on steel rails, (Craftsman) and attached the rails to a 3/8th 3-ply chunk of plywood. Works BEAUTIFULLY!!! I also have a ton of Mac and Snap-on and Craftsman tools of all types. I am switching over to a shorter but wider Harbor Freight bottom with a Craftsman top. (The Craftsman top is slightly smaller side to side and loses about 2" to the back, but I got it dirt cheap). I am redesigning the sockets to go into the top as I had in the Snap-on top now. With this set of boxes, I will not have to step up on my 6" step to see my sockets anymore. I suggest you move your laptop drawer to the top space and put it inside the cover when not in use. Lift the cover and place it on top when needed. Buy some 3/8th plywood and the Craftsman steel rails along with a box of 1/4" wood screws and put your sockets up top where they are so much easier to see and grab... Your scanner can go in the smaller drawer to the right. It's a damn shame these tool companies never ask the guys who have special needs how WE would like a box set up!! Last thing, I have looked at a few other boxes lately and kind of like the Milwaukee, but,, dollar for dollar I would spend the same money on the largest Harbour Freight boxes and still have money for diesel!!! Honestly, the HF boxes are not bad at all. I would not have even looked, but a few guys on here that use them daily, like you, swear by them. Heavy gauge steel and fully welded and fully painted inside and out. I can use that Mac 1/4" Ratchet... Mine is wasted and can't get parts for the trigger.
I love the clamshell top on this box. I am a home mechanic and the only reason i want this box is to put my garage stereo receiver inside.......so that i can close it all up when i am done using it. It has built in power and would work great as a stationary box to contain anything electrical including the full stereo. I sure wish HF would add a 44 inch clamshell upper box to their line of boxes. I have the lower and love it.
If it were me I’d come up with a system to put your laptop and scan tool on a bracket or pivot system you can adjust and mount to to the left and right side of your box. Then you can put your sockets back up top.
I’m a union sheet metal apprentice in Washington state and I mainly do industrial processing sheet metal work, so a lot of food processing plants. I need a lot of mechanics tools, grips, hammers, layout tools, a welding hood, grinder, grinder wheels, and hand tools galore. I bought the Milwaukee 40” 6 drawer box and it’s fine for now, but it is full, luckily I have almost all the tools I will need as a journeyman so extra space isn’t something that’s needed right now. I put a piece of 1/4” plate on top of the little stainless table top and that works great for fabricating. Overall, the box is great. Total weight with the top and tools is like 800ish lbs. I haul it all over the place, it spends a lot of time in the bed of my truck and rolling around massive potato plants and in using it in a way different from what it was designed for I’ve discovered a few issues. One issue is that if the box gets vibrated a lot, like if I’m driving down a gravel road with it in back or rolling it across asphalt the lock will shake open, so I’m constantly having to double check if it’s locked, especially when it’s in the truck. The other issue is the wheels on the casters don’t hold up well, ones already got a huge flat spot from dumbasses trying to move my box with the brakes set. Overall though it’s holding up well, I also noticed it’s impossible to clean but to be honest I put it through hell so it being clean isn’t a priority. It’s constantly getting sprayed by sanitation people in the plants with water and acid, it gets rolled through water, potato slop, fry grease, and all kinds of shit, it’s exposed to the weather in my truck, it’s riding in a truck, in and out of the bed with a forklift, and so far so good. One last thing, I use OEM tools socket rails off amazon, I can keep all my sockets upright in the second deepest drawers and they are labeled on the top of the plastic guide so you can see what you want from overhead. Highly recommend them.
I paid about 650 for the 60 inch milwaukee about 2 years ago. I love it. Didn't brake the bank and does its job, keeps my tools safe and put away. After wrenching on diesels for 15 years I've learned its no fashion show. A good quality tool doesn't need to be big name brand
Back in the 79s, my dad was a mechanic at a dealership in Chicago, he said the bathrooms there were worse than a truck stop in Alabama, so in the bottom drawer he had a pee bucket, and mounted on his side box was a 2 gallon bucket to take a dump in
Rich, a couple people mentioned it already, but I’ve switched over to the trays with numbered posts for my sockets, and I’m never going back. I use a few of the rails you have there for extensions and the odd ball sockets, but highly recommend the trays. Because of their design the sockets sit lower than the rails so you’ll likely be able to even have your 1/2” deep well in the vertical position. Love the channel, thanks. -Dave
I bought a bottom box off the Mac truck in the early 90’s for like $1100. Went searching for the middle and top about 15 years back on craigs and found so many nice tool truck boxes for pennies on the dollar. I picked up a nice Mac 1000 for a few hundred. Your so spot on about not buying the expensive boxes right away.
I am an Industrial mechaninc and I have used a harbor freight us general box for the last 5 years and I LOVE it. It was cheap and is pretty stout, it got nailed by a forklift and survived.
I own a gladiator n enjoy it for DIY. To stand your sockets up, remove your drawer and install magnets underneath. Ernst MFG makes labels for sockets that you can stick on the bottom of the drawer if need labeling. Kinda like a floating socket system. Maybe this will can give you enough room to stack your sockets
Should have got a gen 2 box from Harbor Frieght!! I am a chassis mechanic in Ohio and build ambulances for a living and thats what I have been using for quite a while now. Just upgraded to their new 44" box and its great. More room and just as good of quality as that Milwaukee. And a little bit cheaper. I'm definetly not downing that box but especially for you're socket problem, the top drawer on the US General box us strong enough and deep enough to have all of your sockets upright. And i don't know if you have Rural King up there but they have some pretty nice socket trays from a brand called Tool Shed. Inexpesive and durable
Great vid Rich, I use a Craftsman double wide rolling cab, I used it as a portable work bench when I was in the Mack dealer. All my tools were right there, no walking. Now I have the Princess Auto socket holders with the pins that have the sizes on the end on part of the top, still room to work.
With my sockets I separated my shallows and deep an put them in two different drawers and labeled the socket size in front of the socket for easy identification. With the shallow sockets I bought a tray from harbour freight and it works so well. Except it didn’t have enough pegs for all the sockets in some sets, so I bought some wood doweling in 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 cut some new pegs and siliconed them in. Works fantastic. It’s all about organization. I also will say to anybody starting out buy the biggest roller cabinet you can afford first then add on as your tools need expand.
I would put my laptop and scanner on a sepaerate little mobile stand and fill that very accessible top with all my sockets. Very visible and easy to read. 30 year millwright and muscle memory is so ingrained you can find some tools without even looking lol. I bought a bunch of new tools decided to rearrange my box and now I am flippin drawers in and out like a rookie again making this sixty year old say wtf too many times a day. Great video keep helping those young people get interested and provide them with some great learning experiences. We all enjoy your outlook on different situations.
Just started as a diesel apprentice not far from you in smithville, ON. Channel is solid, I've learned so much from this channel. Ide just like to say thanks ! Keep on keepin on
I have the husky like your new one and I like it a lot! Hard to believe I was using a harbor freight tool cart all the tools I had in it filled the husky up. All in all I love my new box!
The grey and black socket holders that are still on sale at sears are great for me, they slide but are tight enough to keep them organized, and they have the peg ones that I use for the impacts, I use the harbor freight roll sound cart for my sockets and gear wrenches, screw drivers and air tools because it can move around the shop or driveway easily without the fear of tipping and killing you, nice and high for us tall guys. It has everything that I normally use in it, then two more roll around for everything else. One under my fabrication table with all my fab tools and power tools that rolls around with the table and the other with all my other hand tools that sits next to the compressor because a fully loaded box that six fool talk is scary to roll around.
Laser cut foam in my box changed my life. Everything is right where I want it. It took my about a month to setup, but it was worth it. I know you need to have access to a laser cutter, but I do so I use it.
I have the same box, use it at an International dealership. I use the "Ares" socket organizers that have the hole as opposed to the peg and all my deep sockets fit in the big long drawer no problem. I did have to widen some of the holes to fit some of my impact sockets, the snap on impact sockets are wider than any other impact sockets I have. Also the larger 3/4 drive sockets I have will fit in there standing up on their own and don't fall over when moving it around the shop. Also on the "laptop drawer" the cover than you set your laptop on is just riveted on, I drilled those rivets out and removed the cover so now it's just a normal drawer. I've been using this box for a little over a year now and it's holding up well.
Wdym international dealership? We have dealerships near me that are owned by international “not the truck company “ or do u actually work at a international truck dealership?
I have the same Milwaukee boxes and love them. First boxes I’ve owned. I’m not a big fan of the computer box either. I just use it to store wire wheels and misc items. I checked out a lot of boxes and I thought the Milwaukee felt the best and I love the sturdiness of the drawer slides and the soft closures are a big plus to me as well. It is much better than a lot of other brands imo.
The Cornwell boxes are really nice. Friend of mine is a farm mechanic, so obviously works on tractors and big diesels all day. Has all Cornwell stuff. Expensive, but considerably less than the snap on stuff. In particular, the socket drawer is nice. Fits all his sockets up to the 3/4 drive set standing up.
Like my Grandpapy taught me when was young.....if ya hate your toolbox & tools; your gonna hate to work(go to work); but if ya like em, you'll enjoy(like) working everyday..... Congrats & hope it fits your style, A
My suggestion would to meet yourself in the middle. Move your scanner to your bench, and wield together a stadium style socket shelf to take up half of the top part. You still get your work bench and have functional use of the plugs, and you can streamline your sockets like you mentioned (omitting uncommon sizes) and keep the other ones you need once in a blue moon in a drawer laying down. Also having more things up there in an organized fashion will likely avoid the problem you had with that side shelf accumulating junk and random odd/ends.
My favorite 1/4 socket holder is part number MTS721 you can find it on Amazon, then for my 3/8 sockets I have been using HNE3801 on Amazon. Not the greatest thing in the world but it works, now the 1/4 socket holder is the greatest thing ever it's got a magnetic base, and it holds the sockets in with magnets so they don't fall out I've bought 4 or 5 of those now hands down my favorite!
I have a masterhand I got from tractor supply years ago. It's served me well although I need a bigger one. I've looked at a lot of new boxes, and Milwaukee seams like a great choice. Thanks for the review Rich..
My suggestion for the socket drawer, it’s a lot of work but it will be worth it in the end, get some good foam, and cut out a spot for each socket to rest in, it’s tedious work but it’s a one time thing if you do it right and you won’t have to worry about the sockets sliding around, they will be easy to get out of the drawer, and if you want to go a step further you can label them
I bought a three tier kobalt box in black from lowes when I was a small engine tech. Loved it. Came with a sweet vinyl cover too. Just under 600.00. I do like the Milwaukee box.
I bought a Husky 44” rolling toolbox from Home Depot for $300 as my first toolbox and it’s filled and haven’t had any problems with it! And on top, I have a 42” Kobalt top box that I bought from Lowes and only paid $150 cuz of some damage that was on it when I bought it. Both toolbox’s are great if you’re just starting out wrenching on things at home or to be a mechanic!
I really Like Homak boxes. I bought mine from cosco 6 years ago before they started carrying junk boxes and I really enjoy it. I really like having drawers that are 22 inches deep.
I bought a used cornwell medium size box. Got a great deal on it! Its just too bad that it isnt big enough to hold all my tools. I also have one of the HF roller carts, 5 drawer I believe and it works pretty well for what I use it for. Most electrial stuff goes in that little guy and if I ever have to work out of my bay, just toss what I need in the top and move one.
I have a old Kennedy tool box and a craftsman tool box that I got years ago from my parents and grandparents but recently I bought a us general cart from harbor freight and I really like it so far it's been way good
I was a small shop owner/operator and I bought / paid for a snap on box so that my customer saw it. I principally used MatCo tools cause of the variety like mid sockets like 6, 12, and 6 point sockets... yes snap on made them too but they were harder to grip when removing them from ratchets or flex bars. Like you, I had holsters for the impact guns and knifes that I used to use. I don't like quick release tools cause if you bump them socket it down in motor where magnet fish with telescope eye to find. Matco tool boxes were lite up so that if you were in shaded corner, you could still make out what it said and on that note... matco tools were easier to read the sizes of the tool. I'm anel about not making scondd trip for tools that I need for project. In my small socket sets I used S&K tools cause they were stronger than anyone else on the market and I loved the Craftsman easy out sockets cause they were tough.. even the crome ones stood up to the impact gun. I know that tools have a "parent"company and snap on, craftsman, matco didn't make their own tool but the quality seemed better in my estimation. I pulled wrenches for fifty plus years... both mobile an shop but on jobs that didn't pay well in the field, I used my less good wrenches cause losing in mud didn't hurt as much. Common high ware tools.... feeler gages alen head and crows feet were good examples. Precise was always Matco cause they were less likely to let me ddddddown and breakage was minimal. If I had to modify a wrench for a one, Matco made good on them without any questions... maybe a remark like ; I'd liked ti see what you used that for... maybe that is a wrench we should copy . They even made tools from the ones I used on Cummins fuel pumps
I picked up a Snap On top and bottom from a guy who got it from an insurance claim, so he sold it cheap, and it was all new. As for socket trays, try the ones that the socket slides over, and the peg its on pokes out the top and has the socket size on it. Princess Auto and Snap on sell them, and they are great. PA has them in 2 rows ,and Snap on has a 3 row tray if you have mid length sockets. You can see the size very quickly with these,and they are trays, so no need for screwing them down.
I bought the masterforce menards box. And I kid you not everybody who pulls them drawers out fully loaded with tools say its slids so nice for a budget box. I mean a top and bottom 41 inch and 24 inches deep. And it was only 1200 dollars with a 11 percent mail and rebate so like 1000 bucks. Well worth the months of research and money saved going that way.
I have the same box and used it as a fleet diesel tech. The oil will come off if you use a mild non chlorinated brake clean like Zep. Word of advice. Keep your sockets up top. My bottom box long drawer began bowing and breaking in a few short months of use. Use that spot for diag Equipment only
I bought the 46" version and love it. Go to Harbor Freight and get their socket holders with the labeled pegs. Have to put in the deeper drawer but i like them way better than those rails and see alot of people using them. I totally agree. This tool box is in the price range a tool box should be in. Its a tough box. Looks great. Snap On is the status symbol but there just isnt a need to spend thousands more to store their tools. I love the paint jobs they have and if I win the lottery or inherit a bunch of money ill probably upgrade the Milwaukee but still use it to be honest. Thing weighs 650 lbs. 18 ga steel. I love the self closing drawers. I store all my wrenches sockets and wratchets in the two middle long drawers at waist level with room for a pliers rack on the side.
I like the hanson socket organizers, they are plastic trays with pegs for every socket with the size embossed on the top of the peg. Ready to read and see if a socket is missing
Rich get Hansen made socket trays for your bigger sockets. They have little numbers on them which Tell you what size they are, very quick and easy to get a socket, and it stands them up so you save a lot of space. I know you’re in Canada but a bonus for me is they’re made in the USA. You can get them on amazon.
I have had the same box for about 4 years now, love it. All my drills and power tools are also Milwaukee brand.... Need to get some of those socket sets!!
Try the grip socket holders from princess auto. They’ve got a label down the middle for quick reference and the sockets sit closer to the bottom of the drawer so the deep impact sockets might fit
my grandfather bought me a toolpro toolbox for my 18th birthday (toolpro is supercheapauto's tool brand, australian) and it's held up well since then, i've got rid of most of the plastic stuff inside to fit more things, i like putting stickers on my toolbox too to show off companies i respect. these big things are cool but almost useless to me because i take my toolbox away with me sometimes in case of emergency wrenching or helping out friends/family.
You can go to walmart and buy of those non slip mat rolls like for kitchen drawers and use that stuff for drawer liners in a box as well if you need to
I'm using the 52' Husky tool box. It's taller than the one you have so it's not the best work surface. I like how that one has the chargers on the side. The husky one doesn't have any gimmicks on it which helps bring the price down. It does have a magnetic upper part instead of a peg board which I'm a fan of, but for me, all horizontal surfaces end up collecting junk so the top of mine is full. I'm a big fan of the husky box for the price and it's matte black so you dont have to worry about finger prints.
my favorite socket trays are the ones like the piece of wood with nails in it that you showed. Also I feel your pain about a transferring tools into a new box I just upgraded to a new tool cart with drawers and it was a bit stressful figuring out how I wanted it but it was nice to finally move my sockets into trays and not have them in the box I bought them in. Also you mention how some drawers are in bad spots like the impact gun drawer but I think boxes these days are designed to just to hold your tools at the end of the day because now everyone has service carts where they can pile up the tools they are using for the day right where they are working and not walk back and forth to their box.
Now in my workshop I've converted to tool carts, I use my old tool boxes for bolt, screw and bits organization. I just partitioned with mostly cardboard boxes and works very well. Maybe your old box can do that.
hi I can feel your pain have been a mechanic, (heavy and light) for 36+ years and 30 + of those have been field service all I use now is a crab bag ad and a tray of spanners to cover what I need the left over stuff is in the tool box at work . about te size of your old unit. the rest is sitting in the 4 tool boxes at home. feel your pain. dont think I would pick the millwaukee as my tool box.
Check out Hanson ? socket organizers 1/4 3/8 1/2 Kinda peg like with size printed on top sorta like the nail deal less prone to make an ouchy!! They are a little bit tall though. There are alot of Hanson items that the BIG tool companys use and put there sticker on it. Thread repair tap,die,chase, extractors Same box, packageing, diffrent sticker on top Check it out. Couple of guys I work with have the Extreme toolz boxes seem OK simular in size and constuction to the Milwaukee box about same price also. Keep up the good work it pays off You will get all the sleep you need when your dead. They tell you to slow down to keep you form succeeding If you feel the need to work 25hrs a day get after it Well done!
18:00 Can you swap the laptop drawer with the first top drawer? Then you will still have half of the very top (scanner will stay), and be able to use 2nd, 3rd and 4th drawer. I mean, if it's possible...
The laptop draw reminds me of the ones you get on server racks (google KVM Console). They make a lot more sense on a server rack though since you're a lot less likely to need to pull anything else out, hah.
I use socket organizers from princess Auto. They have four rows rivited to a steel plate with1\4, 3\8 and 1\2. They have served me well over the past 5+ years. They are very low profile too so all my deep sockets stand up no problem. There is room to label the sizes if you want to but I just leave a bigger gap between the 9 and 10mm so I know where it is.
I agree with the don't finance. I bought a snap on cart that i like. My 300 piece craftsman socket sets came with holder that i use because it makes it easy to fine each socket like you. I like the snap-on cart because it feels like they thought about the width and depth of drawers so you get lots of use out of them as far as storing things neatly and tightly. I have a torin box that i got for 400 bucks and that is great bang for buck because it holds a lot of tools as well. I do work out of my snap on box day to day and have stuff i use rarely in the torin like specialized pullers and a/c gauges.... MY 2 cents.
i got the same box when got into the trade recently. I had the same problem with the deep sockets in my top bottem drawer. I got a 30 inch cart from harbor freight for all my chromes, regular wrenches and vise grips. it has screwdriver storage in the top. for the price even crossing the border it was worth getting the side cart. Matco comparable is like 1000 bucks or more
I bought a tool chest (186 piece I think) for about a grand. I was hanging out for some fresh tools as the hand me downs and piecemeal sets I had kicking around were just not fit for purpose. It was built by Powerbuilt, so its not much different to the Chinseium you'd find in the Hazard Fraught, but I'm a car painter, not a diesel mechanic, so I'm not reefing on anything huge. At the same time I bought a Wilfuckyee 18 volt brushless half inch impact gun and half inch drill set for about $900. The $1900 odd I spent that day is still the best money I've spent. I got it all to my workshop, started using it, worked damn well, then I went to work on my girlfriend's Mitsubishi at the end of the first week and realised that I needed a roll cab because I still had a big stack of useful tools with nowhere to put them. So back to The Tool Shed and walked out with a $650 Powerbuilt roller cabinet, a set of tin snips (stupidly bought the green ones not the red ones, but still does the job), a half inch impact socket set and a bunch of other shit. Having never owned anything like this before I thought it was the best shit since sliced bread, and for what I needed, it still is, but I know there's far better out there, and that Milwaukee roll cab looks far superior to my Paperbuilt, and I'd kill to own that. But this set will do me well into the future until it shits the bed and then I'll fork out for something a bit nicer.
Drill out the rivets on the lap top holder. Throw it away and have a usable drawer. Worked for home depot tool rental. Most customers wanted it removed.
Olsa Tools makes a really good set of socket stands. They too are available on Amazon but I ordered directly from the site because they're cheaper.It's a 6 piece set and it would be perfect for your box. I absolutely love it.Get the red and black combo if you decide to go that route.
Deboss, get the peg organizer for sockets has size printed on 'em super easy timesaver. They have em on ebay and amazon. Ive had pretty good luck not breaking the pegs off and im a sasquatch like you. 3/8-1/2...my 1/4 stuff is in a magnetic sized hole holder so i can stick it to whatever machine im workin on. Also...get two of the mid grade roll around boxes from harbor freight....one metric and one standard. Its a good system!
I'm starting out and I got a Costco box and I gotta say that thing is solid also for the sockets I like using the stand up plastic ones with the label on top I have a bunch of the metal socket rail ones which are nice as well because if you don't want to run back and forth from your box you can just throw it on your tool cart
You should build your own boxes because you can. I had to buy a set for work. All the ones I could find were crappy, even the expensive ones from DeWalt. I have one of my Dad's old snap on chests at home still solid after 60 or so years. Liked the video.
My 20 year old craftsman was over full so I bought a US General from Harbor Freight. The thing is wicked heavy and seems to be built rugged. The drawer detents are alittle stout though but other than that I love it !
I got some led under cabinet lights for my hutch on my toolbox, because my light stopped working a nd ot was $364 through Matco. They was only $23 from eBay. They are about 12" long and thin. Came in a box of 3. Had it where you could use a wire or a piece the connects them directly together. Also came with a remote. Just a idea so you could light up the top of your box
Whoooa 20yrs in the biz and you rocking that lil bitty tool box. I see a lot of chrome sockets in your previous toolbox. I figured diesel=impact sockets. Those red counter drawers ones on the other hand look 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
![Subaru Mechanic Snap On Tool Box Tour [HD]](/img/1.gif)
Find the best price on this toolbox with our affiliate link: geni.us/8510-8520
FULL DISCLOSURE: Milwaukee is sending us tools to use, to make videos with, and to give some away. I received the bottom cabinet as a media sample and purchased the top chest myself. We are under no obligation to review their products as part of that relationship, and this video went live before they saw it or gave us any feedback on it. I have had this tool box since the beginning of August, did not receive monetary compensation for this video (just the toolbox), opinions are my own, and everything is scripted myself. Thank you guys for watching, it's nice working with companies whose products we already use, but you guys are the reason we get to keep doing what we do.
DEBOSS GARAGE my snapon sockets came with a magnetic tray they stood in i was skeptical of plastic at first but it's one of my favorite features by far I'm the same way with sockets and wrenches even my pry bars have a tray to size organize them
DEBOSS GARAGE side note tried cornwall or kobalt box?
Lame
DEBOSS GARAGE magnetic socket holders are my favourite.
DEBOSS GARAGE Snap-On should make you a custom tool box
I love how he going through his tools and grabs a few random things and says “this thing is garbage, you want it you can have it!” Then proceeds to chuck it. Lol
I'm a neat freak. Your tool box is my worst nightmare lol
LOLOL. Paul Sr. would be losing his mind in that shop.
OCD.
@@aeromedical6750 WHAT ARE THESE GLOVES EVERYWHERE, ARE YOU A GODAMN DOCTOR OR A FABRICATOR PAULY, AND THESE COFFEE CUPS, HERE AND HERE AND HERE, RHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE *PAUL SR. ACCENT*
@Alan S -- LMFAO. Dude, you nailed it!
Its awful. As an engineer who works in a cleanroom, this video drives me nuts, my box is layed out the way Air Force technicians do it. Everything has its own place, and is cleaned before ending the day.
Yoga mats make a really good and inexpensive drawer liner too
you're a damn genius, this never occured to me
Harbor freight wants to know your location
This is a late reply but cupboard lining rolls work great too, they are great for slick things like glasses, or it this case chromed tools, and they are thin so you dont lose space. Pluto they're dirt cheap
Amen, “engineers dont ask mechanics.” I would consider putting shelves on the side for your laptop and scanner, but small enough it wont collect junk. Maybe just mount on a swing out arm the right height.
I’ve been a diesel heavy equipment mechanic for over 10 years and couldn’t agree more on not financing tools!
It’s insane how much debt I’ve seen guys rack up for a few tools. If a name brand is something you really need/want shop used. GP sockets are awesome for the price haven’t broke one yet.
Never buy a snap on Mac or matco box new it’s insane how much they cost.
This year I finally got the snap on 3 bay tool box I’ve always wanted after saving the cash to buy it I got it for less than 1/3 of the price the original owner paid retail off the truck. And it’s basically flawless.
Craigslist, eBay, and online tool retailers are awesome for great deals on tools for guys just starting out in this line of work.
spoken like an experienced man get the used box keep looking they are @. I have a 52" older snap on professional series with the chrome on it for the professional technicians its a "Special edition"... The guy just retired sold me the top n bottom box with easy 40k in tools in it for $1800 cash.. My dealer who is terrible offered me 6k on trade for the box alone. Plus I got a porta power... name brand. A Hein Werner Shop Jack n stands and some other bs... He was done and I was in the right place at the right time. Best deal of my life. The body tools alone are worth over 5k and then all snap on mac and s&k hand and air tools sockets, specialty stuff. etc. It definitely made my year.
I always do the same thing and got some amazing things for great deals. Just last month i got a practically new Matco sercice cart for $40 and got him to throw in a Snap On drill with the boot for $10. The drill and cart are like new this guy was just a rich tool snob. The drill had initials on it.. And the cart was not snap on so it did not match... his loss my gain the drill is goin for $250 used on Ebay.
Getting my 7 drawer Mac tool box for 800 new student discounts help a lot!
Adam A you stole that box lol holy crap
Agreed. I always had a bill with them but it was never more than a grand or so at a time. I bought some ratchets, screw drivers and specialty tools because I wanted them but the rest was cheaper stuff in a $1000 box and I made money while guys gave half their check to snap on.
Wow. A Milwaukee toolbox on RUclips actually being used 😮😮
Good review
That "laptop" drawer is for sure paperwork. It's good level to write on, and a nice clean place to store the papers.
Yep. When you work in a shop or at a dealer that area tends to fill up with papers from various orders or from cars.
Hi. Having been a mechanic for nearly 40 years. I'v tryed most tool manufacturer . And have been using teng for about 20 year's. I found them to be much better than the other big brand name tools. And one of the things I like about them is drowr organization ( they have been doing same as milwaukee for a good 15 years or so ) and the life time guarantee. .. just started watching your channel and slowly working on the back catalogue 🤘🤘
i have teng tools stuff too. and yes the tool trays are good the only thing is with time the grey plastic does split but a little expanda foam fixed that. what is good is the lids clip on and off so you can take a couple of trays with you to do a job rather than the whole tool chest and the lids keep em in place in transit. they have a large range and its quality at a reasonable price.
I have been working as a mechanic for around 23 years and I’m always keep everything very clean and organize.
But of course I can’t judge A person just because it’s dirty.
I know some good mechanics that are very dirty but Very efficient.
You have vasaline and gloves in same draw. 😅🤔
Bend over
And put a lid on the Vaseline. nothing worse for rubber "o" rings etc. than metal shavings and gritty dirt.
Petroleum based lubricants shouldn’t even be used on rubber o-rings, it causes the rubber to swell and weaken over time. Silicone based lubricants should be used.
@justinthor xD, auto correct strikes again.
@justin watch Exactly... coolant, air (pneumatic) and hydraulics (depends), red rubber grease or silicone based products should be used.
but i will say from material selection in engineering rubber is changing and most new* o-rings aren't made of natural rubber anymore. Vaseline does swell rubber a bit but is usually fine on oil/diesel components. it isn't an argument its just a fact.
I had the husky version of this box for a month then traded it in for a Matco revel 3 bay 28” and I love it. Tons of room and even more room to grow. Also love the plastic socket stands from cornwel. They have spaces for short, mid, and deep sockets. Bought some harbor freight socket holders and they suck, they would either break or the sockets don’t fit.
The revels look great but my matco dealer is an asshoel
The boxes from harbor freight are really good for the price!
Yes they are
I love mine. Im an rv technician and i roll my box around alot. But these Milwaukee boxs are nice, might pick one up to put tools i cant fit in my box.
They are pretty much the best you can buy before stepping up to tool truck quality boxes, which increases the price 3x at least. Anyone who's not a totaly "lenny" with their tools and toolboxes (the kind of person who could ruin a ball bearing in a bucket of grease bare handed) the harbor freight toolboxes are competely adequate for all day every day professional *USE*, of course there's tons of people who want them to hold up to all day every day professional *ABUSE*, which is ridiculous, Craigslist is littered with snap on toolboxes abused into non-functioning in some way or another.
@@snap-off5383 yeah, some guys just don't take care of their stuff.
Snap-off
It’s such a good deal want to buy a couple of them . Just way too cheap . Their carts are awesome too . Bad ass colors and such
I recently got one of Harbor Fright's new boxes (40 inch, upper and lower). My 25 year old Craftsman finally overflowed and was falling apart. I'm really, really impressed by the HR's quality for the money. If you get a chance to see it I'd like to hear your opinion. I have to think there can't be more than three or four companies world wide that make mechanics tool boxes so HR is probably buying from the same manufacturer that Craftsman, etc. buy from.
One way to solve the socket stored flat and can't get them out problem is to build a fixture to angle then up at one end so that the top of one row clears the bottom of the next one. Easy bending with a sheet metal brake but wood would work too.
Brother, I feel your pain.. Short story on me. I am 57 years old and have a bad back. Many years of turning wrenches and welding in INSANE positions and conditions has left me fused for four levels. I'm 6'3" and am doing the same thing right now. I have had Snap On boxes for 35 years. I love them, but they are showing their age. I have a bottom, Mid and top box. Before buying the mid box I put all my sockets on steel rails, (Craftsman) and attached the rails to a 3/8th 3-ply chunk of plywood. Works BEAUTIFULLY!!! I also have a ton of Mac and Snap-on and Craftsman tools of all types. I am switching over to a shorter but wider Harbor Freight bottom with a Craftsman top. (The Craftsman top is slightly smaller side to side and loses about 2" to the back, but I got it dirt cheap). I am redesigning the sockets to go into the top as I had in the Snap-on top now. With this set of boxes, I will not have to step up on my 6" step to see my sockets anymore. I suggest you move your laptop drawer to the top space and put it inside the cover when not in use. Lift the cover and place it on top when needed. Buy some 3/8th plywood and the Craftsman steel rails along with a box of 1/4" wood screws and put your sockets up top where they are so much easier to see and grab... Your scanner can go in the smaller drawer to the right. It's a damn shame these tool companies never ask the guys who have special needs how WE would like a box set up!! Last thing, I have looked at a few other boxes lately and kind of like the Milwaukee, but,, dollar for dollar I would spend the same money on the largest Harbour Freight boxes and still have money for diesel!!! Honestly, the HF boxes are not bad at all. I would not have even looked, but a few guys on here that use them daily, like you, swear by them. Heavy gauge steel and fully welded and fully painted inside and out. I can use that Mac 1/4" Ratchet... Mine is wasted and can't get parts for the trigger.
I love the clamshell top on this box. I am a home mechanic and the only reason i want this box is to put my garage stereo receiver inside.......so that i can close it all up when i am done using it. It has built in power and would work great as a stationary box to contain anything electrical including the full stereo. I sure wish HF would add a 44 inch clamshell upper box to their line of boxes. I have the lower and love it.
If it were me I’d come up with a system to put your laptop and scan tool on a bracket or pivot system you can adjust and mount to to the left and right side of your box. Then you can put your sockets back up top.
Yeah some sort of combination of monitor arms and VESA mounts. Might be a bit bulky though.
I’m a union sheet metal apprentice in Washington state and I mainly do industrial processing sheet metal work, so a lot of food processing plants. I need a lot of mechanics tools, grips, hammers, layout tools, a welding hood, grinder, grinder wheels, and hand tools galore. I bought the Milwaukee 40” 6 drawer box and it’s fine for now, but it is full, luckily I have almost all the tools I will need as a journeyman so extra space isn’t something that’s needed right now. I put a piece of 1/4” plate on top of the little stainless table top and that works great for fabricating. Overall, the box is great. Total weight with the top and tools is like 800ish lbs. I haul it all over the place, it spends a lot of time in the bed of my truck and rolling around massive potato plants and in using it in a way different from what it was designed for I’ve discovered a few issues. One issue is that if the box gets vibrated a lot, like if I’m driving down a gravel road with it in back or rolling it across asphalt the lock will shake open, so I’m constantly having to double check if it’s locked, especially when it’s in the truck. The other issue is the wheels on the casters don’t hold up well, ones already got a huge flat spot from dumbasses trying to move my box with the brakes set. Overall though it’s holding up well, I also noticed it’s impossible to clean but to be honest I put it through hell so it being clean isn’t a priority. It’s constantly getting sprayed by sanitation people in the plants with water and acid, it gets rolled through water, potato slop, fry grease, and all kinds of shit, it’s exposed to the weather in my truck, it’s riding in a truck, in and out of the bed with a forklift, and so far so good. One last thing, I use OEM tools socket rails off amazon, I can keep all my sockets upright in the second deepest drawers and they are labeled on the top of the plastic guide so you can see what you want from overhead. Highly recommend them.
I paid about 650 for the 60 inch milwaukee about 2 years ago. I love it. Didn't brake the bank and does its job, keeps my tools safe and put away. After wrenching on diesels for 15 years I've learned its no fashion show. A good quality tool doesn't need to be big name brand
Back in the 79s, my dad was a mechanic at a dealership in Chicago, he said the bathrooms there were worse than a truck stop in Alabama, so in the bottom drawer he had a pee bucket, and mounted on his side box was a 2 gallon bucket to take a dump in
Rich, a couple people mentioned it already, but I’ve switched over to the trays with numbered posts for my sockets, and I’m never going back. I use a few of the rails you have there for extensions and the odd ball sockets, but highly recommend the trays. Because of their design the sockets sit lower than the rails so you’ll likely be able to even have your 1/2” deep well in the vertical position. Love the channel, thanks.
-Dave
I bought a bottom box off the Mac truck in the early 90’s for like $1100. Went searching for the middle and top about 15 years back on craigs and found so many nice tool truck boxes for pennies on the dollar. I picked up a nice Mac 1000 for a few hundred. Your so spot on about not buying the expensive boxes right away.
I am an Industrial mechaninc and I have used a harbor freight us general box for the last 5 years and I LOVE it. It was cheap and is pretty stout, it got nailed by a forklift and survived.
I own a gladiator n enjoy it for DIY. To stand your sockets up, remove your drawer and install magnets underneath. Ernst MFG makes labels for sockets that you can stick on the bottom of the drawer if need labeling. Kinda like a floating socket system. Maybe this will can give you enough room to stack your sockets
Should have got a gen 2 box from Harbor Frieght!! I am a chassis mechanic in Ohio and build ambulances for a living and thats what I have been using for quite a while now. Just upgraded to their new 44" box and its great. More room and just as good of quality as that Milwaukee. And a little bit cheaper. I'm definetly not downing that box but especially for you're socket problem, the top drawer on the US General box us strong enough and deep enough to have all of your sockets upright. And i don't know if you have Rural King up there but they have some pretty nice socket trays from a brand called Tool Shed. Inexpesive and durable
Thanks Rich. So nice to see how a pro organises a tool box. Even more happy to see that my box is laid out very similar. Cheers
Great vid Rich, I use a Craftsman double wide rolling cab, I used it as a portable work bench when I was in the Mack dealer. All my tools were right there, no walking. Now I have the Princess Auto socket holders with the pins that have the sizes on the end on part of the top, still room to work.
With my sockets I separated my shallows and deep an put them in two different drawers and labeled the socket size in front of the socket for easy identification. With the shallow sockets I bought a tray from harbour freight and it works so well. Except it didn’t have enough pegs for all the sockets in some sets, so I bought some wood doweling in 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 cut some new pegs and siliconed them in. Works fantastic. It’s all about organization. I also will say to anybody starting out buy the biggest roller cabinet you can afford first then add on as your tools need expand.
I would put my laptop and scanner on a sepaerate little mobile stand and fill that very accessible top with all my sockets. Very visible and easy to read. 30 year millwright and muscle memory is so ingrained you can find some tools without even looking lol. I bought a bunch of new tools decided to rearrange my box and now I am flippin drawers in and out like a rookie again making this sixty year old say wtf too many times a day. Great video keep helping those young people get interested and provide them with some great learning experiences. We all enjoy your outlook on different situations.
I drilled out the rivets the computer drawer to make it normal made so much more space.
Can you switch it with the top drawer or are they not the same size?
Justin Mancini yes you can. I switched the drawers on mine prior do drilling out the rivets.
Just started as a diesel apprentice not far from you in smithville, ON. Channel is solid, I've learned so much from this channel. Ide just like to say thanks ! Keep on keepin on
U could use hinges for the socket rails so u can fold them down to close it
I have the husky like your new one and I like it a lot! Hard to believe I was using a harbor freight tool cart all the tools I had in it filled the husky up. All in all I love my new box!
i've had my 1956 snap-on box for as long as i can remember and I still use it to this day and i love it just as much now as when it was new.
The grey and black socket holders that are still on sale at sears are great for me, they slide but are tight enough to keep them organized, and they have the peg ones that I use for the impacts, I use the harbor freight roll sound cart for my sockets and gear wrenches, screw drivers and air tools because it can move around the shop or driveway easily without the fear of tipping and killing you, nice and high for us tall guys. It has everything that I normally use in it, then two more roll around for everything else. One under my fabrication table with all my fab tools and power tools that rolls around with the table and the other with all my other hand tools that sits next to the compressor because a fully loaded box that six fool talk is scary to roll around.
Laser cut foam in my box changed my life. Everything is right where I want it. It took my about a month to setup, but it was worth it. I know you need to have access to a laser cutter, but I do so I use it.
I have the same box, use it at an International dealership. I use the "Ares" socket organizers that have the hole as opposed to the peg and all my deep sockets fit in the big long drawer no problem. I did have to widen some of the holes to fit some of my impact sockets, the snap on impact sockets are wider than any other impact sockets I have. Also the larger 3/4 drive sockets I have will fit in there standing up on their own and don't fall over when moving it around the shop.
Also on the "laptop drawer" the cover than you set your laptop on is just riveted on, I drilled those rivets out and removed the cover so now it's just a normal drawer.
I've been using this box for a little over a year now and it's holding up well.
Wdym international dealership? We have dealerships near me that are owned by international “not the truck company “ or do u actually work at a international truck dealership?
I like the plastic ones with the pegs with the numbers on top. It makes it really quick to find my sockets
I have the same Milwaukee boxes and love them. First boxes I’ve owned. I’m not a big fan of the computer box either. I just use it to store wire wheels and misc items. I checked out a lot of boxes and I thought the Milwaukee felt the best and I love the sturdiness of the drawer slides and the soft closures are a big plus to me as well. It is much better than a lot of other brands imo.
The Cornwell boxes are really nice. Friend of mine is a farm mechanic, so obviously works on tractors and big diesels all day. Has all Cornwell stuff. Expensive, but considerably less than the snap on stuff. In particular, the socket drawer is nice. Fits all his sockets up to the 3/4 drive set standing up.
Like my Grandpapy taught me when was young.....if ya hate your toolbox & tools; your gonna hate to work(go to work); but if ya like em, you'll enjoy(like) working everyday.....
Congrats & hope it fits your style, A
My suggestion would to meet yourself in the middle. Move your scanner to your bench, and wield together a stadium style socket shelf to take up half of the top part. You still get your work bench and have functional use of the plugs, and you can streamline your sockets like you mentioned (omitting uncommon sizes) and keep the other ones you need once in a blue moon in a drawer laying down. Also having more things up there in an organized fashion will likely avoid the problem you had with that side shelf accumulating junk and random odd/ends.
My favorite 1/4 socket holder is part number MTS721 you can find it on Amazon, then for my 3/8 sockets I have been using HNE3801 on Amazon. Not the greatest thing in the world but it works, now the 1/4 socket holder is the greatest thing ever it's got a magnetic base, and it holds the sockets in with magnets so they don't fall out I've bought 4 or 5 of those now hands down my favorite!
I have a masterhand I got from tractor supply years ago. It's served me well although I need a bigger one. I've looked at a lot of new boxes, and Milwaukee seams like a great choice. Thanks for the review Rich..
I work out of a 56 inch U.S General and I got it on sale and love it so much
My suggestion for the socket drawer, it’s a lot of work but it will be worth it in the end, get some good foam, and cut out a spot for each socket to rest in, it’s tedious work but it’s a one time thing if you do it right and you won’t have to worry about the sockets sliding around, they will be easy to get out of the drawer, and if you want to go a step further you can label them
I bought a three tier kobalt box in black from lowes when I was a small engine tech. Loved it. Came with a sweet vinyl cover too. Just under 600.00. I do like the Milwaukee box.
I bought a Husky 44” rolling toolbox from Home Depot for $300 as my first toolbox and it’s filled and haven’t had any problems with it! And on top, I have a 42” Kobalt top box that I bought from Lowes and only paid $150 cuz of some damage that was on it when I bought it. Both toolbox’s are great if you’re just starting out wrenching on things at home or to be a mechanic!
I have the HF socket trays, and they are actually pretty damn good.
Yah they are great. Got all the sizes!
Got the same tool box it goes to the dirt track every weekend and never had a problem and we roll it in and out of the trailer all the time great box
I really Like Homak boxes. I bought mine from cosco 6 years ago before they started carrying junk boxes and I really enjoy it. I really like having drawers that are 22 inches deep.
I’m a HGV apprentice and just bought my first tool box which is a TengTools 26” Full stack.
I bought a used cornwell medium size box. Got a great deal on it! Its just too bad that it isnt big enough to hold all my tools. I also have one of the HF roller carts, 5 drawer I believe and it works pretty well for what I use it for. Most electrial stuff goes in that little guy and if I ever have to work out of my bay, just toss what I need in the top and move one.
I have a old Kennedy tool box and a craftsman tool box that I got years ago from my parents and grandparents but recently I bought a us general cart from harbor freight and I really like it so far it's been way good
I was a small shop owner/operator and I bought / paid for a snap on box so that my customer saw it. I principally used MatCo tools cause of the variety like mid sockets like 6, 12, and 6 point sockets... yes snap on made them too but they were harder to grip when removing them from ratchets or flex bars. Like you, I had holsters for the impact guns and knifes that I used to use. I don't like quick release tools cause if you bump them socket it down in motor where magnet fish with telescope eye to find. Matco tool boxes were lite up so that if you were in shaded corner, you could still make out what it said and on that note... matco tools were easier to read the sizes of the tool. I'm anel about not making scondd trip for tools that I need for project. In my small socket sets I used S&K tools cause they were stronger than anyone else on the market and I loved the Craftsman easy out sockets cause they were tough.. even the crome ones stood up to the impact gun. I know that tools have a "parent"company and snap on, craftsman, matco didn't make their own tool but the quality seemed better in my estimation. I pulled wrenches for fifty plus years... both mobile an shop but on jobs that didn't pay well in the field, I used my less good wrenches cause losing in mud didn't hurt as much. Common high ware tools.... feeler gages alen head and crows feet were good examples. Precise was always Matco cause they were less likely to let me ddddddown and breakage was minimal. If I had to modify a wrench for a one, Matco made good on them without any questions... maybe a remark like ; I'd liked ti see what you used that for... maybe that is a wrench we should copy . They even made tools from the ones I used on Cummins fuel pumps
I picked up a Snap On top and bottom from a guy who got it from an insurance claim, so he sold it cheap, and it was all new. As for socket trays, try the ones that the socket slides over, and the peg its on pokes out the top and has the socket size on it. Princess Auto and Snap on sell them, and they are great. PA has them in 2 rows ,and Snap on has a 3 row tray if you have mid length sockets. You can see the size very quickly with these,and they are trays, so no need for screwing them down.
I've gone back to working out of about 5 tool bags and one box for sockets. Works better for me. my us general box has treated me good over the years.
I financed a snap on box recently and it is by far the best box i have ever had its pricey but i love it.
The Extreme Tools wedge boxes are amazing!!
I bought the masterforce menards box. And I kid you not everybody who pulls them drawers out fully loaded with tools say its slids so nice for a budget box. I mean a top and bottom 41 inch and 24 inches deep. And it was only 1200 dollars with a 11 percent mail and rebate so like 1000 bucks. Well worth the months of research and money saved going that way.
Westling machine socket holders are awesome.
I love the kobalt socket organizer it holds most of the sockets you need and it’s easy to hold and take out to a machine
I have the same box and used it as a fleet diesel tech. The oil will come off if you use a mild non chlorinated brake clean like Zep. Word of advice. Keep your sockets up top. My bottom box long drawer began bowing and breaking in a few short months of use. Use that spot for diag Equipment only
Matco has very good tool boxes! I have had one for about 20 years now!
I bought the 46" version and love it. Go to Harbor Freight and get their socket holders with the labeled pegs. Have to put in the deeper drawer but i like them way better than those rails and see alot of people using them.
I totally agree. This tool box is in the price range a tool box should be in. Its a tough box. Looks great. Snap On is the status symbol but there just isnt a need to spend thousands more to store their tools. I love the paint jobs they have and if I win the lottery or inherit a bunch of money ill probably upgrade the Milwaukee but still use it to be honest. Thing weighs 650 lbs. 18 ga steel. I love the self closing drawers. I store all my wrenches sockets and wratchets in the two middle long drawers at waist level with room for a pliers rack on the side.
I like the hanson socket organizers, they are plastic trays with pegs for every socket with the size embossed on the top of the peg. Ready to read and see if a socket is missing
I like this guy he talks straight with no bullshit
Us General Hf box. 44". Works perfect for me. Cheap, durable and paid for.
Rich get Hansen made socket trays for your bigger sockets. They have little numbers on them which Tell you what size they are, very quick and easy to get a socket, and it stands them up so you save a lot of space. I know you’re in Canada but a bonus for me is they’re made in the USA. You can get them on amazon.
I got the high capacity version of the 46” box and I love it. Milwaukee definitely has a strong tool box.
I have an ancient Proto box I bought used at a swap meet decades ago for $25.00. I have had other boxes come and go but the old Proto is the best.
I have had the same box for about 4 years now, love it. All my drills and power tools are also Milwaukee brand.... Need to get some of those socket sets!!
Try the grip socket holders from princess auto. They’ve got a label down the middle for quick reference and the sockets sit closer to the bottom of the drawer so the deep impact sockets might fit
my grandfather bought me a toolpro toolbox for my 18th birthday (toolpro is supercheapauto's tool brand, australian) and it's held up well since then, i've got rid of most of the plastic stuff inside to fit more things, i like putting stickers on my toolbox too to show off companies i respect. these big things are cool but almost useless to me because i take my toolbox away with me sometimes in case of emergency wrenching or helping out friends/family.
You can go to walmart and buy of those non slip mat rolls like for kitchen drawers and use that stuff for drawer liners in a box as well if you need to
I'm using the 52' Husky tool box. It's taller than the one you have so it's not the best work surface. I like how that one has the chargers on the side. The husky one doesn't have any gimmicks on it which helps bring the price down. It does have a magnetic upper part instead of a peg board which I'm a fan of, but for me, all horizontal surfaces end up collecting junk so the top of mine is full. I'm a big fan of the husky box for the price and it's matte black so you dont have to worry about finger prints.
my favorite socket trays are the ones like the piece of wood with nails in it that you showed. Also I feel your pain about a transferring tools into a new box I just upgraded to a new tool cart with drawers and it was a bit stressful figuring out how I wanted it but it was nice to finally move my sockets into trays and not have them in the box I bought them in. Also you mention how some drawers are in bad spots like the impact gun drawer but I think boxes these days are designed to just to hold your tools at the end of the day because now everyone has service carts where they can pile up the tools they are using for the day right where they are working and not walk back and forth to their box.
Now in my workshop I've converted to tool carts, I use my old tool boxes for bolt, screw and bits organization. I just partitioned with mostly cardboard boxes and works very well. Maybe your old box can do that.
hi I can feel your pain have been a mechanic, (heavy and light) for 36+ years and 30 + of those have been field service all I use now is a crab bag ad and a tray of spanners to cover what I need the left over stuff is in the tool box at work . about te size of your old unit. the rest is sitting in the 4 tool boxes at home. feel your pain. dont think I would pick the millwaukee as my tool box.
@DEBOSS GARAGE my favorite socket rails are the VIM rails. They are great
Check out Hanson ? socket organizers 1/4 3/8 1/2 Kinda peg like with size printed on top sorta like the nail deal less prone to make an ouchy!! They are a little bit tall though. There are alot of Hanson items that the BIG tool companys use and put there sticker on it. Thread repair tap,die,chase, extractors Same box, packageing, diffrent sticker on top Check it out.
Couple of guys I work with have the Extreme toolz boxes seem OK simular in size and constuction to the Milwaukee box about same price also.
Keep up the good work it pays off You will get all the sleep you need when your dead. They tell you to slow down to keep you form succeeding If you feel the need to work 25hrs a day get after it Well done!
18:00 Can you swap the laptop drawer with the first top drawer? Then you will still have half of the very top (scanner will stay), and be able to use 2nd, 3rd and 4th drawer. I mean, if it's possible...
The laptop draw reminds me of the ones you get on server racks (google KVM Console). They make a lot more sense on a server rack though since you're a lot less likely to need to pull anything else out, hah.
I use socket organizers from princess Auto. They have four rows rivited to a steel plate with1\4, 3\8 and 1\2. They have served me well over the past 5+ years. They are very low profile too so all my deep sockets stand up no problem. There is room to label the sizes if you want to but I just leave a bigger gap between the 9 and 10mm so I know where it is.
I agree with the don't finance. I bought a snap on cart that i like. My 300 piece craftsman socket sets came with holder that i use because it makes it easy to fine each socket like you. I like the snap-on cart because it feels like they thought about the width and depth of drawers so you get lots of use out of them as far as storing things neatly and tightly. I have a torin box that i got for 400 bucks and that is great bang for buck because it holds a lot of tools as well. I do work out of my snap on box day to day and have stuff i use rarely in the torin like specialized pullers and a/c gauges.... MY 2 cents.
i got the same box when got into the trade recently. I had the same problem with the deep sockets in my top bottem drawer. I got a 30 inch cart from harbor freight for all my chromes, regular wrenches and vise grips. it has screwdriver storage in the top. for the price even crossing the border it was worth getting the side cart. Matco comparable is like 1000 bucks or more
I bought a tool chest (186 piece I think) for about a grand. I was hanging out for some fresh tools as the hand me downs and piecemeal sets I had kicking around were just not fit for purpose. It was built by Powerbuilt, so its not much different to the Chinseium you'd find in the Hazard Fraught, but I'm a car painter, not a diesel mechanic, so I'm not reefing on anything huge. At the same time I bought a Wilfuckyee 18 volt brushless half inch impact gun and half inch drill set for about $900. The $1900 odd I spent that day is still the best money I've spent. I got it all to my workshop, started using it, worked damn well, then I went to work on my girlfriend's Mitsubishi at the end of the first week and realised that I needed a roll cab because I still had a big stack of useful tools with nowhere to put them. So back to The Tool Shed and walked out with a $650 Powerbuilt roller cabinet, a set of tin snips (stupidly bought the green ones not the red ones, but still does the job), a half inch impact socket set and a bunch of other shit. Having never owned anything like this before I thought it was the best shit since sliced bread, and for what I needed, it still is, but I know there's far better out there, and that Milwaukee roll cab looks far superior to my Paperbuilt, and I'd kill to own that. But this set will do me well into the future until it shits the bed and then I'll fork out for something a bit nicer.
Drill out the rivets on the lap top holder. Throw it away and have a usable drawer. Worked for home depot tool rental. Most customers wanted it removed.
3 words. Osmo socket organizer. Thing is a beast and exactly what you want.
Olsa Tools makes a really good set of socket stands. They too are available on Amazon but I ordered directly from the site because they're cheaper.It's a 6 piece set and it would be perfect for your box. I absolutely love it.Get the red and black combo if you decide to go that route.
I bought mine from princess auto 10 years ago. Just the simple plastic, deep and shallow. They work great.
The stand up holders. They also sir your sockets lower
Deboss, get the peg organizer for sockets has size printed on 'em super easy timesaver. They have em on ebay and amazon. Ive had pretty good luck not breaking the pegs off and im a sasquatch like you. 3/8-1/2...my 1/4 stuff is in a magnetic sized hole holder so i can stick it to whatever machine im workin on.
Also...get two of the mid grade roll around boxes from harbor freight....one metric and one standard. Its a good system!
I recommend the Menards brand boxes, masterforce. I have beat the daylights out of mine, and it’s taken it without a scratch.
Glad somebody said it , probably isn't a Menards in Canada but still they are fucking great boxes for what they are!
I'm starting out and I got a Costco box and I gotta say that thing is solid also for the sockets I like using the stand up plastic ones with the label on top I have a bunch of the metal socket rail ones which are nice as well because if you don't want to run back and forth from your box you can just throw it on your tool cart
You should build your own boxes because you can. I had to buy a set for work. All the ones I could find were crappy, even the expensive ones from DeWalt. I have one of my Dad's old snap on chests at home still solid after 60 or so years. Liked the video.
if you go with the peg style socket trays they have the sizes on the posts makes it really easy for drawer
My 20 year old craftsman was over full so I bought a US General from Harbor Freight. The thing is wicked heavy and seems to be built rugged. The drawer detents are alittle stout though but other than that I love it !
I’m in school for auto body and I bought this box. I love it. Great box for the price.
I got some led under cabinet lights for my hutch on my toolbox, because my light stopped working a nd ot was $364 through Matco. They was only $23 from eBay. They are about 12" long and thin. Came in a box of 3. Had it where you could use a wire or a piece the connects them directly together. Also came with a remote. Just a idea so you could light up the top of your box
Whoooa 20yrs in the biz and you rocking that lil bitty tool box. I see a lot of chrome sockets in your previous toolbox. I figured diesel=impact sockets. Those red counter drawers ones on the other hand look 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
I love the clam shell chest top box. Always go for a great base tool box. 5 or even 6 footer. Go for at least 22 inch deep too!