Wow, it's good to be back! I apologize for the extenuating circumstances that have minimized my writing, thereby leaving the door open for some greasy tool salesman to peddle you a piece of crap. Since the four-wheel season is fast approaching, I have decided to grace you all with my staggering wit and vast knowlege in the area of tools. I have wrote thus far on tools that I find useful, and also very unuseful. However, a new question has arose. "Now that I have all of these cool, new, shiny tools, what the hell am I going to put them in?" Well, the TOOLman is going to shed some light on what are the best containers for those utencils that could make, or break your trip.
I have researched far and wide (also at Sears) to bring you the greatest array of implement containers known to man! Actually, I shopped at the nearest hardware stores to let you know what containers should fit your situation, and vehicle, the best. Those of you that are fans of the short wheelbase vehicles obviously don't need or want a toolbox that's going to leave you with just enough room to pack a sandwich and your truck's repair manual. That is, if you stuck the sandwich in your pocket and sat on the manual. If you can't pack a beer or six, WHAT'S THE POINT? On that same note, those gluttons that drive the full sizes may want a container a little bigger than that dorky Star Trek lunch pail that you had left over from the third grade. "You....need....a.......bigger toolbox, Spock." Just remember fellas, despite what your woman tells you, in this case, size does matter.
Besides the size of the thing, other considerations need to be made. Things to ponder:
- Are my tools going to see any moisture? (rain, snow, river, avalanche, etc.)
- Are my tools going to be rolling around? (could you be struck in "la cabeza"?)
- Could someone easily receive my tools at a discount? (of the five finger persuation)
- Can my tools be accessed or moved with ease? (what did you bring that crane for?)
- Is there more than 20 bucks in my account? (ah, yes, the low budget factor)
If you are reading this and you can answer these questions, congratulations, you are not illiterate! What's more, you will be able to purchase the perfect toolbox for you, your vehicle, and the trail.
Of course we would all love a huge roll-away in our garage, full of Snap-on tools. For most of us, we don't have the space in our garage or pockets deep enough to pay anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000 for a good quality roll away. Plus, if you want liners for the drawers, which is a must buy, they will cost you an additional $20 per drawer. Craftsman does sell some small roll away set-ups that will get you out the door for under $500. However, the biggest problem with the less expensive units is the drawers. When you are test driving in the store, the drawers will seem to open great. But, and this is a big one, put 50 pounds of Sears' top grade steel in there and they don't operate so well! Also, can you take that roll away with you on the trail? Hell no! And you don't want to have to pack something else before your trip.
So, you definitely need a container that is mobile. For simplicity's sake, the basic toolbox is your best bet. They come in both plastic and steel. Surprisingly, they tend to cost about the same: between $15 and $30. They come in sizes from 18" to about 30" and generally have a handy little tray in them. I tend to lean towards the steel boxes due to the durability factor, but you would be surprised at how strong the plastique ones really are. Sevenmile's own Dr. Vern has had a 26" plastic toolbox rolling around in the back of the Stomper for years now. I think that the handle busted off, but otherwise has withstood an excessive amount of punishment. If you do have your tools in the bed of a truck, or you like to go topless, these boxes will keep your tools drier than other containers. What's more, you can take these boxes and put them in the cab during inclement weather, when security is an issue, or if you are riding with some idiot who forgot his tools. There are also some boxes with integrated drawers. You can pick these up for anywhere between $35 and $60. Personally, I don't like these for the same reason that I don't like the cheapy roll aways. The rollers on the drawers are not of the highest quality. Not to mention if you get the box wet, you will need a pry bar to get the thing open. Oh no, the pry bar is in the second drawer.
The other relatively small container is the tool bag. Traditionally, a lot of electricians and carpenters use these, but I do not see why we can't. The advantage of of these over the hard sided boxes is the fact that they do not slide around on the trail as much as the boxes. Also, if you have a roll bar, you can velcro the handles around the bar to really limit the movement of your tools. They are as mobile as the boxes but do not keep moisture out at all. Plus, if security is an issue, these bags could very easily get up and walk over to the nearest pawn shop before you even know that they are gone. If it sprinkles just a little bit, you will be spending a lot of time when you get back home polishing your implements. These bags are easy on the pocketbook at about $25 to $45 and they have more pockets than a mutant marsupial. The Craftsman bags come with a shoulder strap as well.
For those of you with the full sizes, you may want to consider a combination containers. Large boxes that bolt into the truck bed are the ultimate in security and weatherproofing. Knaak and Delta can get you into a large box (24"x48" for example) from anywhere between $300 and $600. Of course, they rape you for the locks seperately. The good thing about these boxes are that they are deep enough to put smaller boxes or bags in them. Also, you can stock a few extra parts in these gargantuan things and still have room to fit that pesky nephew that you have to peel off the ceiling after about one Pepsi.
The classic rail to rail truck boxes are popular and less expensive than the Knaak boxes, but are not, in my opinion, as versatile. These will run you anywhere from $150 for the plastic ones to about $400 a box in aluninum diamond plate. They are exeptional for security (they come with locks...and keys!). However, I think that accessability is an issue. The doors never seem to open up far enough and if you purchase one of the deeper models, good luck getting that tool on the bottom of that son of a bitch. As Murphy's Law would have it, that one tool you need is certainly in the depths of that box. These containers may have jaded me in that I always seem to split my head on those freaking doors while digging around in them. Both of these boxes do not have the mobility of a handled container, but hey, your tools are never flying around the vehicle while you are on the trail.
Other items that I have seen that you might want to consider:
