Advise on Tool Cabinets/Chests (are Halfrauds ones any good)

Even then, do you really need your drawers to be that little bit smoother opening than the best Halfords sell? :nenau

Or do you just want to be a logo snob?

Nothing to do with smoothness. Opening an empty draw when you try them in the shop doesn't tell you anything. Try it with a full draw of tools and you'll feel where the difference in cost goes.
I've seen a cheaper tool chest fall over when the draw full of tools was opened. Oh how we laughed.

A draw full of tools is likely to be very heavy. Pulling them open and closed over a period of time will wear out the cheaper units runners and the draws will drop or jam, which means tools all over the floor or dropping on your feet.

Plus what good is a toolbox that doesn't open or falls apart or takes up more time repairing than the job you're working on. No good your tools being in a draw thats jammed in place.

One of my snap-on boxes is 20 years old. Still under guarantee should anything need replacing, all the draws still glide open and shut. Still worth a good amount of money should i need /want to sell it.
The cost works out at less than £10 a year ( and decreasing yearly). I'd actually show a profit if i sold it.
 
I've got a set of Halfords Pro. 5 drawer lower unit on wheels with brakes on them. 6 drawer top box. All lockable. Had it now about 10 years. Rammed full of tools. No problems at all. Still works as good as the day it was new. Wouldn't consider paying out more money than necessary and for the money, these are good value.

By the way, I don't work for Halfords.

Have also seen a very good set in Costco, but can't remember the price.:blast
 
tool chest

Not had any experience of them but following on from previous post regarding seeley, just been loking through this months "classic bike" and seeley are advertising tool chests at £264 with FREE "superline pro" tools worth £397, maybe worth a look on their website, www.sealey.co.uk.

ferret
 
Nothing to do with smoothness. Opening an empty draw when you try them in the shop doesn't tell you anything. Try it with a full draw of tools and you'll feel where the difference in cost goes.
I've seen a cheaper tool chest fall over when the draw full of tools was opened. Oh how we laughed.

A draw full of tools is likely to be very heavy. Pulling them open and closed over a period of time will wear out the cheaper units runners and the draws will drop or jam, which means tools all over the floor or dropping on your feet.

Plus what good is a toolbox that doesn't open or falls apart or takes up more time repairing than the job you're working on. No good your tools being in a draw thats jammed in place.
Sure, but how much oof that applies to the average home user?
Not a damn deal.
Like I said:
I can't see why anyone who isn't a professional mechanic would pay out big money for a tool cabinet tbh. Certainly won't hold their tools any better than a cheaper one, and if you aren't opening the drawers all the time it won't really matter...
 
Sure, but how much oof that applies to the average home user?
Not a damn deal.
Like I said:

Say what you want but the damn law of physics applies the same to a home user or full time user -if the draw is stuck, it's stuck the same for both :D
 
Say what you want but the damn law of physics applies the same to a home user or full time user -if the draw is stuck, it's stuck the same for both :D

No shit.

The likelihood of it getting enough abuse to become stuck is far less for the average home user tho.

Get over it.
 
How high quality does a stack of drawers for holding some tools in need to be?
AdamA

Ultimately it all depends on the size of your wallet. Just wish I was in the position to spend that kind of money on a toolbox, let alone having to buy the tools to fill it.
 
AdamA

Ultimately it all depends on the size of your wallet. Just wish I was in the position to spend that kind of money on a toolbox, let alone having to buy the tools to fill it.
Exactly chap.
Expensive cabinets just aren't necessary for most people at home. It's just a show of cash.
Hell, I don't even have em at work and manage just fine.
 
In my professional life as a mechanic years ago I worked out of an Eclipse 5 drawer lever-type box for hand tools and a plywood Range Rover steering box crate with rope handles for special stuff:- windy guns and the like! I couldn't affored the swish Snap On stuff that my peers had. As it became necessary I collected more crates or freebie boxes and filled 'em up. Fortunately the guys I worked with were OK and most things borrowed came back. I got so used to it I didn't cotton on what a bloomin' pain in the arse all it was! No security, and if I needed to move the lot.....:blast! But the up side was every thing packed away neat and tidy with each box having it's own theme. Engine job: grab a box. Electrical job: grab a box. You get the picture.

This carried on for 30 yrs or so till I came to move house and realised that now I'm well out of the dirty end of the game it was all a bit OTT.
On a trip to Halfords to get lube supplies found they had a sale of "proper" tool boxes in their "professional" range and bought a 6 drawer top box (one under the lid) and a 4 drawer bottom (botton one is deep with an "up and over" door, on the spot.

Now, they aren't Snap On, but they are pretty good and I should have done it years ago. Four years later with some constant evening and w/e use they're still OK.

The advantage for me is that at scrambles meetings almost the whole lot comes with me not just one or two bits (read boxes!) of it. I can move/wheel the whole lot about and chuck it in the Landy for emergencies.

The top box locking system is not brill but it works. You can't open a drawer without the lid being open (good). Likewise you can't shut an open drawer with the lid down (bad)! The up and over door has failed - one of the flat springs that holds it out of the way has snapped. It doesn't stop you using it but it's a pain when you do so it stays open - unless some of my son's mates come over to use the garage in which it gets locked tight shut!

If you are prepared to administer some TLC on occasions the Halfords Prof. stuff is fine and a necessity if you have a decent amount of stuff or desirable if you like everything neat and tidy.

To each his own, Adam.
 
Got these bargain cabinets. You don't need locking draws, they're just for show offs and people with more money than sense. Let me just sho.................. :blast :D



 
My whole tool kit is made up of Teng tools, their roller boxes are fantastic. Do not look at list price somewhere like toolshack etc are much cheaper, been using their tools for years and no problems ever.

http://www.teng.co.uk/images/products/large/TC706F_l.jpg

How cool is that box :-)

How sad am i, gonna get the camera and show you my box, do it tomorrow lol.

ooppps sorry off topic i also have a small halfords professional box and it also has worked well for years but push came to shove the teng box just feels more solid, but both are still going strong.
 


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