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| Brian hard at work behind the local Harbor Freight! |
So, ya wanna work on cars? You're gonna need some tools!
So, ya got some tools? You're gonna need somewhere to put 'em!
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| Without a race car in the trailer, there's plenty of room for more tool boxes! |
Here at NMS-North we take our tools seriously, or at least as seriously as you can if you work on your own cars and don't earn your living in a garage. Anyway, many years ago we started with some good old basic tool storage from the Kobalt brand you can find at Lowe's. With a top and bottom rolling box, we had a pretty nice set up for the average Joe. or Bob. Throw in a Kobalt work bench and things have been great as we continued to gain experience, gather more tools, and hopefully not mess up too many car repairs.
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| The 56 inch box comes packed on a pallet, and comes with the wheels attached, as well as its own little ramp! |
However, inspired by the continuing purchase of more tools, and attending auto technician school (thank you Post 9/11 GI Bill, South Carolina scholarships, and the SC Senior Citizen discount!) the time has come for an upgrade. OK, this was also inspired by the 27 inch rolling cart having it's rubber wheels disintegrate due to old age too! After also getting a super cool Snap-On top box last year (thanks to their student discount!) we upgraded to two shiny brand new RED Harbor Freight US General rolling tool boxes.
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| Tool boxes in search of new home! |
The new arsenal of tool storage includes a big ol' 56 inch rolling cabinet, plus a 27 inch roller that the Snap-On top box will fit on, thank you very much. My math skills determined that going from 27 inches wide by 19 inches deep drawers, up to 56 inch wide and 22 inch deep drawers should add a boat load of storage space. Now, if that results in empty drawers that need to be filled up with new tools, so be it!
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| Out with the old. |
Thanks to NMS-South (Brian Nixon) for providing the truck and trailer to haul these boxes up to NMS-North last weekend. Since we opened the boxes at the store in Columbia, we're happy to report that they were 100% undamaged too. As a bonus, the Harbor Freight folks will use their fork lift to help load your large purchases, although due to liability issues they were not allowed to drive ON to the trailer and make our job even easier. Still, we managed to unbox and roll the big box into the trailer, since it came with the wheels attached.
The smaller 27 inch box did NOT have the wheels attached, so we just shoved that carboard boxed tool box into trailer and put the wheels on at our destination. Above, it's new home with the 26 inch Snap On box on top.
If you're wondering, yes, they make an even larger 72 inch rolling tool box, but considering it costs basically twice the price of the 56 inch one, I think we got more bang for the buck with the 56 and the 27. Sure, a super groovy name brand Snap On or Matco or Mac or Cornwell tool box would be cool, but those also would have cost a bazillion more dollars. Hey, there's always time to get one of those when I win the lottery!
The old tool boxes? They now have a happy home with one of my Automotive Technician classmates, and it was fun to give them away to a young guy too.
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| The boxes don't match the car, maybe I can paint one or the other! |
