Rolling tool box

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
Going to be starting as an apprentice in the not too distant future and require my own rolling tool box.
Nothing too big to begin with and need a fair few drawers.
Need something good quality but not too expensive (eg. not flimsy or thin metal w/ ball bearings for the rails).
Snap on truck doesn't visit often so i'm told, would rather not finance a box to begin with.

Looking at a BETA box, from the few reviews I've seen and a video I think it looks quite good, anyone had any experience with them? They certainley look well built in the photos and a video.
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/tool-box...
I can't find any tool shops that have them in store near me so I can't go and have a look myself, there was one supplier but I think they've packed up now.

The other option is a halfords industrial box which is only a little less expensive than the Beta box.

Hoping for some opinions on the two boxes i've mentioned, anyone used both? or some other suggestions.

Many thanks.

spaximus

4,230 posts

252 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
I started with Snap on and you get hooked, so avoid. They are good but not that good to justify the price tags they now have.

I would look at Ebay, there is a company there that do American Pro boxes, for £699 you can have a huge box and lots below that price point. All have ball bearing runners and great reviews.

Buy the biggest box you can from day one as you will fill it as you develop and start buying. The best hand tools are vital, the best box is not.

CraigJ

592 posts

204 months

loose cannon

6,028 posts

240 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
Get on eBay and buy a second hand snap on roll cab or equivalent complete with tools would be my advice,
then just update bits and bobs as you can or feel you need to

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
spaximus said:
I started with Snap on and you get hooked, so avoid. They are good but not that good to justify the price tags they now have.

I would look at Ebay, there is a company there that do American Pro boxes, for £699 you can have a huge box and lots below that price point. All have ball bearing runners and great reviews.

Buy the biggest box you can from day one as you will fill it as you develop and start buying. The best hand tools are vital, the best box is not.
Thanks for the reply, The box will never sit in one place and will need rolling around to other areas during the day so that rules out the large american pro boxes. Maybe the slightly smaller ones though, do you have any experience with them?

CraigJ said:
Many thanks, reviews are very positive, will take a closer look at these.

loose cannon said:
Get on eBay and buy a second hand snap on roll cab or equivalent complete with tools would be my advice,
then just update bits and bobs as you can or feel you need to
I was looking at second hand snap on boxes however they are still more expensive than a smaller new one. Many of the tools i need will be specialised and SAE rather than metric and would rather not have one pre-filled. Thanks!

mk2driver

167 posts

115 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
Sealey Superline Pro

loose cannon

6,028 posts

240 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
AVV EM said:
spaximus said:
I started with Snap on and you get hooked, so avoid. They are good but not that good to justify the price tags they now have.

I would look at Ebay, there is a company there that do American Pro boxes, for £699 you can have a huge box and lots below that price point. All have ball bearing runners and great reviews.

Buy the biggest box you can from day one as you will fill it as you develop and start buying. The best hand tools are vital, the best box is not.
Thanks for the reply, The box will never sit in one place and will need rolling around to other areas during the day so that rules out the large american pro boxes. Maybe the slightly smaller ones though, do you have any experience with them?

CraigJ said:
Many thanks, reviews are very positive, will take a closer look at these.

loose cannon said:
Get on eBay and buy a second hand snap on roll cab or equivalent complete with tools would be my advice,
then just update bits and bobs as you can or feel you need to
I was looking at second hand snap on boxes however they are still more expensive than a smaller new one. Many of the tools i need will be specialised and SAE rather than metric and would rather not have one pre-filled. Thanks!
I did state snap on or equivalent wink and they do come in various sizes you no there not all the size of a small car, what's wrong with old tools, you might not use them for your first job but believe me you won't be doing the same roll forever and you may well find that you will need other tools as your career changes


Pdelamare

659 posts

127 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
I use Beta, have two roll cabs. Quality stuff, nothing has ever broken. Nice roller sliders on drawers, lock, nice little features etc.

MDMA .

8,849 posts

100 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
I have Snap-on. Expensive to start out with, but well worth the investment. Should last you forever and always a value to it, if looked after.

Could you say the same for other brands ?

Gedore do some good kits. Let me know if you like them, have a contact there i could put you on to smile

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
loose cannon said:
I did state snap on or equivalent wink and they do come in various sizes you no there not all the size of a small car, what's wrong with old tools, you might not use them for your first job but believe me you won't be doing the same roll forever and you may well find that you will need other tools as your career changes
Nothings wrong with used / old tools wink I am looking to buy some nicer used ones from ebay however the boxes with pre filled tools are a bit of a waste in my opinion has half of them most likely would not be used and I would have to buy some other used ones anyway, may as well buy all the tools separately from ebay or amazon.

spaximus

4,230 posts

252 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
You will find buying SAE in the UK more expensive now as we are Metric, but there are huge amounts of used SAE tools that are cheap.

I started in 1974 as a mechanic and then tools of quality were Britool, Geodore, Stahwillie. My 1/2 inch britool ratchet was 10 years old when I was given it, needed a new ratchet fitting and I still have an use it now, so 50 years or so is good going.

Snap on is the best in my opinion if you are using them every day, they just feel and fit nicer, but if you are just starting buy a few basic tools, don't mess around buy snap on screw drivers, they are unbeatable IMHO.

Ebay is a good place for tools that are not snap on, what are you going to be doing?

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Thursday 28th July 2016
quotequote all
spaximus said:
You will find buying SAE in the UK more expensive now as we are Metric, but there are huge amounts of used SAE tools that are cheap.

I started in 1974 as a mechanic and then tools of quality were Britool, Geodore, Stahwillie. My 1/2 inch britool ratchet was 10 years old when I was given it, needed a new ratchet fitting and I still have an use it now, so 50 years or so is good going.

Snap on is the best in my opinion if you are using them every day, they just feel and fit nicer, but if you are just starting buy a few basic tools, don't mess around buy snap on screw drivers, they are unbeatable IMHO.

Ebay is a good place for tools that are not snap on, what are you going to be doing?
Apprentice aircraft maintenance engineer.
Any recommended brands for SAE 12 point sockets + deep reach? Thanks


Edited by AVV EM on Thursday 28th July 22:57

DegsyE39

576 posts

126 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
I served my time as a mechanical fitter, But just carry a basic hand tool kit as a contract fitter.

I dont own a rolling tool box, Just a bunch of cantis and a cabinet.. Thankfully my grandad's on both sides left me tools when they passed (both mech/pipefitters) and my nan's last partner was a fitter too.

Stahwille and gedore is a very good shout as is britool (avoid the expert range its wk).
Midrange.. i bought a teng socket set and a bunch of combo spanners at 16 they'e been superb.
Unior is a little known one good gear.. I dont go ott and take my best stuff on site due to the fact you can LOSE stuff on the steelworks or chemical plants.

In your setup i wouldnt worry about that, Men dont take other mens tools thats the lowest of the low.

So id say splooge the cash get the best you can afford, Buy cheap buy twice. Snap on as many have said is a great shout , Very fine ratchets and nice slim spanners for fiddly work.
Stahlwille well thats just tool porn.
Knipex for great circlip pliers.
Facom make some great stuff (They do a great set of grips that have pulled me out of the st many a time)

For the basics.. You'd be suprised how wasteful people are, Some maniac lobbed a canti box in a skip near me i think he was just clearing out the garage to renting the house, 2X record stislons and a 12'' bahco adjustable plus plenty of other bits.

We got given a little box when we started college mainly kennedy bits and pieces,But many places wouldnt do it now.

Remember tools are for life, Man and boy! hahahaha wink
Regards mate.

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
DegsyE39 said:
I served my time as a mechanical fitter, But just carry a basic hand tool kit as a contract fitter.

I dont own a rolling tool box, Just a bunch of cantis and a cabinet.. Thankfully my grandad's on both sides left me tools when they passed (both mech/pipefitters) and my nan's last partner was a fitter too.

Stahwille and gedore is a very good shout as is britool (avoid the expert range its wk).
Midrange.. i bought a teng socket set and a bunch of combo spanners at 16 they'e been superb.
Unior is a little known one good gear.. I dont go ott and take my best stuff on site due to the fact you can LOSE stuff on the steelworks or chemical plants.

In your setup i wouldnt worry about that, Men dont take other mens tools thats the lowest of the low.

So id say splooge the cash get the best you can afford, Buy cheap buy twice. Snap on as many have said is a great shout , Very fine ratchets and nice slim spanners for fiddly work.
Stahlwille well thats just tool porn.
Knipex for great circlip pliers.
Facom make some great stuff (They do a great set of grips that have pulled me out of the st many a time)

For the basics.. You'd be suprised how wasteful people are, Some maniac lobbed a canti box in a skip near me i think he was just clearing out the garage to renting the house, 2X record stislons and a 12'' bahco adjustable plus plenty of other bits.

We got given a little box when we started college mainly kennedy bits and pieces,But many places wouldnt do it now.

Remember tools are for life, Man and boy! hahahaha wink
Regards mate.
Many thanks for your suggestions and words thumbup
I've been looking at facom, stahwille, knipex etc bit pricey though, the britool stuff is reasonably priced i'd say. A few of the older guys there use britool whilst its the younger ones with full snap on kits lol.
I'll be sure to check out teng and unior also looks great, but looks expensive. How much do you think a 12 point 1/2 inch socket set would cost?

The stuff I replace with nicer kit in the future will become garage tools, start off with what I can afford and not blow all my money on the best right away.
Thanks very much.

nessiemac

1,525 posts

240 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
AVV EM said:
Many thanks for your suggestions and words thumbup
I've been looking at facom, stahwille,c knipex etc bit pricey though, the britool stuff is reasonably priced i'd say. A few of the older guys there use britool whilst its the younger ones with full snap on kits lol.
I'll be sure to check out teng and unior also looks great, but looks expensive. How much do you think a 12 point 1/2 inch socket set would cost?

The stuff I replace with nicer kit in the future will become garage tools, start off with what I can afford and not blow all my money on the best right away.
Thanks very much.
Who are you going to be working for?

The most used tool will be your torch and a good general screwdriver ( a GS ) which is a long flat bladed screwdriver for opening fan cowls, C ducts, panels, oil tins etc!

Oh and 1/2 inch drive is mostly useless. A good 3/8ths ratchet and socket set with good 1/4 inch stuff should see you through 99% of jobs..

A set of ratchet spanners from 1/4 through to an inch and snap on wire twisters will give you a great start along with a decent ratchet screw driver.


Edited by nessiemac on Friday 29th July 03:53


Edited by nessiemac on Friday 29th July 04:41

irish boy

3,519 posts

235 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
We run a tool distribution business. If I can help in any way let me know. As someone said above the sealey superline pro is your best bet for quality and price. We do low rate finance on any box over £250 also.

The 5 drawer is the most popular, £269 all in.



http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...


We also stock the Teng 7 drawer, £399 all in or £575 with top box.




We also bought a container of 'damaged' tops. The container was dropped, the boxes are rated from A to F, these are all A grade, little/no damage. Tbh I've found nothing on any I've opened. We've 500 of these 3 models. Check online prices, these are very cheap.

Sealey Ap33109 £119 all in.




http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...



Sealey ap33089 £99.





http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...

Sealey ap33059b £89



http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...



anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
irish boy said:
We run a tool distribution business. If I can help in any way let me know. As someone said above the sealey superline pro is your best bet for quality and price. We do low rate finance on any box over £250 also.

The 5 drawer is the most popular, £269 all in.


http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...


We also stock the Teng 7 drawer, £399 all in or £575 with top box.



We also bought a container of 'damaged' tops. The container was dropped, the boxes are rated from A to F, these are all A grade, little/no damage. Tbh I've found nothing on any I've opened. We've 500 of these 3 models. Check online prices, these are very cheap.

Sealey Ap33109 £119 all in.



http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...



Sealey ap33089 £99.




http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...

Sealey ap33059b £89


http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode...
I'll get all my tools sorted and if they will fit I may take you up on the Sealey ap33059b for £89. I'll let you know, many thanks!! biggrin

DegsyE39

576 posts

126 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Britool got bought out by facom.. I think 5-6 years ago not dead cert, The older ''made in england'' gear is the stuff to go for.

As for the current stuff there's two tiers ''britool'' which doesnt seem to quite at the facom level, And britool expert which well.. I had a set of allen keys handed to me on site, SNAP. made of chocolate avoid this range haha.

Wera make superb allen keys , Ive had lengths of pipe over the ends mullering them and they just take it, C.K. do good allen keys too.

As for 12 points sockets, for the past 11 odd years ive used a teng set.. midrange in price really. But theyve been everywhere with me. On plants, splitting bbs wheels, on pushbikes at home, jobs on the car, on the end of breaker bars being jumped on. A good starter option 100%

Ive inherited rather a lot of facom and gedore (even a few stahlwille) 12 point sockets but the tengs get grabbed on most occasions.

As one of the other posters put up teng make roller boxes too. When i was getting my first tools Teng had some VERY good offers on top boxes/cabinets complete with tools. Id consider these potentially.

Regards bud.

nessiemac

1,525 posts

240 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
AVV EM said:
I'll get all my tools sorted and if they will fit I may take you up on the Sealey ap33059b for £89. I'll let you know, many thanks!! biggrin
Did you have a look at my post above re the 1/2" drive stuff which may not be the correct tools for the job?

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

53 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
nessiemac said:
Did you have a look at my post above re the 1/2" drive stuff which may not be the correct tools for the job?
Yes I did, thanks very much it is in fact 3/8 and 1/4. I somehow got them confused, I guess being taught metric and not imperial all these years doesn't help. Going to have to get used to inches and fractions now eek

DegsyE39 said:
Britool got bought out by facom.. I think 5-6 years ago not dead cert, The older ''made in england'' gear is the stuff to go for.

As for the current stuff there's two tiers ''britool'' which doesnt seem to quite at the facom level, And britool expert which well.. I had a set of allen keys handed to me on site, SNAP. made of chocolate avoid this range haha.

Wera make superb allen keys , Ive had lengths of pipe over the ends mullering them and they just take it, C.K. do good allen keys too.

As for 12 points sockets, for the past 11 odd years ive used a teng set.. midrange in price really. But theyve been everywhere with me. On plants, splitting bbs wheels, on pushbikes at home, jobs on the car, on the end of breaker bars being jumped on. A good starter option 100%

Ive inherited rather a lot of facom and gedore (even a few stahlwille) 12 point sockets but the tengs get grabbed on most occasions.

As one of the other posters put up teng make roller boxes too. When i was getting my first tools Teng had some VERY good offers on top boxes/cabinets complete with tools. Id consider these potentially.

Regards bud.
Thanks for the info on britool and teng, will be saving them in my ebay searches wink

Edited by AVV EM on Friday 29th July 16:13