Let’s Talk About Toolboxes And Garages..

[srtthis]

I made a similar deal with wife for retirement home after the kids grow up in 20 years or so. Up here in the northeast, you'd be amazed at what $500k gets you. I don't mean that as a humble brag, but rather to say it doesn't get you much compared to other parts of the country.

I told the wife a relocation to a cheaper COL area where I can finally get my nice garage/barn is something I'd really like to do.

oh i know... been looking at small farms in the area and even at 500K its not going to get you much around here

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

Where the "magic" happens, lol.

I have a two car garage. Tool box is an older Snap-On professional with side box. It was my dads tool box at work while he was a bodyman for Ford. I'm looking to restore it soon and swap out the friction sliders for BB sliders. The box is sentimental so I don't care about cost. The garagejournal.com is a great place to see some really cool garages while making you feel really unorganized and inadequate.

 

[GroverDill]

I have the middle sized General Chang ( Harbor Freight box set ) I always thought it was expensive as hell, till I looked at the MAC/Snap on real pro type stuff. The HF box is plenty good enough for me.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I'll have to admit that I have a great garage space. After 12 years in a termite infested shed, 12 more years in a basement garage barely big enough for all of the junk I amass....i have finally got a garage to be proud of, with the attached man cave.

Taken immediately after getting done with the poly tarp ceiling. But still not ready for prime time. I have two 3 box complete cheap Craftsman stackers...two Guardian wall units, and the L bench I made by cutting one of the old 6' shelving units in two, and putting a word top on it.

Still not enough storage. I need a big box like the HF unit too.

 

[Mustang5L5]

That's what I need. A garage where I can put a couch, fridge and big screen tv in.

 

[BlakeusMaximus]

I am going to make my garage a little more user friendly. Ever since my daughter came along I haven’t spent much time in it. is starting to stack up. It’s startjng to get on my nerves. Becoming more of a storage, which I said I wouldn’t do.

 

[eighty5fox]

Heres what im working with top kobalt has pioneer deck and 2 6.5 speakers pretty decent sound then the bottom to go with it very nice box. Lowes always has great deals on them. Sorry they are filty and disorganized have lots going on in the garage. And my single car oversized garage

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

That's what I need. A garage where I can put a couch, fridge and big screen tv in.

The only way I see that is if you don't actually do any dirty work in your garage and it's more of a man cave

In my garage I'm always cutting metal, grinding metal, welding metal, painting metal, changing oil, dripping anti-freeze, flip lawn mower over to sharpen blades, rebuild engines & carbs, wood working, staining, etc

 

[Mustang5L5]

The only way I see that is if you don't actually do any dirty work in your garage and it's more of a man cave

If it was big enough, you could have it off to the side. All depends on ultimate garage layout I guess.

When I was 17, I was doing electrical work with my uncle. We got a job building a brand new, multimillion dollar house in a wealthy town. The guy had the garage of my dreams. It wasn't a garage, it was a drive in basement with a 20' ceiling and you could park 20 cars easily inside it. You drove around to the back "wing" of the house, and there was a 15' garage door. There were TWO lifts (4 and 2 post) and then a walled off section for washing the cars, and then enough parking for at least a dozen cars. At the opposite end all the way inside, was a raised area that doubled as the man cave lifted about 5 feet higher than the rest of the basement. It was maybe 50 x 50 and had a bar, seating area, a projection TV and other man cave features. This "garage" was incredible, but I never got to see what was parked inside. We wrapped up the job before the moving company came in.

The only cooler basement I've ever seen is the house where a guy built a man-made pond RIGHT alongside his house, and had his side porch actually be a "dock" on the side of the house overlooking the pond. You go into the basement, and against that wall, two HUGE viewing windows with lighting under the pond water. Flip a switch at night and you could see bass and other fish swimming around. Was the coolest thing I've ever seen.

 

[FoxMustangLvr]

If it was big enough, you could have it off to the side. All depends on ultimate garage layout I guess.

When I was 17, I was doing electrical work with my uncle. We got a job building a brand new, multimillion dollar house in a wealthy town. The guy had the garage of my dreams. It wasn't a garage, it was a drive in basement with a 20' ceiling and you could park 20 cars easily inside it. You drove around to the back "wing" of the house, and there was a 15' garage door. There were TWO lifts (4 and 2 post) and then a walled off section for washing the cars, and then enough parking for at least a dozen cars. At the opposite end all the way inside, was a raised area that doubled as the man cave lifted about 5 feet higher than the rest of the basement. It was maybe 50 x 50 and had a bar, seating area, a projection TV and other man cave features. This "garage" was incredible, but I never got to see what was parked inside. We wrapped up the job before the moving company came in.

The only cooler basement I've ever seen is the house where a guy built a man-made pond RIGHT alongside his house, and had his side porch actually be a "dock" on the side of the house overlooking the pond. You go into the basement, and against that wall, two HUGE viewing windows with lighting under the pond water. Flip a switch at night and you could see bass and other fish swimming around. Was the coolest thing I've ever seen.

I've helped design a lot of cool multi-million dollar homes while living in San Diego and working under a Structural Engineer. One home had an amazing underground parking garage, movie theater, wine cellar, etc. Another (google "The Wabi house" in Carslbad) was an indoor/outdoor Japanese theme with Koi fish ponds in/around the house. Stopped working there when millionaires stopped building homes like that after the economy took a dump in 08'. Now I Engineer boring precast concrete structures but it pays well.

 

[tannerc91gt]

Harbor Freight box here. Have $700 in it maybe (thinking it was $630 out the door?)
Zero complaints after 5 years and if somehow it ever needs replaced, I’ll go right back to Harbor Freight for another one.

Garage is a 40x30. Wanted a garage my whole life so when we finally went house shopping it was a must have.
Downsides being its not insulated and I have 10’ ceilings and an uncalled for amount of rafters lol.

 

[90sickfox]

Harbor Freight box here. Have $700 in it maybe (thinking it was $630 out the door?)
Zero complaints after 5 years and if somehow it ever needs replaced, I’ll go right back to Harbor Freight for another one.

Garage is a 40x30. Wanted a garage my whole life so when we finally went house shopping it was a must have.
Downsides being its not insulated and I have 10’ ceilings and an uncalled for amount of rafters lol.

I wont tell anyone if you don't....well ya kinda did already.... " Snap-On " lol...

 

[tannerc91gt]

I wont tell anyone if you don't....well ya kinda did already.... " Snap-On " lol...

Wondered if anyone would notice lol

 

[Chuckman]

Wish I had better pics on my phone or could remember to take some. Main box is a masterforce (Menards) 41", also have my failing craftsman 26" roll around with my precision tools (new job issues all that so I didn't need it).

Garage is 18x26, insulated but not heated. 60 gallon air compressor is in the basement corner adjacent to the garage. Bought the place in 2016, 3bed, 2bath, .2 acre in an established neighborhood for $165k.

 

[90sickfox]

Wish I had better pics on my phone or could remember to take some. Main box is a masterforce (Menards) 41", also have my failing craftsman 26" roll around with my precision tools (new job issues all that so I didn't need it).

Garage is 18x26, insulated but not heated. 60 gallon air compressor is in the basement corner adjacent to the garage. Bought the place in 2016, 3bed, 2bath, .2 acre in an established neighborhood for $165k.

You have magic... Anytime I try to turn my jack stands upside down the arms fall out...you not only accomplished that, but hung them on the wall.

 

[Nutty 5.o]

Another fan of the 44" HF box and side boxes for it. I came from a smaller Craftsmen box and for now I can say that I have enough space.

 

[Chuckman]

You have magic... Anytime I try to turn my jack stands upside down the arms fall out...you not only accomplished that, but hung them on the wall.

Lol, there's a tab in the back you're supposed to push in after you take em out of the box that keeps them from separating. And the orange ones are old school non-ratcheting ones that are way more stable and wish I could find a couple new pairs of.

EDIT: I guess the orange ones don't show up, but they're a tripod looking type with a for the upright that just uses a crosspin in one of three holes. Might have come of my dads tool truck, I still got a lot of stuff that he kept when he sold it.

 

[Rusty67]

Lol, there's a tab in the back you're supposed to push in after you take em out of the box that keeps them from separating. And the orange ones are old school non-ratcheting ones that are way more stable and wish I could find a couple new pairs of.

EDIT: I guess the orange ones don't show up, but they're a tripod looking type with a for the upright that just uses a crosspin in one of three holes. Might have come of my dads tool truck, I still got a lot of stuff that he kept when he sold it.

You mean jack stands like these?
https://www.tooltopia.com/esco-10498.aspx
I've got 4 of those Esco stands and love them.

 

[Chuckman]

Stupid sideways pic again but you get the idea

 

[Rusty67]

Ya, those are the older style stands, I really like those. Check out the Esco stands, they are a beefier more up to date version of your old stands. I love them, they have been very easy to use and super reliable for me.

I'd post pics of my tool box setup but I left them at my parents house when i moved to another state and I'm working out of a 5 shelf storage rack I got from Costco so its a little sad looking right now.