tool Box – Humble Mechanic

I get questions about which tool box to buy all the time. What’s the best tool box? How much should I spent on my first mechanic’s tool box? Should I buy a used tool box? These are just some of the most popular questions.

Disclaimer ~ This post is a paid partnership with The Home Depot. The tools were provided to Humble Mechanic at no charge. Links to products included in this post are affiliate links to The Home Depot. The information listed in product description is either my personal experience, or information provided by tool manufatorer or The Home Depot

Today we are looking the the Husky 46″ Mobile Workbench. This tool box comes in a $398 retail, and you can catch in sale around the holidays. Mine came fully assembled, I just had to install the drawer liners.

The size of the box is a good fit in the shop. I moved all my tools from my roll kart, into this box, and have plenty of space. The tool box has 19,650 cu. in. of storage. This comes from a total of 9 drawers, including one double wide drawer at the top, and 4 on each side. The 4 drawers on each size have 3 different depths. The bottom drawer is nice for the tools stored in molded cases.

As timing worked out, I was able to use this tool box as more of a work station during my transmission rebuild. Its nice to have the tools you need right there. The wood top stood up to a good amount of sliding and shifting not only the transmission case, but all the gears as well.

I also added the pegboard back wall for the Mobile Workbench. If you have this box, I highly recommend getting the back wall. I used to to store and stage parts as I was rebuilding the GTI transmission. This let me keep parts off the bench and out of the way, but still in eyesight. Plus it helps keep parts from rolling off the back of the box. This add-on is a great buy at $40

Pros of the Husky 46″ Mobile Workbench:

Great amount storage
Built-in USB and power strip
Nice work surface
Varying Drawer depth
24.5″ deep front to back
Great value at $398,

Cons of the Husky 46″ Mobile Workbench:

Taller users may find the work surface a little low
Drawers do not open all the way. The deepest 2 inches of draw is slightly covered
Drawers have some shake back and forth when opening or closing.
The back wall doesn’t come with the tool box

Overall I think this is a great box for the price. If you are a new mechanic tooling for a tool box, this is a good option. As a home mechanic’s tool box its great! If I was on the hustle and bustle of flat rate, opening and closing the drawers 150 times a day might be an issue. It’s not fair to compare a $400 tool box to a $10,000 one. At the end of the day, both hold tools. LOL

Hey guys!

I know that this post is coming in a little late and for that I am sorry. My work changed the customers WIFI to block all social media and email sites. STUPID! I could not access my Humble Mechanic Flickr account. I am home enjoying a tasty craft beer and watching my Carolina Hurricanes~ life is GOOD!

Ok, so I wanted to talk to you guys about mechanics tools! Not mechanics that ARE tools, I mean the tools we use to fix cars. Any mechanic will tell you that tools are the life blood of our jobs. We invest thousands and thousands and THOUSANDS of dollars in tools. Anything from a basic screw driver to a special tool to remove wires from connectors. I have been in the field for a while, and I still average about $1000 every year in tools.

There are several brands of tools that I use. I think that Snap-On tools are my favorite brand. I buy most of my stuff from my Snap-On rep. Part of that is because he is the most reliable of all our reps. Here is a little about some of the different brands of tools

Craftsman
Sold by Sears, they are really good hand tools. They offer a life time warranty on almost all of their stuff. I buy Craftsman when I know that I might lose it, when I need to modify a tool, or when there is no difference in quality. I also tend to buy Craftsman for at home tools. The only issue I really have is their power tools SUCK! I will never own a battery operated drill for Craftsman again!

Snap-On
Overall my favorite brand. I love their hand tools. They are built to much tighter tolerances than any other brand I have used. The fit and finish is great. The selection is unbelievable, and my rep is great. The only down side is you pay top dollar for everything. I feel like the quality is worth it on most stuff. Remember, every dollar I make come by way of these tools, cheaping out is not an option. I have not really bought any of their power tools. I do not think they are worth it for the price. I own 1 Snap-On air tool(1/4in air ratchet), it works great.

Matco, Mac, Cornwell
I grouped these together because I fell pretty much the same about all of them. They are good tools, well made and reliable. I don’t own many of these, but what I have is ok. I just think that Snap-On is a better product.

Stanley, Kobalt, Husky
Great tools for the house. I think they also have a life time warranty. I also will buy this brand if I need to modify tools, like bending a wrench or trimming down a socket.

Dewalt, Makita
I buy ALL my power tools from theses two brands. The tool I use the most is a Makita impact driver. I love this thing so much, I got a second one, and took the old one home. If you are buying a power tool for work or for the house, you can’t go wrong with Dewalt or Makita. PLUS, my wife likes the color of Makita.

Here are some pictures of my tool box, and some of the tools I have. This is my 3rd tool box, the first one was a Craftsman, the I upgraded to a Mac, now I have a really nice Snap-on box. It will be the last one I ever buy.

[slickr-flickr tag=”tools” items=”30″]

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A New ToolBox ~ Husky 46″ Mobile Workbench

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