Tool Chests: How Much Do You Really Need?

Tool chests are a pretty basic idea really, something to put tools and assorted shop supplies in for storage and easy retrieval when needed. They are more than a simple tool box. They are more like an expanded, larger version. How many of us as children just threw our few plastic toy tools in a small shoe box and felt like we were really something, with our fancy tool boxes and chests? Like everything else in life, there are extremes. Tool chests range from the very small and modest, to the very large and deluxe. Finding just the right one for what you need, and want, is the main thing to remember. No use overbuying, and you certainly don't want to under buy.

Everyone who has tools needs to have an appropriate place to store them. Obviously, large shops, mechanics, and the like, need to have larger boxes and tool chests. The other day I was at a store where I saw an absolutely massive tool chest. It had tons of pull-out drawers, shelves, and surface area. It was mounted on wheels for easy moving, and it even had a built-in refrigerator and a built-in stereo. While this size and level of chest may be way beyond what most of us need, it certainly has a place for some. It is the high end.

On the other hand, and on the small, basic side of things, my youngest son has a place for his growing collection of tools. It is a simple wooden construction that he made himself. It allows him to store his stuff, and he thinks it's pretty spiffy. It does what he needs it to do. To grown ups, his chest is just a simple silly little thing, but to him it is exactly what he needs. Tool chests like this do the job. And that is the point, isn't it? Having the tool chest that will do the job for you. Not too little, not too much, but just right.

When you are searching for the right tool chests  for your needs, take into consideration not only how many tools you have, but also how many other supplies you have. I am thinking of things like shop rags, solvents, finishes, lubes, fertilizers, and other supplies that every household has that needs somewhere to be stored. Also, there's this strange phenomenon about tools, they tend to expand. If you have one tool today, you are sure to have two tomorrow. Over the years you can expect your storage needs to increase. So, either buy as large a storage solution as you can afford today or several tool chests as needed down the road.

Imagine what your shop would be like without adequate tool chests to keep things organized. If that describes your shop now, then you know how miserable and frustrating things are without the right place to store everything. Now imagine your shop with adequate tool chests. Everything has a place, and everything in its place makes life in the shop so much easier and simpler. When you need something, you know where it is and can get it quickly without any fuss. Most tool chests are not very expensive and you really owe it to yourself to get one. Just think through what you really need, then go for it.