Can you recommend a Cantilever toolbox

[Adsibob]

I’m after a pair of tool boxes. I don’t have a lot of tools, but something big enough to hold some small boxes of drill bits, a few screw drivers, two hammers, some pliers, a role of electrical tape or two, a stanley knife, a set of chisels, a metal file, a couple of tape measures and a few small 🔧.

 

The pair doesn’t need to match, I just don’t want to carry it all with one hand.

 

When I was a kid my dad had a thing of beauty: it was a cantilever toolbox made of wood, with brass ironmongery. Apart from being beautiful to look at, it was highly functional as when you opened it out you got seven storage compartments: the main one at the bottom then three pairs of smaller ones, each half of a pair opening up in a tiered way. This is the style of toolbox I’ve been looking for, but I haven’t been able to find a modern day-wooden one that seems as good, though there are plenty of plastic and metal ones available. Most with five compartments; seven is probably overkill anyway.

 

In the local hardware store, one of the sales reps said to me that “they don’t make them like they used to” and when I asked him to elaborate he explained that these work great when empty, but once you put in some heavy tools the cantilevering/opening action is no longer as smooth, and sometimes one side opens whilst the other side jams, causing the tray to jerk off centre, which can then lead to spillage of small items. 
 

So my question is:

 

What is your preferred toolbox?

[Mattg4321]

Toolbag 

 

Veto Pro Pac Tech Pac. Gets totally hammered every day and it’s bulletproof. I was destroying the CK/Stanley ones in a few months. Bit of an investment though, so not for diyers or just storage probably. 

[Adsibob]

1 minute ago, Mattg4321 said:

Toolbag 

 

Veto Pro Pac Tech Pac. Gets totally hammered every day and it’s bulletproof. I was destroying the CK/Stanley ones in a few months. Bit of an investment though, so not for diyers or just storage probably. 

Only £272… what a bargain! 
https://www.epicair.co.uk/products/veto-pro-pac-tech-pac-workhorse-full-size-back-pack-tool-bag?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20361695990&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsvWrBhC0ARIsAO4E6f9EyPYIrtQiSAk9fFquy_eb9kW-dVYljAZ-rV7wANv4Pwom2dBFfecaAmIvEALw_wcB

 

seriously though, I was hoping to get two tool boxes for £60 max. So either two X £30 or one for £24 and the other for £36.

[Iceverge]

 

 

I got one of these as a present. 

 

It's too bloody heavy to take anywhere, smashes your shins and the handles prevent it from closing until they're upright. Every bloody time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mattg4321]

24 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

Only £272… what a bargain! 
https://www.epicair.co.uk/products/veto-pro-pac-tech-pac-workhorse-full-size-back-pack-tool-bag?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20361695990&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsvWrBhC0ARIsAO4E6f9EyPYIrtQiSAk9fFquy_eb9kW-dVYljAZ-rV7wANv4Pwom2dBFfecaAmIvEALw_wcB

 

seriously though, I was hoping to get two tool boxes for £60 max. So either two X £30 or one for £24 and the other for £36.

Yeah sorry, it’s worth it for me as I was going through £50 ones at least 2 a year. This one is 3 years old so far and like new. Also, much nicer to use!

[Adsibob]

1 hour ago, Mattg4321 said:

Yeah sorry, it’s worth it for me as I was going through £50 ones at least 2 a year. This one is 3 years old so far and like new. Also, much nicer to use!

I’m sure it’s good value for regular use. I’m more of once a week kind of guy, at most.

[Adsibob]

Saw some good deals at Home Sense today:

 

 

but this seemed slightly too big… not sure. And also, no cantilevering.

[Adsibob]

Or there is the open style:

 

https://www.diy.com/departments/stanley-fatmax-open-tote-l-340mm/1820386_BQ.prd?storeId=1051&&&&&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHmsBIRQ67tc69CfUnY18wWKA&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsvWrBhC0ARIsAO4E6f91Pl8MWdIThWdsKwXaIh84F0BCdNg-oTzs_yNZ2CL7nE1mgD1UukwaAk-XEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Mattg4321]

All the tools usually end up at the bottom of the tote in a mess is my problem with them, certainly the cheap ones. 
 

I used to have one of these, but broke it by standing on it too many times. It was pretty good for the money though. 
 

I then moved across to bags as I then have 2 free hands too carry more into the job in one hit. 
 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-fatmax-cantilever-tool-box-18-/83912?kpid=83912&cm_mmc=Google-_-Datafeed-_-Tools?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=Google-_-TOKEN1-_-TOKEN2&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsvWrBhC0ARIsAO4E6f8cu-LK0HpiBWBDnAZ7V7eMag2qY0Jq2qhyYyticpIECpR_mA1LrMcaAnRlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Edited December 16, 2023 by Mattg4321

[joe90]

I still have my “tin” one like above, it’s only 51 years old 🤣 but when full of spanner’s very heavy. I have two “tote” type bags, big one like you posted for bigger stuff and a small one for smaller tools, fits the bill for me 👍

[JohnMo]

5 minutes ago, joe90 said:

still have my “tin” one like above, it’s only 51 years old

I too still have mine, from when I started my apprenticeship in 1979, it's not even rusty. No idea of the make, but heavy empty.

[Adsibob]

What about something like this? Anyone have experience of this style? Only downside according to the reviews is that there is no cover, but that isn’t an issue for me as it will rarely leave my house:

 

apparently it’s been “reduced” by 30%.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Adsibob

[Canski]

Be like a brickie. A good old bucket. 

[ToughButterCup]

I now, after having tried everything else, use a wheelbarrow and three buckets. 

 

Bucket 1 has everything to do with drilling or driving , drills, bits,  batteries

 

Bucket 2 , cutting screwing, sawing, spanners

 

Bucket 3 , commonly used other stuff, hammers, ticklers, nagglers, measuring, lasers, extensions , levels

 

I visited @Jeremy Harris place once. He threw everything into one wheelbarrow. Full. To .The .Brim.

 

 

[FuerteStu]

I used to get through loads of the plastic material tote bags, they all get wrecked easily, handles snap, tools get buried.

 

Now I have three Tote boxes, all hand made of ply. 

 

Off cuts, with a metal conduit handle. Haven't got a pic of mine on my phone, but they're similar to these. 

 

Best things I ever made, they stack! 

[Adsibob]

8 minutes ago, FuerteStu said:

Best things I ever made, they stack! 

I’m interested to understand how a container that is essentially pyramidal in shape stacks, without having to tip at least one of the containers upside down, which would surely defeat the purpose.

[FuerteStu]

Mines similar, but still mostly triangular, but flat top. 

 

I'll get a pic in a minute

 

[FuerteStu]

[ProDave]

I have a customised tote for my work tools, the customising is to divide the main section into compartments using several offcuts of very large trunking glued together.  It has lasted surprisingly well.

 

2 of the metal cantiliever toolboxes for all the garage tools, spanners etc. You don't want to carry them far.  and 2 metal barn toolboxes, the one I made as an apprentice and the one my dad made as an apprentice.

[Adsibob]

33 minutes ago, FuerteStu said:

Here is the plastic version (which according to the Q and A is stackable):

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-stst1-72359-tote-tray-19-1-4-/4254j

[FuerteStu]

9 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

Here is the plastic version (which according to the Q and A is stackable):

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-stst1-72359-tote-tray-19-1-4-/4254j

Yeah those are not stackable once you actually put tools in them.. And they only hold certain shaped tools. 

Better off with deeper compartments and wider so you can move tools around and find the one you need that's always at the bottom

[joe90]

3 hours ago, Adsibob said:

What about something like this?

Yes I have one of those and rate it (and a small one for mostly electrical tools).