If you’re looking for a handy place to store your tools without actually spending more than you have on your tools, we’ve dug up four fantastic options for you. Each of these has its own, special place within a different craftsman or technician’s workshop and we’ll do our best to show you how each one can benefit you and help you find the best value tool chest to suit your needs.
Stanley STST19410 One-Latch Toolbox, 19-Inch, Black
This tool chest from Stanley is a fantastic option for those on a tight budget. Its strength is its simplicity, featuring only a top drawer and a lower section, and it will keep all your tools in one spot for a low price.
It’s made of rugged plastic and has quality hinges so you won’t have to worry about it falling apart anytime soon as well. If you just want to get everything from your work bench into one centralized location without spending too much money, this inexpensive tool box is exactly what you’re looking for.
Craftsman 6 Drawer Heavy Duty Top Tool Chest
The Craftsman 6 drawer heavy duty top tool chest is a surprisingly cheap toolbox that’ll fit right on top of your existing tool cart. If you don’t have one of those, it’s also an excellent standalone toolbox that may seem like it costs a pretty penny, but it’s really a bargain for the overall cost.
First, this toolbox comes from one of the most well-known and best-reviewed tool vendors in the world — Craftsman. As a result, it’s built entirely out of steel to give it Craftsman’s trademark durability and reliability.
This toolbox is designed with a hinged lid on top to give you easy access to your most frequently used hand tools. On the front, it has six complete drawers — three full-length and three one-third-length — that let you store additional tools, essential hardware, specialized electrical supplies, and anything else you could need. They lock for extra security, and they’re mounted on ball bearings for frictionless motion.
For portability, this toolbox comes with a handle on either side so you can easily lift it, throw it onto the back of your truck, and get to a job site. It’s also painted a bright and eye-catching red so you’re basically guaranteed to see it, even if the rest of your workshop is coated in sawdust.
Altogether, this toolbox measures 26” x 12” x 15 1/4”, meaning it’s not just spacious — it’ll also fit pretty much anywhere you need! Hands down, it’s one of the best value tool chests around.
Stanley STST18613 3-in-1 Rolling WorkShop
If you can afford to drop a little bit more money on a portable tool chest, the Stanley 3-in-1 RollingWorkShop is perfect for anyone who works in the field. The large lower box can store power tools and smaller materials like wire with ease, while your hand tools can fit into the top box.
It’s also easy to maneuver and has tough wheels so you can get it anywhere you’re going with a surprising amount of ease. It should be a strongly considered investment for any professional or handyman who finds themselves working in a variety of locations. This easily belongs on anyone’s list of the best cheap tool boxes.
Goplus 6-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest
The Goplus 6-drawer rolling tool chest is a durable and secure option for keeping all of your tools and hardware safe in your garage.
This rolling tool chest features six drawers, two spacious trays, and an enormous bottom cabinet to accommodate anything that you want to store. The entire tool chest is made of cold-rolled steel for long-lasting strength, and the paint is an ultra-high-quality coating that prevents rust and corrosion. In fact, you can even keep this tool box outside if you need!
The top chest of this rolling tool box is detachable for convenient portability. That means you can take the top two trays and four drawers with you whenever you need to take the essentials to another location. These drawers are also secured with a key lock to prevent tools and materials from being stolen, especially when you’re pre-occupied with an especially challenging or time-consuming project.
Best of all, this rolling tool chest is mounted on four locking casters that let the toolbox glide across cement, asphalt, and other flat surfaces. The cabinet even comes with handles so you can easily push it around the garage or workshop.
With a strong exterior, secure storage drawers, and convenient transportation, the Goplus rolling tool chest covers all of your bases when it comes to keeping your tools in a safe and secure location! You simply won’t find anything this useful or large for less than twice the price. which makes this among the best value tool chests period.
Picking the Best “Cheap” Tool Box
As you can see, tool chests come in a surprising amount of variations. There are big rollers, smaller boxes for around the house, and even some that’ll let you handily store your equipment while you move around the job site. Which one is perfect for you really depends on what you plan on doing.
Multi-piece rollers are almost synonymous with automotive work, they allow you to keep a large variety of tools in one place that you can move with a surprising amount of ease. This will let you keep things organized and tidy. Everyone who’s worked with anything automotive knows that you need a surprising amount of tools, so it’s no wonder that these are favored by mechanics.
For someone working on a job site, especially doing construction or electrician work at the ground level, something like the Stanley 3-in-1 Rolling WorkShop (see full specs) is perfect. You’ll be able to store a surprising amount of tools, and take them with you without too much concern for rough terrain and tight maneuvering. They’re also small enough you can fit them into your truck, or even a car, without making things too tight.
If you’ve got a dedicated bench at home, something that sits on top of it can be ideal. You can leave it there and know your tools are safe, organized, and ready for anything you might need them for. Multiple drawers are awesome here, since you can lay your tools flat and keep them well-organized.
There are also standard tool chests. You’ll find that these are great if you’re a novice or anyone who doesn’t have a large collection of specialized tools. They’re mostly just to keep everything in one place, and allow you to lug them around the house and don’t really offer any special benefits apart from keeping your stuff in one container. They’re also cheap, and almost guaranteed to be more durable than most things you might be tempted to stick your tools in.
You want something quality when it comes to the best value tool chests. There’s a lot of really cheap stuff that will fall apart quickly once you begin moving it around. For lighter tools and equipment, rugged plastic is quite usable but when you’re getting into the heavier stuff it’s a metal box you’re looking for.
You might also want to make sure your box can lock. Tools are a hot target for thieves, and a locking box will add an extra layer of security to your tools without you needing to be around. Even professionals in shops with their own boxes generally invest in a locking tool chest to keep others out.
If you haven’t invested in a tool box, you might want to consider it. They’re handy, come in a variety of configurations to meet the needs of anyone from the home DIYer to professional technicians and they can save a lot of clutter in the garage or shed. Why not get yourself one today?
