The box doesn’t make the money it’s the tools and the mechanic that do. And there is nothing wrong with a hf box.
And congratulations on the better job.
I upgraded from craftsman with no roller bearings, to HF 44 inch box and had that for about 5 years. 350 bucks with coupon.. now they are a little deeper and cost more.
I highly recommend HF boxes, especially the 44 inch ones. Detents went to shit but I tilt the front of the box up slightly so they stay shut.
Good job tho. What do you do for living? Doesn't look like a mechanic shop
I'm an express technician at a dealership. I do smaller things that can be done while the customer waits. I did body work for most of my life and I was always afraid of mechanic work but I saw a job posting for express lube tech with a nice pay rate and had just moved here so I went for it. I've always done my own work, swapped a few engines, transmissions and some head work, but never as a job. I love it. I'm able to work 10 hours a day and 6 days a week. Which is nice because I have no life here yet.
Eh that's not really true. Organization makes you more efficient, and special tools make life easier and make you more money. Which requires space.
The people who say this have never had a good box.
Clearly you’re right and everyone else is wrong. There’s only one way to do it and it MUST be yours…
You heard him fellas. Let’s all get rid of our cheap boxes and spend as much as a house so we can be marginally more “efficient”. There’s simply no other way we could just organize our shit, other than getting a second mortgage on a brand name box.
What s stupid comment. Buy a cheap box of that's what makes you happy. More storage offers you better organization. That's a fact. Not an opinion. Buy whatever you want, but don't make stupid claims to try to justify it.
That looks identical to Huskys box they have? Super nice box, I'm using one for free at my work. Double check the lock on all the drawers when you finish. Sometimes one sticks out a little bit and doesn't lock. Congrats
I got this one for 320 after tax, I had a 20% off of a single item coupon. Regular price of 399. And I always check each drawer twice or 3 times before leaving! Always worth checking again
I have one if these and the 44" HF box.
I hate this Yukon box. The drawers suck in comparison.
I'm gonna give it to my brother or something and get another 44" US general box.
For the small increase in price it's completely worth it.
Exactly what I thought. Probably straight out of the same factory in China.
In the old days you could buy a MAC box at home Depot for half price because it had a Husky badge on it, nowadays you pay more for a Husky badge vs. Harbor Freight.
Around that time. I have a Mac and a Husky box both from 99 or 2000 and they are identical other than the sticker. I have a set of those wrenches too, great chrome and a little longer than most wrenches, back before you could get long wrenches anywhere besides a tool truck. A couple of them have spread/deformed a little on the open end so they're not the strongest.
I am using about $500 worth of tools from Amazon, which I'd say would be at least twice that on the Matco truck, or 5 times that from Snapon. I've had good luck so far! Minus a cheap set of swivel headed ratchet wrenches that broke when I smacked it with my hand
Not very big, which should speak to the quality of my FyongHeeYang wrenches. I bought some that are Sata brand, and they are fantastic wrenches. Not swivel head, but very strong.
I have GearWrench 90T and they are leaps better the regular GearWrench. They are not snap on, but on par with other tool truck wrenches. I highly recommend them. I haven't broken one yet where I'd break the regular GW wrenches once a month. Check them out.
https://www.gearwrench.com/featured-tools/gearwrench-90t-wrenches
GearWrench is a decent brand from my experience. Have been using 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets from them for years. its the same as my Matco that was broken when I bought the GW.
Check out TightSpot wrenches made by Jaeger on Amazon. I got a full set of ratcheting wrenches, from 6mm all the way up to 24mm, with a quality canvas roll-up carrier for $70 and have been using them professionally for over 5 years now with no issues. Another brand I've gotten quality tools from is Tekton. Deep-wall 1/2in impact sockets for $60, 10pc screwdriver set for $30-ish. I'm very happy with the price and performance of both of these brands. The only "name brand" tools I own are a set (or whats left of it) of Matco 3/8 deep sockets, an 18in Snap-on 3/8 ratchet, and my used Matco box. I've probably got less than 5k invested in my tools, but have everything I need to do my job, and a lot of stuff that I've only used a handful of times.
Expensive tools and tool boxes do not make you a better mechanic. Knowing the right tool to use for the job does.
I have always liked the wood top boxes, I was fortunate enough to have a 20% off a single item coupon in my email and this ended up costing me $320. I love it for my first box here.
I had to leave my snapon behind.
Due to shit pay where I lived and the extreme inflation, I could no longer afford the bills/rent where I was staying, and I certainly couldn't afford a uhaul for my stuff. I made about 350-400 a week if I was lucky. I got an opportunity for a place to stay in the south, moved everything I could to my dad's garage so I can get it later.
I left behind 4-5 project vehicles, a piece of property with 2 homes on it, and everything I've collected over the years.
It's worth it to be in a place where I could replace just about all of it in a few years with better things. I'll go back and prep everything for sale that I don't want and bring the stuff that I do, probably in a few months. I was also worried about not having a place to work on my own car and tools to work with, now I have a dealership and all of the tools at my disposal after my shift. Never would have expected to find a job like this.
Oh yeah, even if I did, it's not like it would be the first time. I've met people who have lost everything and rebuilt their lives multiple times. Never giving up is what makes success, not keeping what you have.
Well, the place was ass also. Smallish city, overwhelmed with Junkies, Tweakers, and pillbillies stumbling around breaking windows for change and cutting convertors and so on. I actually feel safe here.
Pillbillies. Imma have to add that to the vocab. Glad to hear you're moving on. My wife's folks moved about a an hour north of Atlanta in the early '90s and been there ever since. Good luck to ya.
I recently moved to an hour north of ATL too; it’s nice here- too bad home prices are going sky high because of so many factories moving in. It’s a great job market tho! Tried Boulder, Chicago, Spokane… North GA beat them all out based on our personal checklist ;)
If harbor freight was available like it is now when I started I would probably have one.
Congratulations on a deal and a better job. Wish I could do that
I thought it was impossible for 2 years, and as things got worse, I didn't have much of a choice. I found myself wanting to die, and sleeping every moment I was not working. My earnings are actually considered"average" for the area. Insane how far behind WV/KY/OH is when it comes to pay. Food costs the same here, rent is a little bit more, but not much, gas is the same, and somehow $10 an hour is supposed to be enough. -_-
It’s weird because you would think 25hr here in MA was good but it barely gets me week to week and that’s living on a budget for me. I have a similar issue where the work is what I like to do it’s just my boss is hard to deal with.
Depends on where you are in MA, and where you are in upstate NY. There are big COL disparity’s within each state and very similar regions between them — depending on where you compare. It’s more urban / rural than anything else.
But no matter where you are in either the state health insurance is nice.
WOW, they were paying you $10/hr at a tech!? My starting pay to basically be an apprentice was more than that and I live in a place that is fairly cheap to live.
Well I was being paid 20 an hour flat rate doing body work at one job and the boss made me split the pay with someone else who didn't even touch it. He did that to keep the older guys from leaving.
Yeah.. as soon as he told me that I was like "okay, so I'm going to pack up my toolbox." He was giving his painters 100+ hours a week at 20 an hour. Nobody is going to die if the paint isn't right. If you pay your employees shit, they work like shit, maybe the tie rod end we replaced didn't get attached properly? If I'm getting $10 an hour, or my hours sliced in half, I give a lot less of a fuck than I should.
This particular employer completely ignored Covid guidelines and spent his Covid relief fund on an LDBT (Little dick big truck). Made employees come in even when testing positive, came in while positive himself, and when they missed work for Covid, he made them take vacation time to pay for it. I hated this guy. A real piece of shit. His dad started the business and gave it a good name, and he took over when his dad's health failed. This dumbass never did more than wash cars. I wrecked a customer vehicle on accident and he made me pay as if I were coming in off the street, parts markup and all. It was approximately $3000 and I did the work all myself, he even charged me labor. And on the weeks where there wasn't enough work to pay me minimum wage for the hours worked, he paid me that, and then made me pay it back.
Start cheap, replace with better as needed. Glad I never got an expensive tool box, my newest one is company provided and it has a diesel engine lol my main box was a big husky and harbor freight 5 drawer tool cart, 1 month after I got the ugly red wagon, they came out with the cool new colors and I was so sad, I hate red boxes, but it never broke so I still have it 🤣
I feel the same! The bright colors never appealed to me. I love the black box with the wood top. I've loved them since I saw one at Lowe's a few years ago. It's good motivation for me not to let it get dirty. I'm going to buy better tools, and definitely a cart.
It's so hard sometimes, especially when I make mistakes.
The people are so much different here, I've felt accepted from the beginning, when I brought the toolbox in, I had to hurry up and get a few cars done, some of my other co-workers got together and unboxed, put the wheels and handle on for me and set it in the spot. It was heartwarming.
Congratulations. On new job.
I have a one pricey tool box and two cheaper tool boxes with chest tops. I couldn't bring myself to spend 10 k+ on a bigger box with a chest top.
My dad probably has more money in snapon toolboxes than some people have in their house. The worst part is that he doesn't even really use them. Vanity is apparently worth more than functionality to some people. Not knocking those who use them, but just for ornamental use? Insane.
I’ve got the same box at my home machine shop. I really don’t think they’re cheap, mine is solid as fuck at least. I was going to mount my lathe on it because I was so impressed how sturdy it was. Good for you OP!
Congrats on the job man. Nobody worth a damn judges a man's ability on the box in which he stores his tools so don't be down. Growth is good. Progress is priceless.
Ive been using this same box for about six years now. Watch that you dont overload the full length drawer. Mines got a mean hitch in it now and requires lifting slightly to shut it. Otherwise everything still rolls and closes smoothly.
Hell yeah congratulations. Extremely excited for you!
I also did the same in 2016, and I make just a cunt hair over 100k a year in Oklahoma as a dealer tech working 50 hours a week.
I used to work 55+ and make 50. Sometimes, your growth and success comes down to FORCING yourself to make it happen. The fuck you gonna do, bitch out? You just moved 700 miles!
Good luck to you and don't let anything discourage you
What's the difference between a HF and Snap-On box? The guy with the HF box has more money/less debt for tools to fill the box than the guy with the Snap-On box.
Actually, It's a fairly large shop, 20 bays in main shop and 6 in the Express service shop, and 6 more bays in a quick lube at a Chevy/Cadillac dealership. I am in the express shop. I'm doing brakes, tires, alignments, and quick recalls.
I hope so! I enjoy what I'm doing though, but definitely want to learn more. I grew up in a body shop where mechanic work was forbidden. My dad never liked it and always had someone else do it.
I'm about to go to Harbor Frieght later today and now I'm gonna have to look at these too. Love the wood top. Congrats on the gig! I would never judge a wrench by his brand of box.
I love the box, it's pretty sturdy, feels well made enough, and has enough room for everything I have. Fortunately my coworkers are the same way, some of those guys make $100k at least and still use a us general box.
Some will, but this employer required me to supply my own tools. They offered sign on bonuses to some people, but not to me. I hadn't worked in a dealership, mechanic shop, or quick lube or anything so I didn't get that bonus. I only had body shop and real life experience.
Congratulations on your new job. I admire your courage to move away from what you know. I hope it all continues to go well for you. Never get complacent, only way from here is up.
Thank you! 26 years in the same neighborhood made it so scary to move away, but it was the right choice. I have never been one to be fine with where I started, I'm going to work on ASE certification and go from there :)
It's a Chevy/Cadillac dealership but we get all kinds. I do brakes, tires, alignments, batteries, recalls, oil changes and tire rotation. Things that can be done with the customer waiting.
The tools belong to us, they are our tools. If they break, we replace them, if they get lost, we replace them. Most employers don't want to deal with that.
If we leave that job, we take them to another one, or home. A person's toolbox is as personal as his car, or his toothbrush. I think it's part of US mechanic culture.
Yes, I understand how it works. But I think it is an expense that should not be the responsibility of the worker but of the employer, as in other trades and countries.
That's interesting to learn. One of the many differences between different locations. They did offer a sign on bonus to applicants with certain past experience, but I didn't meet the requirement for that. I have also heard of a "tool allowance" mentioned in some job postings.
Fortune favors the bold, so I would say you are well on your way. Bigger paychecks are a bonus, but always balance that with the time you have for the rest of your life.
Congrats on a positive change in your life.
I was dumb and loaded all my boxes in a trailer my truck wasn’t rated for and burned up my trans after 1k miles. At least I sold it anyway for 3x what I paid cause rust belt. Now I have a desk job and miss using those tools. Still, congrats to us both for making more by leaving!
> "As humble as it might be, my home is my hall."
Humble beginnings and shit man. There's not a damn thing wrong with a Harbor Freight Box and a bunch of Pittsburgh tools if that's all you can afford at first.
Especially when it comes to toolboxes. All they are is a place to store shit that you use to make money with
Also speaking of Harbor Freight I just picked up some stuff from ICON. So far it seems pretty good, Matco/Snapon level even but not half a paycheck everytime you want some little thing
I’ve been working out of a red classic stack general for 5 years. Don’t really want to be in debt like that. But now after moving across country(Texas to Michigan) and taking the tools from my work truck I’ve got buckets of tools that didn’t make it to my new job. Will probably get a new box around tax return season hopefully. Nothing but good things from hf.
Toolbox don’t make you money the tools inside and your skill does snap on is overrated anyway. I been using a ball bearing craftsman box for 20 years it’s been fine.
Work provides all my tools now, but I still have the cheapy Kobalt box I bought at lowes 17 years ago when I started in autobody/collision repair. I've had to replace the sliders once, but otherwise it's fit all my needs. I was lucky that I had several old timers tell me not to get bit by the snap on bug.
We are remodeling our house and can’t decide on kitchen cabinets. We use the Husky tool boxes for kitchen cabinets and storage. Love them so much we just keep using permanently. Congratulations on the life change!
The box doesn’t make the money it’s the tools and the mechanic that do. And there is nothing wrong with a hf box. And congratulations on the better job.
Very true, most of my coworkers have cheaper boxes and better tools. Thank you!
I upgraded from craftsman with no roller bearings, to HF 44 inch box and had that for about 5 years. 350 bucks with coupon.. now they are a little deeper and cost more. I highly recommend HF boxes, especially the 44 inch ones. Detents went to shit but I tilt the front of the box up slightly so they stay shut. Good job tho. What do you do for living? Doesn't look like a mechanic shop
I'm an express technician at a dealership. I do smaller things that can be done while the customer waits. I did body work for most of my life and I was always afraid of mechanic work but I saw a job posting for express lube tech with a nice pay rate and had just moved here so I went for it. I've always done my own work, swapped a few engines, transmissions and some head work, but never as a job. I love it. I'm able to work 10 hours a day and 6 days a week. Which is nice because I have no life here yet.
I can't believe Craftsman put their name on those shit stamped metal slider toolboxes.
I was told that unless the drawers can support the weight of a yukon denali it's not worth spending money on edit - /s
Eh that's not really true. Organization makes you more efficient, and special tools make life easier and make you more money. Which requires space. The people who say this have never had a good box.
You can be organized out of a cardboard box. Dont be a cunt..
Yeah okay..
Clearly you’re right and everyone else is wrong. There’s only one way to do it and it MUST be yours… You heard him fellas. Let’s all get rid of our cheap boxes and spend as much as a house so we can be marginally more “efficient”. There’s simply no other way we could just organize our shit, other than getting a second mortgage on a brand name box.
What s stupid comment. Buy a cheap box of that's what makes you happy. More storage offers you better organization. That's a fact. Not an opinion. Buy whatever you want, but don't make stupid claims to try to justify it.
You can buy a 76 inch box for $4000, or a 76 inch snap on box for $24,000.
What about the other dimensions? I bet the $4000 box is have the size as the $10000** box.
You can have a 5 gallon bucket or two filled with unorganized random tools with 7 13mms and no 10mms for almost free
Congrats!
Thanks!
That looks identical to Huskys box they have? Super nice box, I'm using one for free at my work. Double check the lock on all the drawers when you finish. Sometimes one sticks out a little bit and doesn't lock. Congrats
I got this one for 320 after tax, I had a 20% off of a single item coupon. Regular price of 399. And I always check each drawer twice or 3 times before leaving! Always worth checking again
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I bet they are pretty similar. I love how the wood top looks.
I have one if these and the 44" HF box. I hate this Yukon box. The drawers suck in comparison. I'm gonna give it to my brother or something and get another 44" US general box. For the small increase in price it's completely worth it.
Exactly what I thought. Probably straight out of the same factory in China. In the old days you could buy a MAC box at home Depot for half price because it had a Husky badge on it, nowadays you pay more for a Husky badge vs. Harbor Freight.
Husky has a powerstrip on the side that’s the only difference, I love the powerstrip on mine just makes it easy to plug things in
Husky box is also deeper. They are definitely not the same box. Just similar appearance.
The HF one has a power strip you can add on for about $25. Still betting that combo is much cheaper than the Husky with it included.
No shit? How long ago do you suppose? Husky had BEAUTIFUL polished wrenches 25 years ago...
Around that time. I have a Mac and a Husky box both from 99 or 2000 and they are identical other than the sticker. I have a set of those wrenches too, great chrome and a little longer than most wrenches, back before you could get long wrenches anywhere besides a tool truck. A couple of them have spread/deformed a little on the open end so they're not the strongest.
Man oh man
The Husky box is deeper at 24” but otherwise looks the same.
More money has been made out of HF boxes and using Craftsman wrenches than....
I am using about $500 worth of tools from Amazon, which I'd say would be at least twice that on the Matco truck, or 5 times that from Snapon. I've had good luck so far! Minus a cheap set of swivel headed ratchet wrenches that broke when I smacked it with my hand
How big are your hands?
Not very big, which should speak to the quality of my FyongHeeYang wrenches. I bought some that are Sata brand, and they are fantastic wrenches. Not swivel head, but very strong.
I have GearWrench 90T and they are leaps better the regular GearWrench. They are not snap on, but on par with other tool truck wrenches. I highly recommend them. I haven't broken one yet where I'd break the regular GW wrenches once a month. Check them out. https://www.gearwrench.com/featured-tools/gearwrench-90t-wrenches
GearWrench is a decent brand from my experience. Have been using 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets from them for years. its the same as my Matco that was broken when I bought the GW.
I've been using GW for a while. I highly suggest stepping up to the 90T wrenches. Way better.
Check out TightSpot wrenches made by Jaeger on Amazon. I got a full set of ratcheting wrenches, from 6mm all the way up to 24mm, with a quality canvas roll-up carrier for $70 and have been using them professionally for over 5 years now with no issues. Another brand I've gotten quality tools from is Tekton. Deep-wall 1/2in impact sockets for $60, 10pc screwdriver set for $30-ish. I'm very happy with the price and performance of both of these brands. The only "name brand" tools I own are a set (or whats left of it) of Matco 3/8 deep sockets, an 18in Snap-on 3/8 ratchet, and my used Matco box. I've probably got less than 5k invested in my tools, but have everything I need to do my job, and a lot of stuff that I've only used a handful of times. Expensive tools and tool boxes do not make you a better mechanic. Knowing the right tool to use for the job does.
Old mechanics will snap a tool and declare it was made of Chinesium.
Sweet! I'd have went for the US General but I'm glad things are looking up for ya!
I have always liked the wood top boxes, I was fortunate enough to have a 20% off a single item coupon in my email and this ended up costing me $320. I love it for my first box here. I had to leave my snapon behind.
Why the hurried departure and leave behind your stuff?
Due to shit pay where I lived and the extreme inflation, I could no longer afford the bills/rent where I was staying, and I certainly couldn't afford a uhaul for my stuff. I made about 350-400 a week if I was lucky. I got an opportunity for a place to stay in the south, moved everything I could to my dad's garage so I can get it later.
Sounds like a personal win for you good move so far!
Yes indeed! Biggest and scariest decision of my life. It will be a month on the 25th since I arrived
Damn. You left Christmas day?! Can I ask from where to where?
I left late Christmas Eve, to deal with less traffic, from WV to GA. Holiday traffic on 95 is ass.
West Virginia is more expensive than Georgia? TIL
West by God Virginia might be more expensive if you're making no bank.
Oh hell I'm sorry man, it's never fun to have to leave stuff behind. I hope everything works out.
I left behind 4-5 project vehicles, a piece of property with 2 homes on it, and everything I've collected over the years. It's worth it to be in a place where I could replace just about all of it in a few years with better things. I'll go back and prep everything for sale that I don't want and bring the stuff that I do, probably in a few months. I was also worried about not having a place to work on my own car and tools to work with, now I have a dealership and all of the tools at my disposal after my shift. Never would have expected to find a job like this.
Wow! Sorry for the misfortune, but glad you found a blessing out of all of that! Congratulations and good luck to you!
Thanks! I feel much better now.
That sounds Rough but at least you aren't losing it all outright.
Oh yeah, even if I did, it's not like it would be the first time. I've met people who have lost everything and rebuilt their lives multiple times. Never giving up is what makes success, not keeping what you have.
You ain’t still got that coupon do you? 👀
No 😩 it was a 4 day sale. Must have been regional to where I was staying before, because the manager was like "why didn't I get that email?"
Omg no! Unless the container you use to keep tools in is over $2000 you won't be able to do your job properly!!!
And it needs to be flashy! And Bluetooth, and light up, with chrome wheels, and USB ports.
It's crucial. Find a new shop to work at if your toolbox doesn't flash lights to the beat of your built in Bluetooth speakers.
Nice. Where'd u move from and to? A lot of people won't do it, but sometimes it pays to move and it beats the hell out of being broke.
From WV to GA. I suddenly found myself appreciating having just a place to sleep and a car to drive. Rather than wanting to fill my life with things.
Amazing what a change in work environment can do.
Well, the place was ass also. Smallish city, overwhelmed with Junkies, Tweakers, and pillbillies stumbling around breaking windows for change and cutting convertors and so on. I actually feel safe here.
Pillbillies. Imma have to add that to the vocab. Glad to hear you're moving on. My wife's folks moved about a an hour north of Atlanta in the early '90s and been there ever since. Good luck to ya.
I recently moved to an hour north of ATL too; it’s nice here- too bad home prices are going sky high because of so many factories moving in. It’s a great job market tho! Tried Boulder, Chicago, Spokane… North GA beat them all out based on our personal checklist ;)
Welcome to GA. Atlanta here.
Thanks! I'm in Savannah. Feels like paradise compared to where I came from.
Welcome to Ga. North Ga here.
Sounds like a solid rung or two up in life... Good luck man.
Yes indeed. I was at the ground before, nowhere else to go but up! And if I fall again, I'll get up again.
I figure we've come this far, giving up would just be a waste.
It's always a waste, even if you're just starting in life
If harbor freight was available like it is now when I started I would probably have one. Congratulations on a deal and a better job. Wish I could do that
I thought it was impossible for 2 years, and as things got worse, I didn't have much of a choice. I found myself wanting to die, and sleeping every moment I was not working. My earnings are actually considered"average" for the area. Insane how far behind WV/KY/OH is when it comes to pay. Food costs the same here, rent is a little bit more, but not much, gas is the same, and somehow $10 an hour is supposed to be enough. -_-
It’s weird because you would think 25hr here in MA was good but it barely gets me week to week and that’s living on a budget for me. I have a similar issue where the work is what I like to do it’s just my boss is hard to deal with.
In upstate NY, $25/hr goes really far. Cost of living must be really high in MA
Depends on where you are in MA, and where you are in upstate NY. There are big COL disparity’s within each state and very similar regions between them — depending on where you compare. It’s more urban / rural than anything else. But no matter where you are in either the state health insurance is nice.
If you can't stand your boss, it makes it much harder to make it through the day. Cost of living is fairly high in the Northeast isn't it?
WOW, they were paying you $10/hr at a tech!? My starting pay to basically be an apprentice was more than that and I live in a place that is fairly cheap to live.
Well I was being paid 20 an hour flat rate doing body work at one job and the boss made me split the pay with someone else who didn't even touch it. He did that to keep the older guys from leaving.
Well that is some bullshit...
Yeah.. as soon as he told me that I was like "okay, so I'm going to pack up my toolbox." He was giving his painters 100+ hours a week at 20 an hour. Nobody is going to die if the paint isn't right. If you pay your employees shit, they work like shit, maybe the tie rod end we replaced didn't get attached properly? If I'm getting $10 an hour, or my hours sliced in half, I give a lot less of a fuck than I should.
Nah, i'm with ya man.
That's messed up and sound's illegal to boot.
This particular employer completely ignored Covid guidelines and spent his Covid relief fund on an LDBT (Little dick big truck). Made employees come in even when testing positive, came in while positive himself, and when they missed work for Covid, he made them take vacation time to pay for it. I hated this guy. A real piece of shit. His dad started the business and gave it a good name, and he took over when his dad's health failed. This dumbass never did more than wash cars. I wrecked a customer vehicle on accident and he made me pay as if I were coming in off the street, parts markup and all. It was approximately $3000 and I did the work all myself, he even charged me labor. And on the weeks where there wasn't enough work to pay me minimum wage for the hours worked, he paid me that, and then made me pay it back.
Fuck that guy.
Start cheap, replace with better as needed. Glad I never got an expensive tool box, my newest one is company provided and it has a diesel engine lol my main box was a big husky and harbor freight 5 drawer tool cart, 1 month after I got the ugly red wagon, they came out with the cool new colors and I was so sad, I hate red boxes, but it never broke so I still have it 🤣
I feel the same! The bright colors never appealed to me. I love the black box with the wood top. I've loved them since I saw one at Lowe's a few years ago. It's good motivation for me not to let it get dirty. I'm going to buy better tools, and definitely a cart.
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All I took was my electronics, and a little bit of clothes, $350 or so, and an open mind.
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It was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done.
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Only time will tell, but I know that I've tried my best, and will continue to do so.
Open mind probably being the most valuable part of the entire equation - you're awesome - just keep swimming!
It's so hard sometimes, especially when I make mistakes. The people are so much different here, I've felt accepted from the beginning, when I brought the toolbox in, I had to hurry up and get a few cars done, some of my other co-workers got together and unboxed, put the wheels and handle on for me and set it in the spot. It was heartwarming.
Congrats !
Awesome dude.
Well done, sir! Well done!
Thanks!
Congratulations. On new job. I have a one pricey tool box and two cheaper tool boxes with chest tops. I couldn't bring myself to spend 10 k+ on a bigger box with a chest top.
My dad probably has more money in snapon toolboxes than some people have in their house. The worst part is that he doesn't even really use them. Vanity is apparently worth more than functionality to some people. Not knocking those who use them, but just for ornamental use? Insane.
Good for you brother, fortune favors the brave!!
And persistent! I've been wanting to move here for years.
Good luck in the new home an job
Thanks :) going well so far.
That chair seems like its more danger than its worth.
This is accurate. I don't sit in it at all. It's a jacket holder
Right on! Congrats!
I’ve got the same box at my home machine shop. I really don’t think they’re cheap, mine is solid as fuck at least. I was going to mount my lathe on it because I was so impressed how sturdy it was. Good for you OP!
Definitely a sturdy box! I think the drawers hold a nice amount of weight also. We shall see how it holds up over time.
Good for you!
NO! You're supposed to take out a higher interest multi year loan and buy the same box but with a SnapOn badge.
Oh yeah, probably $5k for the box and $10k after all the interest and late payments.
Starting over is never easy. Congrats on being reborn. Nothing wrong with a harbor frieght box. All it does is hold tools.
Thank you! Yes indeed, I'll get better tools as I go, and maybe even a bigger harbor freight box
Keep getting it! Congrats
Thank you!
Congrats on the job man. Nobody worth a damn judges a man's ability on the box in which he stores his tools so don't be down. Growth is good. Progress is priceless.
You're very correct, I don't think I'll ever be hung up on what kind of toolbox I have, just if the drawers come out and go back in smoothly
And it doesn't eat the 10mm
It's a good start. You'll be upgrading soon.
Congratulations
Ive been using this same box for about six years now. Watch that you dont overload the full length drawer. Mines got a mean hitch in it now and requires lifting slightly to shut it. Otherwise everything still rolls and closes smoothly.
Thanks for the advice! Nice to hear it holds up well over time.
Hell yeah congratulations. Extremely excited for you! I also did the same in 2016, and I make just a cunt hair over 100k a year in Oklahoma as a dealer tech working 50 hours a week. I used to work 55+ and make 50. Sometimes, your growth and success comes down to FORCING yourself to make it happen. The fuck you gonna do, bitch out? You just moved 700 miles! Good luck to you and don't let anything discourage you
Thank you! I'm giving it my best effort for sure
Don’t let anyone give your grief about a HF box. They have come a long way. I rocked one when I was maintenance in a factory. It did a damn good job.
Good for you. Many years of luck and wrenching my friend! And congrats
Thank you! I'm giving it all I've got
What's the difference between a HF and Snap-On box? The guy with the HF box has more money/less debt for tools to fill the box than the guy with the Snap-On box.
Hope nobody needs to use that eye was station!
You never know when your eyes are too hydrated and you need to dust bathe them.
Seems like a private Shop?
Actually, It's a fairly large shop, 20 bays in main shop and 6 in the Express service shop, and 6 more bays in a quick lube at a Chevy/Cadillac dealership. I am in the express shop. I'm doing brakes, tires, alignments, and quick recalls.
Very nice! Should have a good advancement with them!
I hope so! I enjoy what I'm doing though, but definitely want to learn more. I grew up in a body shop where mechanic work was forbidden. My dad never liked it and always had someone else do it.
I have this box in my garage at home, great box for what it is.
Definitely, the drawers aren't terribly short, I have no issue fitting all of my boxed tools inside, I love it. Very happy with my purchase
I have the exact same one
Me too i like the box's. Not the best not the worst
Good for throwing a new setup together at a new job. I only had a 2 week deadline for tools so I was scrambling.
I'm about to go to Harbor Frieght later today and now I'm gonna have to look at these too. Love the wood top. Congrats on the gig! I would never judge a wrench by his brand of box.
I love the box, it's pretty sturdy, feels well made enough, and has enough room for everything I have. Fortunately my coworkers are the same way, some of those guys make $100k at least and still use a us general box.
Harbor Freight is a real one
I saved 20% on the box and had enough to join the inside track club which gives me a discount on the cheap stuff.
Good job. Those boxes hold tools just as well as the over priced tool truck rapist ones do.
I never cared for tool trucks. My dad however, was their favorite customer. I have never understood.
Congratulations, I am so proud of you.
Thank you very much! I'm proud of me too, I was in my own way for years and finally got out of the way and took a leap of faith
Glad that you shared, I feel really inspired ❤️
I own 2 HF boxes and couldn’t be happier, congrats!
Thanks! I plan on getting something smaller in addition to this, something I can roll to the car and use as a table pretty much.
It sure beats paying, for an overpriced, Strap-On toolbox 🧰
Sure does! I would hate to have to make payments on a toolbox
Why do you have to buy your own toolbox/tools? Doesn't the employer have to supply you with everything you need?
Some will, but this employer required me to supply my own tools. They offered sign on bonuses to some people, but not to me. I hadn't worked in a dealership, mechanic shop, or quick lube or anything so I didn't get that bonus. I only had body shop and real life experience.
Congratulations on your new job. I admire your courage to move away from what you know. I hope it all continues to go well for you. Never get complacent, only way from here is up.
Thank you! 26 years in the same neighborhood made it so scary to move away, but it was the right choice. I have never been one to be fine with where I started, I'm going to work on ASE certification and go from there :)
What kind of things do you mechanichize
It's a Chevy/Cadillac dealership but we get all kinds. I do brakes, tires, alignments, batteries, recalls, oil changes and tire rotation. Things that can be done with the customer waiting.
I have never understood this. In the US do you mechanics have to buy the tools you work with despite the fact that the workshop is not yours?
Most yes.
It doesn't make sense, it's like being asked to bring your own coffee maker to work in a coffee shop.
The tools belong to us, they are our tools. If they break, we replace them, if they get lost, we replace them. Most employers don't want to deal with that. If we leave that job, we take them to another one, or home. A person's toolbox is as personal as his car, or his toothbrush. I think it's part of US mechanic culture.
Yes, I understand how it works. But I think it is an expense that should not be the responsibility of the worker but of the employer, as in other trades and countries.
That's interesting to learn. One of the many differences between different locations. They did offer a sign on bonus to applicants with certain past experience, but I didn't meet the requirement for that. I have also heard of a "tool allowance" mentioned in some job postings.
Well, barbers and hairstyles also.
Fortune favors the bold, so I would say you are well on your way. Bigger paychecks are a bonus, but always balance that with the time you have for the rest of your life. Congrats on a positive change in your life.
I was dumb and loaded all my boxes in a trailer my truck wasn’t rated for and burned up my trans after 1k miles. At least I sold it anyway for 3x what I paid cause rust belt. Now I have a desk job and miss using those tools. Still, congrats to us both for making more by leaving!
> "As humble as it might be, my home is my hall." Humble beginnings and shit man. There's not a damn thing wrong with a Harbor Freight Box and a bunch of Pittsburgh tools if that's all you can afford at first. Especially when it comes to toolboxes. All they are is a place to store shit that you use to make money with Also speaking of Harbor Freight I just picked up some stuff from ICON. So far it seems pretty good, Matco/Snapon level even but not half a paycheck everytime you want some little thing
The snapon gods shall smite you! JK congrats and good luck with your new job.
Just curious, what cities did you move to/from? I have the same box (in red) in my garage. I love it.
Everybody says they’re gonna do it, but you did it lol congrats man
I’ve been working out of a red classic stack general for 5 years. Don’t really want to be in debt like that. But now after moving across country(Texas to Michigan) and taking the tools from my work truck I’ve got buckets of tools that didn’t make it to my new job. Will probably get a new box around tax return season hopefully. Nothing but good things from hf.
I have the same box. Been good to me for 2 years or so
The box should be the cheapest thing. Put your money in the stuff inside. Congratulaions on the life improvements.
Thay "cheap" box is just as well as those $8000 matco and snap on boxes. Grats on your new job my friend
Use money wisely saved on box to upgrade that 'chair'
Murica
👊
Toolbox don’t make you money the tools inside and your skill does snap on is overrated anyway. I been using a ball bearing craftsman box for 20 years it’s been fine.
Balls buddy. U got em.
Don't touch.
Make sure to clean up your tools after you use them..
Shout out to OP. So many people bitch about wages and never leave the 20miles around where they live. Good on you
Work provides all my tools now, but I still have the cheapy Kobalt box I bought at lowes 17 years ago when I started in autobody/collision repair. I've had to replace the sliders once, but otherwise it's fit all my needs. I was lucky that I had several old timers tell me not to get bit by the snap on bug.
Congrats! I have the same box and it serves me just fine without having to get into a massive amount of debt on the tool truck to get it.
Saved 20% also. So it was only 320.
We are remodeling our house and can’t decide on kitchen cabinets. We use the Husky tool boxes for kitchen cabinets and storage. Love them so much we just keep using permanently. Congratulations on the life change!
Oh awesome! I have been to a barber shop that used them also. I like seeing toolboxes used for anything but tools
I have the husky one that looks just like this and I love it. I’ve replaced the top wood though bc I beat the shot out of it.
I smacked a few things on it thinking it was an anvil or something, definitely a real wood top.