How Big Of A Toolbox Do You Need?

Whether you’re a homeowner, professional mechanic, or an occasional DIYer, you probably have a few tools that you use quite frequently. So, if you want to get a hold of the right tools in your time of need, it’s necessary to keep them all neatly organized in one place. And that’s what toolboxes are for.

A toolbox refers to a storage compartment where all your tools are kept. A perfect size toolbox is essential to keep all your tools safe, secure, and easily accessible. Depending on how many tools you have, there are several styles and sizes of toolboxes available in the market. So, how big of a toolbox do you need? To answer that, you will need to first determine what tools you will keep in your toolbox.

Essential Things For Your Toolbox

Your toolbox doesn’t need to be overflowing with unnecessary tools that you will barely use. However, if you’re a professional handyman, then you might need a few extra specialty tools.

So, here are some fundamental tools that all toolboxes should have.

• Hammers: Whether you’re hanging pictures or any other object on a wall, a hammer is a must. You’ll need hammers when driving nails, fitting parts together, or perhaps breaking apart smaller objects. 
• Screw Drivers: Select a good quality flathead screwdriver in addition to a medium-sized Phillips head screwdriver.
• Pliers: A pair of strong pliers will come in handy to loosen tough fasteners, pull nails, cut wire, or increase grip. 
• Utility Knife: From opening boxes to cutting through tough bindings, a utility knife has various use cases. 
• Clamps: A clamp is a tool that is commonly used in handiwork to tighten or secure goods. They are great when you feel like you need a third hand and can be utilized efficiently alongside other tools.
• Assortment of Nails and Screws: You can find packaged sets of nails and screws in basic sizes, or you can purchase a small partitioned box and assemble a personalized mix that will be useful when you hang pictures or perform minor repairs.
• Cordless Drill: A cordless drill may seem a bit more luxurious than a necessity, but this tool will make a lot of your tasks easier. Along with drilling pilot holes for nails and screws, you can also insert screwdriver bits to help insert or remove screws.

Types of Toolbox

A toolbox comes in a variety of styles and shapes. Depending on the size, capacity, and compartments, here is a list of the different types of toolboxes for you to check should know about.

• Tool Chest or Top Box: It’s a multi-drawer toolbox that can either stand alone as a toolbox or be placed on top of a roller cabinet. Normally, they don’t come with wheels. 
• Roller Cabinet or Bottom Box: It’s a multi-drawer tool cabinet that comes with wheels and it can either stand alone as a toolbox or be placed on the bottom of a tool chest. 
• Combo Unit: It is a combination of a tool chest and roller cabinet. This unit is often sold as a set that comes with boxes, usually from the same manufacturer, which is guaranteed to fit together.
• Handheld Toolbox: Handheld toolboxes are more portable and come with only one compartment and no additional drawers. There’s a big open space inside the box with removable compartments. It typically comes with one handle on the top or two handles on the sides.

How Big Of A Toolbox Do You Need?

There are a few parameters that you need to consider before deciding how big of a toolbox you need. Such as the number of tools you’re going to store, how much portability you want, where will you keep the toolbox – like in your house, office, or truck, and do you need extra space to accommodate specialty tools. You should measure the space that you have dedicated to your toolbox accurately before you make a decision.

If you’re a homeowner and your tool collection is quite minimal, then you won’t need anything bigger than a toolbag or a classic handheld toolbox. These handheld toolboxes tend to be 13 to 22 inches in length. 

On the other hand, if you’re a professional who has a massive collection of tools in their office or garage, you will require a much larger option like a tool chest or a rolling mechanic toolbox. The length of these tool chests can vary from 26 to 80 inches. 

And if you’re looking for a box to specifically fit in your truck, then you can get either a mid-size or full-size truck bed toolbox. As their name suggests, mid-size boxes are designed for compact pickup truck beds, whereas full-size ones are for much larger truck beds.