Can someone please recommend me a tool box for cycling tools? I’ve had a look online and most options I’ve seen have tools already in them – I have most of the tools in ones I’ve seen, apart from the equipped ones which go for the high price tags. I’ve been steadily growing my tool collection over the years, and still keep them all in a reusable plastic bag, so I’d like to upgrade.

I believe in buy cheap buy twice, so is it best avoiding cheap tool boxes?

Or just buy a top end equipped Park Tools box? I’d still have lots of duplicates though.

Just get a cantilever box….

Such as this

Halfords professional for a chest on wheels, had mine 20 years.

If you dont need to take them anywhere and therefore intend to pretty much do all your tooling from home then I’d go for a chest on wheels, I personally have a Clarke from machine mart and have had it for probably about 20 years also.

I’ll caveat my answer by saying how many tools do you have…

My main box is 72inch and I’ve 2 top boxes and a roll cab plus other stuff

My bike tools etc still fit in my cantilever box though. I’m just lucky in the fact I’ve just lots of generic tools.

https://www.instagram.com/toolboxwars/?hl=en

Pelicase for me, top layer is foam, underneath is segregated, more space efficient than the full foam setups. Had a cull of all the stuff that doesn’t fit my bikes/never used, there is all the bits in there to tear a bike down and rebuild.

One thing I should say is that I’m not neat and tidy like the photo above, Id like something I can chuck everything into, but keep the smaller bits like spoke keys in smaller compartments. We don’t have a huge amount of space (no garage), so preferably something that can be put away and not always in sight.

Hard to say how many tools I have.

I have all the stuff like chain whip and cassette remover,
Pedal spanner,
All the allen keys,
Torq wrench,
Spoke keys,
Tool for centre lock disc brakes {the wide one}
Other stuff I can’t remember. A lot of bits and pieces and aren’t necessarily tools.

I’d like to get to the stage where I’m pretty self sufficient and can do most things myself… brake bleeds, crankset removal etc – So that I can build up a bike from a frameset. Will probably be cheaper in the long run than paying the bike shop to do it since my jaw always drops to the floor when I see the mechanics bill.

Need more info, size, budget and use?

Halfords roll cab is cheap compared to a Snap On one, but expensive compared to a B&Q £20 plastic tool box.

Park Tool generic tools are generally poor value for money, there are normally better quality or cheaper tools available. I tend to use Park for certain bike specific tools (even then there are often better/cheaper tools available, just depends on the tool)

I’m a tool nerd, I’ve got different tool kits for different situations.

Main box is a roller cabinet, that’s mainly my engineering tools, big socket sets, big spanners, pipe fitting kit.

I’ve got a tool bag, like a hold-all with loads of pockets that’s all electrical and DIY tools.

Bike stuff lives in a plastic tool box with some foam at one end for lube bottles, etc. All of the tools in there will fit all of my bikes, either at home or when out. It goes in the car when I’m riding from the car. Bigger bike kit is in the roller chest at home. I’ve yet to need a hanger alignment tool or a headset press in a car park.

I’ve been steadily growing my tool collection over the years, and still keep them all in a reusable plastic bag, so I’d like to upgrade.

I believe in buy cheap buy twice

Hessian bag for life?

I use something like this for bike tools – https://www.toolstation.com/stanley-16-open-mouth-tool-bag/p29716

It is wide enough to see everything, side pockets store cables, pads and smaller tools. It also closes up easily so goes in the car for trips away.

I have this:
Best Price Square TOOL ROLL BPSCA MA2718 – SG33153 By CK TOOLS https://amzn.eu/d/4cK2vQ6
You can hang it up in the garage then just roll it up and lob in the van.

@SirHC what have you used in the lid?

Can you share a pic with the foam removed?

3mm holed sheet: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115185148524?chn=ps&var=415242300715

Will grab a picture of the bottom later when I get home

@SirHC

Does the chain whip / cassette tool separate? Unless it does that’s the most unhelpful tool ever made. Two tools that you need to use at the same time in one tool?

Edit: Nice case though!

Does the chain whip / cassette tool separate? Unless it does that’s the most unhelpful tool ever made. Two tools that you need to use at the same time in one tool?

They Abbey cassette tool handle fits inside the chain whip handle. Ideal for storage/race mechanics.

Any Stanley or other ‘known’ brand tool box or bag from the likes of Tool Station or Screwfix would do the job.
If you think your kit will grow then something like the Stanley FatMax Pro-Stack stuff is good because you can build a stack of different boxes.

If you think you’ll be lugging it around a lot then there are lots of decent backpack type bags around that’ll fit the bill.

My bike stuff is in a couple of drawers in my roll-cab top box – i’m a bit of a tool nerd and have stacks of spanners/mechanical stuff + woodworking tools from previous jobs.

If you decide you want a roll-cab for the garage – the Halfords stuff with ball bearing runners is decent quality for home use – they run deals/promotions every Bank Holiday weekend so keep watching the website.

Abbey Bike Tools

Its light, strong and doesn’t wobble about like a ratchet/cassette tool socket.

SirHC – very nice! Toolboxwars standard indeed…and there’s some proper bling on there too.
It’s a dangerous account to follow though…. making me think I need a rifle case, foam, abbey stuff.
Instead I have a big stanley job, barely organised. Stuff all over the floor to find a particular tool…poor set-up.

I’ve got an open top tool bag with all the useful general tools in it, plus a box of bike specific stuff in a concertina box that also holds consumable spares like brake pads etc. Could do with another bag TBH, they’re conveniently portable and the box is falling to bits a bit!

@Yak cheers! I look at some of the boxes and they are OTT, they must work on a huge range of bikes. Mine only have threaded BB’s, all the same brakes, gears, so for me its very easy.

The work one is crammed full of stuff, will try and slim it down at some point so it can fit inside a 1510 so can carry it on to planes

I’d it to be less than 2 feet anyway, just like the size of a shopping basket but no bigger. The old metal ones, not the newer plastic ones.

Budget, max about 100 quid ish? I’ve seen some tool brands with boxes for about 20 or 30 quid but wasn’t sure if they would be any good.

I have a three-tier approach to my toolbox needs.

1. Small-ish plastic Stanley toolbox that lives in the van most of the time, with essentials.
2. Portable rolling toolbox for trips away and most common jobs (like this one)
3. Couple of Halfords Advanced tool cabinets for the garage/workshop, with less-frequently used and bigger tools – and certain spares

Actually it’s a four-tier approach if you count the tools strewn across the garage sides and floor.

Could contract 1 and 2 above into the type of toolbox recommended by Duncan above.

@SirHC that looks great!
How have you fixed the terry clips to hold the tools to the mesh?

I haven’t got a tool box sorted – still keep everything on the board:

I do have a PELI case I should convert to a tool case.

I’ve used M3 button heads and nylocs

This one’s mine.

I’ll make you one too if you like.

Whatever box you choose, using foam inlays just makes organising so easy and less faff finding tools. I have a roll cab in the workshop and have now acquired a lovely case for portable kit. Only problem is I need to fill it with more shiny tools 😬

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdBQEjPsAZd/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

B&Q sell a tough and waterproof roller chest system that consists of a base roller chest, a standard toolbox, a ventilated open top crate (would be good for helmets/gloves etc) and finally an organiser with removeable tubs. Everything clamps to everything else. We’ve got one in our horse trailer.

When we bought it, it was branded Magnusson, however it now looks like its branded Erbauer. Its head and shoulders above the Stanley roller chest and other similar toolboxes in terms of strength.

I’m very happy with a Keter 221474 tool box
This one
I’ve had it for 2 years now. Very sturdy.

These ADHD tool kits look amazing, but I don’t have the time or inclination.

Over time, I accumulate tools or change to better ones so the foam thing just adds more work to re-do.

I use an organiser tool box from Stanley. It does double duty as my travel tool box, and sits open on my work bench when at home.

It has shallow organiser bays so although tools are loose, you’re not fighting through a later of metalwork to find what you need and there’s enlightenment space to store alot of my smaller spares and things I might need for repairs.Stanley organiser

Check out Toolbox Wars on instagram for inspiration

Whatever box you choose, using foam inlays just makes organising so easy and less faff finding tools

*looks and my bilsley ex filing form cabinet with no foam.

Maybe 5 second max to get what I need? AND none of the twenty or so drawers are labelled 😀

And thats ALL my tools, bike,car engineering.

duncan nailed immediately cantilever boxes negate the need for all the unnecessary foam required to make a non toolbox into a tool box 😀

US Pro Tools Cantilever here.
Big bottom bit, three smaller drawers each side.
Had it eight years so far, slightly bent where I jumped off the van and landed on it but otherwise excellent. Can’t fault it.
All bike and most car tools in there, that and a very nice socket set in its own box

Alot of needless bling here….

You’ve not got loads of kit you don’t need a 5k snap on box. If they’re in a carrier bag anything is a step up.

I said a cantilever box as the plastic tray types they just end up with all the shit jumbled in the main box.

Hell I reckon if I tried hard enough I could get 98% of my most used mechanic gear in a cantilever box.

They’re portable, they display their inards nicely, they’re cheap, they’re strong.

Check out Toolbox Wars on instagram for inspiration

That’s what it’s all about isn’t it. Showing off. Mention tools on here and it’s the same pictures every time.

It would take 10 minutes to walk into B&Q or Homebase and pick a perfectly good toolbox then throw all your stuff in it.

They’re portable, they display their inards nicely, they’re cheap, they’re strong.

You forgot they make you look like you intend to use your tools rather than polish them 😀

@YAK

The dividers are Trekpak, cut down 25mm to get the top foam layer in.

Bottom layer is spares and consumables, things used less. Then bigger stuff is in the kit bag (mech, spare brake)

That’s what it’s all about isn’t it. Showing off. Mention tools on here and it’s the same pictures every time.

For me its about being organised, saving time and not losing stuff, the work box is pretty important for that, un accounted for tools is always bad, they could be inside something.

These ADHD tool kits look amazing, but I don’t have the time or inclination.
Over time, I accumulate tools or change to better ones so the foam thing just adds more work to re-do.

My bike one is version 4, wen’t through a stage of adding more and more stuff, then had a purge for the latest incarnation, plus putting all the most commonly used stuff at the top. I have one set of stuff for home and for going away, if someone in the group needs a specific tool, thats for them to sort themselves (e.g. bosch chainring tool).

Looks good. I’m all for stuff to hand and in it’s place instead of a big jumble of stuff to hunt through.

Although the OTT organised can look, well OTT, the big advantage is you can see instantly if anything is missing. It also tickles my tool nerd / borderline OCD in special ways.