Tool Boxes Tested

Organise your workshop kit the smart way with a tool box. We test 12...

Auto Express Car Reviews

October 2011

Tool sets that come ready packed with a slot for every piece are handy... until you need to add to them. That’s when it’s time to box clever and get storage to cope with all those little extras.

We’ve tested a range of tool boxes to suit all budgets, made from a variety of materials and with different designs. Most cost less than half a tank of fuel. Choose the right one, and you can still keep tools apart so they’re easy to find in a hurry.

Plus, some boxes have storage for small components such as fasteners, fuses and connectors – so it’s possible to store all your car maintenance kit in one place.

But which is the super store for you? We checked 12 to find out.

The Test

If all your spanners, screwdrivers and sockets are heaped in the bottom of a tool box, it’s impossible to tell when a piece is missing, so we wanted some way of keeping kit separate.

We packed each box with a selection of typical DIY maintenance tools – screwdrivers, sockets, ratchet, torque wrench, hacksaw, spanners, hammer etc – and rated how well they coped.

Storage for small items like nuts, bolts and fuses was scored, as was build quality. Plus, we looked at value for money; the prices quoted exclude any delivery charges.

Verdict

It’s another victory for the Halfords-sourced Stanley Cantilever box. It was our champion in 2007 and still provides plenty of separate storage, plus handy component containers.

Two more veteran designs round out the podium, and are more durable alternatives to our winner. The monster six-drawer cantilever box from Laser narrowly gets the nod over the four-section Clarke CTB700.