Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Hand Tools). This thread is read-only.
I tried to do a video tour, but couldn’t get it to load up, so I’ll I’ll do 2 or 3 drawers a day.
Today I’ll go through my top compartment, the 3 narrow drawers on my top box, and my peg board.
My top compartment was recently de-cluttered. I like to maintain a certain level of organization so anything that is duplicate or seldom called upon, is moved into bulk storage which we’ll see in later posts. What’s left is random stuff that either doesn’t match up, or doesn’t fit, in the other drawers.
The square Proto box to the left is a 2 way, straight jaw, Proto-Ease puller (4212SJB). Awesome puller. Proto does pullers very well. The entire line is fully interchangeable and are among the finest on the market IMO.
On the top right we have the totally awesome Mac ratcheting screwdriver set I was boasting a month or so ago. 3 45T Macsimizer handles with a slew of interchangeable shafts for both 1/4″ hex bits and sockets….I get flustered just thinking about it!
Under that we have the Proto J360B 12 piece convertible retaining ring plier set. Nice pliers. The are rebranded by Proto and are actually OEM’s by Stride as are just about every other pair of USA made ring pliers with the exception of Snap-On.
Next we have the top right “junk drawer”. I don’t even know what all is in there. A bottle of Maker’s Mark, RR keys, a label maker, some ratchets, Proto J100’s, and God knows what else.
Below that is the electrical drawer. A full set of Proto insulated pliers and drivers, an MM200, several voltage detectors, and various other testers and such.
That’s one hell of a junk drawer. Mine sadly does not have emergency booze it in it.
Under that we have the air tool drawer. I don’t have a lot, but there is a Proto J150WP Impact, 3/8″ air rat, a Mac 3″ cut-off tool, and IR air hammer, and several other attachments like tire chucks and blow guns.
Next we’ll move to my peg board. The first thing you’ll probably notice is my empty screwdriver rack. I have a 19 piece set of Proto DuraTek drivers on back order that will call that home. Combos in the front are Proto ASD’s in satin. 1/4″ to 1-1/4″ SAE and 6-27MM. Behind them are a mix of Gearwrench and Blackhawk ratcheting combos, and on the far right end are a couple of larger Proto DBE’s. Several pair of Channellock pliers, Proto Anti-Vibe Ball peins in 8, 12, 16, 24, 40, and 48 oz. as well as Proto Compo-Cast dead blow’s in 15, 32, and 48 oz.
To the right we have Proto Clik-Stop adjustables in 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, and 15″, and those blue C Clamps are China made Kobalt. One of the very few Chinese tools I own.
Off the right we have Empire levels, Senco nailers, a grease gun, and a Grizzly router bit set. You can’t see it, but there is a $650 Starrett 6′ machinist straight edge down on the end. I still haven’t decided exactly what I want to do with the open space yet.
Under my bench is random storage.
As I said, there is lots more to come. If you see anything I didn’t cover (other than the Proto 1/2″ 150 ft./lb. Torque wrench in the very first pic of the first post) just ask 🙂
Sell me some ratchets lol
After seeing how conductor has things organized I really need to get a bigger tool box 🙂 The little Sears box isn’t cutting it.
Makers Mark, love it Conductor!
Might as well go ahead and finish off the top box tonight.
The top drawer is all cutting instruments. There’s Proto, Wiss, Stanley, Milwaukee, a little of everything really. Oddly, none of my utility knives are pictured. They are all in my bag in the truck at the moment. There is also a set of Craftsman picks in there. I suppose that’s an odd place to keep them.
Next up is the driver drawer. It’s typically just overflow, but until my 19 piece DuraTek set arrives, they’re the primaries. To the left is an 8 piece DuraTek set that is going on the race trailer. The blue handled drivers are the original Williams Kobalt drivers from 1998 when Kobalt was introduced. I got the biggest set they had and still have all of them except the Torx drivers. These were great drivers and just like the Williams drivers of the time. The Titan box is a huge security bit set. I must’ve looked at 50 sets before I decided on this one. I can’t imagine needing a security bit that isn’t in there.
Next we have the plier drawer. As you saw, most of my users are on the peg board, so this drawer is typically overflow/seldom used stuff. At top left we have an SK flex plier set. Seldom used, but a lifesaver when needed. The others are a mix of Proto, Klein, Irwin, and a pair of 420 Channellocks. At bottom are obviously Blackhawk. These are race trailer bound. Taiwan made, but great pliers for the money. You should have no reservations about any Blackhawk tool. That little yellow box is a pair of Proto ignition pliers dating between 1949-56 in the original box. It was a gift from a friend at Garage Gazette. Pretty cool.
Then we have the threading/extractor drawer. To the left is a 40 piece Craftsman thread chaser set. Great set. It’s the same one Snap-On sells for over twice the price. OEM’d by Lang. The set of Craftsman Cobalt bits is junk, stay away from them. For the same money you can get yourself a set of Norseman Super Premiums or Brazilian made Irwin’s. Both are vastly superior. There’s a nut splitter, a set of bolt extractors, and while some are kinda concealed, I believe I have every type of bolt extractor ever made without exception. The most effective is the Irwin set in the open metal drill case. It has left handed drill bits and spiral extractors. 7 out of 10 times the left bits will back it out on their own. If that doesn’t work, the spiral extractors get a shot. If that doesn’t work, I try the square Proto’s. If those don’t work…you’re fucked. You’ll be trying to burn it out with an Arc welder or something. This drawer used to house my T&D set, but when I upgraded to my beloved Mac TD117COMBOS (we’ll see it later), it wouldn’t fit.
To finish out my top box we have the automotive specialty tool drawer. At bottom we have a Mac gasket cutter set which while nice, is essentially a set of interchangeable hollow punches. The zippered Mac case is a circuit tester. There’s all kinds of good shit in there. Proto brake spring pliers, several tools burried in there like a couple different sets of Channellock oil filter pliers, Craftsman seal pullers and cable hose clamp pliers, O2 sensor sockets, Lisle trim panel pry bars, fuel line pinch offs, a HF code scanner (surprising nice. Only ever had issues with it on a Kia). All kinds of shit.
If I’m boring you with details I apologize. I get excited talking about hand tools, especially if they say Proto, Mac, or Channellock on them. A lot of the older members have seen all this before, but I don’t want to discriminate on you newer guys.
Tomorrow night we’ll start on the bottom box. Lots of goodies there.
TylerDama wrote:
Makers Mark, love it Conductor!
Kinda fitting for a tool box stash isn’t it 😆
Punda: As you can see, I’ve always been more of a buyer than a seller 😆
Also, on my peg board I failed to mention the locking pliers. Those are Proto. They are re-branded and are actually Grip On brand made in Spain. They are exactly the same as the ones Snap-On sells. I’m am not aware of anyone making locking pliers in the USA anymore, but the Grip On’s are the finest examples the tool world has to offer, even better than the old Peterson’s as the release lever doesn’t pinch the fuck out of your finger. I’m not sure if you can even buy them in satin anymore. I think they only come in black now, well, from Proto at least. The previous statement exclude the parrot nose pair. Those are Taiwan made Westwards.
I re did my toolbox!
I have my eyes on that same titan bit set…good stuff Travis.
The top main drawer in my bottom box is 1/2″ drive. With the exception of the composite Tekton is use for delicate finished stuff, all ratchets are Proto and mirrors the styles I keep in service in each drive size. There are both 24T classic pearheads and the newer premium XL series pearheads in short and long, and the 72T Italian made 5457F flex head.
Deep sockets are all 12pt. Proto TorquePlus. Shallows are a mix of Proto, Blackhawk, and Williams Kobalt. 12pt. sockets have a stigma attached to the about rounding fasteners, but most quality manufacturers have perfected them in the last 20 years with off corner designs to the point it is no longer a concern. I went all 12pt. in 1/2″ and went as low as 1/2″ and 10mm, which as you will see, when combined with my 6 pt. 3/8″ set, gives me a 6 and 12 in every size less the sizes over 1″ and under 1/2″.
3/8″ follows the same basic principle as 1/2″ only it’s all 6 pt. Again, it’s Proto, Blackhawk, and Williams Kobalt. In addition to the usual Proto lineup, I have both the composite and extra long Tekton rats. The red case is a Proto 80 ft./lb. torque wrench. There is also a Blackhawk spark plug ratchet and speeder (that I use mostly on Crowsfeet). Extensions are a mix of what came with the socket sets.
The 1/4″ drawer also houses most of my 1/4″ hex bit stuff, as well as a Kobalt Speed-Fit needle file set, ratchet screwdriver set, and a Proto 200 in./lb. torque wrench. Sockets are all Blackhawk, ratchets are all Proto except for the composite.
Next up is the bit socket/hex key drawer. The big Mac Torx bit set is the star of the show. It covers every Torx I will ever need. Standard, external, security, you name it. The wrenches are icing on the cake. It goes for around $250 on the truck, but I stole it for $75 in new condition on eBay. Allen wrenches are Proto T Handles, Tekton and Kobalt regulars, Klein folders, and the bits at bottom left are Danaher era Kobalt.
Under that we have impact stuff. Deeps are Proto, those red Tekton cases are shallows, Torx are HF, and there’s that handy little Proto hand impact driver set.
Next is my punch, chisel, and related drawer. Cold chisels are Craftsman. They are USA made by Western Forge and are a fantastic value. The middle compartment is Proto gasket scrapers, chisel holder, and pry bar, as well as a Craftsman file set. Top compartment is random stuff including masonry and wood chisels, and a plastic trim tool set.
More to follow later
The next drawer is plumbing specific hand tools. It’s a mix of Ridgid, Proto, Irwin, and others. There are copper sweating supplies as well. Nothing fancy. The black 18″ at the very top is a Ward’s Lakeside. It was one of the house brands offered by Montgomery Ward’s and dates to the mid-late 60’s. Lakeside was a premium line that competed with Craftsman while the budget brand was called Riverside and competed with Sears Dunlap budget brand of the time. It’s a very nice quality wrench and is identical to the 18″ Proto under it.
I found the Lakeside under my grandparents house about 2 years ago. We theorized it was likely left under there when the added the indoor bathroom in 1973. Yes, my dad was a junior in high school when they finally added an indoor bathroom. They used an outhouse into the Nixon administration.
Anyway, my grandpa died in 88, so I ran the wrench through the blaster, painted it up, and use it.
The big drawer at the bottom of my larger bay has no rhyme or reason. I cleaned it out recently and it currently houses a Lisle pneumatic pickle fork set, an Astro bearing seal and race driver set, and on of my favorite tools in all the world, a Mac TD117COMBOS, 117 piece, totally fucking awesome, T&D set. It covers SAE and Metric, comes with a 30 some piece set of both letter and number bits, and high quality die stocks and tap wrenches. It’s an entirely self contained set meaning there is a bit that covers each size tap. It also comes with a 5 piece extractor set, as if I needed more. It really is one of my favorite sets. Goes for $450 on the truck, but I got in brand new for like $225 on eBay. I will eventually do a review on it.
Later I will start on the 2nd bay of narrow drawers, though it isn’t as exciting as the main bay.
As for the narrow bay, the top drawer consists of 3 Craftsman puller sets, some surplus Crescent adjustables, and a couple of spring tools for assembling trampolines.
Under that we have a drawer for marking and small measuring devices. There’s a nice Johnson laser distance measure, but beyond that is nothing special.
The coolest drawer in the narrow bay is the specialty wrench drawer. It houses an awesome set of Blackhawk 6 pt. flares in metric and standard, Proto and Blackhawk crow foots sets, Proto face spanners, a set of Blackhawk ratcheting combos (race trailer bound), and a couple of miscellaneous wrenches.
The next drawer is for alternative fastening. Stapler, pop rivet and glue guns, a concrete nailer, Velcro, and there’s a Craftsman grommet repair set in there somewhere.
This drawer is torches, a few welding items, and some soldering stuff.
The final drawer in my bottom box is random. It shifts form all the time, but it currently houses a Proto 5 piece oil filter wrench set, a Craftsman compression test set, and a Weller premium soldering gun kit.
More to come! 😉
Under my bench is a 3 drawer Stanley chest. The top drawer houses bit sets, blades, grinding discs, etc, the middle drawer is anything in which it’s use is limited exclusively to wood work, and the bottom drawer is an actual junk drawer. I don’t even know what alls in there.
Talk about irony. Look what FedEx just dropped off! The 19 piece Proto Duratek set I’ve been waiting on.
Still more to come!
Those proto screwdrivers look pretty awesome. Id like to pick up a set, but how many screwdrivers does a guy need? lol. Besides, im on a ratcheting screwdriver quest right now.
On the other side of the room we have additional storage. These cabinets were saved from the scrap yard. They all match and were in near perfect condition. On top is where I store most of my hardware. Those big organizers are full of USA made, grade 5, stainless hardware, that came to Conductor free of charge from a friend. I honestly don’t remember the last time I had to go buy a nut, bolt, washer, or screw. Several cheaper specialty assortments as well.
That Black box sitting there houses a Blackhawk metric socket set complete with locking extensions. This set is race trailer bound. I can’t stress enough how great Blackhawk sockets are. They are the best value in sockets hands down.
Most of these drawers are supply storage. There are separate drawers for plumbing, electrical, paint & drywall tools, masonry & tile tools, and so on, but there are 2 drawers that house hand tools. The first drawer is exclusively Proto and Blackhawk. You can tell from the pic, but there is a ton of goodies in there including a full set of the discontinued Proto Big Dawgs, possibly the largest consecutive set of Plomb War Finish combos that still exists, a complete 111 piece Blackhawk socket set, several Blackhawk ratchets, and a bunch of other stuff.
Under that there is a drawer for all other brands. Everything from Craftsman to long extinct stuff like Pennens, P&C, Challenger, Fleet, PowerKraft, PennCraft, and God knows what else. Also a set of HF torque wrenches.
That’s about it with the exception of my truck box, but I have tools scattered everywhere.
Here is a neat little setup you’re going to see a review on next week. The Eastwood Hot Stapler system. I’ll leave the details for the review, but it’s a pretty sweet setup.
KaHuNaZ wrote:
Those proto screwdrivers look pretty awesome. Id like to pick up a set, but how many screwdrivers does a guy need? lol. Besides, im on a ratcheting screwdriver quest right now.
Check out the Mac SPMR357B shown above. It’s awesome!
Awesome set up Conductor ! I took some pics of my tools this weekend and don’t even want to post them now !!
Nice..
Holy crap!!!! Nicely done conductor. I thought I had allot of tools………
Check this out conductor! Armstrong set from the flea market for 20 bucks brand new!
Punda1991 wrote:
Check this out conductor! Armstrong set from the flea market for 20 bucks brand new!
$20????? Holy shit, you stole that! Without looking I’d guess that’s a $400 set. That’s the deal of the century.
Armstrong and Matco sockets are the same. That’s a hellacious score.
I looked it up on my phone before buying it! When he said twenty I pretty much grabbed it and ran! I think he was confused cause there was a lot of sets on the table and I had it closed lol so I jumped on it
If you remember I was looking for rachets tho and I brought a hundred bucks to replace mine and got that now I’m looking for 1/4 and 1/2 I seen some snap one and matco a lot of sk it was overwhelming
Punda1991 wrote:
If you remember I was looking for rachets tho and I brought a hundred bucks to replace mine and got that now I’m looking for 1/4 and 1/2 I seen some snap one and matco a lot of sk it was overwhelming
Might as well get yourself Armstrong rats to match that one. No shame in buying Armstrong. It doesn’t give me the same butterflies in my stomach that Proto does, but it’s good stuff and very under appreciated.
Industrial brands like Proto, Armstrong, Wright, and J.H. Williams are the only way to go for drive tools and wrenches. In many cases the are the same tools available on the truck, but for half the money. The truck brands will usually have nicer finishes, but that’s where the superiority usually ends.
Be mindful of Williams though. They are Snap-On’s industrial line, but they have a USA line and an import line. If the price looks really low, it’s probably import. Their import stuff is alright, just don’t think all Williams is USA.
They are plenty good enough for what I need them for! I will get the 1/4 and 1/2 to match and go back and get some other stuff! Flea markets are where it’s at! I could shop there all day
Typical railroader, switch keys right next to a bottle of whiskey! Atta boy Conductor, atta boy!
Conductor, how are you liking the proto screwdrivers? They look real badass! Are the tips going to last on them?
Punda1991 wrote:
Check this out conductor! Armstrong set from the flea market for 20 bucks brand new!
20 bucks? You suck!
LORDDiESEL wrote:
Conductor, how are you liking the proto screwdrivers? They look real badass! Are the tips going to last on them?
They’re awesome man. I ordered the 19 piece set on top of the 8 piece set I reviewed just for good measure.
Here’s my review:
http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2014/03/proto-duratek-screwdrivers/
Be aware there are 2 different types. 1 with full polish shafts and hex bolsters, 1 with satin shafts and no bolsters. Last time I looked Zoro carried both. I keep the bolstered one in the race box and the satin ones in the shop.
Tips seem to be same quality as the Proto drivers have always been.
Great review!
I think i’m going to have to pull the trigger on these. I don’t use screwdrivers often ( fuel screwdriver gun with clutch ) but i do need some quality USA replacements.
Wow! That was a good review. I don’t know how I missed that one.
A big time bump for a big time forum member. Was searching for something and came across this thread
Thanks BMack! I’ve made a lot of updates since this thread was posted. I got rid of the Craftsman bottom and upgraded to a 440 Series Proto. Lots more tools too.
When I get everything straightened up after the Holidays I might do a refresher
It might be worth talking to your proto rep about this deal I got almost a full year ago. They had a bunch of tool box orders cancelled that were custom ordered in black so they clearanced them all for $300 a piece. Top of the line Protos for $300. 
I wanna say it’s the upper for the 550 series.
Wow, that was a steal! 450’s are nice boxes. Same boxes as the Macsimizers only a different drawer configuration
I’d love one of those boxes, hell, right now I’d love one of the new Husky boxes. I’ve long since outgrown my two two-piece boxes and my three tops on benches. Nothing like a quality tool box, drawers glide soo smooth.
I need a new toolbox but I don’t want to pay for one though 🙂 I got one of those dumb small craftsman ones its too small now at least its build decently