Sometimes you need to have a tight reign over all your tools. Snap-On has designed a smart tool box that knows what tools are taken and who has them. This is good for industries where tool sharing is used. Snap-On is known for its high pre ices so I am sure this box is just astronomically priced. But sometimes it is worth the cost especially in the aviation field where leaving a socked in an area can cause millions in damage or even lost lives.
wow serious tool control from Snap-on…it won’t be cheap like you say Dan, but Snap-on toolboxes are still the best on the market and for now are still made in the USA from American Steel
I worked in Aerospace for many years so I am very familiar with FOD and while it is necessary it is a major pain in the ass. Wish we had something like this then..
I want one just so I know where I misplace my tools 🙁 I always end up leaving a socket somewhere!! It’s also probably out of my price range 🙂
Doesn’t help me remember where I left the missing tool.
Looks great for assembly line operations. Techs who want to make sure no one borrows tools out of their box for that “quick job”, then never sees them again will love this. It will be scary pricey, however, and will mostly find buyers in industries where knowing the whereabouts of tools is paramount: Aerospace, commercial aviation, military and the like (i.e., safety related as well as tool inventory requirements).
For the rest of us: Possibilities include simply locking your toolbox when you leave the area, and doing a quick search of the drawers you used on a job to make sure all tools were returned. Foam cut-outs have been around for years, and are used in this system to visually idenify missing wrenches, sockets, etc. It would be cheaper to have some made up for your particular needs rather than invest in a new tool storage system.
You could take photos of each drawer’s contents (on your smart phone or a digital camera) and compare the photo to the drawer when you’ve completed a task. After a few days of checking, you’ll instinctively know what tools are missing. That’s actually a good idea for insurance purposes. If your storage unit is ever stolen, you’d have a photo of it, plus all of the tools you owned that were kept in it. Showing the police and the insurance adjuster photos of its contents rather than trying to reconstruct from memory what you had would be easier (and more believable).
If money is no object, however…