Rolling Jobsite Tool Carts
Ideas for putting your tool chest on wheels to get in an out of install sites quickly. September 27, 2008
Question
How many tool boxes do you guys use? I hate having several tool boxes to drag into a house. Do any of you guys use a 4 in 1 rolling Stanley tool box? Does anyone have any hints to cut down on trips between the truck and site?
Forum Responses
(Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum)
From contributor A:
I have a tool box for all of my hand tools on casters, two tote boxes for power tools, a screw box, and compressor. Everything else stays in the van in case I need it. It does make for a lot of trips. I do my own installs and I have found it easier to have two sets of hand tools - one for the shop and one for site work. They stay in the cube van all the time.
From contributor B:
I use a heavy duty 4 wheel wagon with large pneumatic tires like you see in commercial nurseries. Mine is a 1000 lb capacity model with a 24"x48" expanded metal deck. I can haul my install box and compressor in one trip by myself over rough terrain. The laughter stops when I go over a big nasty pile of sheetrock with it and wheel into the house. At lunch I just wheel it back into the step van. It looks like a twinkie-mobile and not a King Ranch dually, but it's the best install truck on the road.
From contributor C:
I'm set up sort of like Contributor B. I bought one of those giant Rubbermaid utility carts like you see in hospitals. I keep a ton of hand tools, fasteners and junk in the top compartment. On the bottom I keep (in their cases) a Festool circular saw, Bosch jig saw, Bosch hammer drill, two PC nail guns, two Stanley compartmented carriers, and a PC pancake compressor. We work off this thing in the shop too and put the tools back when we're done with them. They should always be on the cart when we go to the job site. 99% of our jobs are in ranch style homes but when there are multiple stories we just leave the cart in a central location on the ground floor. So far, we haven't had too much trouble getting this thing up stairs but that day will come eventually.
We deliver with a 20 ft enclosed utility trailer. The cart goes in last and is strapped to the wall of the trailer with E track straps. A moving blanket over the top keeps all the tools and junk from flying off. So far this has worked great! Of course, it was my wife's idea that I thought was stupid and resisted at all cost. Wrong again!
