Before making his big purchase of a new toolbox, Tom Smith, an automotive service technician at Boucher Buick GMC in Waukesha, Wis., made sure to do his homework. And it wasn’t just a few quick searches here and there, Smith took his time to research -- a couple of months in fact.
After watching toolbox drop test videos - one specifically where toolboxes were lifted by a hoist and then dropped on an I beam - Smith decided to go with Matco Tools, seeing that they tend to have thicker metal.
Smith purchased his custom Matco 6S double-bay toolbox in 2015. His requirements were simple. It had to have a power accessory drawer, power receptacles on the front, and it had to have silver vein paint (so it wouldn’t blemish as much).
He also wanted green chrome handles to go with the silver vein paint – a not-so-common color combination.
“I’ve only seen that combo one other time on a Matco Revel series which is a completely different line,” Smith says.
Nearly three years after his purchase, Smith decided to expand his box by adding a half hutch. Keeping with the technician’s need for power, the hutch features a power strip and light.
However, above all, when Smith ordered the half hutch, his Matco tool dealer was able to get a custom wrap on the hutch door – an honorable and unique wrap to show the technician’s Veteran status.
Then last year, Smith decided to trade in his previous tool cart for a matching Jamestown service cart to complete his set.
Keeping the tools organized
Working in the reconditioned area of the dealership, Smith comes across all types of cars and in all types of conditions. Vehicles that enter his bay are used cars that were either taken in from trade or from auctions. Although they are primarily GM vehicles, he does see many others including Audi R8s and Porsches.
Never knowing what’s going to come in, he understands the importance of keeping your tools organized and knowing which ones to keep close by.
For this reason, he keeps his commonly used tools and electronic diagnostic tools (for example his multimeter and leads) in his service cart. Tools that he doesn’t use as often, such as specialty sockets and tire pressure monitor tools, he keeps in his toolbox.
The tool that he uses daily and is considered his favorite tool, would be his Launch Tech X-431 Pad II scan tool.
“It can scan pretty much all makes and models, bidirectional control sensors, and relearn values, and things of that nature,” Smith notes. “It helps get to the root of the cause.”
The need for more storage
Like many technicians in the auto industry, Smith shares the common issue of running out of room for his tools. He plans to add a matching side cabinet. Just one for now, but eventually he would like to have one of each side.
