Content brought to you by Professional Tool & Equipment News. To subscribe, click here.
For shop owner Marc Weinberger, customization played a key role in putting together his current toolbox set-up. Wanting to update from his previous teal, triple bank toolbox set-up, Weinberger looked to his Mac Tools distributor for something a bit bigger, a bit more versatile, and a whole new color.
The new set-up in Marc’s Towing and Auto Repair in Kingston, N.Y. consists of two toolboxes Weinberger bolted together (top and bottom) – the MB1900 and MB1910 Macsimizers – along with two side lockers, one on each end. The whole set-up is a bright yellow and reaches 73” tall, 29.5” deep, and 19’ 7” long.
Making it his own
Back in 2005, when Weinberger was deciding on this new toolbox set-up, he really took the time to customize it to fit his needs. His number one customization was the drawers.
“I added more drawers, and it wasn't any more money," Weinberger notes. "I went more with square inches as opposed to cubic inches. A lot of [toolboxes] have deeper drawers, and it's kind of wasted space."
When Weinberger puts tools and equipment in his toolbox, he likes to remove any extraneous packaging, like blow-molded cases, and set the tools directly inside the drawers. Without the extra packaging to take up space, he notes it’s “a better bang for your buck.”
Another customization the shop owner likes are the adjustable shelves in his side cabinets. The shelves span the length of the cabinets and also function as slide-out drawers
Aside from removing the tools from their cases, Weinberger uses rails and a clip system to keep his sockets organized – a system that enables him to remove the full rail if he needs as well as allows him to easily see if a socket is missing. Additionally, he doesn’t like storing the sockets in pull-out drawers. While he knows the drawers can handle plenty of weight, he likes to keep them in the top lid — one of his “idiosyncrasies” as he puts it.
The start of it all
Ever since he was a child, Weinberger has been tinkering around with objects and playing with tools. His father was a technician, so he says, “I guess I just have it in my blood.”
Fast forward 42 years, and Weinberger owns his own shop. He worked by himself for a long time before finally hiring another tech to lend him a hand.
The eight-bay shop has seven lifts and the tools and equipment to perform complete car care.
“We pretty much do everything but bodywork, and I also do transmission repair – that's kind of my specialty – and of course the towing,” Weinberger says.
Looking back on opening his business, Weinberger notes he's dealing with three generations now. He’s working on the vehicles of the grandchildren whose grandparents first visited his shop.
