Garages are sacred places where men don't have to say excuse me, look before scratching, or worry if their outfit complements their eyes. Filled with old engine parts that should be discarded, oil containers that should be recycled, and boxes whose packing tape lost the good fight years ago, a garage is the last line of defense against potpourri and clean hands. When looking to upgrade your Garage Mahal, the first place you should give a close look is professional-grade tool storage. Tools that are in disarray lead to part installs that take longer than necessary and typically cause spikes in blood pressure. A properly organized toolbox will lead to garage envy by your neighbors no matter your mechanical ability. This month we evaluated Waterloo Industries' 52-inch Professional Series cabinet and chest combo. With this bad boy in your garage, neighbors, relatives, and little kids alike will gravitate to your toolbox with uncontrollable drool.
Here at the Truckin offices, we have a longstanding joke that if you buy a big enough toolbox, you'll figure out a way to fill it. Not that filling a toolbox with quality tools is a bad thing, but with more than 31,000 ci of storage, the Waterloo 52-inch combo will swallow up even the largest of mechanic's tool sets. Nineteen total drawers, each with rubber drawer liners and smooth ball-bearing slides that can support 75 pounds each, mean you can dedicate an individual drawer for screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, Torx bits, torque wrenches, ratchets, hammers, specialty tools, etc. A big perk to such a large box is the 47¼-inch top drawer that is a full four inches deep and can accommodate a full socket, ratchet, and extension set all in one place. Investing in such a large toolbox means you expect quality and durability. Thankfully the Waterloo Professional cabinet and chest comes with a seven-year warranty, has large 5x2-inch casters, and has rugged sidewall-post construction to support up to 1,100 pounds. Other features include an internal locking system for added security and Waterloo's patented Posi-Latch system, which requires a gentle lift of the handle to open the drawer.
| Waterloo Professional 52 Inch Combo
During our time with the Waterloo Professional 52-inch combo, we had no complaints and found the box to be well-engineered, well-built, and worth the $2,669.95 price (from elitetoolboxes.com). Whether for the professional mechanic who uses their toolbox every day or for the enthusiast who wants the best for their man cave, the Waterloo Professional box will not disappoint.
