If the dealership had any sense they’d put a drink machine in the bay. Or supply their mechanics with free drinks.

Or if as a mechanic you want to do it yourself then you buy a small, lockable refrigerator (aka a dorm fridge) for well under $100.

Would I buy one for myself at home? Absolutely not.

We ran into this with one of our vehicles when upgraded to the latest generation of iPod Nanos. There are convertor adaptors online that will mate your new iPod to your old adaptor. All features work fine, was about $30 inc shipping. Found it through Amazon.com I believe.

I would have bought a new adaptor cable for the stereo in that car, but one wasn’t on the market yet.

I had to fix my sprinkler system, so I went to Lowe’s to get some PVC…

Anyways, I stopped and looked at the toolbox. I’m right, it has an actual iPod adapter in the box. There is also a pocket to store your iPod and an IR remote control. Bob, however, is correct that there is also an AUX in for the head unit. But that is on the face plate. You have to leave the stainless steel cover down in order to use it. Also, that cover has to be left down in order to use the IR remote. Said cover is pretty flimsy too. I’ve seen many of them broken on the store display.

I will say this though, it was a pretty well built box. Not nearly as rugged as a SnapOn box but if you are getting something like this or the other Kobalt toolbox mentioned earlier, I think you’ll find that they will serve your needs just fine. But if your a PRO or work NASCAR like FourMat does, I would stay away because durability is going to be an issue. I know FourMat has a “plain jane red craftsman box” but I’m willing to bet that he probably does a damn good job taking care of it. Most tool boxes will last if you just do that. I’ve got a Harbor Freight toolbox that I’m going to replace soon but after 5 years it is still in pretty good shape and I’m going to give it to my little brother.

When it is all said and done, buy what you want. I don’t recommend THIS particular box for the reasons mentioned but there are certainly some decent to very good boxes to be had for a reasonable price.

I used to work in NASCAR for a few teams in the 90’s. SnapOn came out with a line of toll boxes with gold plating and eagles emblazoned on the sides. This guy, who thought he had something to prove, bought this thing and basically had to mortgage his first born to get it. I had a plain jane red craftsman box, that was about a generic as you can get. His drawers opened, My drawers opened, His drawers closed, my drawers closed. Tools go in, tools come out. He needs a tractor trailer to haul his, I just need a couple of guys and a pickup. They performed the same function, but I could afford to feed my family…

The ones I’ve seen had an actual iPod connector. They could have changed it since I last saw it.

I’m going to Lowes to buy some materials today. I’ll check the one they have on display.

But for the fridge part… I alwasy keep some of my glues and casting products in the fridge to have them last longer. Also to give a batch of mixed epoxy a little more installation time…

So the fridge for me… IS a tool…

It’s a neat gimmick, but as mentioned above, the fridge is next to useless. The stereo appeared to be moderately decent, but really, any shop where you plan on relaxing should have at least a good bookshelf system. This doesn’t seem like an item portable enough to take out to a job site, and certainly not an outdoor one.

I’ll pass…

I have seen these at three different Lowe’s in DFW. Every time I see one, the door covering the head unit is broken. The fridge is a dumb idea too. It is too small for anything but a six pack and I would rather have that space for tools anyways.

Also, the ipod connector won’t work with newer iPhones and probably newer iPods. Apple changes the connector every so often so you are looking at a part that will be obsolete quickly if its not already there. They should have used a head unit that has a USB connector instead of a dedicated iPod cable.

And Cameron, I believe the emoticon you’re after is: Xp

I don’t know about you guys but my work is noisy, filthy, and often outdoors. It’s too noisy to enjoy the radio most of the time and so filthy that appliances tend to go South for the winter. Work is hard enough on metal toolboxes, let alone electronic appliances.

I say if you’re going to enjoy a cold drink, do it in a nice clean, quiet spot away from the work to get a break from the dust, compressors, generators, or what have you. Put your fridge/cooler in your lunch area; away from the work.

To Lex Dodson regarding foam-lined drawere: Amen! A couple of old foam camping-mats can be cut out to give all of your toolbox drawers a nice french fit. I just can’t quit my bad habit of slamming my toolbox drawers; the fitted drawers stopped the gradual migration of tools towards the back of the drawer.

If you want to see monster toolboxes, check out Professional Tools and Equipment News (pten.com). There is a feature in their online magazine called Big Time Boxes where extremely large toolboxes are shown; often multiple boxes are bolted together to make a “wall” of drawers. The box featured in the October 2008 issue belongs to a dealership mechanic which has a DVD player with surround sound and a pizza oven. Each to his own, but just the same: Is there an emoticon I could use in the future to express my combination of disbelief and disapproval?

I did know a guy that would come home from work and then spend the rest of the night just sitting on bar stools in his garage looking out. So he’d probably buy it but you’re going to have to put a TV in it first

The only two technologies that have ever been successfully integrated are the clock and the radio.