The Best Tool Box Accessories Everyone Should Have

Every self-respecting DIYer eventually buys a toolbox, a sturdy place to store, organize and protect your valuable tools. A quality metal toolbox instantly improves your home maintenance and repairs – meaning you no longer need to spend twenty minutes looking for that random pair of pliers or box of screws, because everything is in its place. And this place can often roll up and follow you wherever you need to work.

Toolkits are great, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved and expanded. Whether your toolbox is a small, efficient unit or a giant with deep drawers and sliding trays, you could get the most out of it with a few simple additions. If you’re looking to squeeze a little more juice out of your toolbox setup, here are the toolbox accessories you should consider.

Aerosol can caddies

I used to keep all the spray cans in my life (the lubricants, adhesives, and paints) on a small shelf in my workshop, and they kept falling to the floor. And, inevitably, I’d already be deep into a project when I realized I needed them, and I’d have to go back to my tool closet to get them. Instead of doing that, invest in a spray can holder like this one. They fit on the side of your metal toolbox and hold all your cans of paint or WD-40 so they’re always on hand and never lost.

You often need more than one drill, screwdriver or blower for a job, and scattering them throughout the job site is never ideal. This magnetic power tool holder attaches to the side of your toolbox and easily inserts up to three tools for easy access. This also helps keep those bulky tools out of the toolbox itself, freeing up space for more tools while ensuring your power tools are always in the same place when you need them.

Wrench and plier organizers

We all know what happens to the wrenches and pliers in your standard toolbox: they get shoved into a drawer and mixed up, and you spend more time going through them trying to find the size you need than actually using them. A magnetic organizer like this solves this problem, at least for your keys, by keeping them easily accessible and organized. Interior organizers like this also make sense and can accommodate pliers as well as wrenches, keeping things tidy in your toolbox drawers and saving you a little time every time you grab one – time that accumulates over the course of a project.

Shelves and towel racks

Nothing is more useful on a toolbox than accessories that allow you to temporarily store items. A folding shelf like this one designed for Milwaukee’s popular Packout toolbox is incredibly useful when you need to have hand tools or fasteners close at hand. If you can’t find a shelf designed for your specific toolbox, there are magnetic kits like this one that will work with any metal toolbox, giving you quick storage when you need it. One awesome item included in this kit is the napkin holder: the simple convenience of being able to grab a paper towel if needed is worth every penny. You can also find magnetic towel racks on their own if that’s the only thing missing from your toolbox.

Power strips

Cordless power tools may have Above all has freed us from the outlet, but not all tools can (or should) be cordless, and sometimes you need a convenient power source. Adding a magnetic power strip to the outside or inside of your toolbox means you can plug in that old corded tool, charge the batteries, or plug in anything else you might need from lights to your dying phone.

You probably already have a magnetic tool holder in your workshop or tool closet, so why not add one to your toolbox? In addition to giving you more storage options, a magnetic strip lets you arrange your tools as needed, without losing them in the depths of a drawer or leaving them behind when you drop them on the floor and walk away while you work.

Cup holder

Honestly, cup holders should be built into everything. Having a beverage on hand while you work, whether it’s water to hydrate you, coffee to wake you up and warm you up, or a beer to calm your nerves after discovering another disaster brewing in your home, a simple magnetic cup holder for your toolbox makes every DIY project a little more enjoyable.