Owner: Robert McGullam
Shop: Dallas European Auto
Location: Plano, Texas
A big yellow 30-drawer Matco toolbox, with two side lockers, hutch and top cabinet was enough to peak PTEN's interest in 2013 when Robert McGullam was first featured in Big-Time Boxes. So when he traded it in for a Snap-on box a few years later, we knew it had to be big.
The only thing McGullam of Dallas European Auto has ever traded in in his 30 years as a technician was his old Matco box for a bigger Snap-on one with a similar set up. The Snap-on dealer who sold it to him still credits it with being the biggest one he's ever sold.
The 84" Snap-on EPIQ features a main box with 23 drawers, a hutch, two side lockers and two top cabinets. From the ground to the bottom of the top cabinet measures 77", meaning to reach all the way back into the 30" deep cabinets McGullam needs a step stool. And to reach all the way on top of the setup, where he stores larger equipment like a shop shop fan, he needs a ladder.
"My favorite thing is basically the 'wow factor,' the reaction from my clients when they see it for the first time," McGullam says of his box, which is located near an area of high foot-traffic by the service reception area. "I invite them to go through and open up the drawers to see how organized everything is. They'll come by and they'll look at it and go, 'Is that really a toolbox? It's huge.' I think it gives them a sense of relief that their vehicle is being dropped off somewhere that there's going to be some type of organization."
Besides one drawer McGullam designates for books and resources, the rest of the box is packed with tools. That's even without mentioning his separate Snap-on roll-away cart which holds strictly laptops and scan tools, or his Mac Tools cart which holds "every socket you could possibly need during your daily routine," and battery-operated power tools. McGullam says he has everything set up the way he wants it.
"If someone was to walk up to it, they could go through it pretty quickly and get a feel for how organized it is, as far as set up goes," McGullam explains.
All the drawers are organized by category, and the majority of the tools are left out of any blow molded cases or organization racks to save on space.
"My right side locker has a drawer of wire harness connectors, a drawer of known-good test parts and a drawer of miscellaneous," McGullam says. "In our industry, time is money. These three drawers have saved a lot of time and made me a lot of money."
Other features include Bluetooth speakers, two HP touchscreen all-in-one computers (one is dedicated to business, and the other is more personal), and a Visio Smart 1080p TV that's internet connected and doubles as a computer, or security camera monitor. Those are all displayed on the stainless steel work top, which features power outlets and USB ports for charging.
Most notably in his previous box, was McGullam's security camera system he had mounted to the box. He still has that feature, but instead the cameras are mounted to the shop walls, rather than the box.
