Big-Time Boxes: Bryan Kiefer, Sonic Tools

Bryan Kiefer, shop owner of Kies Motorsports, a BMW and Porsche specialty shop in Hammonton, New Jersey, has a bit of a different approach than others when it comes to tool storage. Kiefer spent many years building up quite a large tool collection but has recently found that less is more.

Downsizing his toolbox

It’s been a little under a year since Kiefer switched from using his two large toolboxes to using the Sonic Tools S12XD, 8-drawer toolbox. The toolbox measures out to be 40-3/4” wide by 26-1/4” deep by 40-1/2” high. While to some this may not seem like enough space, for Kiefer, it’s the perfect amount.

The S12XD also came with the option of coming fully stocked with tools. Kiefer notes that he was able to pick which tool sets he wanted, and then everything came pre-organized in custom CNC foam. In the past, Kiefer cites organization as a bit of a pain point for himself. 

“I tried everything in the market — all the different tool organizers,” Kiefer says. “I was very inefficient, and tools never ended up back [in the box].”

However, with his current setup, he notes that the organization of it played a big role in why he chose this toolbox. 

“It's basically impossible to mess up,” he says. “When I need something, we find it super-fast because everything is just perfectly organized … they did all my hard work for me.”

New toolbox considerations

Picking a home to store your tools is no simple matter, and the factors that matter most to you may change as you mature as a technician.

Convenience is a major factor for Kiefer now that he’s using the S12XD.

“I think I'm just at a stage of life where — is it cheaper to organize my own tools? Yes. Could I find tools cheaper? Yes,” Kiefer says. “But it gives me what I need so that I don't have to think about it. If I don't have to think about the tools, if I can just focus on the car projects that I have and not be like, ‘Oh, I hope I have this tool.’ That's really what's most important for me.”

A few other convenience factors of this setup include the toolbox’s mobility and how easily a broken tool can be replaced.

Looking ahead

Kiefer still has four empty components in his setup, but he’s in no hurry to fill them up. He explains that because his shop specializes in Porsche and BMW, his tools are fairly predictable. 

“I haven't had the itch to be like ‘I just want to buy more tools,’” Kiefer says. “It's funny because I spent 20 years of my life accumulating all these tools, and now, they just sit over there because I got this little box from Sonic that's efficient and works. It's a ‘less is more’ thing when you have better quality.”