The Best Tool Stands for Your Garage

It’s a terrible truth: managing your toolsets is never as easy as you would hope. You’re far too familiar with their scattered presence in the garage. Yard care equipment is propped up against the wall in one corner while wrenches, bolts, and washers are never where you expect them to be. While outdoor sheds provide a temporary alternative to the clutter, they’ll gradually rust, and their exposed contents are never the same once subjected to rain, heat, and curious critters. The best solution for avoiding rusted equipment is buying a tool stand. There are many options out there that accommodate a variety of tool set-ups, and most will fit perfectly within the confinement of your garage. Here are some we recommend.

What to Consider Before Buying Your Tool Stand

Here’s what to keep in mind when looking for a tool stand to add some organization to your garage:

• Equipment: Larger tools like brooms, shovels, and mops require different means of storage than smaller, battery-powered items like power drills and saws. Find a tool stand that provides the appropriate kind of support for the items you need to store.
• Space: While most stands are designed for easy storage in limited space, you should still take into account the parameters you’re working with. Do you have the kind of garage that would allow for a wider tool stand? Or, should you aim high and stack your tools?
• Mobility: The best stand for your tools should also provide the right amount of portability, or none at all. Heavier items may require a stand that can be moved with ease, whereas smaller items needed only on an individual basis can be stored in a stationary stand.

Best Loading Capacity: Powertec UT1002 Universal Tool Stand

Despite taking up only two feet of floor space in either direction, this is an extremely versatile and strong tool stand capable of supporting 500 pounds at a time. Its compact size allows for easy placement in the most cramped garages. However, what it can do on a limited floor plan is the real treat. Compatible with smaller models of bench-top tools like bandsaws, drill presses, and planers, this tool stand offers a reliable work surface and ample storage across dual shelves at the same time.

Best for Lawn Tools: Rubbermaid Deluxe Tool Tower

Tools like brooms, shovels, and rakes are easy enough to store in a corner, but they still need a sturdy base to prevent them from toppling over. The Rubbermaid Deluxe Tool Tower provides the necessary height and support to keep lighter, less stable tools from slipping and causing a mess. Its special curved tubing holds each tool in place—as many as 40—and props them up to avoid an unnecessary overuse of space. Best of all, because Rubbermaid products are made entirely from Resin, this tool stand will not suffer from any kind of rusting, denting, or peeling.

Most Compact: DeWalt Planer Stand, with Integrated Mobile Base

Capable of withstanding the weight of bulky top planers, the DeWalt Planer Stand provides a means of durable woodworking and storage in one. The heavy load of any top planer is easily maneuverable with the product’s wheeled base which can be locked and unlocked with the tap of a foot using its foot pedal system. While buyers will likely keep the fiberboard top preoccupied with their own planer, the tool stand still features a second plate for additional storage in its slim, 24-inch by 22-inch by 30-inch frame.

Also Consider: Sunix Power Tool Charging Station

This Sunix Power Tool Charging Station is all about convenience. With its sleek design and variety of large storage compartments, the tool stand can hold five power drills along the 1.5 feet of vertical wall space it occupies. It’s especially useful that its electronic contents can be kept away from the ground as to avoid compromising its internal circuitry. Moreover, it’s just nice to see storage away from the floor for a change. The tool lover in all of us will likely grin with glee at the mere sight of it, knowing we may never misplace another battery pack, hammer, or box of screws again.