Hand tools, power tools and garden tools are all welcome in a unit, and they’ll keep well if they go in clean, dry and organised. Do the cleaning and oiling at home, keep fuel, sprays and large loose batteries out, and set everything up on freestanding shelving so you can find what you need quickly.
Get them ready at home
Brush off dirt and sawdust, and dry everything thoroughly: the Royal Horticultural Society notes that drying stops metal from rusting and stops wooden handles soaking up water and swelling. For bare steel, the traditional protection is a thin film of general-purpose oil after cleaning. Wipe it on at home, wipe off the excess, and leave the oil, any spray cans and oily rags behind, because flammable liquids and aerosols can’t be stored, for everyone’s safety.
Small parts and power tools do well in closed cases with a few silica gel sachets inside.
Power tools and batteries
Corded tools can come in as they are. Cordless tools are welcome too: a removable lithium-ion battery can be stored if it’s rated 160Wh or less. If yours shows only volts and amp-hours, multiply them: an 18V 5.0Ah battery is 90Wh. Power banks and portable chargers need to stay at home, and as our units have no power sockets, charging happens at home too. Our e-bike and battery guide explains the limits.
Petrol tools, such as a strimmer, chainsaw or mower, can come in once the fuel tank is empty and the engine has been run dry. Our guide to lawnmowers and petrol tools shows how.
Setting up your unit
Freestanding shelving, racking or a tool chest keeps tools off the floor and easy to see. Just don’t fix anything to the walls. Store heavy kit low, keep the tools you use most near the door, and label boxes so a colleague can find things too.
Your unit is for storing your kit rather than using it, so the cutting, sanding and repairs happen on the job or at home. Our guide to using a unit as a workshop explains why.
Security and cover
Every unit has its own alarm, and our sites are watched by CCTV, monitored around the clock by a professional monitoring company. Everything stored needs cover, through our contents protection or your own policy, so set your cover at what it would cost to replace your tools as new.
For tradespeople
Access is normally 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, so you can collect kit before an early start and drop it back after work. We’ve written more for sole traders storing tools. At Chipping Norton, Shipston-on-Stour and Warminster, drive-up units and containers let you load straight from the van. Our business storage page explains how units work for trade kit.
To find the right size, get a price online, or call us on 0800 2545585.
Related questions
- Can I use my storage unit as a workshop, studio or rehearsal space?
- Can I store a lawnmower, petrol tools, gas bottles or a barbecue?
- Do I need a dehumidifier in a container unit?
Further reading
- Royal Horticultural Society: Cleaning tools