"B_dol" (bdolan40)
04/25/2019 at 10:03 • Filed to: None | 1 | 27 |
Settled into a new space where I have a sizable two-car garage that is deep enough for a work bench and more storage. Looking to acquire a tool chest or cart (used/new) for $400 or less. This will be used to store wrenches, sockets, drills, etc. like a glorified cabinet on wheels. I also have a small plastic “rugged” tool box for carting tools to friends/track/etc.
What should I look at? have been hearing a lot about Harbor Frieght US General vs. Craftsman. I am a weekend mechanic and DIYer at best, does not need to be contractor grade.
I found some really strong deals on craftsman through Sears/Lowes for their tool chest or tool carts.
I could also scale up to a beefy heavy duty HF option with a nice 20% off coupon they regularly provide.
The question is, tool cart or a narrower tool chest with a portable top chest? Single cell or double cell? What brand? Keeping within budget is important, would rather spend money on tools than storage.
Garage in question for you time...
benjrblant
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:16 | 4 |
After comparing everything in the home-gamer segment, I settled on the Harbor Freight tool chest. I’ve been very happy with it, it’s surprisingly well built- not just for HF but for anything at that pricepoint in general.
Note that the 20% coupon specifically excludes storage chests, cabinets, and carts.
Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:22 | 1 |
I’ve heard the best deal is Craigslist. There is always someone looking to sell their old one when they buy a new one. That said, the few times I’ve looked I haven’t found this to be true.
B_dol
> benjrblant
04/25/2019 at 10:23 | 0 |
Which one did you go for specifically? On wheels or just a chest on the bench?
B_dol
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
04/25/2019 at 10:24 | 1 |
Craigslist has a mix of stuff, some of it is not in the greatest shape or priced close to new - I have a few messages out to negotiate.
GoodIdeaAtTheTime
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:25 | 1 |
Buy bigger than you need. You will grow into it :)
Chariotoflove
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:25 | 0 |
I have a Craftsman cart. I like it a lot and it’s held up well. I have limited space in my garage, and it helps that I can move it on the wheels easily.
Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:28 | 0 |
This was also my experience and I really can’t bring myself to pay new prices for these things.
Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:30 | 0 |
I have a pair of wood topped Husky ones. For a guy without a workbench, they are handy!
CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:32 | 0 |
I always like Craftsman or maybe husky? I prefer stationary. Everything in its place
*rocks back and forth*
Darkbrador
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:32 | 2 |
You need to keep some budget for the stickers... It’s the stickers that make the toolbox, not the brand. I heard.
(pictured - not mine)
merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:37 | 0 |
I like my US general set, but we have a box with slow close drawers that’s a game changer for me. Love that feature. But you can get a big bottom USG box for under $400.
nerd_racing
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:41 | 1 |
Tell me more about that scissor lift!
Ash78, voting early and often
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:47 | 0 |
Here’s the Husky (Home Depot) one I have:
It’s $400 at the moment, but very frequently drops to $200. Decent construction, ball bearing drawers, etc.
The wooden top also gives you a forgiving work surface, unlike metal. I used it 50/50 for car stuff and home DIY.
Brickman
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 10:53 | 0 |
I have a 52 inch Craftsman cabinet and its perfect, except I wish there was a drawer the whole width of the cabinet to put my long tools like breaker bars and torque wrench. Used a 10% off coupon too. About $440 altogether.
IDK if HF accepts coupons on large items like that.
I need to update my pictures :P
thejustache
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 11:07 | 1 |
My wife got me this top&bottom chest set last year. I’m an amateur mechanic only and it’s my first tool chest so I don’t have much to compare it to. That said, it does feel very sturdy and I’m quite happy with it. I also have a smaller craftsman cart I got from Lowes indoors for my photography equipment. It was much cheaper so I don’t think it’s fair to compare, but it feels significantly thinner and weaker and was also dented in shipping. I’d hope the more expensive Craftsman carts would be better?
As for the cart vs chest thing, it was a surprise so I didn’t get a chance to think about it. I probably would have made the same choice though. I’m sure the bench top on a cart would be handy, but IMO it’s easy enough to build a bigger workbench for cheap and then have more flexibility with where to put a narrower cart. Either way, having a nice tool box is a game changer.
Another thing to consider - the top chest isn’t really ‘portable’ despite the handles. It weighs maybe 90lbs empty. Once it’s loaded with tools, it’s staying wherever you put it.
B_dol
> Brickman
04/25/2019 at 11:10 | 1 |
This looks like a great setup! I need to take notes as I’ll be building a bench as well
B_dol
> nerd_racing
04/25/2019 at 11:12 | 0 |
Quickjacks! Now carried by Costco with a solid discount, super slick and can be transported if need be
ateamfan42
> benjrblant
04/25/2019 at 11:15 | 0 |
Note that the 20% coupon specifically excludes storage chests, cabinets, and carts.
The tool chests do go on sale though, with coupons specifically for those items. The Series 2 26" base
can be had for as little as $229 and the top chest for $15
9.
ateamfan42
> benjrblant
04/25/2019 at 11:16 | 1 |
Also of note is that the HF models feature a greater number of shallower drawers than some of the competition. This was a big seller for me— I don’t want to dig through a deep pile of tools in one big drawer.
MoCamino
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 11:29 | 0 |
I recently needed to get another chest because my old Craftsman roller setup was too full to be able to organize. I learned HF doesn’t allow coupons on their tool chests, but honestly didn’t have great prices anyway. Since price was (as always) a concern, I shopped around a LOT. The best deal on another small-ish chest/cart I could find was at Menards. I prefer the chest on rollers so I don’t use up precious bench space.
Pickup_man
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 11:40 | 0 |
We have a Harbor Freight bottom chest at work and I am thoroughly impressed with it. I’d buy one for myself if I didn’t already have a random stack of craftsman chests. I’ve got two stacks of 26" chests and am happy with the setup, although I would love a 41" or 54" setup.
I’d buy the biggest chest within your budget, starting with a wheeled
bottom chest
because you can always buy a top later. Before you buy though try to mentally lay out how you’d organize your tools so you have an idea of how big/deep/shallow
you want the drawers, and how many. Personally I’d go straight to Harbor Freight and not even bother with anything else, the cabinets feel equal or better quality than most, and the prices can’t be beat.
Pickup_man
> Darkbrador
04/25/2019 at 11:42 | 1 |
Can confirm, stickers make the toolbox.
Downside to stickers is that you feel like you can never upgrade to a whole new set because then you’ll loose out on all of those sticker memories.
TorqueToYield
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 12:19 | 1 |
If you’re into estate sales tool chests are pretty common. I got a nice C raftsman chest for $90 that way.
I like estate sales a lot better than Craigslist since you can see the stuff in person, haggle with the sellers, and they’re not sketchy at all.
Just takes a bit of digging through some pictures to find what you want.
Brickman
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 12:30 | 0 |
it’s made of 2x4s and 2x6's with a long 2x6 attached to the walls. Then a box and leg for middle support so there is no sag.
benjrblant
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 13:05 | 0 |
Went with the narrow rolling chest.
shop-teacher
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 13:38 | 0 |
I had the big US General cabinet for a while. It was really well built. The only problem was in the winter, the drawer slides got really “sticky” when they were cold. I sold it and replaced it with a smaller cart (I needed more room in my garage) , and I got another US General piece, but this time I got the smaller cart. It is also really well built, but has the same drawer slide problem in the winter. The locks are also a joke, but I never lock my box anyways.
I have not been super impressed with Craftsman boxes over the last several years. They got increasingly flimsy. That said, I have not looked at them since Craftsman was bought out by Stanley. I’ve heard Stanley is working hard to put the quality back into Craftsman, so I would say they’re worth looking at again.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> B_dol
04/25/2019 at 16:40 | 0 |
The worst thing about cheap boxes is the casters. Who cares if you’re not rolling it all over the place. Next is the drawer slides. Keep the lubed.
I was going to recommend Lowe’s Kobalt boxes, but they’re apparently more expensive than I thought. Though they are extremely high quality for the money. Much nicer than HF or Craftsman. If you run into those used, give them a look. I used one professionally for years ( after buying it used), as have others I know. Sold it to a friend 7-8 years ago and it's still a good box for him last I heard.