Tool Cabinets/Chests

A

Atrus

Forum Member
Hey guys -

Looking to upgrade my home garage tool chest. I'm still currently using a ~26" Craftsman that I got in the mid 90's when I was a teenager. I've outgrown it long ago. This is just for my home garage, I am not out there wrenching every day, but I have a fleet of hooptys I need to keep running so my garage does get used.

Looking for something like a 44"-46" tool chest. Right now, I am debating between the US General and Home Depot Husky options.

US General is going to run $599 for the lower box, plus another $350 for the top chest. They are 10% off this weekend, so I could get away for $850 on both.

Link for lower: https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-...-in-double-bank-roller-cabinet-red-64281.html
Link for upper: https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in-double-bank-top-chest-red-64280.html

Husky, I was looking at the non-HD red 46" chest for $498. As dumb as it sounds, I'd like to have a red tool chest if possible, but it's not an absolute requirement.

Link for Husky: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-46-in-14-Drawer-Tool-Chest-and-Cabinet-Combo-90385/316439279

From the specs, they seem pretty similar. Online, I see people saying the Husky's aren't worth a damn unless you get the black industrial/HD boxes. Anything is a massive upgrade from the little Craftsman that I've used for the last 25 years.

What would you guys do? I don't necessarily have a set budget, but obviously don't want to spend just to spend. Is there another option I should be looking at?
 
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Atrus said:
Hey guys -

Looking to upgrade my home garage tool chest. I'm still currently using a ~26" Craftsman that I got in the mid 90's when I was a teenager. I've outgrown it long ago. This is just for my home garage, I am not out there wrenching every day, but I have a fleet of hooptys I need to keep running so my garage does get used.

Looking for something like a 44"-46" tool chest. Right now, I am debating between the US General and Home Depot Husky options.

US General is going to run $599 for the lower box, plus another $350 for the top chest. They are 10% off this weekend, so I could get away for $850 on both.

Link for lower: https://www.harborfreight.com/tool-...-in-double-bank-roller-cabinet-red-64281.html
Link for upper: https://www.harborfreight.com/44-in-double-bank-top-chest-red-64280.html

Husky, I was looking at the non-HD red 46" chest for $498. As dumb as it sounds, I'd like to have a red tool chest if possible, but it's not an absolute requirement.

Link for Husky: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-46-in-14-Drawer-Tool-Chest-and-Cabinet-Combo-90385/316439279

From the specs, they seem pretty similar. Online, I see people saying the Husky's aren't worth a damn unless you get the black industrial/HD boxes. Anything is a massive upgrade from the little Craftsman that I've used for the last 25 years.

What would you guys do? I don't necessarily have a set budget, but obviously don't want to spend just to spend. Is there another option I should be looking at?
Click to expand...

I just bought a bunch of Craftsman for my basement including a small five drawer chest. My lessons learned was that I didn't try the drawers first. They have those "slow close" shocks on them which is nice, but when you try to open them, you literally have to put one hand on the box to keep it from moving when you pull the drawer. I have seen this on a lot of stuff lately, they get these really cheap "Slow close" mechanisms, and they are hard to open. I think I would rather have just regular drawers than have to chock the wheels just to open a drawer.

I ended up going with craftsman because their big workbenches and cabinets are basically made with stamped sheet steel - which is nice because in case my basement floods again I can clean both sides pretty easily. The nicer stuff is made with hollow steel tubes which is pretty hard to clean when it fills with sewage. I had this old recumbent bike down there, and we took it apart a month after the flood and there was still water (sewage) in the frame.

-Geoff
 
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I don't have any experience with the husky box. But I really like my US General. I have the same upper and lower you are looking at. I have quite a bit of weight in a few of the drawers and they still open, close and roll without a problem. I'm not a mechanic by trade I use it in my garage. But I own hoopties also so it does get used quite a bit.
 
WhiteHawk said:
I just bought a bunch of Craftsman for my basement including a small five drawer chest. My lessons learned was that I didn't try the drawers first. They have those "slow close" shocks on them which is nice, but when you try to open them, you literally have to put one hand on the box to keep it from moving when you pull the drawer. I have seen this on a lot of stuff lately, they get these really cheap "Slow close" mechanisms, and they are hard to open. I think I would rather have just regular drawers than have to chock the wheels just to open a drawer.
Click to expand...

Good to know, I didn't even think of that impact from the soft close. That would be annoying. In your case, is there a way to disable it?



WhiteHawk said:
I ended up going with craftsman because their big workbenches and cabinets are basically made with stamped sheet steel - which is nice because in case my basement floods again I can clean both sides pretty easily. The nicer stuff is made with hollow steel tubes which is pretty hard to clean when it fills with sewage. I had this old recumbent bike down there, and we took it apart a month after the flood and there was still water (sewage) in the frame.

-Geoff
Click to expand...

First off, bleh on the bike. Terrible you had to deal with that. Good to know on the differences in construction - I don't see any issue with either style being in my garage.


capone said:
I don't have any experience with the husky box. But I really like my US General. I have the same upper and lower you are looking at. I have quite a bit of weight in a few of the drawers and they still open, close and roll without a problem. I'm not a mechanic by trade I use it in my garage. But I own hoopties also so it does get used quite a bit.
Click to expand...

Cool, good to know - the current Craftsman I have is pretty light duty and I've managed just fine with it. I did break the pop rivets holding the deep drawer to the slides, but it's fixable. Any of these are much beefier than that thing, so I think I'd be fine with something like the US General quality.
 
I have a Matco box (doesnt fit in my garage so it is at a relatives house)... with that said:

I bought a 44" US General then the single bank 26" (I think thats the size) then got the 5 drawer tool cart. I really like the HF stuff for the price. The ICON is awesome but is double the price and probably worth it.

I also got the Craftsman upper wall mount 24" cabinets (they are $100 each). When I build my new garage I will probably by more HF boxes and use birch butcherblock countertops (they are pretty damn cheap so I wouldnt feel bad about beating it up.)

I would buy the US General boxes again. I really like the look of the new service cart (like the tool cart but has more drawers).
 
I have an older Husky toolbox, probably 8-9 years old. It is fine. The main drawer I keep sockets in is getting a little tired. I use it every day.

I have a bunch more that I have for housing tools I don't use much. Plus I have toolboxes in the basement and the garden shed. Nothing is close to each other in my yard. I also don't like anything longer than 46" because if it is, then it's impossible to move around.

I have some older Harder Fraught boxes and carts. They are just as good as the Husky. All of the US General ones I've bought since have been returned. The ones that showed up during the pandemic seem to be exceptionally crappy. You don't really realize how shitty they are until you try to move them loaded.

I have some older Craftsman boxes. They are nice. I believe they're Homaco under the paint. I do not have any modern ones.

I've been eyeballing the newer 2000 series Craftsman boxes. They're at least partially made in the US. I've looked at them at Lowes. I was about to buy one, but then the prices went back up.

I've been thinking about buying this to mount two drill presses on and use the drawers for holding grinders and materials for grinding.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4...bench-with-Hardwood-Top-H46MWC9V2-C/313833944
 
I'll have to get a picture of mine - the Craftsman that I have is definitely not heavy duty. My parents bought it for me when I was 16 and starting accumulating enough tools that I outgrew the small portable single-drawer Craftsman tool box they got me when I was 13.

It's in great shape, and nothing special, but it's sentimental to me and I'll keep using it as well.

I am going to stop by Harbor Freight and Home Depot today to check them both out.

Thanks for the input and opinions!
 
I checked out both the USG and the Husky. The USG does seem a little more heavy duty, but ultimately, I like the layout of the Husky more. My old man is a veteran so he can get 10% off...I'd be able to get it for $450. The USG would be $400 more even with the 10% sale they had going on this past weekend. Husky wins for me due to these 2 factors - layout and that for my usage, I can't justify the extra cost over the Husky. Both are worlds more heavy duty than the little Craftsman I have now.

I'll have to pick it up this week sometime.
 
camaromann said:
I have a 42”(I think) Kobalt white and black lower and upper with the large too door that opens with shocks. Both have power strip/surge protector and usb slots. I’ve had it a few years and have never actually put a tool in it lol. I was thinking of selling it for $500.
Here is a link to what I have upper and lower. 3rd picture is what I have. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-41-...l-Bearing-Steel-Tool-Cabinet-White/1000136147
Click to expand...

I appreciate it - I'd prefer a red chest if at all possible. That Kobalt looks very very similar to the Husky. Potentially the same mfg?
 
I just bought this Craftsman Industrial toolbox a few days ago. It is extra heavy duty, similar to a Mac or Snap-On box and it was fairly reasonable. This was made while Craftsman Tools and boxes still meant something and they were trying to capture the professional mechanic for a short time about 5 or 6 years ago...

So, deals can still be found on some good stuff...

I am replacing a smaller service cart I've been using for about 5 years now, which is for sale in the Yard Sale section :)

s-4338.JPG
 
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The US General boxes receive some pretty good ratings by the guys who evaluate toolboxes on Youtube. Check them out. They are a lot more heavy duty that you realize. I have the 5 drawer cart in my barn and would like to upgrade my barn box to the 44" set-up (as it comes in orange). ;) Then my old Craftsman can be relocated up to the house.
 
I picked up two harbor freight boxes with the workbench top to put next to my main box and I will say that they are damn good for the money. I would have no reservation to buy another.
 
I've been using a US General 44" gen 1 with a set of side drawers and a 5 drawer cart at work for 7 years with zero problems. It does the exact same job as the tool truck boxes at 1/10th the cost. I picked up a gen 2 44" for home. I would recommend them to anyone.
 
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