Rolling tool chest/boxes on wheels harbor freight verses the others?

[rangerfredbob]

I've had one of those for the last 2ish years, got it for I think $350 (the red one, before they had colors, they've cost more since then) and it is a beast and works great. Drawers are smooth and have close detents. I don't roll it around but the casters seem decent. I have zero complaints and when I build my new shop I will probably put US General boxes in it...

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have the predecessor one to the one you're asking about. Same size. I have the upper and lower boxes, and I've had them almost 3 years now. They are fine. Drawers are still smooth sliding, and the friction detente catches still work fine to hold the drawers closed. The lid on my top box has been standing open since I got it, and the strut rods holding it up are still fine. Mine sits in one place, and I don't move it around or transport it. Moving any tool box while it's still loaded with tools, lifting and transporting it in a vehicle or service truck, is always going to be hard on the drawer slides and hardware. If you need a box that will be mobile, like in a service van or such, then would be the time you want a top of the line big $$ box. But for just sitting in a home garage, in the same place for many years at a time, I doubt you will have any issues with the HF box.

I'm satisfied with mine, and would buy them (top and bottom boxes) again.

 

[Stimw]

I have 6 Crapsman boxes, 3 bottom and 3 top, the old style without the ball bearing slides and I CUSS every time I have to go into them.
Lubing doesn't help.
I look at the HF boxes every time I go there. ??? They look/work really great.
The bad news is the coupons aren't good on boxes.
I do have one of the HF side boxes that are all drawers for my Milling Machine accessories and love it.

 

[Jaylegger]

I went with and would go with a cabinet with a few more deeper drawers and a wood top to affix a vice.

 

[Rich B1]

I did a lot of research and looking at a combination tool cabinet (chest and roller cabinet). For the money, it came down to a HF 44肺22? I had a Craftsman side cabinet that fit just fine. I am very pleased with the HF cabinet/chest.

Went from overflowing to 2 empty drawers. And I am ok with that situation.

For the money, it is tough to beat HF for a homeowner.

 

[coobie]

I have 6 Crapsman boxes, 3 bottom and 3 top, the old style without the ball bearing slides and I CUSS every time I have to go into them.
Lubing doesn't help.
I look at the HF boxes every time I go there. ??? They look/work really great.
The bad news is the coupons aren't good on boxes.
I do have one of the HF side boxes that are all drawers for my Milling Machine accessories and love it.

I found out that also on the 20%coupons.They do not apply to the tool boxes.

 

[coobie]

I went to lowes,home depot,menards,blains farm and fleet and then harbor freight today.I guess from what I have read here I will be leaning towards towards the HF tool chest.After speaking with a HF manager they are having there BIG 3 day sale next weekend.The price now on the HF is $475 he stated if I wait until next weekend it will be $399. A no brainer on the HF model at that price.

 

[rangerfredbob]

For reference here's my disaster setup... and looking back apparently I got it in December of '16. The top box is something random I got from a buddy for free, it's probably from the 70's and does not have bearing slides, just slides, it's what I was working out of before I got the bottom box...

Up until recently I had an empty drawer as well, but Home Depot had a nice set of socket extensions that I left in the case and put in that drawer, should put the pouch of ratcheting wrenches I got at the same sale in there too... The top big drawer is a disaster with all my screwdrivers, my 25" 1/2" drive breaker bars and some other small stuff...

 

[kcflhrc]

My wife and kids got me a lower and upper box from Home Depot a couple of years ago for Father's Day, it's very nice. It does it's job. Looks like this one.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3...-Cabinet-Combo-in-Black-H36CH6TR6XD/303643853

 

[newbury]

I'm not a mechanic either, and never used a rolling tool chest before. I bought one of the red 27" from HF a couple of years ago. Got a good deal as both the top and bottom chests were on a "sidewalk sale" for about $235 for the set. It was lacking casters, but I put it on one of their $10 furniture movers, and it works fine (yes, I could have spent a few more bucks for some casters, but I didn't intend to roll it around anyway). The chest is fairly well built, and I am very pleased with it. I compared them to the HD and Lowes versions, and found the HF to be better. It's now full of tools, and I have no problem with the weight in the drawers. No complaints from me.

I've had a rolling base for my 1978 Craftsman 3 drawer tool chest since I got it. My Father built it at IBM about 1960. But up until 2011 I only had a basement workshop about 15'x15'. Then in 2011 we bought a house in Mississippi. With 5,500 sq feet of shops.


Thus since I expanded my worksop by almost an order of magnitude I expanded my rolling tool storage:


The circled on the left set is a real OLD HF given to me.
The red stack next to it is a 26" HF stack bought for $289 about 3 years ago. Before they went to the new 2" deeper set.
The blue 36" 5 drawer was a $110 special Husky closeout from HD bought about 2 years ago. (on a a $7 HF furniture mover).
The dark red set at the far right was a closeout special ($100?) from Sears bought about 2 years ago.

Since I've about $500 total invested in tool chests I'm amazed at the costs of a new 40" + rolling base cabinet, but I want one to replace the HF furniture mover.
I bought one of the "black" lowes base cabinets but the metal was so thin it had folded in handling and I left it at the store.

I think the HF offerings were the best bang for the buck before they increased the depth to 22". But now the 26" Single Bank Red Roller Cabinet cost more than I paid for the 2 piece stack 3 years ago.

So I'm still looking for a quality heavy duty base cabinet.