Popular Post Mark J Posted January 11, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 OK I admit it. Sometimes I shop at Harbor Freight, but hey, Tom does, too, and he does not suffer junk gladly. Occasionally they have something. So my New Year's resolution (which I also vowed I wasn't actually going to do) was to organize my shop. My pressing need was to create a space for my lathe tools to be when I wasn't actually turning with them. The idea of building something did not excite me. Before Christmas Tom had mentioned that he was looking at mechanic's carts, which got me thinking and looking around. Most all the carts I saw had drawers that are too narrow for my tools, but HF had this 30" 4 drawer tech cart with 25" wide drawers, perfect for my 24" tools. So I bought one. I put it together today, and I am pleasantly surprised to be able to report that it is very well done. Although I am dismayed to see how quickly the drawers filled up and I still have a few tools to stow. Maybe I should have bought two (I mean I can't get rid of any tools -- I might need some of these some day ). It came partially disassembled in a carton weighing about 110 lbs, but it's easy to unpack and bring in piecemeal. I took the drawers out of the chest which made it easy. The assembly instructions are as you might expect, not great, but interpretable, and typical for products these days. The cart went together easily. All the holes lined up and parts all fit. Some of the nuts are in awkward places requiring creative wrenching solutions, but a minor challenge. I purchased the optional fold out shelf and I recommend you install this as you are building the cart as you will otherwise have to remove some of the nuts you just creatively wrenched. All together it appears well built and sturdy. The steel pieces were all completely painted with a good finish. The drawers latch in place when closed and operate reasonably smoothly, not butter smooth, but no cursing is required. The drawers are locked if the lid is down (I wish they did not lock, but that's how they make these carts). Gas struts hold the lid open just fine. The fold out table seems secure. The caster locking mechanism seems stiff, but may just need some breaking in. Otherwise it rolls easily. Not a bad product as far as I can see. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted January 11, 2020 Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 I’ve been eyeing those for a while, so I’m glad to hear a review of it. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2020 @JohnG, they're on sale this weekend, but even at regular price I think they're a good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave's Not Here Posted January 12, 2020 Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 I purchased one of those a while back when they first came out, mine doesn't have the side shelf. I've been very happy with it so far with not a single thing to complain about. They are very well built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted January 12, 2020 Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 and probably not much more than the cost of the drawer slides Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legenddc Posted January 12, 2020 Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 You might be able to buy a second one and out the drawers underneath. I’m sure some quick googling will find a way to let the drawers not lock with the lid down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 12, 2020 Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 "... not lock with the lid down. " Grind off or remove the spring-loaded bars at the back of the lid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 12, 2020 Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 I, like a few Baptist preachers entering a liquor store, will go into HF when no one is looking, searching not for that rare find. Nice purchase Mark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 12, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2020 13 hours ago, Tom King said: and probably not much more than the cost of the drawer slides I think you're absolutely right. On sale this was about $160. As to the drawer locks the simplest fix is just not to close them all the way. The lid still shuts, but the lock doesn't engage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2020 I liked it so much (and filled the drawers so quickly) I decided to buy another one. This is the 5 drawer model. It's a little taller and deeper, but the drawers are an inch narrower. Quality is still good, but a notch down from the red one. There were a couple of minor imperfections in the paint and the pieces needed a little encouragement to line up, but not bad. These drawers have mechanical latches rather than detents in the slide mechanism like the red one, and the latches are not quite aligned. Nothing a little filling couldn't fix, but I'd rather not have the latches in the first place. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 Mismatched colors... OCD ACTIVATED!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 Yes full on OCD: some things go in blue drawers and some things in red drawers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 Or we could make it from wood. But not for an auto mechanic. For woodworkers our hands don't get greasy and the varnished finish will not be soiled by our sawdusted hands. Recently at my mechanic I was eyeing his big tool cabinets. I was thinking of offering to build him one then thought better of it. His tools are in steel cabinets and steel drawers that can be cleaned with almost any solvent and not be harmed. Varnished wood would be blackened form greasy hands. The HF drawers are well made and great value for the money. Probably last a long time. Because of good prices at HF the savings by doing it yourself may equate to 50 cents an hour. Or maybe we cant make it out of wood... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 I use rolling carts as project rests at times. It is nice to pop the glue off at the end. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 When shopping for tool cabinets, it's worth looking at what Home Depot sells too. Here is the one I bought on Black Friday. Their Husky boxes are much more substantial than the ones sold at Lowes. It has the perfect parking spot for the bad ass magnetic drill press. We're enjoying the wooden top on it too. I forget what I paid for it, but it was a couple of hundred less than the regular price. They only put a few on really good sale on Black Friday's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted January 15, 2020 Report Share Posted January 15, 2020 The Craftsman boxes that Lowes sells are more flimsy than the Harbor Freight ones. I did buy this little one though, for not much more than a hundred bucks, just to organize parts in, when I take something apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Frosts Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I had planned to buy this for a long time, couldn't choose. It looks very good, also convenient. The right thing in my workshop. It was interesting to see the review, thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted January 31, 2020 Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 The Harbor Freight US General stuff is really pretty nice. I like that they have a lot of options. I'd call them one of the few gems at HF. Since I already had it... I have an older Craftsman box set... top and bottom chest, and recently bought a middle chest at Menards. My OCD was immediately activated because the new Craftsman boxes are a different shade of red. :-) My older Craftsman boxes use friction slides, the new middle chest has ball bearing slides. Anyway, I have this in my woodshop and store chisels, drill bits, screwdrivers, wrenchs and such. I also have a Husky mobile workbench out in the garage. It's smaller than what Tom linked. Home Depot is a bit weird as they have all sorts of different boxes and they vary greatly in quality and aren't consistent from one year to the next. But they seem pretty good, better than the Craftsman stuff. Menards has started carrying Craftsman boxes, and they're kind of their middle lineup. They also have a Masterforce lineup which is similar to the US General and pretty decent. And then I have my dad's tool cart. A Craftsman box from 1958. That sucker is made from like 14 gauge steel, it's ridiculously heavy built. I'm wanting to clean it up, maybe do some restoration on it. The wheels need to be checked, I think they might be rotted out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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