Tool chest cabinet on wheels

[Dynamite]

Hi I was thinking about purchasing one of these for my shop as it’s moveable, you can get all sorts in it and with the drawers would be very organised. I have looked about on the net, eBay, Amazon etc and some do look very cheap quality build on the images. I wondered if anyone has had any experience of decent quality ones without spending a large amount. To be fair, I was thinking of somewhere around £200 in my budget so i realise I’m not going to get the bees knees.

I know they are more badged as mechanics tool chests but I am seriously considering one due to the good organisation it can offer me as well as it’s mobility.

Any comments and advice is most welcome everyone

Kind Regards..........Rob

 

[Oscar43634]

I have an SGS one (larger stainless steel workbench style) I've had it for several years it's been pretty solid and can't complain. Think I paid around £500 for mine so I think their ones should be within budget.

 

[Jones]

I've got one like the bottom section of the red one. I think I got it from screwfix . I got rubber non slip mat from a chandlers to line the drawers and protect my chisel edges. It's a bit unstable with an open loaded drawer but I haven't tipped it over yet.

 

[robgul]

Have a look in Halfords - they usually stock a mix and match set of cabinets and various drawer combos. That said mounting basic flat-pack kitchen drawer units on a wheeled platform works and probably gives you better proportioned drawer depths/sizes.

 

[Ollie78]

Check the depth (front to back ) of the drawers.
When I bought a roll cab I went to machine mart to get one of the cheaper range. In the end discovering that they were very narrow drawers and also that the top box I already had would not fit on the top of the budget ones. In the end I got a bigger HD one as it had a small discount.
No point having a smart looking box nothing will fit in.
Also the wheels were horrible on the smaller ones, inexcusably horrible, this might not matter if you don`t need to move it I guess.

Ollie

 

[Jameshow]

How about building your own?

You would then have it the size you want and the process would be therapeutic.

Derek from Oz has done so at a high level.

Just s thought.

Cheers James

 

[Allen Quay]

Some of the drawers on these mechanic's tool chests are very shallow. I've got a cheap one that I've had for years (long before I was interested in woodwork) and I get a bit frustrated with some of the drawers. Also, the taller they are, the heavier they get when full of tools (obviously), so harder to wheel around unless the castors are pretty big and good quality. Maybe a self-made tool stand on big castors would be a better / more affordable option?

 

[Allen Quay]

Forgot to say, Machine Mart are another good source for mechanic's tool chests. They've got lots on their website.

 

[Chunkytfg]

Another Vote for Halfords tool chests. I have a full 3 piece set up like the red one pictured and its lasted me best part of 20 years so far. The drawers in the top 2 sections are pretty shallow so you'd need to factor that into your decisions regarding what tools you are putting into it and their sizes but they are extremely useful if like me you have a bucketload of mechanic type tools.

 

[RichardG]

Also a Halfords professional tool chest owner, black colour, still perfect after nearly 20 years of use. Had really wide sturdy wheels which was a key selling point for me plus seemed to be of a thicker gauge of metal than many I looked at. Of course they may not be the same today.....

 

[Fergie 307]

I have a US Pro one from e bay, a bit cheaper than the Halfords Pro ones but comparable quality. They do a big range so should be able to find what you need.

 

[paulrbarnard]

You might want to look for something like this. I got this one in B&Q (damaged stock as it had a dent in the back) for £199 a few years ago. Having the wooden top makes it much more useful than a simple tool cabinet. As you can see i have mounted my mini lathe and mill on the top.

Sorry for the poor picture it was all i could find without taking a new one.

 

[stuart little]

I had a Bahco one, which had decent sized wheels. Buy one with ball bearings on the slides.

 

[gmgmgm]

The cheapest ones don't have ball-bearings (which you need). I bought the Halfords "Professional" ones about ten years years ago (a deal for the set of three), which have worked well. They were middle-to-high in their range at the time, not the top end. Brands keep changing, but don't buy the cheapest ones.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Definitely ball bearing slides. I went Beta for mine, specifically the C24S 7-drawer ones. They're now around £475 a go which I appreciate is well over budget, but no regrets with them. One sits under my workbench, without wheels, the other is mobile and has my Tormek on top.

 

[MarkAW]

A slight resistance before the draw opens, particularly if you plan to move it or have an uneven floor is handy. I have a cheap one and the draws often open themselves

 

[Insanity]

Kirkland signature 42" from Costco is superb quality. I've just looked it up and it's gone up in price since, £750 from £570! I think you could maybe get one from the store when they stock them for the £570