I typically don’t mess with big box store brands – especially when it comes to a commitment as large as a shop cabinet. Reason being, if you end up with something large and heavy that doesn’t suit your needs, it’s like having a boat anchor in the desert – it’s always in your way and it’s hard as hell to get rid of.
And so, owning a couple of garage cabinets from Gladiator isn’t something I ever thought I’d realize. But, a few weeks ago I found myself in a Home Depot standing next to two 36″ x 72″ x 24″ cabinets made by Gladiator (believe this is a Whirlpool brand?) that were recently taken back on return and only half assembled. I checked that all the parts were there and then asked the guy behind the customer service desk for a price.
“Say $450 for the pair?”
That was more than half off, so I decided to take the risk. I’m glad I did.
The achilles heal of these types of cabinets is their nut and bolt construction. A high end cabinet in the market is going to be welded together with heavier gauge steel. These are not high-end, but I re-assembled each using a clamp on square as I tightened and Loctited the joinery.
Once done, I had square boxes and used the adjustable feet on the bottom to level them to my floor. I then loaded one up with graffiti cans and the other with adhesives. And even those these things are made of mere 24-gauge steel, they are rather impressive.
I don’t know if I’d pay $500 for these at normal prices, but at half that? I’m super happy.
More details of the cabinets I got here.
