Modifications to the HF 4 and 5 drawer service carts - what changes have you made?

[WallynSC]

Can anyone give me measurements of the cardboard box that the HF five drawer comes in, will it fit in the back of a Ford Explorer?

 

[Recoil Rob]

I took mine home in my Explorer, in fact I took home my 13 drawers in my Explorer. Just lay it down with the drawers facing up.

 

[Original Man]

If I can fit it in my '96 240sx you should have no problem fitting it in your explorer

 

[WallynSC]

Thanks Rob and O Man.

 

[cheechi]

I saw this, and was thinking of getting one to set up as a welding table. Would I have to strip the paint off the top? Would there be anything I should not store inside it? Would it be a bad idea to add an outlet like some of you have done if I'm welding on it?

 

[Mastermind]

i was using the handle on my 4 drawer to hold hammers, blocked the lft side prybar acces and raised the center of gravity quite a bit. so i drilled a couple holes in a piece of angle iron, found some 3 inch bolts and put it where the bottom support for the drawer section bolts. works great.

 

[pendragon1998]

"The first rule of HF tool club is to not let your friends know you have Harbor Freight tools".

Any browncoats in the audience? I really dug the look of this aluminized vinyl sticker from the series Firefly. It was made from an original image file that was used on set decoration on the show.

 

[ConnerSmith]

I have the 5 drawer tool cart. I bought the nonslip drawer liner (also from harbor freight) and two-sided taped it to the top of the lid so when it is down, I can use it as a table top without scratching the surface.

 

[bimmerZ5]

just curious... since a lot of you guys put your tool cart to good use... has anyone here run into any issues with the drawers of the red 5-drawer cart? i recommended it to a friend a few months ago and he's telling me the drawer ball bearing slides are having problems. granted, this friend can some times do pretty stupid things and I haven't seen his problem 1st hand... but just wondering if any of you guys have run into any issues with the slides?

 

[Reit38]

What's he dimensions of the bottom shelf on the red HF cart?. . . 5gal bucket won't fit under it will it?

sent from my cellular device using tapatalk

 

[archirelic]

just curious... since a lot of you guys put your tool cart to good use... has anyone here run into any issues with the drawers of the red 5-drawer cart? i recommended it to a friend a few months ago and he's telling me the drawer ball bearing slides are having problems. granted, this friend can some times do pretty stupid things and I haven't seen his problem 1st hand... but just wondering if any of you guys have run into any issues with the slides?

No issues with my slides, or any aspect of it for that matter.

 

[sdguy55]

Just read this entire thread and have to say I am thoroughly impressed with some peoples ingenuity. The guy who posted the way to have the lid 180 degrees from open using some square tubing just answered a problem i have been contemplating for a couple days now. I have this cart

And i have been trying to figure out a way to have the lid open 180 so that i can lay tools down that im currently using. If i go this route i will also probably spray some truck bed liner on it to keep the paint from getting messed up.
Great thread guys

 

[greasemonkey44]

Any browncoats in the audience? I really dug the look of this aluminized vinyl sticker from the series Firefly. It was made from an original image file that was used on set decoration on the show.

i like that alot. where did you find it?

 

[O_M_Jeep]

I have changed this a little, I added 2 more magnet strips so there is 4, works a little better that way.

I also "re-badged" mine, it says ""Little Chinese Tool-Box""

I like mine, I'm going to add a hose reel in the bottom that hooks in to our shop air, with my own filter and mist oiler, and the lisle locking air-tool holder, over-all it works extremely well in a shop were we cant bring the work to us, we have to go to the bay with the work in it.

 

[PT Doc]

An I had this cart, I cut out some spare plywood and dropped in into te bottom. I made a very tight fit so that it oxidant move but also would provide outward pressure on the walls of the bottom tray just in case I walloped it into something.

 

[03protege]

I have changed this a little, I added 2 more magnet strips so there is 4, works a little better that way.

.

I bought those magnets to do that but I was having trouble getting my wrenches to feel secure. I guess using two of them is the ticket.

 

[ndnchf]

BimmerZ5 - I've been using mine almost daily since I started this thread back in February. I've had no problems at all with the drawer slides. They are smooth as butter. I'm 100% happy with mine, the mods I made just made it better.

I'm glad to see this thread get resurrected again, it has some great ideas. I'm sure there are more ideas out their in garageland. Bring 'em on!

 

[hr31hr]

Have an extra one I just listed in the classifieds if anyone local is interested.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2590386#post2590386

 

[AV tinker er]

I have been looking at getting this tool cart for home garage use.

Has anyone added different casters (say from Northern Tool) and/or a folding shelf to their cart? If so which (part #) and possible picture posts please?

 

[kapster]

I'm working on a shelf right now, hope to have it on by the weekend. Will post pictures. I bought a $20 dollar sunex shelf on tooltopia, takes a little modifying though.

I almost ordered a shelf from a snap on krbc10, looks like a very close Chinese cousin. Probably would bolt right on, for around $40.

Snap on krbc10

 

[AV tinker er]

I'm working on a shelf right now, hope to have it on by the weekend. Will post pictures. I bought a $20 dollar sunex shelf on tooltopia, takes a little modifying though.

I almost ordered a shelf from a snap on krbc10, looks like a very close Chinese cousin. Probably would bolt right on, for around $40.

Snap on krbc10

Did you change the casters or leave then OEM?

 

[BFalfa]

finally got the hf 4 drawer cart last weekend for $99..overall im pretty impressed with it for being hf. tonight i got a chance to add a few things to it...i obviously got my ideas from here! i made the glove holder and the aerosol can holder and just happened to have the towel roll holder laying around. i think it turned out fairly decent.

[/IMG]

 

[BFalfa]

i forgot to mention that it is going to be my engine building/tuning cart...i would like to get another sometime and use it for my body work cart.

 

[O_M_Jeep]

Here is an updated pic of the magnet laden lid, 3 months so far with 20 lbs(+) of tools on the lid and no weakening of the gas cylinders so far.

The backside of the lid doesnt look bad, a little touch up paint if it matters to you, or a mat set with adhesive, to me it's not bad enough to worry about it.

 

[kapster]

I have the stock casters, I see no reason to change them unless you dont like the configuration they come in, some are 2 swivel and some are all 4. They're plenty heavy duty, as heavy duty as the casters that came on my menards 36" wide box. Way, way nicer then any caster i've gotten on a Craftsman box. I'd save the money there.

Heres my shelf installed. I made an adapter plate/ spacer out of 1/2" aluminum. The shelf has a lip at the top, so either had to space it out or cut the lip off. I had access to the material so i did this. Way overkill but a perk of being a machinist. If anyone needs it, I can give the drawing of the adapter plate.

 

[cheechi]

What ratcheting wrench sets are those Jeep?

 

[alpinewhite]

I'm contemplating on using one of these carts as a miter saw stand for my Milwaukee slider (also red). Then, I was going to put collapsible wings on both sides. Has anybody done it? Will it be too high?

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Any browncoats in the audience? I really dug the look of this aluminized vinyl sticker from the series Firefly. It was made from an original image file that was used on set decoration on the show.

Where did you get one of those? Badass...

Just found one of the coupons in another thread. Hopefully get some budgeting together to get one for school. Provide more space than my top box that I have everything crammed into...

EDIT: Found the stickers online. http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=QMFFY0118#.ULxEe4bh-uJ
And slightly cheaper shipping on Ebay.

 

[O_M_Jeep]

What ratcheting wrench sets are those Jeep?

The straight set is the 20pc GearWrench set, the flex heads are the old style longer HF that they just discontinued about 4 months ago.

 

[AV tinker er]

I have the stock casters, I see no reason to change them unless you dont like the configuration they come in, some are 2 swivel and some are all 4. They're plenty heavy duty, as heavy duty as the casters that came on my menards 36" wide box. Way, way nicer then any caster i've gotten on a Craftsman box. I'd save the money there.

Heres my shelf installed. I made an adapter plate/ spacer out of 1/2" aluminum. The shelf has a lip at the top, so either had to space it out or cut the lip off. I had access to the material so i did this. Way overkill but a perk of being a machinist. If anyone needs it, I can give the drawing of the adapter plate.

That looks great! Can you PM me with the plate measurements?

 

[cheechi]

The straight set is the 20pc GearWrench set, the flex heads are the old style longer HF that they just discontinued about 4 months ago.

Thanks

 

[kapster]

Heres the shelf adapter print, 1/2" thick aluminum. anyone that makes one, please double check the dimensions. The cart and shelf are chinese so who knows what could happen. they could change bolt spacing by the day.

 

[rivertucky]

I have two of these carts they are exactly alike. I love the towel holder and the can holder from HF. This pic is quite old so there is alot more stuff on them. I overloaded the top tray and it started stressing the shocks so i put vice grips on each cart. We never close them.

 

[ndnchf]

If you do the $10 Snap On hinge mod, you'll never have a problem with overloaded gas shocks.

 

[skulldrinker]

I have the 4 drawer black roller. After going through this thread I want a red one now.

 

[kapster]

If you do the $10 Snap On hinge mod, you'll never have a problem with overloaded gas shocks.

Just ordered mine yesterday, my shocks still kind of work, but i want the lid vertical to put stuff on like that.

 

[AV tinker er]

I got a 5 drawer from my wife for Christmas. I have a few mods in mind for it. This has been said often but, it is such a great cart for the money.

 

[jjjrmx5]

Just ordered mine yesterday, my shocks still kind of work, but i want the lid vertical to put stuff on like that.

I did the very first likely Snap-On hinge swap because HF wanted $15 ea for the shocks plus shipping for a $169 cart. That's 20% of the price of the cart. And if loaded, they will continue to fail. No friggin' way. I have a Blue Point cart that uses those hinges so i had a extra pair to play around with.

S-O hinges were $10 w/free shippingfor both.

Part # is KRBC8T9.

HOlds the lid near vertical or actually about 3 degrees to the back side.

I posted a quick dwg I did of where you need to drill the holes and measurements somewhere in this thread or one of the others.

Totally worth teh swap-out.

 

[ndnchf]

I started this thread back in February 2012 with the hopes of getting a few good ideas for my new 5 drawer cart. Here it is over 10 months later and there are nearly 200 posts - wow! You guys have really come through.

My previous photos were hosted by Webshots that has been bought out, so most of them no longer show up. I'm slowly moving them to photobucket. In the meantime, here is a shot of mine with the new hinges - the best $10 bucks I ever spent.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I started this thread back in February 2012 with the hopes of getting a few good ideas for my new 5 drawer cart. Here it is over 10 months later and there are nearly 200 posts - wow! You guys have really come through.

My previous photos were hosted by Webshots that has been bought out, so most of them no longer show up. I'm slowly moving them to photobucket. In the meantime, here is a shot of mine with the new hinges - the best $10 bucks I ever spent.

Planning on picking one of these up in a couple of weeks, and ordering the hinges at the same time.

Anyone have the actual measurements of the top center area(not including the prybar/screwdriver slots)? Haven't had an reason to drive across town lately to HF to measure it myself...