Where did you get your metal cabinets

[iBang]

...and how much did you spend?

I'm reworking my garage at the moment (thread soon) and one of my objectives is to install several large metal cabinets for enclosed storage. None of my searching on the internet turns up a local supplier and the online suppliers want upwards of $3-400 for a single cabinet. I'm a young homeowner and I can't afford to spend better than a thousand dollars for cabinets.

Suggestions?

 

[CNGsaves]

Best bet for low cost metal cabinets include CL, garage sales, estate sales, moving sales, Restore, etc.

If you live near military or AFB, then watch www.govliquidation.com

 

[akdiesel]

I purchased my Lista's from lista. The Vidmar was a CL find.
I am in the process of building my own custom enclosed storage cabinet with roll out shelves out of Unistrut.

 

[Jack Olsen]

The availability of second-hand ones will depend on where you live. But it's really the only economical way to go if you want good industrial cabinets. Otherwise, you can watch for sales on the Gladiators at Sears. But it's a different animal than the commercial ones.

 

[Lippyp]

My steel cupboards came from ebay, they're originally filing cupboards made by a company iun Canada called Teknion. I paid £25 each from memory and they are incredibly well made. Came out of the AA's HQ in the UK (UK equivalent of AAA)

 

[bwane]

my best advice is to watch craigslist every day and be patient. I got 4 for $40 each. I stopped in a junk store and saw the same thing priced at $1000

 

[sselander]

Also, try to find a place that sells used office furniture
I have one I go to that is an outlet for their regular store and they have pretty decent stuff.

 

[gayler]

My steel cupboards came from ebay, they're originally filing cupboards made by a company iun Canada called Teknion. I paid £25 each from memory and they are incredibly well made. Came out of the AA's HQ in the UK (UK equivalent of AAA)

Those look almost like mine, color too! Do they use metal clips to hold the shelves? Mine came from our hospital kitchen many years ago.

 

[uniballer]

I buy up the old parts cabinets, have about 12 now. They are usually around 20-30 dollars each at local auctions here.

 

[84944Redline]

I've collected some old metal auto parts cabinets that make for good display and use. Both the smaller and larger ones have nice shelving and compartments inside. Prices have ranged from $30 to $100 each.

The black 3-door wall cabinet from HF works nice for my setup. They don't stick out from the wall very far and are good for small cans and parts. I think they cost me about $60/ea.

My "main" cabinets are Gladiator Cadet. I picked up the wall ones for $79 (and a few at $99) and the large floor ones for $169.

 

[kenners]

I got mine from an employee auction. Got two of the 13 drawer units for around $309.00 each. Bolted them together and had a stainless cap put over both of them.
I would think the craigslist and patience would be a good route.

 

[bczygan]

Depends on what you want.

I paid $200 each for some smaller Stronghold cabinets (12ga).
Also got some file cabinets for free up to $20 for old HD military ones.

Check out lateral file cabinets, architects and artists flat files and under-counter bank steel cabinets. Also old odd size card file cabinets are very useful. Check used office furniture places, but especially CL and even yard sales.

 

[matty d]

Craigslist is awesome, but you have to be patient, and it helps to be in a more populated area.

Check CL every morning before work...

 

[NHBandit]

I've collected some old metal auto parts cabinets that make for good display and use. Both the smaller and larger ones have nice shelving and compartments inside. Prices have ranged from $30 to $100 each.

This ^^^ only some of mine were also free. I got the NAPA cabinets back in the 80s when I had a gas station/repair garage. They were free in return for stocking NAPA tune up parts. Others I have picked up here & there. Also have some battery racks I use for display shelves. Always looking for more similar stuff.

 

[32krazy!]

c/l for mine. surgical quality stainless steel cabinets. 2 24" 2 36" wide units for 500$ be patient the search is half the fun!

 

[redturbo]

I looked into some metal cabinets made in my province. Just wanted storage type closets. I have a span of 14ft. Went to placed called cabinets by Hayley. They want $9600 for just cabinets with doors/shelves, 6ft tall, 2ft deep. Way too much $ for me, time to start looking for used stuff. Good luck finding yours.

 

[JonnFX]

I have around $1000 in 65 linear feet of steel cabinets, including lower and upper. I prepped and painted the main boxes and had the fronts of the doors and drawers, powder coated in a textured blue. I bought them at a larger metal and miscellaneous salvage yard.

 

[K13]

I looked into some metal cabinets made in my province. Just wanted storage type closets. I have a span of 14ft. Went to placed called cabinets by Hayley. They want $9600 for just cabinets with doors/shelves, 6ft tall, 2ft deep. Way too much $ for me, time to start looking for used stuff. Good luck finding yours.

Good luck finding much used in Alberta. I have been looking for over a year and there doesn't seem to be much available and when it is guys are asking over the top price wise.

 

[markspend1]

Hey Guys me Mark.Well there is a great site for getting metal cabinets and also include great info:

kitchencabinetskey.com/metal-cabinets.html

 

[NHBandit]

Hey Guys me Mark.Well there is a great site for getting metal cabinets and also include great info:

kitchencabinetskey.com/metal-cabinets.html

Me Mark too... nice intro..

 

[humanbeingexpert]

Yesterday I picked up two of these on CL in brand new condition from a homeowner for $400 a piece...they weigh 320 lbs each, solid and are USA. Really great for gasoline, paint, etc. or anything heavy.

http://www.sustainablesupply.com/Ea...PHFzt_-v7kCFe1_QgodyV0Adw&CAWELAID=1175109939

 

[24X26]

Good luck finding much used in Alberta. I have been looking for over a year and there doesn't seem to be much available and when it is guys are asking over the top price wise.

Yup... The land of the 20 YO making $200,000 a year drives up prices a bit.

 

[geewiz]

While cl & similar methods can (sometimes) score impressive deals on used cabinets, I just installed a full set of new metal cabinets from Saber cabinets. This is a mid-range product inhabiting the gulf between Lista ($$$$) and the cabinets carried by Home Depot/Lowe's/etc, which I really didn't like.

I went with the blue Magnum cabinets, and they are exactly as shown on the site.

Strongly recommended!

http://sabercabinets.com

-- Glenn

 

[laser3kw]

I saw some "nice" metal cabinets at Menard's this past weekend. Not to bad on price, typical thin sheetmetal stuff but may suit your needs.
search "perfomax" and "xtreme garage"

 

[MichaelWest]

I found it hard to track down deals through CL or auctions, and I would love to have Lista or Stronghold or the other top quality cabinets, but it hasn't worked out yet. In its place I have found Gladiator on clearance through Sears Outlet for about 50% off and at that price it is a viable solution for me. Lowes was selling it off like crazy, but Sears was cheaper and seems to still be pushing it out the door, pieces come up randomly but often.

I want it "modular" so I can rearrange it, easy to put together, good looking, functional, etc. and it is all of that. To date I have 5 RTA 36" Cabinets, 2 30" and 2 28" wall Cabinets, 1 fold down work Cabinet and 1 4-foot Bench plus various hooks and such for slightly less than or about $1,000. I think it will hold its value if I ever score the mother lode of true industrial quality and sell it, or I will repurpose it to the laundry room!

 

[JonnFX]

I picked these Lista cabinets up on CL for $825 each. They had another and I should've bought it.
They are 61" tall, 56.5" wide, and 28.5" deep and hold 450lbs per drawer.

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ Wow, fabulous Lista's . . . . don't let the wife drive when tires are wet !!

 

[JonnFX]

Ha ha.

They had another one like these and 3 matching top cabinets with shelves and double doors. They wanted $750 each for them, which was a bit more than I wanted to pay. I should have purchased all of them and sold what I didn't need. They are in great shape, paint and all.

My plan is to loose my Snap-On tool boxes and put all of the tools in one of these, with tons of room to spare, and then use the other one for "gak".

 

[justanengineer]

Ive got a few Vidmars but didnt pay nearly as much as others. My main box for example was only ~$200 with about a thousand poiunds of brass pipe fittings in it. Ive got a few others similar size as well as the half sized ones, full sized Id go to ~$400 if theyre NICE and the half size to ~$250. Beyond that unless theyre oversized theyre too much IMHO.



When I find an auctioneer I like, I will buy an odd item or two nobody else wants cheap to get/stay in their good graces once in awhile. These cabinets for example were $1 each. Theyre the usual tinny 18 gage office cabinets, but combined theyve been tested to hold 500 lbs (plus 200 lbs of benchtop) so its a fairly solid setup. With free scrap (our scrap is still better than box store ****) lumber from work, I have ~$7 in this bench.



When I get a bigger shop Im going to acquire a few sets of blueprint cabinets. I see them regularly fairly cheap (~$100) and think the huge shallow drawers would be great for tools.

 

[93-6-speed]

I'm in the same boat looking for cabinets. I have been trying to find a large storage locker with door storage, which has been tougher then I had expected

 

[laser3kw]

opps