Roller cabinet recommendations in Australia - $1k

[senator52]

Hey guys,

Looking to buy a roller cabinet in Australia to house my growing tool collection, budget probably maxes out at $1k (lower is definitely better) which unfortunately puts a Snap-On box out of my range.

Most of the recommendations on here in my price range are for HF or other boxes that aren't available and the common options in Australia Sidchrome/Kincrome are in my opinion junk.

I've heard mixed opinions on the quality of SP Tools and so I'm looking for some ideas on alternative options to get something of decent quality for my money.

Not sure if I can post links to other websites, but I had been considering the second hand market to try and get an old Snap-On roller cab which is probably still better than the Sid/Kincrome options:

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/pert...lockable-snap-on-roll-cab-tool-box/1018277600

Thanks in advance.

 

[submariner]

If buying new, I recommend the Hazet 177-6.

Although it may cost slightly more than $1k i.e minus VAT & including shipping.

I have a Hazet 166N purchased from Amazon.de (yes they ship to Aus).

Hazet can be bought from members jensputzier and Alx (I can vouch for Alex).

 

[senator52]

Thanks, I had consider importing something but always thought the shipping would be excessive. I like the look of the Hazet boxes, I'm sure the quality would be high like their hand tools. Any idea what shipping would be like on one of those?

 

[NoxiousBurrito]

If that old Snappy is still available that will probably give you the best bang for your buck.

Other options worth looking at though are the Gearwrench boxes at Masters, decent quality with a couple of size options below $1k, the 7 drawer roller cabinet costs around $600. They also have the senator line which I do not know anything about aside from that they are slightly cheaper.

If you want a cheaper option the 7 drawer 'Calibre' cabinet from SuperCheap Auto is on sale at the moment for $380, Quality is probably about on par with the Sidchrome boxes. I would skeptical of the warranty situation with it, SuperCheap Auto changes the branding on their product lines every couple of years and Calibre is getting phased out.

I'm looking for one myself at the moment, can't seem to find much on the used market in Melbourne. There are a lot of low to mid quality options, good quality stuff in that price range is rare around here.

 

[HTGTS350]

Kincrome are the best in your price range, don't buy second hand 20 year old snap on. Have you ever had a sidcrome or kincrome yourself to be able to say they are junk? What do you intend to use the box for, hobby or work?

 

[senator52]

I've gone to Bunnings and had a play with the Sidcrome boxes and was a bit disturbed I could very easily flex the trays and external walls.

It will however be a hobby box for the garage. Do a fair bit of wrenching on my car and bicycles (lots of specific tools for this, some quite large and heavy).

Would prefer a roller cabinet because I don'y yet have a workbench, and when I do get one I'm sure bench space will be at a premium, but I'm not adverse to just getting a box if you feel the value is better for my budget.

 

[submariner]

Thanks, I had consider importing something but always thought the shipping would be excessive.

Shipping indeed is excessive but you still come up ahead.

Consider the Hazet 177-6 for $650 excluding shipping (add another ~$300) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hazet-17...erkstattausrüstung&hash=item53f7aaaebe&_uhb=1

So for around $950 shipped, what equal quality roller cabinet can you find? Even the similar size Chinese made Sidchrome/Kincrome roller cabinet are around $700 at Bunnings.

To check shipping cost on Amazon.de, simply add the item to your shopping cart and then proceed to checkout, on last page before you confirm the order you can view the shipping options and costs.

I strongly suggest you contact GJ members jensputzier and Alx, I'm sure than can give you a better price

 

[senator52]

Unfortunately it doesn't seem that Amazon.de does ship a box of that size to Australia.

I might check in with Alex though.

 

[submariner]

Unfortunately it doesn't seem that Amazon.de does ship a box of that size to Australia.

Oops forgot to mention that Amazon.de doesn't ship extra large/heavy goods.

Although you just missed out on the Hazet 166C large tool trolley:http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3102896#post3102896

I know you said roller cabinet but the Hazet 166C is pretty big.

 

[HTGTS350]

Where in Perth are you? If you are close go to Alltools at Bayswater and have a look at the white international boxes or the professional type sidcrome boxes instead of the **** they sell at bunnings.

 

[senator52]

I forgot about the White International boxes, I was quite interested in them at one point.

Are they good quality stuff? I would definitely be interested in having a look at one, could make the trip to Bayswater no problem in the next week.

 

[submariner]

Unfortunately it doesn't seem that Amazon.de does ship a box of that size to Australia.

I stand corrected, indeed Amazon.de does not ship the Hazet 177-6 to Australia but a 3rd party seller called inox-schrauben.de (inox screws in English) does. FYI they have a high number of positive ratings and you are also covered by the renowned Amazon A-to-z Guarantee Protection. Total cost: AUD $790 shipped!

A couple of things to note if you're going this route: try using Google Chrome for easy translation. Unlike Amazon.de, 3rd party sellers don't subtract VAT (€100 tax on the Hazet 177-6). Nevertheless inox-schrauben.de's €79 shipping is already dirt cheap.

Why would you buy Chinese made boxes if they're similarly priced to Hazet?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[andrew9]

The Sidchrome boxes at bunnings, the ones with the alloy drawer handles are the same as the industrial ones, and the same as the cabinet and top box that I've used in factory maintenance for almost ten years now.
The only changes are the slides, I bought a middle box last year, and it was identical in construction to my 2003 bought apprentice box but with the snap close drawer slides. And that has held up to daily use with no faults at all.

The Sidchrome boxes aren't Snap-on, but they are probably the best thing you can easily buy for the money here.

SP toolboxes look good, they make a nine drawer roller cabinet that I would love to own, it's got eight shallow drawers, which I prefer for most tools.

I have the cheapest of the Kinchrome seven drawer rolling cabinets at home, two years old, and it's great for home use, but the outside dents very easy and the drawer slides are not as nice. at the time it was much cheaper than Sidchrome, and I wanted a blue box.
Kincrome make a wide range, their toolboxes range from budget to some of the nicest available, I personally like the feel of their stainless boxes, but I've never seen one in a work enviroment.

All tool boxes can feel a little flimsy when empty, the drawers slide better once they have a bit of weight in them

 

[submariner]

I have the cheapest of the Kinchrome seven drawer rolling cabinets at home, two years old, and it's great for home use, but the outside dents very easy...

The reason is simple; the Kincrome boxes are made with less steel. Below is a simple weight comparison between similarly sized boxes. I'm sure that it runs true for all China boxes.

1. Hazet 177-6 - 6 drawer - weight: 60kg
2. Kincrome K7626 - 6 drawer - weight: 48kg (25% less!)

 

[rudeboyrs]

I bought a White International Chest nearly 15 years ago (from an Alltools) and its been awesome ... daily use, left exposed in a hangar, never gone wrong. It's now my home chest now as I need more mobility at work.

Very solid (and heavy), drawers pull all the way out and don't flex at all with a nice feel.

Provided there quality hasn't dropped, its hard to find now, I would definately buy again.

 

[holdmybeerandwatchthis]

http://www.tradetools.com/category/tool-storage/tool-chests-and-roll-cabinets

Check out the bottom of the page, only catch would be delivery fees,
At least worth a look to compare prices.

Good quality and strength.

 

[Rico.]

Teng tools seem to have a presence in Australia... They make very solid boxes
at a fair price. I can't comment on how they compare to the more common
domesticly available boxes, but I would suggest it would be worth a look.

www.tengtools.com.au

 

[quattrojon]

Have a look at www.dsmtoolboxes.com They are made in Australia and look like a well made box. I haven't looked at the pricing though.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Thanks everyone for posting here - I'm resusitating this thread as I will be buying a roll cab in the near future. Am considering a 40" (one metre) tool cab, and getting a top box either now or at some point in the near future. Any further advice and pointers are appreciated!

So far, from the (basic!) research I've done, the main brands I've seen are (in no particular order):

Teng, White International, 1-11 (and the version they make for Total Tools / TTI), SP Tools, KC Tools.

And a smaller brand, called Maxim, which get quite good reviews here in Australia. Allegedly sold overseas, not as Maxim though.

Sidcrome and Kincrome appear to be out - quality is just not there for the price.

And of course, used snap on, or Hazet from Amazon, though I don't think I'll pick anything up with my current budget! lol

Decisions decisions...

 

[CanUK]

Have you looked at Lista? http://www.lista.net.au/

Not sure what the prices are like In AUD, but I paid £1000 delivered for my 10 drawer (1000H x 1023W x 725D). It has 200Kg/drawer load-capacity and 4000Kg cabinet load capacity; so stronger than pretty much everything else, and loads cheaper than truck-brands.

I've had it for a while now, and can't see myself ever bothering with anything else. I've certainly yet to find anything that's remotely close in terms of value.

This was it just after delivery:

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[jensputzier]

Guys, if you want a Hazet 177-6 shipped to Australia this is no problem. BUT look out if the Amazon or Ebay seller has ever shipped one of those to Australia. Because it physically weighs 65 kgs (plus packaging material and pallet), but it will never ship as a parcel if you want it to arrive in one piece. Also the volume weight is more than 60 kgs when calculated by the couriers. The realistic shipping cost by airmail for one of those is around 350-400 Euro. The 177-6 itself is 350 Euro, so everything below 700-750 Euro is partially paid for by the seller ;-)

Cheers
Jens

 

[jensputzier]

Have you looked at Lista? http://www.lista.net.au/

Not sure what the prices are like In AUD, but I paid £1000 delivered for my 10 drawer (1000H x 1023W x 725D). It has 200Kg/drawer load-capacity and 4000Kg cabinet load capacity; so stronger than pretty much everything else, and loads cheaper than truck-brands.

I've had it for a while now, and can't see myself ever bothering with anything else. I've certainly yet to find anything that's remotely close in terms of value.

This was it just after delivery:

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I second that. I have three of those to store tools and merchandise and this is something you buy once in a lifetime. OK, it has no rollers, but apart from that it's great!

 

[Sick Puppy]

CanUk & Jen, thanks - while I was aware Lista had a presence in Australia, I had managed to forget them lol I will give them a call and see what their prices are like - they do trolleys too, though I must confess I have a feeling they will be waaaaay out of my price range! They do look pretty solid though... I will need castors on mine though - it will be in our living room for a while (understanding wife ), and then we may be moving from place to place until we return to NZ...

 

[CanUK]

CanUk & Jen, thanks - while I was aware Lista had a presence in Australia, I had managed to forget them lol I will give them a call and see what their prices are like - they do trolleys too, though I must confess I have a feeling they will be waaaaay out of my price range! They do look pretty solid though... I will need castors on mine though - it will be in our living room for a while (understanding wife ), and then we may be moving from place to place until we return to NZ...

If it helps - I'm fairly sure they all have a space for castors. Mine certainly does - I just elected not to buy/fit any as it makes it harder for it to roll away when I'm not looking. If I remember correctly, it weighs something over 500lbs empty so any potential thief is going to have to work hard for it (it's difficult to shift even with the drawers taken out).

 

[rudeboyrs]

Here's some White International options ...

http://www.austectools.com.au/shopping-cart/tool-storage/white-international-tool-storage/

I've got the WHI510B chest and it's tough as. 52 kgs for a chest!!

Its been in a large exposed hangar for a number of years, then lived forgotten about in my non-weather proof dilapidated garage, and after the house renovation sits pride of place on the heavy duty bench. It's awesome ... no rust, no blemishes, ball bearing slides still smooth as, all after industrial use and then some neglect!

I love it again ... so much so I want to buy the roller cab with matching aluminium handles for it to sit on (so I regain some bench space because it is quite large).

Only draw back is I cant find a stockist with stock so I can feel it and make sure their quality is like it use to be ...

 

[Sick Puppy]

lol I'm looking at buying that exact chest (new to me) as an interim option - found out recently that my contract isn't going to be renewed, so looking for another job while trying not to spend money. That said though, digging my tools out of cardboard boxes is driving me insane!

They have changed their handles though - they aren't seperate handles like on the link posted, but flush like the ones on Snap on / lista, maxim etc. I did see one like thison eBay, but it was in *very* poor shape, and replacing the slides would have been... expensive! lol Good luck with your search - I will let you know if I get this one - message sent, fingers crossed!

RudeboyRS, how much do you think that your chest is worth, and is there anything about it I should look for wear / damage wise?

 

[reedsigns]

Have you considered the boxes from the guys at www.justprotools.com.au? I looked at every box I could think of a few months back trying to decide what was best and I settled on their huge 60" rollcab box. I added the top section and got out of it for $2000, although you can get just the lower section for around $1200 or smaller 41" boxes for less again. From my research the Kincrome boxes seem to be built from around .8mm thick material and the drawers are down to .6mm. The large Maxim box I bought appears to be made from 1mm - 1.2mm material and has 2x sets of ball bearing slides. When you pull a drawer out it is extremely rigid and will not flex. They are definitely stronger than many of the 'brand name' boxes on the market in Australia.

I was sceptical at first cause they are an unknown brand and the fact they are made in China worried me, but after looking at all the options on the market and talking to the guys that import them I am glad I decided to go with it. This thing is huge and its heavy! The lower section weighs 235kg!! Here is a link with more info - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MAXIM-Hu...AU_Tool_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d0a81a91b

It's not a Snap On but it represents good value for money in my opinion and I would gladly buy another. I did stick the wrong key in the barrel lock when I first got it and managed to jam the pins which created an hours work to free t up and unlock it but other than that it has been all good so far!

The only possible negative with the particular box I chose is that some of the drawers are fairly shallow in height which means some of the aftermarket wrench racks, etc will not fit in the shallow drawers. That said I have 22 drawers in the roll cab alone so there is no shortage of space!

 

[Sick Puppy]

As it just so happens Reedsigns, I have - I was looking at their 42" cab and top box for $1060, which happens to come from the same manufacturer as the Harbor Freight US General line.

The only issue I have - and it's not so much with them per se - is that I want to be able to repair and upgrade (adding boxes, replacing locks, slides etc) the box over the long term, and not just in Australia but New Zealand where we'll ultimately be returning to. Maxim have no presence over there, meaning that repairs / upgrades are a bit difficult. I can do that though with Lista and Snap on, and Teng too. Resale value (not a high consideration, but worth considering nonetheless) with the Snap on will be the best, but so long as it works, I don't really mind. Justprotools are about a half hour drive, at some point soon I will be taking a drive out there - I'l certainly be interested in seeing if they have a NZ importing arm (NZ has a very small market tool box wise, although their NZ-made SAFA brand is pretty awesome, but I digress). Maxim does get good reviews here, I've yet to hear anything bad unlike the Kincrome stuff, which frankly receives terrible reviews nowadays...

From what I can see, for a 40" cab & box, I'm looking at about $1060 for Maxim, $1600 for Teng, $1800 for Snap On (albeit well used I imagine!) and Lista, about $2000+ (yet to confirm though). New (permanent!) job first though!

 

[rudeboyrs]

RudeboyRS, how much do you think that your chest is worth, and is there anything about it I should look for wear / damage wise?

Found here ...

http://www.toolauctions.com.au/advanced_search_result.php?sort=3d&page=8

and here ...

http://www.vektools.com.au/white-international-tool-stora-c-17_104.html

for $499. Not sure about delivery though?

I honestly don't have any weak points to mention about the box, although ... it is big and heavy; I really wouldn't want to move it once its in its place. I would go for a roller cab if you will want to move.

Here's mine (ignore the custom painting done when I was young!) ..





and I keep my sockets up top, the tray is always handy.



Like I said ... it really is v strong.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Thanks for that - sadly I missed out on it - despite arranging with the guy to check it out / but it upon his return from holiday, he went and sold it.

So I purchased a 42" SP Tools top box for about the same price. Same number of drawers, but a fair bit bigger. Barring cosmetic blemishes, it is mint, so I'm happy. Now for a cart once I'm sorted jobwise...

 

[CanUK]

Thanks for that - sadly I missed out on it - despite arranging with the guy to check it out / but it upon his return from holiday, he went and sold it.

So I purchased a 42" SP Tools top box for about the same price. Same number of drawers, but a fair bit bigger. Barring cosmetic blemishes, it is mint, so I'm happy. Now for a cart once I'm sorted jobwise...

Congrats! I am curious though (for my own knowledge) what Lista pricing is like in Oz, if you inquired?

 

[Blown V2]

Have you considered the boxes from the guys at www.justprotools.com.au?

As it just so happens Reedsigns, I have - I was looking at their 42" cab and top box for $1060, which happens to come from the same manufacturer as the Harbor Freight US General line.

That's a nice find. Just a shame they don't offer the 56" similar to the HF ones.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Congrats! I am curious though (for my own knowledge) what Lista pricing is like in Oz, if you inquired?

I haven't yet, but I will be - the box I have cost me $200, I can live with selling it if a decent alternative comes up.

For comparison though, what was the model number you purchased?

 

[CanUK]

I haven't yet, but I will be - the box I have cost $200, I can live with selling it if a decent alternative comes up.

For comparison though, what was the model number you purchased?

Please do let me know when you find out. My box is model 14.514.010: 10 drawers, 200Kg/drawer and overal size 1023mm x 725mm x 1000mm WxDxH (54x36E footprint in Lista-units).

My cost was £1000 delivered (give or take a few quid), but list price is a bit more.

 

[senator52]

I haven't yet, but I will be - the box I have cost me $200, I can live with selling it if a decent alternative comes up.

For comparison though, what was the model number you purchased?

Still haven't made a decision on what I'm going to do, everything still sitting on the floor in cardboard boxes...

Just wondered if you ever did enquire about the Lista pricing?

 

[Sick Puppy]

No, but I will be tomorrow as it will be a welcome distraction from work

At this point though, best bang for buck is going to be a Maxim cab, or a used snap on / SP Tools one 9albeit very different in terms of price point and quality). I don't rate the Kincrome / sidchrome ones, waterloo ones are simply too rare. White international ones are made in china too, but not many cabinets come up. Lista here is non existent - I've seen two industrial cabinets come up on eBay / gumtree, and they've had no bites now in over three months.

 

[oldldh]

I'm only doing this to "wind up" our brothers Down Under---

For $ 999.99, under your 1K$ cost limit---

Behold---a brand new Harbor Freight 72" Roller Cabinet!!!

See attached photo...

 

[Blown V2]

I wonder how much it would cost to send one here, would probably still be better value than anything we can get our hands on locally.

 

[senator52]

Yeah it's sad really.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

 

[oldldh]

I only posted the HF 72" Roller as a joke...

However, would the freight be a deal breaker???

How about getting one drop shipped from the manufacturer???

That would save two trans Pacific voyages...I wonder what the maker would sell you one for???

Does anyone know the Chinese maker of the box???