Lista Technician Toolbox vs. Lista Mobile Cabinet

I'm out of storage space and it is time to make a decision.

I already have a Lista shelf cabinet (this one) and a matching small drawer cabinet (this one ), however it is time to replace my small and aging Craftsmen with a real toolbox.

A 56" wide Lista Technician Toolbox (like these) would fit perfectly next to my Lista shelf cabinet, as would the Lista mobile or stationary double width cabinets (like these or these ).

Has anyone had an opportunity to compare the Lista Technician Toolboxs to the Lista Mobile Cabinets? The differences as best I can tell are the included drawer liners, the default draw configurations, and the default colors. Is that all? Any reason to pay the extra $1000 for the Toolbox?

I've been waiting for a used Lista solution (or one of Joe's junkyard specials) to pop up but haven't had any luck so I'm probably going to bite the bullet and buy new. There are however, quite a few used Snap-on boxes advertised in my area and I've asked around and heard some guys have bought new boxes at prices not too much more than the Lista stuff I'm looking at. Anyone purchased a Lista box and wished they went with a Snap-on? I did really like the stainless powered tops I saw on a couple I saw in the hangar at the airport.

I cant help with your question, but you sir have excellent taste in boxes

their toolboxes are primarily designed for mobile station with combination drawers in various width. They have the exact same 440lbs/drawer design carried over from the cabinet style. Basically, you're paying $1000 more for the exotic drawer size arrangement and casters.

if they're using the iso-ride casters like snap-on, they're very expensive!!!!

I battled with this as well last year. I was ready to pull the trigger on the three bay unit but went a different route. My final choice ended up different but has worked out great for me. If ya got nothing better to do the link is in my sig.

Having used various Lista and Vidmar cabinets, I do not recommend getting very wide drawers. The Lista HS series (40" wide, 22.5" deep) is about as wide as I would go. I have used Vidmars that were closer to 60" wide and the drawers needed to be pulled out with two hands (best) or one handed with your hand centered (OK) to pull out smoothly. It is a fundamental issue related to when the drawer slide length is much smaller than the distance between the drawer slides. This causes the drawers to cant and not pull out as smoothly if there if not pulled out perfectly straight from center (perpendicular force vector with no moment for you engineering types). Precision motion control systems have the same problem when the bearings have to be spaced too far apart.

Also, if you are going to get a mobile cabinet, be sure to get latching drawers. I like Vidmar's design a bit better but Lista's unit works OK, is pretty cheap, and it easy to add to existing units.

Overall, Lista cabinets/toolboxes same quality. Extra is for the caster setup (which is over priced).

Main difference are the drawer depths. 22" is a nice depth, for large socket or wrench sets, if you have wide drawers ( more then 28"). Deeper drawer are more cumbersome to move, more difficult as to placement.

Scrounge has a good point. Even if the drawers can take 440, it does not mean the center of the drawers of wide units do not deviated due to the weight, I have Vidmars units (basically the same as Lista) and find I need to place a drawer divider centered to stiffen the drawers if heavily weighted. Personally I have disabled the latching, it drives me crazy, but these cabinets/toolboxes tip over very fast and can be deadly. If you have others or kids in your work area, latching not a bad idea.

The toolbox (workstations) versions can be 440lbs or lower, just check before purchase.
One advantage of a snapon, top chest lid (full width drawer) opens, and you can still open a full drawer below. Lista or Vidmar do not have top chest lid.

One thing I should note is that stationary Lista cabinets cannot be converted to mobile cabinets by just adding wheels. The bottom of the cabinet is not stiff enough. You need to add Lista stiffeners (aka "waffle plates"). Joe of Motorhead Extraordinaire has some pictures showing them in the attached link:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2584377&postcount=74

I wrote up a document showing how to convert Lista cabinets to mobile workstations but it looks like I never ended up posing it. I'll have to see if I can find it...