Weight limit downsized on Harbor Freight 13 Drawer Roller Cabinet?

I was at Harbor Freight tonight buying some disposable stuff and noticed they had re-arranged the store. I saw they had the new 13 drawer gloss red roller cabinet on display and it was something like $389.99. I have two of the old style crinkle paint ones that I purchased in 2008 and 2009. Upon looking at the new gloss red unit it seems as if the drawers seemed more flimsy. Inside of the drawer they had the manual there. I snapped a picture with my iPhone and then went home and found the manual from the either the one from 2008 or 2009. Sure enough there is a change in the weight limit of each drawer. The new unit seems like there is more flex and sideways movement and almost like the slides are loose somehow compared to my older boxes. Maybe the display unit was bad but it looked brand new. Before I get flamed for owning Harbor Freight I should add I own a Lista and a Vidmar as well. My old style HF crinkle boxes are not bad but I bought them before I had discovered the other brands. I do like the look of the gloss red better but the slides don't seem nearly as strong in my opinion. Curious if anybody else has noticed this?

New Gloss Red:
Drawer
A (5) 59 lb.
B (1) 74 lb.
C (5) 59 lb.
D (1) 74 lb.
E Top (1) 80 lb.


2008/2009 textured finish box:
A (5) 88 lbs.
B (1) 110 lbs.
C (5) 88 lbs.
E (1) 110 lbs.
F Top (1) 121 lbs.


New gloss Red Cabinet in store:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RSoWZe-ZmpuOYdB2QFSVxqNYZkBTBZO3yKHhR3hhARY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tpYKtKEJWEI/T5y1xjc7s5I/AAAAAAAABJI/nFRj9E4SeGg/s800/IMG_0729.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/mike.4324/HF?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI-z98KbgtLCpgE&feat=embedwebsite">HF</a></td></tr></table>


New gloss Red Cabinet:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Fe--tO3_hBE2S8tpubzekKNYZkBTBZO3yKHhR3hhARY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cV0sXRBQqkQ/T5y1xChCIII/AAAAAAAABJA/617wxbwRDX8/s800/IMG_0728.JPG" height="800" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/mike.4324/HF?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI-z98KbgtLCpgE&feat=embedwebsite">HF</a></td></tr></table>


2008/2009 Manual - Crinckle paint:
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yW1vT0Du7wEI73j-tUapcKNYZkBTBZO3yKHhR3hhARY?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B3_X9ltl_is/T5y1yRf1cCI/AAAAAAAABJQ/fjeqSncZ6R8/s800/IMG_0730.JPG" height="800" width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/mike.4324/HF?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCI-z98KbgtLCpgE&feat=embedwebsite">HF</a></td></tr></table>

Inflation?

Rogue1987 said:

Inflation?

Click to expand...

More like "Bait and Switch"

I have seen that before where the first generation of something af HF is decent and the next generation has been cheapened up

Bob

Agree with the two previous posts. I have a powder coated box and after looking at the new gloss box it seems like the quality has gone a bit down hill. Still not bad if you can catch it on a good sale.

Monday morning, inside Harbor Freight's offices:


"Hey, you know those 13 drawer roll cabinets we've got, they've been selling like hotcakes."

"Yes, it's because they're cheaper than our direct competitor, Craftsman, plus they're better made."

"Yep, you're right. You know what that means?"

"No, what?"

"We should raise the prices to where they cost the same as our competitor's product, and then cheapen them to the point where they're pretty much indistinguishable from each other"

"WOW, that is a GREAT idea! That should make them sell even better!"

"We are such GENIUSES. [high five each other]"

"I knew those MBA degrees would come in handy eventually."

"Well, since we've done so well this week [Monday, 10:30AM], how about we take the rest of the week off, and write ourselves a couple of bonus checks?"

"Sounds good to me. What would they do without us?"









The sad thing, is even though I'm just poking fun with the above, it's probably not all that far from the truth.

I had been planning on buying one of the new gloss versions, but now that they've cheapened them up and jacked up the prices, they are one amongst a sea of similar choices IMO.

vintagefan said:

Monday morning, inside Harbor Freight's offices:


"Hey, you know those 13 drawer roll cabinets we've got, they've been selling like hotcakes."

"Yes, it's because they're cheaper than our direct competitor, Craftsman, plus they're better made."

"Yep, you're right. You know what that means?"

"No, what?"

"We should raise the prices to where they cost the same as our competitor's product, and then cheapen them to the point where they're pretty much indistinguishable from each other"

"WOW, that is a GREAT idea! That should make them sell even better!"

"We are such GENIUSES. [high five each other]"

"I knew those MBA degrees would come in handy eventually."

"Well, since we've done so well this week [Monday, 10:30AM], how about we take the rest of the week off, and write ourselves a couple of bonus checks?"

"Sounds good to me. What would they do without us?"









The sad thing, is even though I'm just poking fun with the above, it's probably not all that far from the truth.

I had been planning on buying one of the new gloss versions, but now that they've cheapened them up and jacked up the prices, they are one amongst a sea of similar choices IMO.

Click to expand...

I can't tell what they're saying, I don't speak chinese

So the original one could carry almost 1700lbs on top?? That doesn't sound right. The original specs might have been embellished some.

madbasser said:

So the original one could carry almost 1700lbs on top?? That doesn't sound right. The original specs might have been embellished some.

Click to expand...

I could see that if it was evenly distributed across the entire top, I think they're basically talking about having the matching top cabinet sitting on top, loaded to capacity.

I was quite surprised that they changed the slides so much. It use to be such a great product for the money in my opinion. I'm not so sure I will recommend the box to my friends anymore. I might have to look closer at the Masterforce Menard's box next time I'm at Menard's. I think it's sad they had such a great product but had to cheapen it. Too bad they couldn't keep the box the same but use gloss red.

Damn I was going to get one of these soon.. So now that we cant get the old powder coated ones, whats next in line... In terms of quality and value similar to the old HF one?

mroneeyedboh said:

Damn I was going to get one of these soon.. So now that we cant get the old powder coated ones, whats next in line... In terms of quality and value similar to the old HF one?

Click to expand...

Menards Masterforce boxes, IMO. They have always been a quality box, but price more than HF and only available in green. They do come with a lifetime warranty though.

does this apply to the side boxes? I see one in the pic but cant make out if its got the crinkle paint.

joshn569 said:

does this apply to the side boxes? I see one in the pic but cant make out if its got the crinkle paint.

Click to expand...

All of the new parts are gloss paint. I didn't look at the side cart that closely.

Mine must be overloaded! I bet that I have 300lbs of sockets in the wide top drawer and it's pretty hard to roll the box. It's heavy!

Does anyone have the new gloss one? If so, how the quality, in terms of construction? I know its lighter, but still decent? And what did they change about the slides?

mroneeyedboh said:

Does anyone have the new gloss one? If so, how the quality, in terms of construction? I know its lighter, but still decent? And what did they change about the slides?

Click to expand...

I have the new box and I think its still a great product. I honestly dont know what disappointment is all about.

I went in to HF today to see for myself, the box is less heavy duty, but it appears identical in quality to the smaller 24" cabinet (the newer red one they're selling).

I already felt the smaller cabinet was superior in quality to Craftsman/Waterloo, so as long as the quality doesn't drop below its current point, IMO it's still within reason.

vintagefan said:

I went in to HF today to see for myself, the box is less heavy duty, but it appears identical in quality to the smaller 24" cabinet (the newer red one they're selling).

I already felt the smaller cabinet was superior in quality to Craftsman/Waterloo, so as long as the quality doesn't drop below its current point, IMO it's still within reason.

Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking, I have a cheap husky box now that I'm quickly out growing. I mainly just wrench and install audio from home, I don't need to go crazy on my box. I'm debating on picking up this chest and a side locker for it.

I got the new one a couple weeks ago now and mine was quite uneven, meaning all the wheels did not touch the ground evenly and rocked about a quarter inch or so but evrything else was fine. After troublehooting with the fine folks here and determining my floors weren't the problem and that it seemed straight and plumb, I wound up having to put 8 large fender washers on the one unevn wheel mount and it's now rock solid.

Despite the problems I had with it I should not have had to deal with, I'm likely going to purchase the top box anyway as well. I'd love to be able to afford an "heirloom" quality US made box, but I cannot, and this is a big upgrade for me from my old, smaller Craftsman.

C-

walwalka said:

That's what I was thinking, I have a cheap husky box now that I'm quickly out growing. I mainly just wrench and install audio from home, I don't need to go crazy on my box. I'm debating on picking up this chest and a side locker for it.

Click to expand...

Well, when I used to own the smaller 24" box, it was because it was significantly better quality than the nearest equivalent craftsman.

After looking at the 41" in the store today, I still feel the same way. As long as they keep the quality at its current level, I can still stomach the price increase.

They had better be VERY careful though, they are dangerously close to COMPLETELY killing the value this box holds on the market.

I have both, a first generation crinkle version and a new gloss red version of the 13 drawer roller and the 8 drawer top box. Yes, the weight ratings have been downgraded a bit with the newer version. Also, the weight specification of the boxes themselves has been reduced, by something like 30 pounds.

My Harbor Freight didn’t have a new box on display, so I couldn’t really look at it before buying. I was more than a little worried about that, but it’s pretty rare for those boxes to actually be in stock at my local Harbor Freight, so I figured I’d throw caution to the wind and buy them anyway. After I got the new boxes home and set up, I noticed the changes in the specs and began investigating. I measured the thickness of steel in the drawers. Of course, what I measured was the painted thickness, not the thickness of the actual steel under the paint. I first thought that this would give an advantage to the older crinkle paint version due to the extra thickness of the crinkle paint. However, the drawers on the new box measured 5 thousandths of an inch thicker than the drawers on the old box. I also measured the thickness of the tabs that are bent around on top of the bottom roller. These tabs are the same thickness as the steel used in the side panels of the box. Again, 5 thousandths of an inch thicker on the new box. So as far as the thickness of steel used in the construction, I'd say they are both about the same. To me the drawer slides on both look identical. However, the new slides are not as smooth as the older ones. I wiggled the drawers around and didn’t really notice any increase in side to side play. If anything, the newer box may have shown a little less side to side play. On the top box, the top lid of the first generation box is welded in a few places where the top lid on the new box is not. Both lids have the same panels bent in the same way, it's just that on the side seams of the first generation box, there are four MIG tacks placed on it, which are then ground down and smoothed out a bit. The new one has none. The older lid is a bit stiffer as a result. If I bend the newer lid a bit I can see the panels move relative to each other at the seam that’s welded on the old lid. The casters on the first generation box are much larger in diameter and have a much heavier construction. The caster brackets are obviously heavier. Underneath the bottom roller, the construction looks pretty much the same and there are welds in the same areas. When my wife and I picked the new and old boxes up to set them up, I didn’t really notice much difference in the weight of the boxes, even though the weight spec has been decreased by 30 pounds. I mean, she still had a lot of trouble lifting the new box, and I thought I had to lift just as hard as before when we set up the older one.

I haven’t taken any of the drawers out to compare the construction inside the boxes yet, but so far, I’d say that there’s not really that big a difference. The new one has obviously had some cost saving done to it. The new one-piece drawer fronts, compared to the older two-piece drawer fronts. The smaller casters. The lack of the tack welds on the lid. But overall, I still think the boxes are a solid value. I’m not so sure how much I trust the specifications from Harbor Freight anyway.

A few possibilities..

1) They made a mistake in converting from kg to lbs the first time.

2) The original specs were determined by marketing, and were therefore exaggerated from reality.

3) The factory workers who stand in the drawers as a quality check have lost weight because the factory reduced the rice rations.

4) A few people have wanted replacements after dropping 88 lb weights in the drawers, bending the drawer and slide.

5) The new design uses cheaper components and less rigid construction and therefore isn't as strong.

Hard to know, but I'd guess the truth is some combination of 2, 4, and 5.

could the weight ratings be determined by the cheapened casters? If the metal is about the same thickness they could have dropped the weight ratings to be within the casters threshold.

The only thing that stood out to me was the on the new gloss red box the drawer slides seems to bow or flex outwards when you put weight or pushed down on the drawer and that doesn't happen on my older crinkle finish boxes. When I saw this it appeared like they wouldn't hold as much weight or hold up as well. That's when looked at the manual and noticed the weight rating difference. The metal also looks thinner and less substantial on the slides on the new box. Otherwise the box looked pretty much the same including the drawers themselves. Again this is just my own opinion.

I also wonder if the first batch of gloss red boxes had the old slides and this is a new change and recently made to gloss red boxes. Not sure but just a thought.

I have the 56 and 44 inch box. The 44 is a tank , the 56 not so much... I think its the slides and I notice a difference in the slide between the 2, perhaps the new box uses the same cheaper style slides.

I however have never 'ordered slides' I'm wondering is accuride or some other quality manufacturer makes a slide that will fit hmmmm

You guys are scaring me into buying another 44" to satisfy my garage. I don't want to buy something a year from now and find out it's inferior to the previous models.

Wasn't there always a difference between the rated capacity of the red and black cabinets, even though they appeared identical?

For those who don't know, HF used to offer a black version of the red 13 drawer box. It looked the same, but had a different weight rating.

I'm in the process of looking for threads on it right now.

EDIT-
More info in this thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50616

I've looked at the new box in the store, but didn't notice any obvious differences compared to my matte box. But, I didn't have them side-to-side, so it's kind of hard to tell.

I would guess that they just changed the rating and didn't change the box. The old rating seemed kind of BS to me.

I just received the latest Craftsman catalog today. On the cover it advertises that their 40 inch cabinet's "Ball bearing slides hold up to 70 lbs." On the inside, their 26" cabinet "Ball bearing slides hold up to 50 lbs." With that being said, I just got rid of my 26" Craftsman and picked up the top and bottom glossy 41" HF box and the drawers can take WAY more weight. Oh, and my old box was a late 90's USA made box that I bought brand new.