Absolute Best Garage Cabinet System?

[DB2]

We recently moved into our "forever" home, and I'm starting to work on outfitting the garage. In the past 3 houses I've spent a lot of time building my own cabinets and workbenches and doing the floors and wiring it up for every conceivable tool...and then we move before I ever get to enjoy the result of all that work.

This time around, I just want to buy a complete cabinet/workbench/drawer system and be done with it, so I can focus on a couple restoration projects I've had stowed away. 20 yrs of sacrifices and 80 hr weeks building my business has fortunately put me in a position where cost now places a distant second to function and quality.

So my question is : what are the absolute best quality cabinet/workbench/drawer systems available today? No cheap flimsy junk. I want "the real deal" - solid doors, smooth drawers, heavy shelves, etc.

I do have a couple old Lista 60" cabinets that were Craigslist finds that have served me well, and have looked at a full Lista outfit, but was curious what other options are out there.

 

[A**holes Garage]

https://www.baldheadcabinets.com/

https://newageproducts.com/

https://www.rousseaumetal.com/auto_int_en/

 

[GrayFlattop]

Lista or Vidmar or Lyon industrial modular cabinets would be at the top of the food chain. There is another, similar option from Stor-Loc http://www.storloc.com/products.html

Most of these manufacturers will custom produce virtually any combination of sizes that you want - in any color you want.

Old cabinets (or actually the drawers) can be problematic if the rollers were never lubed or maintained (and they rarely are). If cost is no object - and even if it is - new cabinets would be they way to go. I've spent too much time fixing / restoring old Lista stuff and while it is possible, I'm not sure that it's wise.

Of course if you find used cabinets in exceptional condition that are exactly what you want - go for it.

In terms of cabinets without drawers, Lista and other offer this, but there are other choices. Strong-Hold is one of the best https://www.strong-hold.com/. They will customize your cabinets as well.

You may want to choose cabinets that are already assembled and welded. There are options by many companies for cabinets that you assemble (sold at places like Grainger, Global Industral, etc.) but having purchased them for an industrial environment, they just aren't the level of durability over time. YMMV, but you asked for the "best".

My suggestion would be to work with Joe at American Workspace - he is a supporter / advertiser of GJ and will offer an additional discount to GJ members. You might be able to find a slightly better price, but the level of service you will receive is above an beyond.

 

[LXCam]

My lista and vidmar collection bought both new and old is something that will long outlive me. Since this is as you put it your forever home, I wouldn't look much further. As mentioned there are only a handful of manufacturers that make top quality units but the selection from lista is damn hard to beat.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

My lista and vidmar collection bought both new and old is something that will long outlive me. Since this is as you put it your forever home, I wouldn't look much further. As mentioned there are only a handful of manufacturers that make top quality units but the selection from lista is damn hard to beat.

Lista. All day,every day.

I find it hard to be impressed by anything else.

 

[bad_idea]

I like my vidmar cabinets. Solid construction. I got them used. They are at least 30 years old and still work flawlessly.

 

[pcmeiners]

Vidmar or Lista.....

Purchased mine as "seconds", brand new but minor scuffs on a side or back of units.

Used will last for many generations if lubricated. Have 9 cabinets, in the top 3 best tool investments. Basically everything I own which will fit in a drawer is stored in them. Hardware, small tools, electrical, electronic, plumbing, medicine, medical stuff, sewing stuff, personal stuff even sewing materials are with feet of each other.

As to less known units, I would worry if parts were needed. With Lista or Vidmar, even Ebay has parts. As far as used, I do not worry about the bearings only the metal rails they roll on, seen a few used units worn razor thin due to no lubrication and extreme use.

 

[pbon]

I have newage pro and think they are good, but doubt there are in the same league as the much more expensive stuff. The 28” 5 drawer tool chests definitely are not as rugged as most mechanic tool chests, including the Harbor Freight 44” chests that I used before. Find for DIY use, but not for professional shop use. I have about $5k in my 29’ of New Age Pro and am happy with them. Spending $20k was not an option. Or necessary for my use.

I am not familiar with the fancy stuff you see in the car magazines like Baldhead, etc.

 

[kngelv]

I’ve worked as an industrial electrician for the last 23 years and have experience with all the brands mentioned so far in this thread. For cabinets and benches, work tables, desks etc. the Strong Holds are simply more rugged and hold up better than any other brand. As far as tool storage both Lista and Vidmar are decent but you have to be religious about lubricating the slides or they get hard to open and close. We have plenty of both filled with parts and I find them just ok. You have to understand that these boxes are handled pretty roughly. Bosses are constantly coming up with a new layout for the shop/plant and stuff gets moved around. The boxes never get unloaded and when moved with hi-lo’s they sometimes get damaged because of shifting weight or a final bumping into place. The Strong Hold stuff s much more solid in this environment and doesn’t suffer anywhere near the same effects when being moved. Of course in your home garage nothing will see this kind of wear and tear so most of the stuff mentioned will be fine. I have two Strong Hold and two Lyon cabinets in my own garage.

James

 

[Rockyboy]

Take a look at ctechmanufacturing.com These are the ones I am holding out for.

 

[Strouty]

 

[jimreed2160]

While they are not commercial/industrial strength, the Whirlpool Gladiator cabinets are strongly built and have worked well in my shop. My background was similar to yours in that I had 2x4 and plywood shop furniture. I got tired of the motley collection of inefficient stuff after my shop moved several times. Now most of my shop is Gladiator cabinets with Husky and Kobalt rolling toolboxes/benches. It looks nice and is a happy place to work in besides being much better organized. Other than appearance, the biggest thing I have found in metal commercial cabinets is that they are MUCH more efficient for storage than shop built stuff.

I think you are headed in the right direction. Good luck with your shop organization.

 

[MeentSS02]

As far as tool storage both Lista and Vidmar are decent but you have to be religious about lubricating the slides or they get hard to open and close.

I've not found that to be the case with my Lista cabinets. They've been in my garage for the past 8 years, and I've never touched the slides on either of my tool cabinets.

In an industrial setting, I could see that happening, but for the general homeowner that doesn't beat the living snot out of their stuff on a daily basis, it'll be fine for many, many years.

 

[bradysdad]

I invested in the NewAge Pro 3 line. Welded heavier gauge, self closing drawers and doors, nice workmanship and excellent customer service. For the money, a very nice quality set.

It all depends how much you want to spend and how much you will be using them. It’s the age old debate...do you buy Mohawk for $6,000 or something less for $2,000?? Personally, I like nicer stuff and have a few old cars which always need some tinkering to keep things right. My NewAge cabinets work very well for my needs.

 

[tlzkaasen]

I also went with the New Age Pro Line. QC has been spotty and cabinets have been damaged in transit. New Age is always quick to make the situation correct. I have the same setup on the other side of the garage as well.

They work for what I need:

 

[StRacerDuke]

Money no object:

https://www.baldheadcabinets.com/

Personally, I'm going with a combo of these:

https://dragonfiretools.com/
https://newageproducts.com/garage-storage-cabinets-pro-3-0-series/

 

[pcmeiners]

Baldhead Cabinet are not "money no object cabinets", they just look nice, albeit a Lista wannabe.

150 lb rated per pair slides? Lista /Vidmar or others in the class are 400lb rated.

Most Baldhead cabinets are half the weight of Lista/vidmar units of same size.


"As far as tool storage both Lista and Vidmar are decent but you have to be religious about lubricating the slides or they get hard to open and close."

Yes regretfully heavy duty ball bearing slides need maintenance once in a while, like a little oil or grease every 7-15 years or they tend to get difficult to open. You should write to the manufacturer and suggest they develop a no maintenance bearing.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If money was no object, I'd be putting Lista/Vidmar in my garage.

 

[fourjeepin]

Watching this one for my outdoor kitchen. It is covered but open on two sides and the previous owner used press board cabinets. They were a bit soft when we moved in 8 years ago but are a bit rough now after 17 years of humidity. Plywood cabinets would probably last the rest of my lifetime, but I’d rather get something that will last.

 

[akdiesel]

This is a little long but good info.
I had an older Craftsman tool box (no roller bearing drawers) that I had cussed for years when I opened or closed the drawers and they bent due to the overcrowded drawers and lighter gauge steel construction. I investigated the Lista and Vidmar cabinets at work (25+years old) one year to find they worked every time with no maintenance done on them. Loaded down with parts and tools., and this is with 100’s of people using them over the years with no respect at times.
I decided to purchase my Lista line with that information and from this sight as well.
Now Stanley Vidmar purchased Lista a few years back but still offers both lines. The Lista has more options to choose from but has a slight off size spec. The Vidmar is built with more standard size specs. If I remember correctly once a year Lista offers free shipping to the 48 states and their customer service is great. I had one drawer that would not roll smoothly and they replaced it with free shipping.
Lyon, Equipto, Rousseau, and maybe a couple more have very similar design specs as the Vidmar but Lista is the leader in area.
I also got ahold of two of the 30” wide x 60” tall Vidmar cabinets off craiglist for about $200 each. They were government cabinets so more use then normal and the drawers were a bit sticky. Taken apart and cleaned the bearings with brake clean and then greased they work great. Sanded down the outside and repainted with POR to match my other cabinets and seem to be like new.
I know for some the store bought boxes will work fine and can last for years but I was tired of bent drawers, lack of space, and wasted space. Wasted space being the space wasted behind the cabinets due to the bench I made. A typical store bought cabinet is about 24” or less where the Vidmar and Lista and the others are in the 30” range. 24” of bench top area was not good enough for me and this another realm where Lista is the expert. Their research / studies has shown a 30” bench top is ideal for work and reach.
I would say I am completely happy with my cabinets but I have one issue and that is to deal with the wife in purchasing new tools to fill the drawer space now.

 

[maxpat82]

we have rousseau drawer cabinet at work.(some on caster and server as rolling tool chest
Them been built somewhat locally help, but I wouldn't be worry to compare them to lista/vidmar

 

[lowside67]

I would echo that if the criteria is truly "I want to spend unlimited money for the best available product" I would be looking at Lista.

With that said, if the criteria is "I want the absolute best product for my home garage that would be a high level of quality and would never disappoint or let me down and a price that was not astronomical would be a benefit" I'd happily recommend the NewAge Pro 3.0 series that I bought.

I don't have the math in front of me but I would bet that a full wall of the NewAge Pro 3.0 cabinets would be between 25-35% of the cost of Lista. In my home garage (which is not the "forever" garage but I am spending money to do it nicely), I feel the Pro is a great luxury that will never have me wanting for something better and the Lista is spending money for the sake of bragging rights and capacity I would likely never use.

-Mark

 

[nutjob]

The other advantage of the Lista drawer cabinets are the selection of partitions and dividers to be able to organize the inside of the drawers. Anybody can have a 24" wide by 24" deep drawer but most times you really want to be able to section off the drawers for the best organization and Lista has this built into the drawers to accept the partitions and dividers. https://www.listacabinets.com/lista-drawer-accessories.html

Kevin

 

[PCMusicGuy]

I have a couple of lista drawer cabinet and a door cabinet on top. The drawers are smooth, even with >100 lbs in them. You can grab anywhere on the drawer pull and they just work. They are pricey, but you can get some really good deals from the junkyard specials of americanworkspace.

 

[pcmeiners]

Why does every one think Lista has the most accessories and variable setups over all others. Both Lista and Vidnar are about even, Lista has a few items Vidmar does not have and vise versa. Personally I prefer the Vidmar handles and the all metal slides I have om my Vidmars over the Lista hardware... other then that they are basically clones of each other.

 

[Strouty]

They are also the same company.

 

[Lucky13driver]

I have Gladiator, I like the way they look and they hold what I need them to. Im building my own workbench way stronger than anything on the market HF 44" tool boxes in the bench. This fit within the budget for me where I like to sped the money and get the best of the best is heavy use things like a Wilton bullet vise and top shelf tools.

Here's the link to my workbench build:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=408820

 

[shelteredV]

If I'm not mistaken, Vidmar is owned by Stanley. I did a shop design/build for a Ferrari guy in the late 90's and Vidmar sent a rep to us, helped me design and execute the order all the way through the complete installation. We had them custom painted and all kinds of really nice touches. I fabricated stainless and walnut counters along with under cab lighting on the uppers which were made special by Vidmar for us. The setup was just beautiful when done and works smooth as silk to this day.

 

[pcmeiners]

Just looked up Vidmar and Lista's history, both are Swiss startups, Vidmar in 1940 and Lista in 1945. Wondered which company purloined the design off of the other, now I know.

 

[SRX]

If I'm not mistaken, Vidmar is owned by Stanley. I did a shop design/build for a Ferrari guy in the late 90's and Vidmar sent a rep to us, helped me design and execute the order all the way through the complete installation. We had them custom painted and all kinds of really nice touches. I fabricated stainless and walnut counters along with under cab lighting on the uppers which were made special by Vidmar for us. The setup was just beautiful when done and works smooth as silk to this day.

Any possible pics? It would be awesome to see the set up!

 

[len42]

I actually have both Lista and Harbor Freight in my garage. I’m with Lista as the “best”, but if you don’t need bulletproof, the HF “US General” stuff is better than most of the mid tier boxes, for a lot less $.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Redpower]

Check out these workbenches and cabinets..

www.mctavishsteelworks.com

Lots of these going into farm shops and ag equipment shops.

 

[A**holes Garage]

www.championbuilt.com