Are intermediate chests worth it?

[Outlawmws]

With one exception I'd also vote no. cost per inch; cubic or Square is not good... (unless you find a steal in the second hand market. Rare to do so...)

The one exception is what I did about thirty years ago for my race box. I had a ten drawer craftsman, (Now considered a classic vintage box, but I gave t to a freind years ago..) but it was too heavy to get from the bench to the truck bed unless you removed two drawers full of tools. and that was with two strong men, one on each side...

I bought a Kennedy 6 drawer top (4 equivalent full width...), and a two drawer intermediate, and then we could move them separately. See what we did? split the load, for manageability.

The cost wasn't objectionable back then, in fact it was a decent deal, even new.

 

[OxJaw]

Here's one for $40, can't really go wrong for that price and you can paint it match your set up.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205474

 

[Farmall450]

Here's one for $40, can't really go wrong for that price and you can paint it match your set up.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205474

Even tho I was looking at 3 drawers that is a steal.

 

[Coach James]

A few years ago, I got two of these from our local Sears franchise store. Except mine are blue which I don't care about. They were both 60% off due to being "scratch and dent" boxes. I asked where they were damaged and after seeing it, I told the manager to call me when he had more damaged boxes. They each had ~4 inch scratch on one side But I was fine with that.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-26inc...&blockType=G10

I have them stacked one on top of the other on a work bench and use them to store some of the less used items I have.

Coach

 

[melliott28]

I say go ahead and get the intermediate chest. It won't cost you all that much money compared to a new box and it doesn't take up additional floor space. If you need additional storage right now and the intermediate box will meet your storage requirements, then it makes sense to get it. If you are concerned about future tool storage, then go ahead and get the HF 42 inch when you need it and keep your current box (if you have the space). Then store your most frequently used tools in the new box and the less used stuff in the old

The only concern is the increased height. I have a 26 inch toolbox set with a 3-drawer intermediate chest sitting on 5 inch casters and a 4 inch ledge at the back of my garage and I can barely see in the top (I'm 6'2"). I didn't have the room to expand horizontally, so I had to go vertical. I don't move by toolbox around so, I will probably remove the casters and then it will be at a good height.

 

[Farmall450]

I figured on keeping both.

 

[zkling]

With one exception I'd also vote no. cost per inch; cubic or Square is not good... (unless you find a steal in the second hand market. Rare to do so...)

^ This. Storage / $ they are usually the worst of all used boxes.

I have one, the elusive snap on 3 drawer KRA429. I lucked into it for $20 w/ key It works great in the position I have it in, on my bench with a KRA59 on top. But my bench is lower than a standard bottom box.

I am vertically challenged shall we say. Usually a standard 27" wide bottom and top box is about my limit for being able to use the top compartment ~53" I personally feel is a comfortable comfortable. If you have no issues with the height then I would go for it. They are nice because they add storage by going vertical, you maximize the floorspace usage.

If you do buy one, try to find a mid box deeper than the common 12" top box. I personally hate 12" deep boxes, especially if you are putting it on a 18" deep bottom, so much wasted space IMHO. One other thing you could possibly do is find a cheap, semi rough used top box, cut the lid off and use it as a middle. You will be more than likely $ and in^2 ahead, again if you can stand the height increase.


EDIT.....
One thing I forgot to mention. It seems to me that mid boxes are the poorest built in terms of quality compared to their matching top and bottom counterpart. If you end up with one of the 12" deep, 3 drawer boxes, you are only adding ~700in^2 of storage space. ~= to 2 standard (18" deep) bottom cabinet drawers.