ez-duzit
Well-known member
I find that a huge waste too.
New US General six drawer roll cart?
- Thread starter KnurledNut
- Start date
I find that a huge waste too.
Aaron_W
Well-known member
I don't know much about the Icon brand beyond that it is HF's high end line. This 6 drawer cart falls into an odd area then, kind of high end for the US General line but not up to the standard for Icon.
Sounds like they added a lot of features beyond a 6th drawer, just surprised to see it almost 3x the price of the 5 drawer.
Mikeske
Well-known member
For me the 6 bank just will not work as I am retired and my big 72" USGeneral cabinet is only about 3 feet from where I work on my vehicles. It was just a waste when I had the 5 drawer cabinet and if I need to I have couple steel carts already that I can load up with tools work on the far side of the shop. The price point is also a bit on the high side for a US General box
ptgarcia
Well-known member
Based on the handful of YouTube videos up already I fail to see how this cart is overpriced. Look past the name on the front and base the price on (apparent) quality and features and $699 seems appropriate to me.
Aaron_W
Well-known member
I think most are reacting to the price compared to the rest of the US General line. It may not be overpriced for what it is, but it is not priced inline with the rest of the brand.
Using HF's own "compare to" you find the Snap on cart at $1750 and the Snap on 53" cabinet at $3800. At HF this new 6 drawer cart is $699, and their 56" cabinet is $799.
So if I were buying Snap on, the cart totally makes sense, it is almost 1/2 the price, but at HF I'm only saving $100 for half the storage.
Just perspective, if you have been shopping for a 6 drawer cart and looking at stuff in the $1000-1700 range it probably seems a bargain. If you are like me and see hey something that fits between my 26" and 44" then the price is surprising.
If the price for the 5-drawer is still $349 (which ain't bad at all, though I got mine w/ a coupon for $289), the YouTube videos better show me some magic for double the money...
I'd hang a set of drawers off the side or maybe even have a 2nd 5-drawer for that $$$...
I guess it depends on what you're keeping out, but more drawer-space would be ideal. I live with it fine so far though...
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I went to buy one of these but they didn’t have them yet so I got the 44 inch box instead because space is limited right now at the new shop it’s a policy for all new techs. The 5 drawer cart was way too small.
I have to say after looking at the Koon Trucking unboxing that it seems like a really nice box. $699 still seems like a lot vs. the tool chests. It does look like a lot more space/volume vs. the 5-drawer - even beyond the added drawer. Looking forward to seeing the full specs...
[edit - it's up on the site]
[edit - it's up on the site]
My quick comparo
6-drawer 5-drawer
Capacity 1200lb 700lb
Volume 18.7K cu.in. 15K cu.in.
Length 34.25" 37.4"
Width 23.25" 22"
drawer size 34" 30"
Height 46.5" 41.325"
Other Full bumpers Optional side shelf
Power pass thru
Full-extension drawers
I don't know what the actual weight of the 6-drawer is, but the shipping weight is 290#, which is a big jump over the 5-drawer at 150#. The 6-drawer comes assembled other than casters and the handle - not sure if shipping weight includes the double-palleting, but even if it does, sounds like a beefier construction overall. Even the 29" cart is "only" ~187# shipping weight, though the 6-drawer dimensions are a bit larger.
6-drawer 5-drawer
Capacity 1200lb 700lb
Volume 18.7K cu.in. 15K cu.in.
Length 34.25" 37.4"
Width 23.25" 22"
drawer size 34" 30"
Height 46.5" 41.325"
Other Full bumpers Optional side shelf
Power pass thru
Full-extension drawers
I don't know what the actual weight of the 6-drawer is, but the shipping weight is 290#, which is a big jump over the 5-drawer at 150#. The 6-drawer comes assembled other than casters and the handle - not sure if shipping weight includes the double-palleting, but even if it does, sounds like a beefier construction overall. Even the 29" cart is "only" ~187# shipping weight, though the 6-drawer dimensions are a bit larger.
cajunrebel`
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2015
- Messages
- 70
The 5 drawer, which I own and love, is really only a 3 1/2 drawer cart. The 3 half width drawers make that number seem more comparable than it is. Also that storage volume includes the largely useless (for me) area below the drawers. This cart probably has double the drawer volume of the 5 drawer, if not more. I will post some pics after I get a side shelf for it and install it.
I didn't see the side shelf option. That's good news too...
cajunrebel`
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2015
- Messages
- 70
The side shelf isn't listed for this cart. It's the 5 drawer shelf. I was able to drill 4 holes in the shelf mounting bracket and use M8x1.25x30 flange bolts to mount it. It's a perfect fit and I bet HF re-releases this shelf with those holes for this cart.
Attachments
quickfarms
Well-known member
$699 for the 6 drawer cart
https://em.harborfreight.com/pub/cc...dh9a6qk1v1c5fc2811q2kfv3qgef8ej792adli3600dng
https://em.harborfreight.com/pub/cc...dh9a6qk1v1c5fc2811q2kfv3qgef8ej792adli3600dng
tyyost
Well-known member
I saw one of these at my local store. I was disappointed to see how poorly the latch system for the drawers is, even though I’m used to the right hand spring loaded latch on my 42” box these carts had a square plastic strip inserted into the drawer handle that pulled out when I opened the drawer and then prevented the drawer from closing.
While I understand a drawer latch on a cart they could have engineered something a little better at this price point. It was disappointing as the size is good, and fir and finish were on point.
While I understand a drawer latch on a cart they could have engineered something a little better at this price point. It was disappointing as the size is good, and fir and finish were on point.
javyLSU
Well-known member
Totally agree. I put my hands on one this afternoon, and the latches are complete mushy garbage that I can’t see lasting very long at all. If you’ve ever used the Snap-on equivalent of this box, don’t go anywhere near the US General expecting anything similar. Snap-on KRSC32s are on FB marketplace and OfferUp all the time for around $1000 in brand new condition. There’s no way I’d pay anywhere near $700 for the HF knockoff - I think $400 is a more appropriate price for the build quality of this cart.
Jersey Drew
Well-known member
I saw one at the store recently, it definitely is a copy of the snap on even down to the latching mechanism. But when compared to other Harbor freight products I think they’re shooting high for this one. It is a lot of money for what you’re getting. I know it doesn’t mean anything but in my opinion this should land about $450. I would venture to guess they’re going to adjust the price in the future and there will most likely be deals to be had during parking lot/tent sales
They probably could only copy so many things from snap-on without being sued. I’m sure they will copy the latch system on the next revision.
I doubt (highly) that Snap On has anything patented in their latch system. If they do, it's pretty likely to be so specific that it's easy to design around.
I just got back from seeing it, and I'm with you. I'm not sure what the SO handle mechanism is like, but pretty sure it isn't anything like this:
That little plastic bit on the right is the latch and plastic runs the full width of the drawer to form the release. I'm not sure I see "longevity" when I look at that...
Given that I'd formed an impression from the reviews/videos I'd seen that it was an almost-Icon-level cart, I went in ready to be impressed, but came away happy to figure out how to make the space in my 5-drawer work and keep $$$ in my pocket.
$399 seems a more realistic price here.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
That's very similar to a KRL lock-n-roll setup.
I was in a HF today getting a few things, and they had one. I actually chuckled about how similar it was to a snap on setup. I didn't aggressively yank on it, but the snap-on lock-n-roll are pretty resilient. People who don't understand how the drawers open will get denied when they just pull and try to open them. I thought it was a decent unit. Drawers were full extension, they felt pretty stiff and resistant to racking. Slides looked good, felt smooth and moved in time with one another. Holes in the top area for screwdrivers and pry bars are tucked within the body of the box, not hanging on the outside. Some people prefer that, not sure I have an opinion. I didn't love the "square" design of the thing. Depth was great, but the width was lower as a result. I prefer a more "rectangular" style with a bit less depth but more width. 100% personal preference. I also prefer 2 straight and two swivels, as my work has a very sloped and uneven floor, making 4 swivels suicidal. The powder coat did look a little.... not super smooth. Typically the US generals have better finish IMO.
Overall - I thought it looked like a winner. $700 is competitive IMO. Grab something like this and you can fill it up with the basic tools to do most of your work, along with a few specialty items. I work out of something similar in size every day, and you can get a lot done.
EDIT: This cart a maybe 3k would make a great starter setup.
I was in a HF today getting a few things, and they had one. I actually chuckled about how similar it was to a snap on setup. I didn't aggressively yank on it, but the snap-on lock-n-roll are pretty resilient. People who don't understand how the drawers open will get denied when they just pull and try to open them. I thought it was a decent unit. Drawers were full extension, they felt pretty stiff and resistant to racking. Slides looked good, felt smooth and moved in time with one another. Holes in the top area for screwdrivers and pry bars are tucked within the body of the box, not hanging on the outside. Some people prefer that, not sure I have an opinion. I didn't love the "square" design of the thing. Depth was great, but the width was lower as a result. I prefer a more "rectangular" style with a bit less depth but more width. 100% personal preference. I also prefer 2 straight and two swivels, as my work has a very sloped and uneven floor, making 4 swivels suicidal. The powder coat did look a little.... not super smooth. Typically the US generals have better finish IMO.
Overall - I thought it looked like a winner. $700 is competitive IMO. Grab something like this and you can fill it up with the basic tools to do most of your work, along with a few specialty items. I work out of something similar in size every day, and you can get a lot done.
EDIT: This cart a maybe 3k would make a great starter setup.
I have the 5-drawer and the 26" chest, and it's a pretty good combo (that together still cost less than the 6-drawer, hence my thought it is over-priced). I keep most of my car-dedicated stuff in the 5-drawer. The overflow and more general/household tools go in the 26". The 6-drawer could hold all the car-stuff, but for $700, I just can't justify it (and I really wanted to - lol)That's very similar to a KRL lock-n-roll setup.
I was in a HF today getting a few things, and they had one. I actually chuckled about how similar it was to a snap on setup. I didn't aggressively yank on it, but the snap-on lock-n-roll are pretty resilient. People who don't understand how the drawers open will get denied when they just pull and try to open them. I thought it was a decent unit. Drawers were full extension, they felt pretty stiff and resistant to racking. Slides looked good, felt smooth and moved in time with one another. Holes in the top area for screwdrivers and pry bars are tucked within the body of the box, not hanging on the outside. Some people prefer that, not sure I have an opinion. I didn't love the "square" design of the thing. Depth was great, but the width was lower as a result. I prefer a more "rectangular" style with a bit less depth but more width. 100% personal preference. I also prefer 2 straight and two swivels, as my work has a very sloped and uneven floor, making 4 swivels suicidal. The powder coat did look a little.... not super smooth. Typically the US generals have better finish IMO.
Overall - I thought it looked like a winner. $700 is competitive IMO. Grab something like this and you can fill it up with the basic tools to do most of your work, along with a few specialty items. I work out of something similar in size every day, and you can get a lot done.
EDIT: This cart a maybe 3k would make a great starter setup.
Formerjeeper
Well-known member
After physically seeing one of these in a store, I really like it and would very likely buy one, but there is no way I would buy it with that latch system. If it had a grip latch like the Menards tool chests I would’ve swiped the credit card.
Got to look at one of these in store today. It's even larger than I imagined. Love the pry bar storage.
The latch system felt very cheap. I'm not a buyer at any price with the current drawer latch system. They really missed the mark IMO, especially at $700.
The latch system felt very cheap. I'm not a buyer at any price with the current drawer latch system. They really missed the mark IMO, especially at $700.
With the $629 sale price, a 5-drawer cart that is full to the point of piling, having looked pretty hard at the one on display a couple times, understanding a bit better their logic of storage (comparing the 44" cabinet space vs. 34" Full Bank, rather than 5-drawer vs. 34") and seeing more content out there on them (both standalone and as-compared to the SO/truck-brand) that is positive, I went over the HF this morning and ordered one. They didn't have a black one in-stock (had a couple other colors), so it will be however much time.
In the meantime I'm going to do some space-assessment. I realize now that I don't really use the cart as a mobile/portable thing so much as storage that is located conveniently to grab tools as I wrench. It sits in the between-'bays' middle of my garage next to the QuickJack. It's also adjacent to my workbench. So I am wondering about the value of the flip-top utility (which I like a lot) vs. the value of a functional work-top of a 44" cabinet (which would also be shallower) and more drawers. I think the "volume" measurement for storage isn't necessarily the best measurement - will thirteen drawers (1 big, six medium and six small) that total "only" 14K cu. in. of volume functionally store more than 18.7K cu. in across six drawers, the top area and the pry-bar/etc. racks of the Full Bank?
I dunno. I might switch gears, but I think a 44" top would just be another place to stack stuff and I struggle to resist doing that...
Anyway - more here when it lands.
bubinga
Well-known member
Currently $629.00
Anyone disagree with the statement that the 44" is more "laying there" space vs. the 34" Full Bank that has more volume?
(I don't know if it changes my decision, but the "cu. in." metric for space doesn't seem entirely useful...)
[EDIT] If my math is right, the 44" offers about 20% more 'lay there' space in the drawers and has a workspace (or space to add more) on top, at the expense of the prybar/hanging storage and with about 1/3 less volume. Ultimately I think the verticality, hanging storage and flip top still win for me.
(I don't know if it changes my decision, but the "cu. in." metric for space doesn't seem entirely useful...)
[EDIT] If my math is right, the 44" offers about 20% more 'lay there' space in the drawers and has a workspace (or space to add more) on top, at the expense of the prybar/hanging storage and with about 1/3 less volume. Ultimately I think the verticality, hanging storage and flip top still win for me.
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Alienbaby17
Well-known member
I have the Snap-on cart this HF model is based on. I bought it used a few years ago and paid $500 for it. At the time the seller had it listed for $700 and wasn’t getting any bites despite it being in very good condition. I felt like I got a pretty good deal.
I‘m a professional mechanic and have been for the last 25 years. I work in a small, cramped shop. I have a much larger box but due to the shop layout it has to be located a bit farther away than I’d like from most cars I work on. I filled my SO cart with 90% of my most frequently used tools and keep that up near the front of my bay where I don‘t have room for a larger box. It’s working out well.
As far as the SO box goes I think it feels pretty cheap compared to my big KRL SO box. I haven’t seen the HF version in person yet but if it’s built as cheaply or (most likely even cheaper) I would think it’s priced higher (even on sale at $629) than I would have expected. I would say the same thing for the SO version at $1800 retail.
As many others have said there are no shortage of tool truck carts like this (or even slightly wider) in the $1000 range. I’m guessing with a little shopping around and negotiating one could easily be had for $800 or less pretty quickly. That’s how I’d spend my money.
One last thought for the people looking to have this in a home garage would be to consider space. It‘s a mixed bag with the flip lid. Yes, it offers convenient access, but at the cost of not being able to put anything on top. In my compact home garage and with my tool storage needs I definitely prefer a traditional roller cab with a top chest for the extra storage it offers in the same footprint.
I‘m a professional mechanic and have been for the last 25 years. I work in a small, cramped shop. I have a much larger box but due to the shop layout it has to be located a bit farther away than I’d like from most cars I work on. I filled my SO cart with 90% of my most frequently used tools and keep that up near the front of my bay where I don‘t have room for a larger box. It’s working out well.
As far as the SO box goes I think it feels pretty cheap compared to my big KRL SO box. I haven’t seen the HF version in person yet but if it’s built as cheaply or (most likely even cheaper) I would think it’s priced higher (even on sale at $629) than I would have expected. I would say the same thing for the SO version at $1800 retail.
As many others have said there are no shortage of tool truck carts like this (or even slightly wider) in the $1000 range. I’m guessing with a little shopping around and negotiating one could easily be had for $800 or less pretty quickly. That’s how I’d spend my money.
One last thought for the people looking to have this in a home garage would be to consider space. It‘s a mixed bag with the flip lid. Yes, it offers convenient access, but at the cost of not being able to put anything on top. In my compact home garage and with my tool storage needs I definitely prefer a traditional roller cab with a top chest for the extra storage it offers in the same footprint.
Very good point. You'd really be limiting yourself trying to use this as your only box IMO and I've never been a fan of flip lids.
I appreciate your perspective.
I have a 26" x 22" cabinet that holds most of the home tools and the lesser-used car tools. I kinda like the flip lid - open-and-work kinda thing since most of what I pick up most often is right there and there's no opening-and-closing. And width is a factor. I could probably make the 44" work there - the very small reduction in depth would actually be helpful, but the width would be tough. The more I look at it the more I think that despite the lesser volume measurement, the 44" actually has more space to put stuff.
My cart sits essentially next to my workbench (this is what it looks like when it is most-tidy, which it isn't right now...)
Aaron_W
Well-known member
Flip top is why I bought a 5 drawer, but with that need now filled I couldn't see wanting a second. I do like the on / off drawer locking system they put on the 6 drawer vs the auto locking when the lid is closed of the 5 drawer.
This does look like a nice cart but then I look and think for $100 less you can get a 26" bottom chest and 5 drawer cart, or for another $100 a 44" bottom and a 5 drawer cart, but if it fits a particular niche I guess the price is less of a factor.
As far as the prybar storage, I wonder how long before HF adds something similar (exterior) as an accessory like the screw driver / tray or screw driver / paint can holders. Would also be pretty easy to fabricate one to hang on the side or back of the cart / chest.
All good points, though I already have a 29" single bank and a 5-drawer cart - definitely not looking for a second flip-top thing. Whatever I buy will replace the 5-drawer cart (figuratively and literally - needs to fit in the same spot, though I can fiddle with the space a bit).
I sorta-thought about the hack where you drop a set of drawers usually intended for the cabinets on the side of the 5-drawer, but then I'm close to a 44" for width and it's only so much space. I'm positive I can get $200 for the 5-drawer and will put it toward either one, so I'm not super-worried about the $$.
I guess what I'm trying to do is arrive at the "final setup" - I think growth in my tools is going to be somewhat limited (#thingsisayonGJ), so I don't need tons more space to grow in on the other side of this, though I wouldn't mind a bit.
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Home gamers have been making do with 26” stacks for ever. The flip top is definitely handier than that.
I always chuckle when I hear a pro say “I work out of this cart 95% of the time,” because all that means is that my DIY/home gamer uses would absolutely be completely covered with just a big cart. Since I don’t have to lock anything I can also just use a sturdy cabinet (it’s a garage) for larger bulkier stuff. No big box required.
I’m also not limited by trying to be as efficient and organized as possible. An extra 20 seconds per tool doesn’t cost me money over the course of a job - it just means I get to drink another beer and hang out with friends for a little while longer. That means I can absolutely organize for space rather than efficiency.
lastly - for a garage - I’d rather have a dedicated bench rather than a toolbox worktop. But that’s just me…
YMMV.
I always chuckle when I hear a pro say “I work out of this cart 95% of the time,” because all that means is that my DIY/home gamer uses would absolutely be completely covered with just a big cart. Since I don’t have to lock anything I can also just use a sturdy cabinet (it’s a garage) for larger bulkier stuff. No big box required.
I’m also not limited by trying to be as efficient and organized as possible. An extra 20 seconds per tool doesn’t cost me money over the course of a job - it just means I get to drink another beer and hang out with friends for a little while longer. That means I can absolutely organize for space rather than efficiency.
lastly - for a garage - I’d rather have a dedicated bench rather than a toolbox worktop. But that’s just me…
YMMV.
MushCreek
Well-known member
If you pile enough **** in the top, you won't be able to close the lid. Problem solved. That's how it works with my 5 drawer, anyhow. I've thought about modifying mine with cantilever arms so it lifts up and back, instead of flipping. You'd have to have room behind the box, though.
kngelv
Well-known member
I finally saw one in person a few days ago. I never thought I would find worse latches than my 56" U.S. General but here we are.
James
James
