To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Open Storage Space vs Lower Drawers on wheeled tool carts

C

CGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Messages
3,193
Location
United States/Switzerland
On a wheeled tool cart, would you want:

1) an open, lower storage space at the base of the tool cart, below the upper tool drawers for storage

Or

2) 2-3 extra tool drawers instead of an open air storage space?

Please discuss reason for choice...

Note: The drawers would be below waist level for a person of average height standing in front of the cart.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
G

gleman

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2019
Messages
3,212
Location
Michigan And Florida too!
If it's a chest that is going used for tool storage -- drawers.

If it's used like a cart --open. Gotta stick the clunky parts or awkward tools somewhere.
 
OP
C

CGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2018
Messages
3,193
Location
United States/Switzerland
One advantage I thought of to open storage was for tools in blow molded cases that would not normally fit in drawers will fit in an open storage space beneath…..


The member who brought up lessons learned from kitchen design really got me thinking on that, too.


Really good points here and I appreciate the insight.
 
B

bobg03

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 29, 2020
Messages
3,420
Location
conway sc
Milwaukee makes a cart that the lower open part slides out like a drawer, I'm intrigued by this for my own reasons.
 
D

dscheidt

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Messages
2,958
VolvoRyan said:
Without drawers, you'd just have a pile. A hard to access pile.... on something you purchased to bring order into the shop.

So, always drawers.... if you have an option. Sometimes there's no options.

-Ryan
Click to expand...
Depends on what you're doing with the cart, and where you're using it. Open space makes it easier to stick big things there. As already mentioned, blow molded cases, but also the parts on the thing you're working on, or jugs of blinker fluid, etc. Some places, you'd want to be able to lock all that up, others it doesn't need to be.

At the shop I used to run, we had a cart for the lube bay, it got used by whoever was working there, even when it was someone with tools in the shop and not just a lube tech. it was a single drawer, open top, open bottom cart. top held oil filter wrenches, the impact and torque wrench for tire rotation, and some assorted junk, as well as the new filter for the current car. drawer held some basic tools. bottom had a jug of washer fluid, coolant, brake fluid, and the filler can for fetching bulk oil, and probably some other junk. This worked very well for the application, because there was no need to keep the stuff locked up, and drawers would have gotten in the way of storing the bulk stuff.
 
V

VolvoRyan

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Messages
1,339
Location
Kentuckiana, USA
dscheidt said:
Depends on what you're doing with the cart, and where you're using it. Open space makes it easier to stick big things there. As already mentioned, blow molded cases, but also the parts on the thing you're working on, or jugs of blinker fluid, etc. Some places, you'd want to be able to lock all that up, others it doesn't need to be.

At the shop I used to run, we had a cart for the lube bay, it got used by whoever was working there, even when it was someone with tools in the shop and not just a lube tech. it was a single drawer, open top, open bottom cart. top held oil filter wrenches, the impact and torque wrench for tire rotation, and some assorted junk, as well as the new filter for the current car. drawer held some basic tools. bottom had a jug of washer fluid, coolant, brake fluid, and the filler can for fetching bulk oil, and probably some other junk. This worked very well for the application, because there was no need to keep the stuff locked up, and drawers would have gotten in the way of storing the bulk stuff.
Click to expand...


Totally agree. I was going to mention that a US General 5 drawer is on my list for electrical diag stuff. The open space on the bottom is perfect for the Autel cases, or extension cords, etc....

-Ryan
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
R

richfinn

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Messages
4,824
Location
Leeds, Yorkshire, England
If it's purely a tool cart all drawers.

If it's a utility cart an open space can be good for carrying a jump pack/axle stands and consumables.

I liked a regular three shelf plastic style cart without drawers for organizing parts when working on cars and then a toolbox for my tools, that way if you got hauled off to work on some other project you knew where all the bits were and could start with a fresh cart for parts.
 
F

Fedwrench

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
14,973
Location
Valley of the sun
All drawers here. The open space at the bottom of some carts leaves a bit to be desired and if security is an issue, you can't secure the stuff in the open space.
Get one of those Milwaukee four shelf rolling lockers if you have too many blow molded cases :lol:
toolguyd.com

This Milwaukee Rolling Tool Cabinet Tamed my Workshop Clutter

I’ve been super-pleased with my Milwaukee rolling side lockers.
toolguyd.com toolguyd.com
 
2

2ndGearRubber

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2014
Messages
14,185
Location
Pittsburgh
CGarage said:
One advantage I thought of to open storage was for tools in blow molded cases that would not normally fit in drawers will fit in an open storage space beneath…..


The member who brought up lessons learned from kitchen design really got me thinking on that, too.


Really good points here and I appreciate the insight.
Click to expand...


Depends on what you want a cart for. How many cases are you keeping in a cart that don't fit in 4" deep drawers?


My preference for work is all drawers. Even when I had my 5 drawer HF cart, the bottom looked sloppy and unorganized. Access was poor as I had to bend over then tilt my head to see everything down there, whereas a drawer can simply be opened. Open storage does work better for oddly shaped items. Depends what you're doing with it. I don't have regularly used oddly shaped items. Those live in boxes/cabinets/lockers.
 
A

AEAdam

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2023
Messages
2,908
Location
SE PA
No drawers! Keep your cart light and lean and it will be more effective. If you want cheap storage, choose a wider base cabinet.

Keep the base open. When you forward deploy your cart, use that space for parts, consumables, buckets, then clean it out when you are done. I try to keep the top well pretty clean as well. I store my tools in the drawers.

I think of my cart as an 80% solution, I holds 80% of the tools I use for 80% of jobs I perform.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom