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Rousseau Tool Cabinets

ItsNemo

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I just bought some :)

Part of finishing my basement is setting up a new "lab" space for working on electronics, computers, audio stuff, whatever...just things that are cleaner than what I usually do in the garage. So I wanted some tool storage for the space and something a little nicer than your typical big box store roller cab, more of a fixed style thing (though they can do them as roller cabs too). A while ago on here I saw that the new Tekton boxes were being made by Rousseau, and being they're in Canada (like me), I decided to reach out and see what they could do...turns out, they're amazing!

They have sooooo many more options than I expected, you can customize pretty much everything...so I was able to get a bunch of different pieces that will perfectly fit in the space, and for different use/storage. The small cab on the left is going to be my desk drawers (for a desk I'm building right now). The tall cab on the right is setup for parts storage, all sorts of dividers and bins and such. The middle workstation is setup for tool stoage but also has an ESD top/grounding system for electronics work which will be really handy, but also able to get power in it, pegboards, upper cabs, everything. Was just a really cool process to go through with them.

Getting them down to the basement was a bit of fun, the big cab (without the top parts) was nearly 600lbs, but after stripping it down it was just manageable to get around the house and in with some help. Did I mention these things are overbuilt? The drawers hold 400lbs each lol

Anyway, just really excited to have these, they are obviously a bit more expensive than what you find at the big box stores but honestly wasn't as bad as I expected. Worth checking out if you're considering any of the higher end tool boxes out there, it might actually be cheaper and they're IMO even better built, and you can fully customize them (their configurator is a good start https://mymodel-r.rousseau.com/ but there's even more they can do).

Did a video on my YouTube channel if you want to see all the details:

But of course a few pictures:

PXL_20251222_185541693.jpgPXL_20251222_185730998.jpg

Here's how they came down, wheeled around the house, into the walkout basement's french doors:

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And some assembly, it was actually neat how modular and well designed these are....you can see some thought went into it, all the parts are setup to work together but also swap in different options easily.

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Just starting to get them filled up, will post more when I actually have everything laid out in them, but sneak peak at the driver drawer:

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kngelv

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May 25, 2011
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Detroit, MI
I have a 60" x 27" Tekton box and can assure everyone that they are as well built and as nice as you say. Thanks for posting this and the video. My driver drawer is a bit of a mess with tons of wasted space. Yours looks great and I think I'm going to copy it since i already have a bunch of dividers.

James
 
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ItsNemo

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I have a 60" x 27" Tekton box and can assure everyone that they are as well built and as nice as you say. Thanks for posting this and the video. My driver drawer is a bit of a mess with tons of wasted space. Yours looks great and I think I'm going to copy it since i already have a bunch of dividers.

James
Yeah, Tekton made a good move getting Rousseau as the OEM, these things are just so overbuilt.

I'm loving the dividers, having each type of screwdriver (flat, phillips, pozi, square, torx, hex metric, hex standard, picks/hooks, bit drivers) in its own section makes them easier to keep organized and find. I'm doing the same thing with 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 socket tools too I think.
 

4xdog

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Very -- very! -- nice.

I've been on the Rousseau site a number of times, working with their configuration/color tool and dreaming about upgrades to my shop.

What do you think of the drawer latches, @ItsNemo? Do they work as well in real life as they appear to?
 
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ItsNemo

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Very -- very! -- nice.

I've been on the Rousseau site a number of times, working with their configuration/color tool and dreaming about upgrades to my shop.

What do you think of the drawer latches, @ItsNemo? Do they work as well in real life as they appear to?

LoL don't ask me how many hours I spent playing with the configurator before I bought these...the crazy thing is, the configurator doesn't even have every option like I mentioned, if you look at their catalogs there is even more combos you can mix and match together.

Yes. I'd call them "mindless" in the sense that they just work...not once from the moment I got them did I ever have to think about how I'm opening the drawer, you just grab it anywhere and open it.

Great choice and setup. Like Lista and Vidmar, Rousseau makes great cabinets.

Thanks...and ya, bonus for me because they're Canadian, made in Quebec, that's one of the reasons I went with these over other options (support local and all that, not sending my money over seas).
 

Max

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LoL don't ask me how many hours I spent playing with the configurator before I bought these...the crazy thing is, the configurator doesn't even have every option like I mentioned, if you look at their catalogs there is even more combos you can mix and match together.

Yes. I'd call them "mindless" in the sense that they just work...not once from the moment I got them did I ever have to think about how I'm opening the drawer, you just grab it anywhere and open it.



Thanks...and ya, bonus for me because they're Canadian, made in Quebec, that's one of the reasons I went with these over other options (support local and all that, not sending my money over seas).
This is the next step - loading things up with equipment... :)
 

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whateg01

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I wish I could have gotten the drawer layout I wanted. They are customizable to a degree but not completely. They are nice though. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to make them work for me. I could have gone with a full cabinet of long drawers but then I would have to divide them instead of having a "pliers drawer".
 

Shocker

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Olympia, WA
If I started over, I would get all Tekton boxes. They don't have the variety of configs like the Rousseau boxes but they are super nice.

I think I would do a bunch of 60" with full width drawers.
 
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ItsNemo

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Too bad shipping to the US is such a deal killer. I would've liked to buy one.

How bad is shipping to the US? My freight was around $500, liftgate to residential address.

I wish I could have gotten the drawer layout I wanted. They are customizable to a degree but not completely. They are nice though. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to make them work for me. I could have gone with a full cabinet of long drawers but then I would have to divide them instead of having a "pliers drawer".

What layout did you want?
 
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ItsNemo

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This is the next step - loading things up with equipment... :)

LoL I don't have that much test equipment :D I do have a siglent scope, power supply, bench meter, and waveform generator, so those four will occupy some of this space.
 
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ItsNemo

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Similar to the common 54". I would actually prefer 3 long drawers but there are few like that. I looked at tekton but that was even more limiting.

Not sure what you mean common 54...but you can do 3 full width drawers and the rest either half split or one wider/one narrower.
 

kinglukas38

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NWO, Canada
I've been toying with the idea of getting one of these spec'd out to hang off my toolbox as a side cab. Snapon wants around 1400cad for the appropriate version when I got quoted last time (2022) and I gotta figure one of these would be close in a similar layout.
 
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Cruzan80

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This is the next step - loading things up with equipment... :)
I always chuckle when I see things stacked like jenga, with the rack-mount handles still left on. Almost like there is a designed way to hold them...
 

Max

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I always chuckle when I see things stacked like jenga, with the rack-mount handles still left on. Almost like there is a designed way to hold them...
If I had the space I’d use racks, but alas…
 
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ItsNemo

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It was around $750 usd, back in 2020. The custom box itself was like $3,400.
Yeah, see, that box price is quite reasonable....the freight though is rough :( I wonder if there's a way if you just did LTL to depot and picked up or something if you could get it for cheaper?
 

Cruzan80

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If I had the space I’d use racks, but alas…
Not dog-piling on you in particular... They do make smaller racks designed to go on desks/mounted to walls/etc. It doesn't seem like they add much extra bulk, but I also understand needing to maximize every square inch possible.
 

L.Cheapo

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Yeah, see, that box price is quite reasonable....the freight though is rough :( I wonder if there's a way if you just did LTL to depot and picked up or something if you could get it for cheaper?
I've had two freight shipments to my house in the past year. I asked how much I'd save if I picked it up at their depot instead of home delivery. One was ~30 minutes away, the other about 40. IIRC, the difference was less than $50 on both of them. Not worth the effort at that point.

May be location dependent.
 

Tchicken

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Location dependent but also limited by the equipment possessed by, or at least available to the receiver. I don't have a trailer or a pickemup, so some merchandise transports are problematic for me unless I spring for the time & expense to rent a trailer. Something the size of a toolbox isn't a quick round trip in a Mustang ..
 

whateg01

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Location dependent but also limited by the equipment possessed by, or at least available to the receiver. I don't have a trailer or a pickemup, so some merchandise transports are problematic for me unless I spring for the time & expense to rent a trailer. Something the size of a toolbox isn't a quick round trip in a Mustang ..
Toolbox has wheels1000025880.jpg
 

tvruwink

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I've spent too much time on their configurator tool building dream cabinets. The hardest part? Picking a color!!!
These look amazing OP.
 

4xdog

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…The hardest part? Picking a color!!!
Same here!

My latest combo is white cabinets with grey drawers.

But Rousseau’s light grey/off white is pretty nice too…

Color choices would be the reason I would go directly to Rousseau vs Tekton. As my dad used to say when I spent what some might think is too much on my toys:

1. “If you’re going to make a trip to the bank, you might as well enjoy the ride”,

and

2. “At least you don’t spend it over a bar.”
 
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ItsNemo

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Same here!

My latest combo is white cabinets with grey drawers.

But Rousseau’s light grey/off white is pretty nice too…

Color choices would be the reason I would go directly to Rousseau vs Tekton. As my dad used to say when I spent what some might think is too much on my toys:

1. “If you’re going to make a trip to the bank, you might as well enjoy the ride”,

and

2. “At least you don’t spend it over a bar.”

I was really tempted by the green (either drawers or cabinet), but went Charcoal Grey fully because it would have been overwhelming to have a brightly coloured toolbox in this room.
 

richfinn

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I just don't understand the desire for double/triple bank toolboxes when you could have all full length drawers, especially with Rousseau/Tekton drawer slide capacity and the option of dividers (either bought or home made on the guillotine). You must lose some capacity dividing boxes up with extra sheet metal and slides.

Please help me understand??
 

51dueller

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Saskatchewan
It allows different height drawers in the same area. I could have a 6" deep drawer x 15" wide that is good for power tool storage or blow molded cases and beside that have 2 3" deep drawers. A 6" deep drawer 60" or 72" isn't a good use of space.
 
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ItsNemo

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I just don't understand the desire for double/triple bank toolboxes when you could have all full length drawers, especially with Rousseau/Tekton drawer slide capacity and the option of dividers (either bought or home made on the guillotine). You must lose some capacity dividing boxes up with extra sheet metal and slides.

Please help me understand??

You do lose a bit of drawer space, but as the other person above mentioned, it does let you get a different variety of drawers both in height and config. I'd also rather open a lighter smaller drawer with say little odds and ends, then a single big wide drawer divided up.
 

Tchicken

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Is there a point that a drawer is so wide it loses rigidity/strength? Or do the HD/double slides make up for the wide reach?
 
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ItsNemo

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Is there a point that a drawer is so wide it loses rigidity/strength? Or do the HD/double slides make up for the wide reach?
My 60" drawers feel just as solid as my 24" drawers, I don't notice any lack of rigidity in them, there's enough bracing to support the weight/width. I'm sure if you tried to make a 120" drawer or something it would become a problem lol
 

Pexto

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I just don't understand the desire for double/triple bank toolboxes when you could have all full length drawers, especially with Rousseau/Tekton drawer slide capacity and the option of dividers (either bought or home made on the guillotine). You must lose some capacity dividing boxes up with extra sheet metal and slides.

Please help me understand??

My main toolbox is ~56" wide with a full-width top drawer and half-width drawers below that. Plus a side cabinet with 6 drawers. 20 drawers total, 22" deep. One reason I like the half-width drawers because I can stand immediately in front of the box and open a drawer. This is nice because the top of the box is my workbench. Say I'm disassembling something on the bench and I need a particular pair of pliers. I can reach down (with one hand), open the pliers drawer, get my pliers, and I'm right back to work. I often leave the drawer open if I think I might need something else out of it. At most I have to take one small step to the side to open a drawer.

If I had a full-width drawer there, I'd have to take a step back, open the drawer (likely with both hands), grab the pliers, and then close the drawer again Can't leave it open.

Seems like a little thing, certainly! Chalk it up to personal preference and working style. :)
 

richfinn

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My main toolbox is ~56" wide with a full-width top drawer and half-width drawers below that. Plus a side cabinet with 6 drawers. 20 drawers total, 22" deep. One reason I like the half-width drawers because I can stand immediately in front of the box and open a drawer. This is nice because the top of the box is my workbench. Say I'm disassembling something on the bench and I need a particular pair of pliers. I can reach down (with one hand), open the pliers drawer, get my pliers, and I'm right back to work. I often leave the drawer open if I think I might need something else out of it. At most I have to take one small step to the side to open a drawer.

If I had a full-width drawer there, I'd have to take a step back, open the drawer (likely with both hands), grab the pliers, and then close the drawer again Can't leave it open.

Seems like a little thing, certainly! Chalk it up to personal preference and working style. :)

Good point 👍
 
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