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Small Cart Recommendation

oldschoolcraft

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Due to situations around divorce (lonnnng story), I am living in a studio apartment for the next few years while I save up a down payment on a house. I got to keep all my tools but no longer have a garage wall to organize them on. It’s been a real hassle taking the tools out of a Rubbermaid storage container from the closet every time I need something but I hate to invest any money in something that’s only useful for the next 2 years of apartment living. So...

I am thinking of buying my first tool cart, something small that I can roll into my apartment walk in closet but that once I buy a house, I can keep it in the garage next to my future workbench. Possibly also set it up in the future as a general purpose house cart so I can wheel it from the garage into different parts of my future single family home.

I don’t mind dropping over $1k on a truck brand small cart, in fact I prefer it since I loathe HF and Chinese made stuff. I know it’s ridiculous to keep a truck brand small cart in my apartment closet but I refuse to waste money on a temporary solution and want whatever I buy to translate into my future home.

Other ideas were a large Kennedy machinist box but since its not on wheels, will be harder to use in my apartment. I like the idea of the cart I can wheel out when needed. I like the looks of the KRSC33 size and appearance.

I’d actually love a cart where the top was doubled as a workbench but I’ve only seen those on the bigger carts and it doesn’t look like you can mount a bench vise on top, which would be my main goal. While not necessary, I’d love the ability for a small vise to be mounted to the cart for low duty projects like filing down a small piece of metal or cutting a piece of 1.5” pic pipe with a hacksaw. Nothing super heavy duty but a big plus since I do various small odd job projects in my apartment for fun.
 
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matt_i

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I was going to suggest an Ikea rolling kart which has like 3 perf-metal bin-type-shelves in it...but...that's not going to cost $1k nor perform like something that costs $1k :D I think I'm going to try one just to get a lot of common tools out in the open that I can drag anywhere inside the shop.

Money no object I'm a really big fan of the Kennedy Versa-Bench with a laminated maple top. I think there are two styles but its the one with the two large doors and then a wrinkle-finish drawer stack on one side. Has really large casters like 8" or 10" diameter. Perfect for a big plant, would be a huge penalty in my small shop with small aisles...
 
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FigureItOut

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Beta C27S might fit the bill. It's about the smallest cart you can get. You could mount a small vise, but even light duty tasks might push the rigidity of it. It does have a nice little work surface on top. Once you're set up again, it'll be a great little, highly mobile, supplement to your main box. $700, but try eBay, I made an offer and got it to my door for $500.
 

Fedwrench

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I think in this situation I would grab a used craftsman 26 inch or so wide rollaway. You could get a butcher block top for it to use as work bench.
Another option that would give you a lot of storage but, not a work surface would the Ridgid/Dewalt/Milwaukee rolling plastic storage units.
You may want to consider a folding type workbench too.
The one thing I wouldn't do is spend anywhere close to a grand on a tool cart for a studio apartment :wtf:
 

RH2

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I'd look at the gladiator cart. It's pretty small and gets as low as $100.
 
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oldschoolcraft

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I think in this situation I would grab a used craftsman 26 inch or so wide rollaway....
The one thing I wouldn't do is spend anywhere close to a grand on a tool cart for a studio apartment :wtf:

Exactly! Spending $1k+ on a tool cart for my studio would be nuts. That's why I want to buy something that also will work for my future single family house in a few years. A used 26" craftsman will get thrown away if I buy one now, because once I own a house again, I will build a super nice work area in the garage.

However, I'm thinking if I drop $1k to $2k on a truck brand small cart, I can keep that in my studio apartment now, but also have it be a nice addition to my future house workshop.

Any suggestions along those lines, whereby what I buy now works for both scenarios?
 
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oldschoolcraft

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Beta C27S might fit the bill. It's about the smallest cart you can get. You could mount a small vise, but even light duty tasks might push the rigidity of it. It does have a nice little work surface on top. Once you're set up again, it'll be a great little, highly mobile, supplement to your main box. $700, but try eBay, I made an offer and got it to my door for $500.

That looks pretty sweet! How durable is it? I'm a little hesitant from watching the video, it seems like there's a lot of plastic. Honestly, if there was a version of that which was an extra 20 pounds in weight and double the price, but triple the durability, I'd be all over it in a heart beat. But I'm judging solely from that video.

What's your experience been? How's it holding up over time?

Also, they are made in Italy. My limited exposure to European manufacturing is that Switzerland and Germany would make the best stuff. And Spain, Italy, and Greece would some of the bottom tier. No offense, but hard work ethic is more synonymous with Swiss and Germany. No personal experience with Beta Tools, though, and my impression might be completely off base on those countries. But if Chinese-made is Tier 3, and German/Swiss is Tier 1, then I'd probably lump Italy in Tier 2.
 
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FigureItOut

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That looks pretty sweet! How durable is it? I'm a little hesitant from watching the video, it seems like there's a lot of plastic. Honestly, if there was a version of that which was an extra 20 pounds in weight and double the price, but triple the durability, I'd be all over it in a heart beat. But I'm judging solely from that video.

What's your experience been? How's it holding up over time?

Also, they are made in Italy. My limited exposure to European manufacturing is that Switzerland and Germany would make the best stuff. And Spain, Italy, and Greece would some of the bottom tier. No offense, but hard work ethic is more synonymous with Swiss and Germany. No personal experience with Beta Tools, though, and my impression might be completely off base on those countries. But if Chinese-made is Tier 3, and German/Swiss is Tier 1, then I'd probably lump Italy in Tier 2.

Beta generally makes top notch stuff from my understanding. The cart does have some plastic components, but not as much as most seem to think based on the pictures and such. It's more metal than I expected.

I can't really speak to long term durability unfortunately, however the conditions I've put it through for the last seven months have been pretty rough. I have been working mobile, so the cart is unloaded and loaded sometimes several times a day. I work on a version of flat rate, and I'm not gentle on the thing when I'm hustling. I've also done a few modifications needing holes drilled etc. So far, I cannot discern any wear or signs of aging.

Based on overall feel, I wouldn't expect it to endure a careers worth of hard use, but I'd be surprised if I'm not still using it in five, maybe ten years. It feels a little rickety when empty, and is not super rigid, due to the collapsing/folding design. If that functionality isn't useful to you, the design is definitely a disadvantage
 

bigvic

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How soon do you want to get into a house? I can understand the need for a tool cart, but spending $1000+ when you are also saving for a house down payment seems counter intuitive.

Why not make do with a cheaper HF cart for now, and put that $1000 towards your house down payment?
 

anndel

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Luxor also makes some nice roll carts, I had one At one point.

I have a Luxor 3 shelf plastic cart and it's made in USA. It doesn't look like the photo on Amazon (where I bought it) as it shows a deep top shelf and when I got it the top shelf didn't have a lip so sometimes stuff rolls off the cart. I use the top as a workbench.
 
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oldschoolcraft

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How soon do you want to get into a house? I can understand the need for a tool cart, but spending $1000+ when you are also saving for a house down payment seems counter intuitive.

Why not make do with a cheaper HF cart for now, and put that $1000 towards your house down payment?

The limiting factor for buying the house isn't the downpayment, it's a time frame for legal reasons, I have to wait 2 years. I'll have plenty for a toolcart and a downpayment.

Buying a cheaper HF cart now means that I wasted $200 or whatever it costs, because I'll be throwing it away once I move out, and also I won't like it, since I like high quality stuff. Even though I'm not a pro and don't need the quality, I gain enjoyment from it. I'd actually rather keep my tools in the rubbermaid container than buy a HF cart with wobbly drawers.
 
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oldschoolcraft

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Why do you need a cart at all. Are you working on things for others?

Get a couple of gym bags at the resale shop for a few bucks.

Bill

Hi Bill,

I'm thinking I'll want a small cart in my garage of my future house, so buying it now means I can start using it and enjoying it. I don't plan to move very far from my current apartment so transporting it won't be too difficult.

I already have some storage options for the tools, but it's clumsy and I feel bad every time I go into the closet to pull out a tool. I have a few hundred dollars of Knipex pliers/wrenches alone, and they are smashed together in one large container that I have to dump half the contents out to get to the tool I want. I need a drawer-based system that a cart offers.

I'd already have bought that snap-on cart I mentioned in my original post, but a few of the reviews mention it's flimsy compared to the full-sized ones. Like they used a thinner gauge steel. And I can't fit a full size cart in my apartment closet now, nor do I think I'll want one in my future house. I think a smaller cart will be nice for a house to move throughout it, but I never owned one, so soliciting advise from others, if that's worth doing, or if you own a house do you just make multiple trips to the garage to get whatever tools you need?
 
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oldschoolcraft

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If you don’t have a toolbox already how many tools do you have?

I have enough tools to fit into two large rubbermaid containers and I do have one old polymer toolbox from Wal Mart that I've had for years, but I really hate it. There's no organization other than a single top tray area, so when I want to access something like my multimeter, I have to move the top tray, dig through a bunch of stuff, move my hacksaw aside, and get the multimeter out, and then reverse to put everything back.

Since I'm not traveling out of this toolbox, the portability doesn't help me, and lack of organization makes my life hard doing tasks in the apartment.

I don't need all of my tools instantly accessible, but I'd like a cart where I could possibly have my foredom rotary tool hung on the side, ready to go. Wrapped up extension cord on another side. Drawer for sockets and bits. Drawer for wrenches and pliers. Drawer for cordless drill, drill bits, heat gun.

If I wound up with that Snap On cart that has 3 drawers, I might make an electrical tool pouch/mini bag that I set on the bottom shelf - for my multimeter, linemans headset, fox/hound, test leads, etc.

Right now, I have far too many tools for a single compartment toolbox, with small inner tray to be enough organization. And I have many tools I don't use often, but I'd like to have organized such as Rigid PVC pipe cutters - that are about 15" or 20" long. I used to do basic outdoor plumbing work and that's a legacy tool that I don't use often anymore but it's a shame to keep it buried on the bottom of a rubbermaid container. And then if I have to cut one piece of PVC, I resort to the more easily accessible hacksaw because of poor organization.
 

bczygan

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Time to make sense of all this.

You know best what tools you have and use.

You will also be the one to best predict future tools acquisitions and uses.

And based on your preferences and present limitations and future possibilities, you can best decide what to do.

I would get the better quality one you want, if you can find a place for it.

And consider not just a cart, but a couple of hand carry boxes as well, to round things out and further subdivide your tools.

And realize that things evolve, so you will always be rearranging and changing things.

Bill
 

supertooljunkie

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Homak makes a tool cart with 4 drawers and a sliding top. It is about the same size as the larger 5 drawer cart sold at Harbor Freight. Model number is 06043500. They come in red, blue and black. They usually sell for around $400 at Northern Tool, or Amazon. With the sliding top you still have horizontal work area.

For the money the Harbor Freight 5 drawer cart is a hell of a bargain for less than $200. Just my opinion.
 

kctyphoon

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I think it's time to swallow your pride and buy a cart from HF. "I'm saving for a house, I refuse to waste money" and "I don't mind spending a grand on a tool cart for my closet" aren't two points that exactly support each other.

If you want something with a worktop, grab a piece of 3/4" plywood and bolt it to the top of the lid since "it's junk" and you think it's worthless anyway. Add a $20 folding shelf to the side and make a wooden shelf for the bottom to expand storage. Sunex makes a locking screwdriver, prybar, breaking bar holder you can add to the other side of cart too.

If you need MORE storage than that - you can buy 2 of the $100 black carts, and bolt the drawer unit from one under the drawer unit from the other. You can basically make a more simple version of what this guy did for $200 (courtesy of the HF tool cart thread). his has the added shelf and sunex unit bolted to the sides also.

IMG_1604.jpg
 
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Jimithing616

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Sonic tools has their S9 8 drawer cart on 50% off sale this week. You also get like a $650 tool set for free or something with it... I've been thinking about biting...

Sonic makes decent tools. Some people put them on par with truck tools... the carts look amazingly nice and they have a lot of sponsors in the YouTube mechanic world.

Chrisfix the YouTube mechanic uses them... if you wanna check em out...

Here's a link https://www.sonictoolsusa.com/empty-s9-toolbox-8-drawers-dark-grey
 
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Jimithing616

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Or else Cornwell seems to be the best bang for buck tool truck brand for carts according to folks who know these things... me, I don't have money like that so I buy HF and Home Depot boxes ha
 

catalytic

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Why not look at Lista (or Vidmar, Nu-Era, Rousseau, Bott-Kennedy)?

- Build stronger & heavier than tool truck brands & available in any configuration you want.
- It will look better in a studio apartment than a tool truck box
- You can pack it with as much tool weight as you can fit in and it will roll smooth (though you could do that with a tool truck box too). Drawer capacities are around 440lb each.
- Made to accept a ton of dividers to organize your tools, which you'll no doubt be over-packing it with

Also, you mentioned you wanted a workbench top. No one does that better than Lista.

Check out the 'junkyard specials lista' thread from a member here to pick up some new Lista's at a significant discount.

For example, check out some of these (note: one selects the wood/metal workbench top separately and adds it on):
https://www.americanworkspace.com/72-mobile-cabinets
https://www.americanworkspace.com/296-single-bank-53-1-4-high

If your closet is just a coat closet, you could still pack a lot of tools into this (28.5" deep drawers!):
https://www.americanworkspace.com/mobile-cabinets/1186-lista-xsmp0750-0601m.html
 
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catron44

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I'm going to throw this suggestion out there since I went from a 1br apartment to a 4br house with a 2 1/2 car garage 5 years ago. Also, No one has mentioned it yet:

I bought a veto pro pack xxl-f when I was in the apartment. It is large enough to hold everything I need for home maintenance. Once I gained more space I got a larger tool chest and separated out my plumbing and electrical tools to different tool bags. That is what works best for me during home renovation and maintenance. Now that I have the house, the bag goes with me into the room I need to do work in, if the work can't be brought out to the garage. I have enough duplication of tools that I keep my veto loaded so I can go help friends easily as well.

Even if you need 2 of the veto bags they are very high quality and something that should put a smile on your face when you go to use it.

The only downside I see is that it wouldn't be good for my mechanics tools, but since you mentioned home maintenance, I think it's a good choice.

Some of the things I have in there that are on the opposite side of the bag in the photo include:
12 v impact driver, full set of drill and driver bits, drywall jab saw, hand saw, stud finder, laser distance meter, 2 ft level, stud finder, plenty more that I can't think of right now bc my 3 yo is not cooperating.

Happy New Year to all.

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oldschoolcraft

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I'm going to throw this suggestion out there since I went from a 1br apartment to a 4br house with a 2 1/2 car garage 5 years ago. Also, No one has mentioned it yet:

I bought a veto pro pack xxl-f when I was in the apartment.

Man, this was my exact idea! I have spent over a month agonizing over what to do with my tools and soft bags actually make the most sense for the reasons you mentioned. I just can't get over the fact that Veto bags are made in China.

I feel bad putting a few thousand dollars worth of German and US-made handtools inside a Chinese-made bag. To make matters worse, the Veto bags are not cheaply priced. If they doubled their price and made them in the US, I'd already have bought them. I'd gladly spend $400 on a US-made heavy duty toolbag, but I will never spend $200 on a Chinese-made one.

I also spent hours looking at US-made bags like Occidental Leather but they seem suboptimal for my uses. I don't think leather is the best material for my needs.
 
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oldschoolcraft

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Why not look at Lista (or Vidmar, Nu-Era, Rousseau, Bott-Kennedy)?

- Build stronger & heavier than tool truck brands & available in any configuration you want.

Thanks man I haven't heard of those brands before!

Lista looks really interesting. I'll get to looking at the other ones later today) The main downside I see is shipping. If I buy SO or another truck brand, I think the local truck will bring it to my apartment and I can inspect it. With a cart shipped via freight service, I'm concerned about damage during shipping.

About a decade ago I bought a nice large top box from Shark Stainless. Made in US, high quality, medeco security lock. It arrived from UPS with a small dent in the side. I probably should have returned it or refused it, but I kept it, and regretted it ever since I sold it. The cost was $1k and the small dent made me feel dumb for not returning it. I figured that UPS would just damage the next box too, since it's sheet metal and sheet metal dings a bit.

I imagine if I bought a SO box, then the local truck guy would make sure it wasn't dinged, and he'd bring it to my apartment (I live one mile away from an Ace Hardware store that I see the SO truck parked on a few times a week).
 
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oldschoolcraft

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That's just about perfect size for me!

I can fit about 20 to 22" depth by 36" wide and can go up to 60" tall, but I don't need or want a cart that tall. This cart is 37" wide but I think it will fit in my closet as long as the drawers themselves are not a full 37", and it looks like there's left and right buffer zones on the cart.

I have another item in my closet that would prevent me from opening drawers in the cart that are wider than 36" or maybe 36.5" (eyeballing it with a tape measure). Imagine that the tool cart and this second storage cabinet is in an L-shape and the cart will be perpendicular to the storage cabinet. I can actually fit 50" wide cart in the space in my closet, but if the drawers are more than 36", I can't open them, because the storage cabinet would block it.

In other words, I have room in the left side of my walk in closet that would fit a 50" width cart but against the right side of the closet back wall is a storage cabinet that is 14" deep, so even though the left side has a 50" clearance for a cart, any drawers wider than 36" would be impeded by the cabinet.

How is Matco's quality compared to SO or other brands? I like that it's made in US. Price of $1400 is within my price range (to be clear, due to divorce issues, I can spend cash on a nice tool cart, but can't deposit the cash in the bank for a downpayment on a house - my paycheck gets deposited and in 2 years I'll have enough for the downpayment. The cash I can only use for things like tools and toolboxes if that makes sense)
 

catron44

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Man, this was my exact idea! I have spent over a month agonizing over what to do with my tools and soft bags actually make the most sense for the reasons you mentioned. I just can't get over the fact that Veto bags are made in China.

FWIW, they are a solid bag made by a smaller American company that is in Norwalk, CT. I've been to their office/show room (100 year old house they converted) and am happy to have that bag despite the fact that it's not made here. The majority of my tools are are US, German, Swiss and Japanese made. Had they been a major conglomerate like SB & D etc, I might feel differently.

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bczygan

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It's kind of funny.....seeing someone who is very particular, being denied because the marketplace doesn't support that.

No offense though.

I can't get an individual last made for shoes, like used to be possible.

The world's gone to hell in a hand basket.

Now, get the hell off my grass!

Bill
 

WhiffySpark

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Krsc43/46. There’s also a 34 with a split top

I wouldn’t go with the 33. Too much for that
 

Jimithing616

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You could also very inexpensively buy some Milwaukee pack out stuff if you were going to go the tool bag route, imho the pack out type boxes are nicer than tool bags alone and they also offer tool bags that latch together with the pack out stuff


I also saw this at lowes and made by Irwin, basically a tool storage box that turns into a workbench... something anyone in an apartment will need is more work surfaces that can be easily put away when not needed.... http://https://www.lowes.com/pd/IRWIN-Mobile-Command-Center-40-5-in-Gray-Structural-Foam-Lockable-Wheeled-Tool-Box/1000306701
 
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oldschoolcraft

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It's kind of funny.....seeing someone who is very particular, being denied because the marketplace doesn't support that.

No offense though.

I can't get an individual last made for shoes, like used to be possible.

The world's gone to hell in a hand basket.

Now, get the hell off my grass!

Bill

The marketplace may not support US-made toolbags yet and yet is the key word. In general a free market isn't 100% efficient. It could easily take years before an entrepreneur takes a risk and creates a business that makes US-made tool bags of high quality.

It could be a great business. I don't know. But what I do know is if I buy a Veto Pro bag now, I am hurting my cause because then if someone does take a risk and makes US-made ones in a few years, I won't be in the market anymore since I'll have sunk the money into the China bag.
 
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oldschoolcraft

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FWIW, they are a solid bag made by a smaller American company that is in Norwalk, CT. I've been to their office/show room (100 year old house they converted) and am happy to have that bag despite the fact that it's not made here. The majority of my tools are are US, German, Swiss and Japanese made. Had they been a major conglomerate like SB & D etc, I might feel differently.

I am not intending to be argumentative but I actually think it's far worse to support a small US business who is offshoring manufacturing to China than a larger business like Apple computer, for example. Here's why:

If the Veto Pro bags are a little off spec, that small company has no leverage or power over that Chinese factory who made them, since Veto Pro might be 0.05% of that factory's production. So Veto Pro won't be able to get them on the phone.

Whereas Apple basically owns FoxConn. If the iPhones are even a little off spec, FoxxConn managers will wake up in the middle of the night to fix the problem.

My rationale for US and first-world goods isn't primarily to support US jobs. It's because I want a quality product. And when you have a US company making US products, then the quality team is working alongside manufacturing. And the marketing team is down the hall. There's a greater chance the product won't have small issues.

Whereas when you offshore, if a few stitches on the toolbag are off, now a small company like Veto Pro has to decide if it's worth spending $1k to ship them back and be out-of-stock for 2 months without any inventory to sell. So Veto Pro is more likely to shrug and say, alright, these aren't perfect, but they're good enough.

Adding a few weeks into the supply chain for offshoring will shift the burden on quality control to make a case to management to return shipment.
 

John in OH

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I think it's time to swallow your pride and buy a cart from HF. "I'm saving for a house, I refuse to waste money" and "I don't mind spending a grand on a tool cart for my closet" aren't two points that exactly support each other.

If you want something with a worktop, grab a piece of 3/4" plywood and bolt it to the top of the lid since "it's junk" and you think it's worthless anyway. Add a $20 folding shelf to the side and make a wooden shelf for the bottom to expand storage. Sunex makes a locking screwdriver, prybar, breaking bar holder you can add to the other side of cart too.

If you need MORE storage than that - you can buy 2 of the $100 black carts, and bolt the drawer unit from one under the drawer unit from the other. You can basically make a more simple version of what this guy did for $200 (courtesy of the HF tool cart thread). his has the added shelf and sunex unit bolted to the sides also.

I gotta go with kctyphoon on this one. I think he is 100% correct.

Go the HF route on either the cheaper black 4-drawer or the 5-drawer. I don't own one, but I've looked at the 5-drawer numerous times at HF and they look to be pretty solid for the cheap price. If you later decide you don't want it I'm sure you can easily recover 50-60% of the original purchase price on Craigs List ... assuming you haven't beat it to ****.

I can't quite reconcile how you can be "saving" for a house and still justify upwards of $1k for a cart unless you are wrenching for a living. A cart, good or bad, doesn't earn you any money.
 

sk farmer

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the op is sure hung up on a lot of what-ifs, maybes and shoulda couldas. lots of guys have given him good options but he seem to have dismissed them for one reason or another while having some unrealistic expectations.

a veto pac or the stacked drawer carts seem like good options that will last a few years and not cost piles of money. even a 26 inch cabinet sounds good as you can always stack them later.
 

taumac

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Brooksville, Fl
the op is sure hung up on a lot of what-ifs, maybes and shoulda couldas. lots of guys have given him good options but he seem to have dismissed them for one reason or another while having some unrealistic expectations.


Exactly, I couldn’t have said it better. I was going to post with other suggestion but figured why bother. Honestly I think the OP has money burning a hole in pocket and looking for reason to by the Snap On. If that’s the case keep the big cart you already bought. You can put a bed sheet over it and use as a table or tv stand. Then buy the smaller cart you want and stick it in the closet. Done deal.
 

helterskelter

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
296
I lived out of a Kennedy Cantilever 1022B tool box while I was in between houses. It'll hold more tools than you need. We pulled an engine with the tools in the box. Made in the USA. I turned it into a truck box once I got back in my normal tool boxes.
 

apollo11

Banned
Joined
Aug 19, 2017
Messages
1,226
Location
State Of Reality
The limiting factor for buying the house isn't the downpayment, it's a time frame for legal reasons, I have to wait 2 years. I'll have plenty for a toolcart and a downpayment.

Buying a cheaper HF cart now means that I wasted $200 or whatever it costs, because I'll be throwing it away once I move out, and also I won't like it, since I like high quality stuff. Even though I'm not a pro and don't need the quality, I gain enjoyment from it. I'd actually rather keep my tools in the rubbermaid container than buy a HF cart with wobbly drawers.

99 bucks with coupon and it's not a waste unless you go all screwy which actually sounds like you are.
Divorce has clouded your mind grasshopper
 

dan360

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
372
Location
WA state
I have the KRSC33. It's a great cart. The newer ones are more heavy duty I think but for a cart, the 33 is great.
 
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