Storage Cabinets?

[jpinca]

I'm at the stage that I need to get some storage cabinets to organize my new a shop and possibly the new garage too. I've been religiously searching Craigslist and Ebay, with no luck. I've also been hitting up the local used office furniture places.

All of the wood-based cabinets I've seen use MDF/laminate and I think they're overpriced for what they are. Before going that route, I'd probably just make my own out of 3/4" hardwood plywood.

My time is limited- too many projects, too little time, so I've been looking at welded metal cabinets. I'd like 24" deep rather than the more standard 18". 36" or 48" and at least 6' high.

You can buy the low end storage cabinets at Staples for $299.

At the high end there are the heavy duty cabinet at Global (12GA steel body, but $999+$300 S/H). I've seen similar other places. You definitely get a lot for your money, but 3-4 of these blows my budget all to hell.

Then I can across the Craftsman Pro line of cabinets for $230.

Anyone have suggestions for a reasonably good metal cabinet in the ~$300-$400 range. This just for my home shop. I don't need the super heavy duty ones, but I'd like not to dent the doors by looking at them either.

The lower end ones generally don't talk about sheetmetal thickness, but you can tell a lot from the units weight and/or shelf capacity.

 

[ClickClickBoom]

locate a local company that supplies office equipment. They will often have used metal cabinets that are plenty strong for garage use. I've picked up a couple on craigslist for $20-$30, but if you don't want to wait for a deal that's your next best bet for quality cabinets at a decent price.

 

[#1SomeGuy]

Meh, depends how pretty you want them to be. Frankly for me, using plywood and building my own is more than enough. It's way cheaper to build and the best part is you can customize the entire layout to whatever you want and will suit your space.

 

[jpinca]

That's it?!

I figured this would be a hot topic, especially considering the widely varying user reviews I've read.

 

[bdamico]

That's it?!

I figured this would be a hot topic, especially considering the widely varying user reviews I've read.

meh it's a hot topic but it's been covered a bunch. i chose saber cabinets. you can search for my thread. probably higher than you want to spend. other options discussed there.

 

[Ft.ValloniaStreaker]

Try GovDeals in your area, local universities and local governments have lots of these. Indiana University has a surplus store, they sell these everyday for $75.00

 

[mtnwalton]

I have two just like the one in the top photo. I store woodworking tool accessories & supplies in them. One thing i did was set them on bases I built with casters to make moving easier.

 

[dgreen1069]

I just went through this myself. I wanted to replace my 11 year old ultra cheapo MDF plain white cabinets with something nicer and more usable. I didn't like any of the Craftsman stuff as it seemed very flimsy. I narrowed my choices down to the Seville cabinets sold at Sams Club and the Gladiator Premier welded cabinets.

I ended up going with the Gladiator stuff. The Seville stuff was decent, but the doors were flimsy and I wasn't crazy about the SS. The Gladiator stuff isn't perfect but the cabinets are sturdy and square. The magnetic doors are the best I saw at all the stores and they have a decent selection. It isn't cheap, but it isn't high end either. I bought everything at Sears but I had them price match Sears.com.

 

[djjsr]

Check Costco or Sam's Club.

 

[jpinca]

meh it's a hot topic but it's been covered a bunch. i chose saber cabinets. you can search for my thread. probably higher than you want to spend. other options discussed there.

What's what I'm talking about! Thanks. Your thread didn't show up in the first 8-10 pages in my previous searches, but when I added your username- presto!

Those Sabre cabinets are looking pretty sweet. A little more expensive, but they have an entire line so I can match style and color. Plus I like the double wall construction and wall mounting. I may buy a small upper just to check them out.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I like these, cheap and make for a very organized garage. I prefer drawers to shelves.

I paid $100 for all three.

Jim

 

[DEEDDUDE]

I went with the sabers too. If you think about it they're really not much more than the husky or others in that price range, especialy the upper cabinets. But it does add up quick. I like the global myself, but the shipping was outrageous, same with the northern tool cabinets. For new cabinets I think the sabers are the best bang for the buck. Granted there are better, but at three times the cost. Good luck with your search.

 

[bdamico]

What's what I'm talking about! Thanks. Your thread didn't show up in the first 8-10 pages in my previous searches, but when I added your username- presto!

Those Sabre cabinets are looking pretty sweet. A little more expensive, but they have an entire line so I can match style and color. Plus I like the double wall construction and wall mounting. I may buy a small upper just to check them out.

don't jerk around with waiting. call or email dean asap. he's a great guy. tell him i sent you. the only issue i have with the company is he runs out of stock fast--so don't delay. i waited a long time for them because i wanted the expensive look without paying 15k and it was worth the wait

 

[darkk]

We got some free lateral files cabinets and some lateral drawer cabinets and just painted them. Super heavy duty and lots of storage.