wall cabinets - is 12" depth decent?

[CT2012]

I'm of the "you-can-never-have-enough-storage-capacity" school of thought, and looking at the offerings out there for wall-mounted cabinets (to go above my workbench), 12" depth seems to be the de facto standard--at least for those within my price range (less than $100 per).

So for those who use reasonably priced wall mounted units (typically something like a 24-28x12x28), do you find 12" depth to be sufficient? Or do you kick yourself for not paying the extra $50-75+ per for another 2-3" of depth?

For example, this is what I'm looking at now. It's 24" W x 28" H x 12" D.

https://www.sevilleclassics.com/storage_wall_cabinet_ultra_hd

 

[MrC1953]

I think 12 inches would be fine, if there to deep you can't get to or remember whats in the back, also it keeps it closer to the wall less likely for you to bump into them when you walk by. I have some 12 inch deep shelves, but can't tell you whats on them past the front row of stuff.

Godspeed
MrC.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I used $58 Ikea cabinets in my garage and laundry room:

The Wardrob is 2' deep, and it can be hard to get to the stuff in the back.

I also used horizontal filing cabinets for very organized storage.

Jim

 

[IONH]

I agree that if you have a lot of little stuff, then 12" is plenty because you'll forget what is in the back. However, if you want to slide some larger items up there, like a table saw or tile cutter, you'll be sorry you went so shallow.

IMO, go deep. If you end up cluttering it with small stuff, put an empty box in the back so items can't get accidentally pushed further than necessary.

Are you planning on building this storage or buying? If buying, whatever depth they have is fine as a 2 foot depth would be quite an added expense. If building, the sky's the limit as the added cost isn't very much.

 

[Falcon67]

12" is plenty IMHO. If they are deeper, they would probably need to be shorter or closer to the bench top so you could reach in deeper. All kitchen upper caps are 12' standard, seems to work well enough. I have those same Sevilles - like them, good buy.

 

[CT2012]

if i get them thru sam's club they're only 58 bux, otherwise 80 direct from seville.

am not a member of sam's club and there isn't one nearby and would never go (it's about a 45 min. drive each way), so to join & be a member would be a waste and no savings realized.

only benefit would be ability to bring back in person if there was an issue in manufacturing quality, rather than deal with shipping hassles.

12" is plenty IMHO. If they are deeper, they would probably need to be shorter or closer to the bench top so you could reach in deeper. All kitchen upper caps are 12' standard, seems to work well enough. I have those same Sevilles - like them, good buy.

 

[buening]

I went with 12" cabinets over the bench and 24" deep floor cabinets. Very pleased with both choices! Any deeper than 12" over a bench and it gets hard to reach stuff in the back. It all depends on what you are storing in them though. For me its mostly automotive supplies like oil, antifreeze, cleaners, etc.

 

[DocRocket]

Think of it this way: How much big, bulky, heavy stuff do you want to lift to head height and store hanging off the wall? I can see wanting to put the tile saw and the like up there, but you probably do not want to have too much of this kind of thing in the cabinets. Same reason that your kitchen wall cabinets are not 2' deep, you'd bang your head on them and couldn't get to the beer glass at the back of the cabinet. Plus, the cast iron should not be on a 18" lever arm acting against the wall. Gravity always wins in the end.

 

[CT2012]

very good points, all of 'em. thank you.

and no i wouldn't be putting heavy things in there. just a crapload of lighter stuff. got storage for heavy stuff already (or rather, i am working on that aspect).

Think of it this way: How much big, bulky, heavy stuff do you want to lift to head height and store hanging off the wall? I can see wanting to put the tile saw and the like up there, but you probably do not want to have too much of this kind of thing in the cabinets. Same reason that your kitchen wall cabinets are not 2' deep, you'd bang your head on them and couldn't get to the beer glass at the back of the cabinet. Plus, the cast iron should not be on a 18" lever arm acting against the wall. Gravity always wins in the end.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Think of it this way: How much big, bulky, heavy stuff do you want to lift to head height and store hanging off the wall? I can see wanting to put the tile saw and the like up there, but you probably do not want to have too much of this kind of thing in the cabinets. Same reason that your kitchen wall cabinets are not 2' deep, you'd bang your head on them and couldn't get to the beer glass at the back of the cabinet. Plus, the cast iron should not be on a 18" lever arm acting against the wall. Gravity always wins in the end.

That is why I got the horizontal file cabinets. They can hold a lot of weight safely.

Jim

 

[Steevo]

I had 12" deep cabinets in my last garage, above a workbench, and they were adequate. I didn't find too many times that the depth caused me any problem with what I wanted to put up there.

That said, in my new shop, I went with 16" deep over-bench cabinets, since my bench is 30" deep, and they won't bang my head where I hung them.
I do use a 12" foot stool to access the upper shelf, so I use those for stuff I don't access often.

I also made a shallow cabinet for another spot, where I wanted enclosed organization, but didn't need depth:

Above my sink is a re-purposed classic 1950's metal kitchen cabinet, which is 12" deep.

So, basically, it depends on their location and purpose what depth is most useful to you.

 

[CT2012]

DAYUM that's a nice setup Steevo.

I just built my workbench this past weekend, it's an old solid oak door from our house remodel that I've been saving for a few years. 36" x 8', the sucker weighs a ton. and i do mean a ton.

End result is my workbench is a little bigger than i had anticipated--or at least given my workspace. Very hard to reach over and into a 12" deep cabinet. On paper the design seemed ok, but ya never know until the fat lady has sung. Or in my case, until the piece of masonite was screwed onto the top surface...

If workbench was in middle of garage floor accessible from all sides, it'd be awesome workspace.

 

[kbs2244]

I prefer the 12 inch depth.
It is enough for the milk crates and 5 gal buckets I often use for storage.
(I also prefer open, no doors, on my shelves.)
Even so, I often lose things behind other things.

 

[Falcon67]

I'll add a pic and that the only thing I put in my cabs that doesn't quite fit is my C3 19.2V drill. With the quick change bit on it, it's about 1/2' too long, so I just turn it a hair sideways.

 

[CT2012]

falcon i went to order those seville ultra hd cabinets (assuming that's what they are) today and HOLY *&$%%@#! the shipping effectively doubled the price.

i'm back to square 1.

might just build something myself instead. not inclined to, prefer look and ease of buying steel ready-made, but jeez louise the shipping costs **** the fun outta configuring it all.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Have you considered IKEA? At $58 each, they are a bargain.

Jim

 

[CT2012]

potential moisture/dampness issue precludes me from going that route, otherwise yeah i'd consider 'em. i have a nice ikea cabinet system in house in mudroom and even there the base getting slightly warped due to cumulative effects of cold porcelain tile floor.

for one particular narrow but tall space in garage, yes i'm looking at one of those ikea metal cabinets that look like kids' school lockers. it'd be perfect and it's 99 bucks. problem is it only comes in white, would really like black or red.

 

[holland_patrick]

I had mine for over a year now and have no problem with them in the garage... and mine is VERY moist in the winter....

 

[CT2012]

i have detached structure with cinder block walls.

literally a layer of dew has been known to be on surface of everything. all my exposed tools with some steel component has rusted lightly (or badly) over the course of a couple of years. previously shiny estwing hammers and other hand tools, power tools, you name it. rusty.

simply: can't have mdf cabinets.

 

[JimVonBaden]

i have detached structure with cinder block walls.

literally a layer of dew has been known to be on surface of everything. all my exposed tools with some steel component has rusted lightly (or badly) over the course of a couple of years. previously shiny estwing hammers and other hand tools, power tools, you name it. rusty.

simply: can't have mdf cabinets.

You might need aluminum or wood, cause steel will rust fast in that environment.

Jim

 

[CT2012]

umm....good point. haven't thought of that.

i assumed powder coated cabinets would be best.

i just sealed the living daylights outta the structure, but the floor is untouched from atmospheric moisture. am curious how that's goign to play out there year with installation of floor tiles (plastic).

You might need aluminum or wood, cause steel will rust fast in that environment.

Jim