Differences between lista's mobile cabinets and toolboxes
I'm toolbox shopping and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with lista's toolbox offerings. The mobile cabinets seem to have different handles and generally cost less than the toolboxes, what is better on the toolbox to drive this cost? Also do either have any mechanism to prevent the drawers from sliding open while moving?
in my opinion drawers with ball bearing slides sounds like a good ideal but after over 25 years of the annoying feature of my tool box drawers always coming out if the floor was not perfectly level i had to fix the problem. i was unemployed at the time and had nothing better to do anyway.
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basically i emptied my tool box and flipped it upside down and made sure my wheels were not welded on but screwed on so i could add shims to front facing wheels. i have tool box 1/4" shimmed so drawers if anything slide back in not out. i have come to the opinion if anything ball bearing drawer slides are a pita.
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I also had a Vidmar cabinet on a truck once and drawers were not locked. they started to slide out and cabinet tipped over and all the tools and cutters were all over the place.
We have a few of the Lista roll around cabinets at work. They seem hell-for-stout. They have ball bearing slides and a drawer interlock that prevents more than one drawer from opening at a time. They also seem to have some type of indent to keep that one drawer closed unless you pull on it pretty good, but that may just be wear or weight of tools (they're all packed full). If you're worried about that one drawer opening while you roll it around, you can epoxy a neodymium magnet on the back of each drawer to hold it closed against the main box frame. They're pretty stout. Should hold a weighted drawer closed easily.
I've used Snap On, Kennedy, Lista, and Vidmar cabinets and boxes. The best way to buy a Snap On box is through a Craig's List ad - I found a used 40" box for 60% less than Snap On's list price. Lista and Vidmar are both very similar, but the tool boxes seem better designed for regular moving than their cabinets-with-casters. My favorite is the Kennedy box - not the usual maintenance man special, but check out the 15 drawer roller cabinet for $ 1330. Another option is a Blackhawk cabinet (built by Proto) - they have a 14 drawer cabinet for about $ 950. Also, check with your local Grainger's - one near me had a special order Lista that was never picked up, and someone wound up with a 40" wide toolbos with a maple top for $ 1200.
A snap-on box for 60% less than list? Wow - still seems like a rip off. That makes it what - $3k? I know snap-on hand tools are fantastic, and I'd love to own them, but at the outrageous prices of a snap-on box - mostly a status symbol in my opinion (often bought new by young mechanics that think it will make them feel like they're for real), I'd actually feel odd having one in my shop. I'd be self conscious that someone that I might respect would think of me as a sucker/poser.
I'm toolbox shopping and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with lista's toolbox offerings. The mobile cabinets seem to have different handles and generally cost less than the toolboxes, what is better on the toolbox to drive this cost? Also do either have any mechanism to prevent the drawers from sliding open while moving?
Hello Adam,
Our toolboxes, and most cabinets, have what we have an IDL or an individual drawer latching mechanism. The IDLs are what allow you to open only one drawer at a time and will keep all drawers closed unless you pull on the latch to open a specific drawer. As for the cost, all of the Technician Series toolboxes come with drawer liners, the top drawer is outfitted with some organizational items to help get you started. The TS toolbox is all about function.
I have all my tools in a lista box with wheels I can roll that thing all over the shop and it doesnt collapse. I have raked a couple of kennedys. I have big divits and potholes in my floor so I love the big wheels.
Hello Adam,
Our toolboxes, and most cabinets, have what we have an IDL or an individual drawer latching mechanism. The IDLs are what allow you to open only one drawer at a time and will keep all drawers closed unless you pull on the latch to open a specific drawer. As for the cost, all of the Technician Series toolboxes come with drawer liners, the top drawer is outfitted with some organizational items to help get you started. The TS toolbox is all about function.
I've got one of their 8 drawer toolboxes. Dear god they're built like tanks. The drawers are rated at 400 pounds each. The box claims to weigh 800# empty. Having moved it empty, on its back, it's heavy, but not that heavy, so I dunno. The drawers interlock so only one will open at a time, and there's a ramp at the front of the stroke that you have to overcome to get them open, so no drawers flopping open as you move.
I've also got a couple of Kennedy and Craftsman bottom units. The Listas are a whole 'nother ball game in terms of how heavily they're built.
I've got big boring bars in one of the drawers of one of the Kennedys. Nearly drag the whole unit forward in getting the drawer open. I've got a lot heavier jig bits in one of the drawers of the Lista. You can feel the inertia of the weight getting the drawer moving, but once it's rolling, it's smooth and easy. It really doesn't care that it's got 2-300 pounds of jigs in there.
They're ungodly expensive, but they're worth it. (I lucked out and found mine at an auction.)
I like to have my storage moveable as sometimes I switch up the shop or need added space for a bigger job. I Lucked out and got 6 Vidmars at a local online auction and got 6 WITH contents for about 1/4 of the price of ONE new cabinet. After cleaning them all up and painting them I made up a frame out of 3/8" angle iron. pulled all the drawers and cleaning and greased the bearings and drawers work smooth as silk again. Used 6 casters on it and love the flexability of it. Not something you'd want to move everyday but it IS moveable at least. Turned out pretty nice to me and you can get a LOT of stuff in it. As others have said. You can't go wrong with Vidmar or Lista.
SnapOn boxes are definitely too expensive - read Craig's list to see what someone paid new, and what they are trying to get for a used box. Used are typically about half the cost of new. They're still pricey, but when I can buy a box that listed at $ 2400 for $ 850, I'm interested. I found one the seller told me had been used, and that there were some scratches in the paint. I could care less about perfect paint, or a fitted vinyl cover. It holds tools just fine, and it will outlast any other $ 850 box by a century or so. You see other brands listed periodically, but used SnapOn are a lot more common.
Update,
I ended up going with the lista toolbox. I picked the 900 series over the 1050 and I'm glad, the 900 height is bordering on being to tall. The build Quality is fantastic with the exception of some rough edges on the butcher block. I ordered mine through motorhead extraordinaire. Their service was good and the box was delivered in the quoted time frame.
My coworkers teased me a bit over the color but i think it looks great.
Did you get 2 of the lowest drawers available (50mm/2") ? I have one of those too and I find it close to unusable. I only has room for a couple of manuals and that's it.
After I got the first cabinet I usually order 100mm as the lowest drawer height.
can't fault the quality. If you have the heavy duty drawers they usually roll easier with 100lbs in them than when empty.
Did you get 2 of the lowest drawers available (50mm/2") ? I have one of those too and I find it close to unusable. I only has room for a couple of manuals and that's it.
After I got the first cabinet I usually order 100mm as the lowest drawer height.
can't fault the quality. If you have the heavy duty drawers they usually roll easier with 100lbs in them than when empty.
Two of the cabinets I have.
I find them to be a good height for my inspection equipment and indicators. I use tool foam which frees up a lot of height and space requirement because you don't have the plastic cases for everything.
Much love for Lista here. When I was spending Uncle Sams money equipping F-16 Phase Docks I could get any box I wanted.
Lista won, no contest. I've seen what maintainers do to every major brand tool box.
I also outfitted our toolroom with their gear. The rep came by, we measured our space, and he did CAD layouts for me to help me show da bosses what they were getting.
Those boxes and cabinets will be in use long after I'm dead. If I hit the lottery, I'll have Lista everywhere I need storage.
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Differences between lista's mobile cabinets and toolboxes
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Originally Posted by Adam_Demuth
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