How to Choose a Rolling Tool Cabinet

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A rolling tool cabinet keeps tools in drawers and moves to where you work. When you compare two, look past the drawer count to how each drawer is built and rated.

Drawer count is not capacity

More drawers means more ways to sort tools, not more strength. What matters is what each drawer is rated to hold.

Per-drawer ratings often differ between drawers in one cabinet. Deep bottom drawers may be rated differently from shallow top ones. Check each one.
Some makers rate the slides, not the drawer. Note which one the figure describes.
Check how many slide pairs a drawer uses. Wide or deep drawers sometimes run on more than one pair.
A total cabinet rating, where one is given, is a separate number. Do not compare it with a per-drawer figure.

Our guide to weight ratings explains per-item and total ratings and their conditions.

Overall size and drawer size

The outside size tells you whether the cabinet fits your space. The inside drawer size tells you whether your tools fit. They are different measurements. Measure your longest wrench, your largest power tool and its case, then compare those with the drawer’s inside width, depth and height where the maker states them.

Casters

Check how many casters lock and whether they swivel.
A caster rating may be given per caster or for the set. Note which.
Think about your floor. Cracks, expansion joints and a sloped slab all affect how easily a loaded cabinet rolls.

Locks

Some cabinets lock all drawers with one key, some lock the lid only and some do not lock. Check the lock type if you leave the garage open or share it.

Chests, cabinets and combo units

A top chest sits on a rolling cabinet. Some are sold together as a combo, others separately. If you buy them apart, check that the maker states they fit together, and whether the cabinet’s rating covers the chest on top. A tall stack moves its weight higher, so follow the maker’s loading order and keep heavy tools low.

Browse tool cabinets or all garage cabinets, and see the planning guide for where a cabinet should live. We have not tested these products.