Husky 51 inch too chest review.
All, I wanted to post up a short review on the Husky 52 inch tool chest, this site was helpful in my research of tool chests, so i'm paying it forward.
The one i am speaking of is:
homedepot . com/p/Husky-Industrial-52-in-W-x-21-5-in-D-15-Drawer-Tool-Chest-and-Rolling-Cabinet-Combo-with-LED-Light-in-Matte-Black-H52CH6TR9HDV3/309210140
Which best I can tell is a slightly updated/reworked version of this chest:
homedepot . com/p/Husky-Heavy-Duty-52-in-W-15-Drawer-Deep-Combination-Tool-Chest-and-Rolling-Cabinet-Set-in-Matte-Black-H52CH6TR9HD/302962883?MERCH=REC-_-pipinstock-_-309210140-_-302962883-_-N
To touch on the differences quickly, the drawer layout is slightly different. The "newer" box has a shallower bottom drawer at 9 inches vs the 13 inches on the older one. The bottom chest drawers are on average deeper, including the full width one. The full width drawer comes with 4 ball bearing sliders and a cross member vs the 2 slides on the "older" one. The newer one also has a drawer with a pull out and lockable work surface, along with 4 casters instead of 6.
On to why i chose this box.
I looked at a lot of boxes in the $1k to $1.5K range before deciding on this one. -the other husky matte black box -milwuake 46 inch high capacity -Masterforce 44 inch chest -us general box -craftsman -kobalt
Here's why I settled on this one. Drawer depth, price, creature comforts, 18 gauge steel. One review that i think i read here simply said to get a box that has the drawer layout that works the best for you, took that advice to heart.
Keep in mind this was purchased for my home garage, where I do some wrenching on cars and normal around the house stuff. It will sit 90% of the time being untouched.
The Milwaukee high capacity 46 inch chest:
The full length drawer depth wast deep enough for my sockets, yes they would have fit, but with hansen style socket organizers they didn't clear. Online the stated drawer depth here for it was 4.11 inches, however i took a hansen socket organizer and put it in the drawer and it is between 1/16th and 1/8th inches too shallow. Yes it probably would have cleared the sockets in other types of organizer but i didn't want to have to deal with possibly having a drawer that was too shallow. This box did have a full width shallow drawer, which would have been nice for my wrenches.
The other husky 52 inch chest:
This is the one I wrote about above,which has a 13 inch deep drawer on the bottom, had a shallower full width chest. I believe they redid the frame on the bottom of mine, this box originally had a flat bottom with the casters bolted right into the bottom (saw this a few times in some youtube videos). The frame on the bottom of the newer husky that i purchased has a more structured frame supporting the box and casters vs a flat bottom. The 9 inch depth bottom drawers are more than deep enough to house my power tools and then some, im glad i have a larger number of other drawers that are deeper vs shallower.
Masterforce:
This box (sold through menards) was nice, deeper than all the others, however, it was on the high end of my price range, and the drawer layout was not as optimal for me. Is also locked some creature comforts that the other boxes had.
Craftsman:
Well craftsman quality has gone down hill. My dad has a craftsman stainless steel box and it is quite nice. I didn't get that feel when I saw them in the store. The size box I wanted didn't have a full width drawer, so that was a no go.
Kobalt:
Ill be honest, i didn't look very closely at these in person. However through some online research I found the the kobalt boxes had a lot of negative reviews. The boxes i was considering, their nicest stainless boxes had a weird split lid which I didn't like either, which also circles back to the point of picking the one that has the right drawer layout for you.
Us general:
A lot of people rave about these boxes, and while I'm sure they are stout, they lacked the creature comforts I was looking for. The price for a top and bottom was also quickly approaching the price of this husky box. (yes i know you can get discounts frequently that drop the price).
Onto the box i purchased:
Overall i'm happy with the purchase. Its been pointed out that the Milwaukee boxes and the husky boxes are made in the same Chinese factory (I don't have any concrete proof) however they do look eerily similar. The Milwaukee one does feel ever so slightly better put together? could just be the red powder coat. The black powder coat gets dirty very easily and scuffs easy too. The box is heavy, 600+ pounds for both pieces together, i was able to assemble it myself with the exception of getting it down from my truck, needed help with that. The air struts, built in LED light, soft close drawers, power strips, and bottle opener are all what i call "creature comforts" that really make the purchase for the price worth it to me, over spending a little less and not having them.
Some negatives that i have seen in review:
-Some people have complained about the shiny black trim peeling off as it is only held down with double sided tape. On this box they seem to have riveted it down as well, so it shouldn't come off as easily.
-Rust inside: I haven't found any rust really, a couple of surface spots in the inside that i hit with some flat black spray paint that no one will ever see.
Anyway, just trying to pay it forward for someone who might be looking for a box and has questions.
The one i am speaking of is:
homedepot . com/p/Husky-Industrial-52-in-W-x-21-5-in-D-15-Drawer-Tool-Chest-and-Rolling-Cabinet-Combo-with-LED-Light-in-Matte-Black-H52CH6TR9HDV3/309210140
Which best I can tell is a slightly updated/reworked version of this chest:
homedepot . com/p/Husky-Heavy-Duty-52-in-W-15-Drawer-Deep-Combination-Tool-Chest-and-Rolling-Cabinet-Set-in-Matte-Black-H52CH6TR9HD/302962883?MERCH=REC-_-pipinstock-_-309210140-_-302962883-_-N
To touch on the differences quickly, the drawer layout is slightly different. The "newer" box has a shallower bottom drawer at 9 inches vs the 13 inches on the older one. The bottom chest drawers are on average deeper, including the full width one. The full width drawer comes with 4 ball bearing sliders and a cross member vs the 2 slides on the "older" one. The newer one also has a drawer with a pull out and lockable work surface, along with 4 casters instead of 6.
On to why i chose this box.
I looked at a lot of boxes in the $1k to $1.5K range before deciding on this one. -the other husky matte black box -milwuake 46 inch high capacity -Masterforce 44 inch chest -us general box -craftsman -kobalt
Here's why I settled on this one. Drawer depth, price, creature comforts, 18 gauge steel. One review that i think i read here simply said to get a box that has the drawer layout that works the best for you, took that advice to heart.
Keep in mind this was purchased for my home garage, where I do some wrenching on cars and normal around the house stuff. It will sit 90% of the time being untouched.
The Milwaukee high capacity 46 inch chest:
The full length drawer depth wast deep enough for my sockets, yes they would have fit, but with hansen style socket organizers they didn't clear. Online the stated drawer depth here for it was 4.11 inches, however i took a hansen socket organizer and put it in the drawer and it is between 1/16th and 1/8th inches too shallow. Yes it probably would have cleared the sockets in other types of organizer but i didn't want to have to deal with possibly having a drawer that was too shallow. This box did have a full width shallow drawer, which would have been nice for my wrenches.
The other husky 52 inch chest:
This is the one I wrote about above,which has a 13 inch deep drawer on the bottom, had a shallower full width chest. I believe they redid the frame on the bottom of mine, this box originally had a flat bottom with the casters bolted right into the bottom (saw this a few times in some youtube videos). The frame on the bottom of the newer husky that i purchased has a more structured frame supporting the box and casters vs a flat bottom. The 9 inch depth bottom drawers are more than deep enough to house my power tools and then some, im glad i have a larger number of other drawers that are deeper vs shallower.
Masterforce:
This box (sold through menards) was nice, deeper than all the others, however, it was on the high end of my price range, and the drawer layout was not as optimal for me. Is also locked some creature comforts that the other boxes had.
Craftsman:
Well craftsman quality has gone down hill. My dad has a craftsman stainless steel box and it is quite nice. I didn't get that feel when I saw them in the store. The size box I wanted didn't have a full width drawer, so that was a no go.
Kobalt:
Ill be honest, i didn't look very closely at these in person. However through some online research I found the the kobalt boxes had a lot of negative reviews. The boxes i was considering, their nicest stainless boxes had a weird split lid which I didn't like either, which also circles back to the point of picking the one that has the right drawer layout for you.
Us general:
A lot of people rave about these boxes, and while I'm sure they are stout, they lacked the creature comforts I was looking for. The price for a top and bottom was also quickly approaching the price of this husky box. (yes i know you can get discounts frequently that drop the price).
Onto the box i purchased:
Overall i'm happy with the purchase. Its been pointed out that the Milwaukee boxes and the husky boxes are made in the same Chinese factory (I don't have any concrete proof) however they do look eerily similar. The Milwaukee one does feel ever so slightly better put together? could just be the red powder coat. The black powder coat gets dirty very easily and scuffs easy too. The box is heavy, 600+ pounds for both pieces together, i was able to assemble it myself with the exception of getting it down from my truck, needed help with that. The air struts, built in LED light, soft close drawers, power strips, and bottle opener are all what i call "creature comforts" that really make the purchase for the price worth it to me, over spending a little less and not having them.
Some negatives that i have seen in review:
-Some people have complained about the shiny black trim peeling off as it is only held down with double sided tape. On this box they seem to have riveted it down as well, so it shouldn't come off as easily.
-Rust inside: I haven't found any rust really, a couple of surface spots in the inside that i hit with some flat black spray paint that no one will ever see.
Anyway, just trying to pay it forward for someone who might be looking for a box and has questions.