HF 5 drawer tool cart

[Darren Wright]

I was up in KC a couple of weeks ago and caught the the HF 5 drawer tool carts on close-out for $199 each (orange and yellow versions, $249 for other colors btw)...

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I dropped them off at my storage as I couldn't bring them home at the time. I picked them up yesterday and started assembly tonight. They are not light, about 150 lbs. They come packed with the casters inside the top tray, and legs packed on top of the main drawer assembly in the box. The main drawer assembly sits on top of the bottom tray that the casters sit on.


Pro tip, remove the casters and drawers before trying to lift the drawer cabinet, will reduce the weight by about 60 lbs.


Start with the casters on the base, then install the legs and mid cross supports.


Then lift the drawer box onto the frame, sitting it on the cross supports and finish installing/tightening all bolts. Re-install the drawers once everything is tightened down.

I bought two, one more to go. I think they are well built and don't think I could buy plywood and hardware for what I paid for each.

 

[Jonathan Shively]

HF tool chests have gotten great reviews for quite a few years as the best bang for the buck. Garage Journal online forum has a dedicated thread on them and the customizations people have done to them.

 

[Jay Caughron]

I bought one of those when they first came out and love mine. It's FULL of CBG building supplies. I paid $99 back then

 

[Darren Wright]

HF tool chests have gotten great reviews for quite a few years as the best bang for the buck. Garage Journal online forum has a dedicated thread on them and the customizations people have done to them.

Modifications to the HF 4 and 5 drawer service carts - what changes have you made?

There have been several recent threads related to the HF service carts; reviews, how you've organized them, where to get coupons etc. Scattered in these I've seen a couple modifications. I thought it would be interesting to start a thread to capture the changes, improvements or other...

www.garagejournal.com

103 pages of posts!

Yeah, got a few ideas already and only up to page 5.

 

[Darren Wright]

Got the second one assembled this afternoon. Though I’m planning to use these in separate areas of my shop, my future self had the wit to ensure I put the handles and spinning casters on opposite ends I the event they do park by one another.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Yeah, got a few ideas already and only up to page 5.

I might wait to see your shortened selection haha. That's.. a lot of modification discussion.

 

[glenn bradley]

If you catch them on sale they can be a great bargain. Especially if you have a store in your town. I used a Yukon for a sharpening station. It has worked out great so far.

 

[Darren Wright]

If you catch them on sale they can be a great bargain. Especially if you have a store in your town. I used a Yukon for a sharpening station. It has worked out great so far.
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I’ve got two of those, husky brand. Just don’t weigh them down with lead & really heavy tools, then let it drop a few inches off a tailgate, the bottoms aren’t all that stout…damhikt

 

[Brent Dowell]

If you catch them on sale they can be a great bargain. Especially if you have a store in your town. I used a Yukon for a sharpening station. It has worked out great so far.
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Oddly enough, just like Darren, I have 2 of the Husky ones. I use one of them as a desk in my shop with a removeable board on the top drawer. Basically it's my electronics work station with a laptop and soldering irons and what not.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Oddly enough, just like Darren, I have 2 of the Husky ones. I use one of them as a desk in my shop with a removeable board on the top drawer. Basically it's my electronics work station with a laptop and soldering irons and what not.

My single 9-drawer Husky (purchased at Carol's suggestion) is where almost all my turning tools and big buffing wheels are stored. (The bowl gouges are in a separate vertical rack that sits on a neighboring cabinet.) The top of the Husky has my dry and wet grinders and their various accessories.

 

[Darren Wright]

I ordered some 20” folding shelf brackets off Amazon that are rated for 150lbs. I drilled out the top holes a bit to mount them on the side of the carts reversing the 2nd bolts down. Not show, but I drilled and added a couple also lower on the legs.

I used some left over 2x10 material I was tripping over anyway for the shelves. I may add a 1x2 on the side next to the cart when up, will keep things from falling into that crack.

I did both carts since the brackets came as a pack of 4.