Drawer organizers are one of the most convenient ways to organize small tools, parts, and supplies. There are a number of brands and options available, with Akro-Mils being one of the most well known and highly regarded.
Akro-Mils’ USA-made plastic drawer parts storage cabinets are not nearly as robustly built as steel or higher-end ABS plastic cabinets, but they’re still fairly durable. The drawers are tough and impact-resistant, with Akro-Mils going so far to call them unbreakable.
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Several drawer configurations and color options are available, and certain models include a couple of drawer dividers to help customize each organizational setup.
A 26-Drawers
B 24-Drawers
C 44-Drawers
D 64-Drawers
16-Drawers (first image), via Amazon
Update: Akro-Mils sent us an email telling us know that all of their plastic organizers have black housings (not gray as in image B), and that the housings are made from 100% recycled materials. Partially made from recycled materials and in the USA? Thumbs up!
annonymous
Awesome very nice to see a USA made product review Stuart. Great review and I’ve been buying Akro-Mills products for the last several years and their products are great. Also important to point out, virtually all of their products are made in the United States of America.
JC
Why do most of these posts have links to amazon.com? Site visitors deserve an answer.
Stuart
Because I buy maybe 90% of my tools and equipment via Amazon, I’m always on there looking for deals and new gear, and purchases through Amazon support ~20-40% of the site’s upkeep. This is further discussed in the Disclosure. I could post links to all the vendors selling these items, but most readers automatically beeline to Amazon as I usually do, or they head to their favorite distributors.
I am also favorable towards Amazon because of their top-notch customer service and policies. I ordered 3 Akro-Mils steel organizers in the past 2 years – 1 from Amazon, 1 from Sears, and 1 from an industrial supplier. The one from Sears came damaged and was a huge hassle to arrange for a return and replacement. The one from Amazon arrived perfect, but from experience I know they handle returns exceptionally well. The one from the industrial supplier arrived intact but with hefty shipping fees tacked on.
I’ve been using one of these organizers (44-drawers) in my lab for about a year now, and it’s been serving me well. I don’t like it as much as my steel-frame organizers, but it was inexpensive and serves its purpose. Place of purchase? Small Parts under Amazon.
N/A
Why does it matter that Stuart posts links to Amazon? I’ve got to agree with Stuart on this one with Amazon, I’ve had issues with other companies, but when I’ve had issues with Amazon, they take care of it and don’t beat around the bush in hopes I forget the issue.
Remember Toolguy’d IS Stuart’s site, so he can post whatever vendor he wants. We don’t need to know every minor detail that goes on here.
Stuart
If the commentor is who I think he is, he might have a personal grudge and is just looking to stir up trouble. Or maybe he just believes in conspiracies. In any case, thanks for the defense. =)
Matt P
Are they better than that shoddy Stack-On organizer that’s currently for sale in Home Depots and Lowes stores across the country? I purchased one of those and was immediately disappointed in the build quality. The drawers fell out too easy, the plastic was far too flexible, and they expected me to go online and purchase dividers separately. It lasted forty-five minutes before I returned it.
Stuart
The one in my lab has been durable and the drawers fairly strong, but the housing a bit more lightweight than I would have liked. It’s still in great shape, but I prefer to use my steel-cabinet Akro Mils organizer for heavier needs. These are not built the same as the very thick and rigid organizers from 10-20 years ago. Dividers are included, but I don’t remember how many.
If I had to make the choice again, I would still order the 44-drawer unit for lab use. To be honest I would prefer for the organizers to have thicker or stiffer plastic, but that doesn’t seem to be possible these days.
Bear in mind that the Akro Mils organizers are industrial products and as such they *should* be somewhat better made than the DIY organizers sold at home improvement stores. In my experience they are, but not leaps and bounds better. For that you really have to go to double or triple the price.