I have been looking at Harbor Freight’s tool carts, ever since my visits to two local stores about a week ago.
They have two tool carts under their US General brand, one with 4 drawers that has been on sale for $150, and one with 5 drawers that looks to have just gone on sale for $200.
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I’ve been slowly researching the brands, and one common theme seems to have come up, at least in regard to aesthetics. Harbor Freight customers have been asking for them to release US General tool cart in white.
Well, now they have, or at least for the 5-drawer mechanic’s tool cart.
Features & Specs
- Lid opens to 90°
- 2 gas struts for lid support
- Rolled drawer edges
- Spring-loaded drawer latches hold drawers shut
- Full-extension ball bearing drawer slides
- 5″ casters – 2 swivel, 2 fixed
- Pre-cut drawer liners
- Barrel key lock
- 30″ long x 41-3/8″ tall x 22″ depth
- 700 lbs total weight capacity
- Weighs 144 lbs
Also available in red, orange, green, yellow, black, and blue.
SKU: 56429
Price: $200, was $230
Discussion
Personally, I’m leaning more towards the 4-drawer tool cart, but this one has more drawers for greater hand tool or parts storage and organization.
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My last two computers had white cases, and so I can understand the appeal for a white tool box or tool cart as in this case. If you can’t pick a color, even when non-traditional colors like yellow and green are available, why not white?
I have known that Harbor Freight’s US General tool boxes and cabinets were popular, but this is the first time I’ve found myself personally interested in their tool storage products.
I saw these tool boxes in-store, and it was an impressive display – a rainbow of tool carts, each holding a small sampling of their optional color-matched add-ons and shop accessories.
Will a white tool box be too smudgy?
As an aside, does anyone else remember Craftsman’s limited edition dry erase-finish tool storage chest and cabinet?
Sean
I’m not sure why someone would want a white toolbox considering it’s going get dirty constantly. The smallest amount of dirt or grease is going to really stand in stark contrast to the color.
Altan
No Paint at all, just stainless steel!
Frank D
My garage storage and carts are “stainless” … fingerprints, smudges, even some rusty spots due to humidity … quite the pain.
Altan
Any photo or link?
It is interesting to see.
DRT
I like my stainless Kobalt boxes. I liked the first set of cabinet and roll around so much, I bought a second set. Absolutely no rust. No fingerprints, either. I wipe ’em down once a year. I can’t say they look perfect, but considering that they are in the shop, I’d say they look more than good enough.
Brandon
Think outside the box (garage)…. I wouldn’t want white for myself because it would show dirt/grime too easily, however, I’m sure my wife would go for the white if she was in need of a rolling tool box.
Sean
White might be okay if you plan on colored vinyl wrap designs?
Chris
There’s more uses for these than just beyond the auto shop
Richard Hawkins
Hospitals use white. Make its easier to notice if its dirty.
Brian A
But your only allowed to use it between Memorial and Labor Day…..
David
To go with the white shoes and white belt.
Pat Lucado
The. whit would be no worse to clean than any other bright color. The white looks classy, and in a nice bright and clean service area (like a premium auto shop) adds to the professionalism. I dig it.
Wayne R.
Maybe white’s preferred in medical or food processing facilities, or anywhere else cleanliness is important, like clean-rooms. (Not for medical or food stuff, but for the tools that maintain the equipment in those spaces.)
We’ve all spent too much time rooting around for black things in black bags anyway, maybe white tool carts would be useful where light’s limited?
Maybe people want to add their own custom paint scheme and want to start with white?
Just a guess…I’ll be happy with a medium grey.
Brian M
I’ve worked in medical and food processing facilities, it’s normally stainless and those plastic grey carts for moving stuff around…but I get where you were going, it definitely has a clean look to it.
It would be cool if you bought two of these in different colors and swapped the drawers, so say car stuff is the black with red drawers and the woodworking is red with black drawers…or whatever.
Joe H
I prefer a bright color that makes finding things inside easier to see as well as bright mats but I’d go with a different color than white since white will become a different color when it gets dirty. Bright blue, red, and green seem like a good compromise to me. A light grey is fine too. White is the least desirable color for a tool box to me. It’s fine if its for an industry that maintains a higher level of cleanliness. I’d like to see a company make food specific portable tool boxes.
Chris
The five drawer cart can go as low as $160 during certain sales. Personally, I prefer the white and hope HF offers the rest of the box lineup in white.
Jeff
I’m just waiting for the other boxes to be available in white. Holding onto my money until they do.
PJ
The problem with both the 5 drawer and the 4 drawer is what has happened with the prices. Probably not linked but in both instances Harbor Freight has released new colors shortly after raising the prices.
I bought my 5 drawer last year in a parking lot sale for $150. Current price is $230. Its the same cart.
The lowest I have seen a coupon for the 4 drawer cart was $84.99. Current price is $180. Its the same cart.
If I were in the market today I wouldn’t buy a Harbor Freight cart simply out of spite.
Mike
To be fair to HF, just about everything they sell is getting hit with ever increasing tariffs. (unless you’re one of those who thinks China pays the tariff)
Stuart
Looking at our post on Harbor Freight’s 2017 Black Friday deals, their 4-drawer cart, model 95659, was 26″ wide. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/harbor-freight-black-friday-2017/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I can’t find accurate dimensions online, but the new Series 2 has gas struts and is a 30″ cart.
I can’t find good historical reference for the 5-drawer cart, but I believe it was also a 30″ cart.
I’ve seen “it’s the same product” claims about different brands’ tool storage. I don’t have much memory about HF pricing trends, but in this case the newer colors of Series 2 4-drawer carts seem to be different from the 4-drawer carts that preceded them.
Tool carts are exempt from the counterveiling duties, but very many tool storage products today might look similar to previous versions, but with greater depths and thicker metal.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/what-will-happen-to-pricing-of-tool-chests-cabinets-combos-and-mobile-workbenches/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
In quite a few instances I’ve had to explain that brands haven’t started charging more for the same products, but have had to replace their previous products with new larger tool cabinets and chests.
For the tool carts, it’s possible that the Series 2 carts have been priced lower before. But with Series 2 vs. predecessor carts, they’re not the same products.
In the case of the 4-drawer cart, there are dimensional and feature changes. I can’t find detailed-enough reference info, but would guess that there were some changes made to the 5-drawer cart.
BUT now looking at the 2018 Black Friday flyer https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/harbor-freight-black-friday-2018-tool-deals/%3C/a%3E , the 4-drawer tool cart was $100 last year.
*throws hands up in air*
Current tariffs could be at play here. Or… I don’t know.
Seasonal prices aren’t surprising, lots of brands do this. Stores will cut margins to get you in the store. If you visit your HF to buy a tool cart during a 3-day lowest-price-of-the-year sale, what are the chances that you’ll buy something else?
I’ve started to take note of the 4-drawer and 5-drawer cart pricing, and will probably have a more confident reply to your concerns a year from now.
I built a new work PC around May 2018. Now, I can get some of the same components for 1/2 or even 1/3 the price, since the bitmining bubble burst and supply shortages ended.
There are lots of different things that can affect product pricing, and in this case, I can’t put my finger on any one of them.
teicher
I don’t have accurate historical prices myself, but I know that once the Series 2 carts and chests were introduced the prices were always higher than they were for the series 1 stuff (no series label existed back then). Series 2 came about when the first round of tool box specific tariffs were enacted, if I recall correctly.
ToolGuyDan
It’s not an infinite font of historical price data, but HFQPDB has expired coupons going back at least couple years, so with a bit of dedication you can chart both the coupon prices and the full prices yourself.
Chris
Of COURSE series 2 should be more expensive. All versions of the boxes are bigger/deeper than series 1
Mopar4wd
Eh that’s just one of the quirks of harbor freight. The constant price changes can be annoying. But they run basically the same concept as a department store, where everything is rotated thru sales pricing hoping you buy at least some none sale stuff while your there.
Chris
So you’re pissy because their prices went up? Do you have understand the principles of supply and demand pricing?
HF is dirt cheap compared to EVERYTHING and you as a consumer still complain about price.
Unreal.
Why do you even click on the article link then?
evadman
I have the 4 drawer version, it seems okay but I don’t use it daily. It is in my basement, and mostly, I use it as a rolling workbench.
anything that gives folks more choices is probably a good idea. I personally do not like white because it sounds like a pain to clean. If folks out there really want white, them more power to ’em. toolboxes are one of the things that are a ‘keeping up with the jonses’ type of item where some people are super proud of their toolboxes and tools. If white is just as durable as everything else, do it.
I assume it’s powder coated, so there isn’t a huge overhead cost in making different colors for harbor freight. Most of the cost is going to be carrying cost of inventory until they figure out the stock level to put in a store and warehouses.
Greg
Try this site for harbor freight coupons.
They accept pic from your phone as well
https://www.hfqpdb.com/
Best site and its free run by volunteers so dont expect anything flashy.
Kilroy
That’s all I ever use for HF coupons, and the search function is particularly handy. The HF flyers & catalogs go straight to the recycling.
I’m with you, I’ve never had an issue with HF not accepting phone images of coupons. They know many customers are using that site, and they also know that their business model is based on 20+% discounts on nearly everything, such that if you’re paying full price you’re getting ripped off (similar to department stores in the mall). If the resolution of a scanned coupon I show the cashier is so poor that the cashier can’t just scan the image on my phone, they’ll type in the code.
carl
I have the red version of this cart (5 drawer) and have had it 3 years now. The paint has held up very well. Hindsight being what it is, I wish I would of sprung for a bigger box as I still have way too many tools and not enough drawers to hold it all.
Dave
No way in the world would I buy a white one.
I bought the 5- drawer less than a month ago for $169. I think maybe it was on Labor Day. I was willing to pay $199 which was the price that day, but a guy in the store showed me a website or an app-not sure which- that tracks all current deals/ coupons and it showed $169 and kid at the counter honored it.
I have 2 quite large boxes (both have upper and lower cabinets) and a decent-sized shop. It gets to be a chore walking back and forth to get different tools all day long as the boxes are too big to easily roll around. So I’ve loaded my new five-drawer box with all of the really common stuff and then I roll it to be close to where I’m working— saves a lot of steps and time. I wish I’d have added this box years ago!
But white? For the average user ? No way.
And by the way, my large boxes are black, and many years old, and other than a little dust, they look fine/not dirty at all. I’ve NEVER cleaned them- I’m busy enough without having to wash a white toolbox, which would look filthy weekly…..
smoothness
my organization system currently consists of one metal toolbox made by craftsman in the 1960s and a dozen or so milk crates spread across both “official” sizes (square and rectangle.)
the only reason why i haven’t switched to a “stationary” toolbox is the lack of portability, and color coding for tool groups.
if harbor freight released a “rainbow” version of this, allowing you to buy a chest with different colored drawers/accessories, i would seriously consider getting on of their products.
Mopar4wd
I have an older black 4 drawer that lives in the shed. It’s about 6 years old and still looks pretty good considering where it lives. I think after having this one I would prefer the 5 drawer. But both are pretty damn good.
Adabhael
This reminds me of a funny family story. Growing up, everything in my grandfathers shop was a distinctive color of green, just lighter than olive drab. This is not a color you would pick, but it was the color of the equipment and walls at the manufacturing plant where he worked. One day, somebody at the plant decided everything would look clean and modern if they painted it all white, and so grandpa got drums and drums of green paint for a song. It was used for decades on everything from his shadow board pegboard to my pinewood derby car, real industrial oil-based stuff.
Of course, after less than a year, the white paint at the plant looked dingy, and they went back to green. I never asked if he found it odd to have the same color at home and work, but he always laughed about the deal he got.
Blues
I’m a nursing home maintenance supervisor and have the HF 2 drawer, flip open top tool cart, in black. Cleanliness is a big deal for us and our tool carts get wiped and cleaned regularly. I could see the white a very useful color in our environment.
DRT
Honestly, I think I would pick a different color than white. But that’s not the main reason I wouldn’t buy it. The open space at the bottom just totally drives me nuts. Why don’t the drawers go all the way to the bottom? I had two roll arounds with similar dead space at the bottom. One of them went to the curb. The other is still in my shop annoying the heck out of me. One of these days it is going to follow it’s brother to never-never-land.
Rob
While everyone is saying they wouldn’t buy white, I’d disagree. White would be great for car detailing, the bottom shelf is a perfect place to store your gallon products. You have the shelf on the side to put your regular spray bottles. Polishers can fit either in a drawer or the top area. And having a drawer to protect your microfiber towels and polishing pads is always good. Plus being white it will always look clean, if you’re cleaning cars but have a dirty workstation…..
Chris
If they make all their boxes in white, I could get rid of my black ones for that
Mundy Mulligan
Chris, I am in complete agreement! I have a big black rollaway that I originally thought was perfect. It is difficult to see everything inside without the perfect amount of light. Black impact sockets, black oxide tools of any kind, they just disappear in there!
I work on my Jeep and Ducati almost exclusively. I’d buy both the 5-drawer tool cart and a 72″ toolbox in white if I could. I routinely clean all of my tools before putting them away. If you do this, the boxes won’t get that dirty. I’m also thinking just now, that’s “possibly” powder coated and not painted. It should clean up easier too.
THINK! Technology
White is sanitary. If you view pictures of any formula 1 team’s race shop, you will not only find white tool boxes, but also work benches, the floor, walls, etc al. I just wish that all of their tool boxes and carts came in white!?
Charlie Papa
Please make the 56 in white!
Jake
Purchased the 5-Drawer w/fold-down side shelf, for garage back around 2010~11, and have really enjoyed it and been glad of it, as it’s considerably larger in cu. in. & deeper than the 4-Drawer cart, which I also later purchased, in 2017, but returned, (should’ve kept it as the sale price was $99).
Anyways, the 5-Drawer cart has really been great; drawers slides are nice and smooth ; lid pistons work well and hold lid open securely; cart rolls easy w/I think 2 locking wheels.
And of course you can get the black rubber drawer liners (not as thick) from a Dollar Tree or Dollar General type store— for a fraction of the price that HF sells their (thicker) drawer liners for.
tunesteacher
HI!
I teach elementary music. Due to COVID-19 concerns and singing, I am teaching my students outside this year. That being said, I use the 5-drawer white cart for all my instruments and teaching supplies outside. I do not have a whiteboard outside to write on. I read somewhere that these carts could be written on using dry-erase marker. So, I flipped the hinged lid up and used it as a white board. I had tested it in an inconspicuous area first and it erased fine. I wrote on it in class with the dry erase marker. It stayed on there for about 20 min. When I tried to erase it, it did not completely come off with the felt eraser. I tried water. That didn’t remove it. I tried the spray for cleaning whiteboards, and that didn’t work either. I finally tried vegetable oil, and now there is only a little of the word residue left. I’m at a loss for how to remove the writing without damaging the finish. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Stuart
I would try rubbing alcohol in an inconspicuous place, and if it worked I’d then try it on the ink – carefully.