Social media started feeding me ads for Beta tool cabinets at Lowe’s, informing me that Lowe’s is now selling Beta tool cabinets – and more – on their website.
Cool! I’m a big fan of Beta tools and storage products, but I find their USA distribution to be extremely unfavorable.
Beta is a European tool brand that specializes in mechanics tools, automotive tool storage and work accessories, and similar. Their tools are priced at a premium – even more so in the USA – but they’re still mostly accessible.
Advertisement
Beta would fit in well with Knipex, Wera, and the like. Beta mechanics tools are somewhat upper tier, and the brand strikes me as being user-oriented.
It has been years since I purchased some Beta tools and a cabinet from Amazon, and I’ve been eager to buy more.
Beta has been extremely slow in bringing new products to the USA – they launch much earlier in Europe. If you asked me to name a reliable dealer, I’d suggest maybe Amazon or Home Depot could be potential sources.
Beta’s USA distribution has been… inconsistent over the years, for lack of a better way to put it.
So, when I saw Lowe’s ad for Beta tool cabinets, my eyes lit up a bit.
Is this good news? Bad? It turns out it’s kind of “meh.”
Advertisement
Clicking through Lowe’s ads, the Beta SuperTank C28 is $3,589, plus delivery fees. I found at least one industrial supplier that has it for $1,000 less.
Lowe’s has the RSC24 narrow tool cabinet, which I’ve been chasing for years following its European announcement, for $1,219, plus freight. Ouch. I found an industrial supplier that has it for $400 less, even with freight fees tacked on.
Lowe’s has the C19 hand-carry tool box for $109. Home Depot has it for $70 with free shipping.
Like I said – “meh.”
Lowe’s is now carrying Beta tools and storage products. Yay! But they’re priced higher than existing suppliers. Boo!
Retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s are great with B2C, but they don’t seem invested in Beta tool sales at all. It seems they’re just adding some SKUs to their website, and letting the tools sell themselves.
These tools aren’t selling themselves, however, and certainly not when Lowe’s tacks on an added markup.
11 years ago, I wrote a post – Beta Tools are Coming Back to the USA.
They haven’t been consistently available since then, and they’re definitely not very visible now, Lowe’s sponsored social media posts notwithstanding.
Some of the Beta prices on Amazon are enticing. For instance, they have a cantilever tool box for $90 with free Prime shipping. Although, Amazon’s recent shipping practices have me doubting if that metal tool box will be delivered dent-free.
It seems the choice is between broad selection, lower prices, or little hassle. I can’t find a Beta tool dealer that can convince me to open my wallet.
I want broad selection, lower prices, AND little hassle. Lowe’s isn’t known for that, but I had my hopes up for a bit after seeing their ad on social media.
I started off a bit thrilled that Lowe’s is now carrying Beta tools, but the arrangement seems like another case of a brand wanting to permeate as many online marketplaces as possible.
Thoughts?
eddiesky
While the concept is nice, I have issue with the price.
I bought an original German Airforce Tool box, like that orange one pictured, but in green, from a Youtuber I watch. I paid much less than Lowes and he shipped it to me, including his decals and some patches.
Beta isn’t going anywhere with a store like Lowes.
I would like a stainless top on a cart for when doing small engine work in the garage but … $4000… and only wood top… nope.
Stuart
If I could source Beta 27″ made-in-Italy cabinets with safety lock drawers at $700 apiece, and they’d be guaranteed to arrive damage-free, I’d buy a bunch for ToolGuyd’s workspace.
I’d strongly consider the SuperTank at sub-$2500. I’m planning on building something similar, and the costs are outrageous for quality parts and materials.
Joe E.
Any tool storage at Lowe’s is better than the cheap crap Craftsman is peddling. Their tool chests are boring and the quality isn’t as good as the Sears days.
Beta looks like a great alternative.
Stuart
The problem is that Lowe’s doesn’t seem committed to any brand. Look at what they’re doing with Viper…
Jim Felt
Or just “look at what they’re doing with” nearly any brand they touch. AKA no continuity and/or apparent plan.
Stuart
Vessel USA has been posting more on social media, and all their links lead to Lowes.
I really hope that’s working out for them.
But I’ve learned to expect that Lowes crushes high expectations.
There’s an expression I’ve been hearing more often – “show up and win.” How often does this really happen?
Goodie
Agreed. I love many of the brands that Lowe’s carries: Metabo HPT, Bosch, Flex (when they were available), Klein, Estwing. Kobalt was one of the best house-brands for many years. But sadly, these brands aren’t being promoted well at all. It’s a sea of red Craftsman that seems to get the prominent placement.
It’s really too bad, as I think that Lowe’s approach to providing a good selection of brands could work really well if they did a better job with promotion.
Frank D
Would love some of those cabinets, but the price is a serious road block.
I regret not getting one or two extra 6 drawer units from that series that Sam’s Club carried. You could buy ten of them for the price of one super tank. Unbelievable.
Ben V
I just purchased three Beta cabinets and am very happy!
https://www.instagram.com/p/C77YlttSsk6/
Couple of things:
– The cabinet themselves are very well built, full extension drawers and the small drawers are really good height for 90% of my tools. In particular, they do not have a bunch of dead space, a particular bug bear of mine.
– I purchased them from Zoro, they are currently on sale and you can stack a 20% voucher on top. So the 8-drawer cabinet is $793 after tax and delivery for me at the moment.
– The corners are packed in polystyrene, in a heavy-duty cardboard, strapped to a small wooden pallet, then on a regular size pallet. Two of my cabinets arrived in perfect condition but one was trashed and it’s hard to really blame Beta, I don’t know if they could have packed it better. Getting a replacement was straight forward, that arrived in great condition.
They are definitely recommended.
Stuart
Zoro can be a mixed bag with steel storage cabinet.
I ordered two in March 2023, but fulfillment was taking too long so I cancelled the orders.
A few years ago I ordered 3 similarly sized Proto cabinets from Zoro, and 2 were damaged far beyond acceptability.
I might try again now that the latest model finally launched in the USA, but I’ll have to be in the mood for potential headaches.
Ryan
I bought a Beta trolley from Zoro back when they had 25% off coupons. That made Zoro was cheapest by a large margin of anyplace. It was packed very well and had no damage.
After years, I finally got another 25% from Zoro a couple months ago and almost bought another trolley
Saulac
Lowe’s said they want to focus on the pros/contractors…but apparent ly no one in the leadership has know or saw or know how US pros/contractors work yet.
Steve
I don’t know, man. It’s not Alpha enough for me.
John
Regardless of price, who offers the highest overall QUALITY cabinets?
Stuart
Lista, Rousseau Metal, Vidmar.
CMF
Unless they were sold recently, Vidmar is SBD, and Lista is the same company as Vidmar. The Lista I have seen in some machine shops are crazy. Drawers that are 2 or 3 inch high holding 200-300 pounds of dies. They roll open and close so smooth, and you can feel the weight they have in them…crazy!
fred
We had a combination of Lista and Rotabins in our or metal fabrication plant. After we bought the business, I so liked what I saw that I had a thought to convert some of my home shop over to a similar set up. Then I calculated the price and thought better of it. The organization and productivity that come from a well-organized tool room, and parts storage can pay for solutions like Lista at the factory – but it’s a tough call for a home shop.
DRT42
Fred, I had the exact same experience. And, unfortunately, the exact same outcome.
CMF
I bought a Beta tool box/cart about 10 years ago from trident-supply.com .at the
time they had a promo where you would get the tool box, similar to the blue one Stuart shows above, and a bunch of tools. What you see in these pictures that is Beta, were included.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-christmas-tool-thread-what-did-you-get-this-year.273872/page-4#post-4512313
Mine is orange and has less drawers. One big one at the bottom equivalent to the 2 bottom ones on the blue. Then the rest are possibly a touch larger but only 4 or 5. Mine might not be as tall, but hard to tell from pictures.
Beta is big in Europe, and unless they changed, are a big sponsor for Ferrari in F1.
Some say their boxes are Snap On quality. This I can’t say. I have seen many SO boxes friends have but never owned one to truly say how good they are.
My Beta is easily my best box ( I do have a 50 year old Beach which is very good, but no ball bearings at the time), my guess is they are close to SO boxes but not quite…but again, cannot say for sure.
The Beta Super Tanks look amazing (European retailers have a multitude of configs for these), but the price is just to much for someone like me to consider.
The Beta tools I got are all very top of the line. Made in Italy, but I have heard for years that they have sent some production offshore (China?). Their tools do not state COO.
Too bad Lowes is pulling this over pricing game.
BHS
Knowing Lowe’s, they’ll be on clearance in 4-5 weeks.
CMF
Unless I missed it in Stuart’s article, these are online only. The price of these, you can’t sell them on the floor of a big box like Lowes or HD.
Mr. X
Those Beta boxes, especially the hand box, look very similar to USAG/Facom stuff that is not common but available in the US. Pretty sure USAG/Facom is now owned by Stanley Black & Decker which might make Lowe’s connection make sense.
Jansonv
Yeah would love something like that but way out of my price point.
kent_skinner
Hold on to this, and it’ll save you some typing in 6-8 months…
“What happened to Lowe’s and Beta? There was a big announcement in June ’24, but we haven’t seen any Beta tools on the floor, or online. Lowe’s didn’t reply to email about their relationship with Beta.”
Stuart
There was no announcement, just ads on social media.
charles anderson
Would be nice to lay hands on a Beta Tools Folding Tool Trolley before spending $500 for it.
Stuart
Definitely.
I’ve been tempted to splurge on one every time I accumulate enough gift card or credit card reward points to soften the blow, but I have a very hard time seeing $500 in value for what you get, even if the construction is exceptionally high quality – which is not guaranteed.