We recently introduced you to the new Porter Cable tool storage combo, and then shared some more info with you, thanks to a Q&A with the product manager.
I finally found one of these to check out in person, at a Lowes around 45 minutes away, and took the opportunity to do some quick tire-kicking. It’s not the same as full long-term testing and review, but some hands-on is better than none.
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What I found is that it’s obvious the Porter Cable tool chest and cabinet were designed around a price point, but they seem to have been designed by someone who would have been happy buying it for their own use. I hope that makes sense.
There are some obvious cost-cutting measures, but other aspects that seemed thoughtful, almost as if someone on the product team fought hard to keep the quality as high as possible.
Both the top chest and bottom cabinet are now on sale as part of a “Special Value” sale, for $249 each. The price isn’t reflecting on the website yet.
To me, this means that the combo was designed and built to sell at the $498 price point.
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Which is not a bad thing. The price point makes this one of the most affordable large capacity tool storage combos on the market.
With this combo, Porter Cable was going for capacity and generally handy features.
The colors are decent – pale grey with a soft red with slight pinkish tint. It’s pleasant. Not too flashy, not too drab.
The drawer pulls are a good size, and the ends are capped. Budget tool storage combos don’t always have capped drawer pulls, and it’s something that higher priced units don’t always have either.
My Craftsman GripLatch chest reminds me of this all the time, when it claims its piece of flesh nearly every time I pass close by.
Gas spring lid stays are a must these days. They work reasonably well, too.
By *must*, I mean they’re a trendy convenience that buyers have come to expect. No gas springs on a consumer brand tool storage chest? That would scream “we’ve totally cheaped out.”
I’ve made good use of my Craftsman chest’s metal lid stays, but gas springs are simply more convenient. They’re quicker and easier to use.
The side handles are usable, I guess.
The top handle lids are pretty cheap, but they get the job done.
You get two handles, and use whichever one is easier to reach. When it’s time to close the top lid, reach up and feel for it. After some use you’ll surely get used to the placement.
The pull-out work surface is lacquered MDF, complete with ruler markings and common angle guide lines.
Over in the previous posts, there was a complaint or two about the pull-out drawer being hard to close.
I couldn’t close it by feel, so I took a look at the side and saw where the locking mechanism was. I was holding my son in one arm, and so I had to unlatch the work surface drawer one side at a time.
A press of the latch on one side, and then the other side, and the drawer slid back into its storage position. I’d say it was pretty effortless to do.
I took a look at one of the drawers, and there were holes in the bottom. Some of my tool chests have something similar, and I’ve never given much thought about why.
But what I noticed, and this is what prompted the photo, is that the hole was perfectly powder coated.
I also checked, but couldn’t find any sharp burrs or anything. Not the sides of the drawers, not the holes in the drawers, and not on the sides of the drawer pulls, which were capped with plastic end pieces.
Yes, Porter Cable – or the folks at Stanley who worked closely with the Porter Cable team, designed this around the $498 sale price. But the manufacturing seems to be top-notch. When there’s a price point in mind, attention to detail makes a world of difference between an inexpensive product and a cheap one.
The drawer slides are permanently riveted to the drawers.
Here’s a closeup.
And here’s a Kobalt unit, with non-permanently-attached drawer slides.
I recently had to replace the drawer slide on a Craftsman chest. I ordered the slide, took the drawer out, and replaced the slide.
But neither Dewalt’s newer storage cabinet, nor Milwaukee’s well acclaimed storage combo, offer anything different. Both also have permanently-attached drawer slides.
“Permanent” is a relative word. If you can find replacement slides, you can drill out the rivets and replace the slide yourself. Maybe. I haven’t looked inside any of these cabinets to see if the drawer slides are capable of being replaced.
At these price points, the drawer slides are likely designed to be permanently mounted. They should give years and years of service.
Would you give drawer slide replaceability when shopping for something like this?
The drawers provide around 16″ of depth. I’m not sure what I expected, but this is a good size.
The smaller of the large bottom drawers houses a power tool organizer, which can instead be place don the left side of the cabinet.
The chest comes with an inexpensive power strip, with 4 outlets, an on/off switch, and (2) USB charging ports.
There are also 2 grommets for passing through power cords, charging cables, and the such.
I didn’t load up all the drawers with tools from the shelves – remember, this was an in-store hands-on – but I did manage to pop a few tools into one of the drawers.
It didn’t feel flimsy, but there was some flex when I checked. The combo is made from 21 gauge steel.
The internet says 18 gauge is 0.0478″, and 21 gauge is 0.0329″. (Sorry, my reference books are still boxed up.) That means that 18 gauge steel is 45% thicker than 21 gauge.
21 gauge is not insubstantial, but you might want to shop for something else if you have heavy duty needs. Keep in mind that the Porter Cable combo was designed for woodworkers, DIYers, and probably casual users as well.
Check it out in store, and a load a drawer with some tools from off the shelf. Can you open the drawers easily? Close them easily? Smoothly? Do the drawers wobble and flex under load (they really shouldn’t).
Will you get frustrated with the lid? Personally, I’m used to a centered lid with the Milwaukee, full-width with the Dewalt, or no lid as with my Craftsman.
I think that the Porter Cable combo represents a good balance between features and quality. It offers a lot of bang for the buck.
At $500, I’d consider it very inexpensive for what you get. Is it cheap? Yes, there’s a hint of cheapness, but it’s not as pronounced as I would have expected.
Would I buy it? Probably not. I’m in and out of several of my tool boxes on a daily basis. I prefer a little more sturdiness. But a few years ago? It would have been enough for my needs, maybe even too much.
Right after I left the store, I found myself unable to put my hands-on impression into words. There were a few things that looked and felt cheap, such as the lid handles and the power strip, but a lot of areas where attention mattered. The finish was excellent, even flawless, and the drawers felt pretty solid despite the medium gauge sheet metal construction.
It’s as if someone who cares about tool boxes was in charge of the product design. Often, when price is a strong consideration, you’ll see decisions that seem to be made by marketing types. That didn’t seem to be the case here at all.
This struck me as a “me to” product, and it probably is. But it seems to be well designed and well built nonetheless.
Buy Now(Top Chest via Lowes)
Buy Now(Bottom Cabinet via Lowes)
Drew M
If you don’t mind, I’m curious what thickness steel other such tool cabinets are made from. Do they normally vary the thickness for different parts or are they generally made from a single gauge? How thick does it need to be to feel high quality?
Stuart
A lot of brands don’t offer this info upfront, but some do.
Dewalt’s most recent units are built from 18 gauge steel. They specify it as having an 18 gauge steel body, which to me suggests the drawers are maybe a step thinner.
An industrial-grade cabinet might have 16 and 18 gauge construction, with 18 gauge drawers, and a heavier duty industrial-grade cabinet might have 14 and 16 gauge construction with 18 gauge drawers. These are the specs for Proto’s 540 and 550 series units.
Metal thickness varies depending on where it’s needed. On a regular box, not talking about Porter Cable’s specifically, heavier gauge metal might be used for critical support pieces, and lighter gauge where it’s not needed.
You can take micrometers to a tool box, but the power coating will usually throw things off.
You can definitely tell the difference between the Porter Cable construction and that of a unit that costs twice as much. But as mentioned, the Porter Cable doesn’t feel flimsy.
You can feel the difference in stiffness and rigidity between 21 gauge and 18 gauge sheet metal, but for most in the market for a $500 combo, the difference won’t be of any consequence or impact.
The easiest way to get a feel for relative differences is to head to your local Sears and check out the various tool storage there, since they carry a wider range of sizes and styles than anywhere else.
Drew M
My “local” Sears is basically useless which is partially why I asked. Maybe I’m crazy but 14gauge or ~0.080″ sounds a lot more substantial than 21 or 18 gauge and maybe it’s worth twice the cost?
Stuart
For that level of construction, you’re looking at $2000+, and just for a bottom cabinet.
mike aka Fazzman
I think the things most folks are forgetting here about this PC setup or any of the other ones is its not designed to be used in an industrial environment,hence the reason it can be found at Lowe’s or HD. None of them are really that great at these low price points It’s a low end box guys,paying $500 – $700 on a box may seem like alot to some folks but trust me thats nothing for a tool box. A good toolbox is not cheap initially,but they last a longtime. Ive had my Kennedys for years and they function perfectly.
Its like trying to make an old schoool pinto into a bugatti,just doesnt work that way.
If you are looking for something simply to toss some stuff in for garage use it would certainly be fine for that.
Drew M
Don’t toss it too hard. You might just dent your drawer. =P
Tom
I think that it all comes down to drawer layout. Do you want that many deep drawers? For me, I like a lot more shallow drawers to keep things in sight and easy to find. If you are storing a lot of small hand tools, then this probably isn’t the set for you.
mike aka Fazzman
Yeah I agree,way too many tall drawers for my liking, but if you wanna store say routers and such this design may be good for that.
Too me the drawers just dont seem to fit with the size of the box,perhaps thats because it cant handle alot of overall weight to begin with and thats their way of saying it’ll at least be stable that way.
Nathan
for my use at home – damn near ideal. I already have a Kobalt device I bought some 10 years ago. Now I sort of want to gage the thickness of that metal.
meh
I didn’t get a top box setup because I got one I could use the top as a rolling work stand. I do occasionally.
At 500 all in – I’ve got half a mind to go grab one up.
mike aka Fazzman
For that price thou,you can get some boxes at HF that are actually pretty decent and have way better drawer options.
I like using the top as a work surface too. which is kind of why im looking at that new Milwaukee one.
Nathan
Yeah I look at those and I just can’t do it. they are clearly cheaper made than this too.
Oh they might use thicker steel – but the edges are sharp, the rails might not be even, the handles have burs etc. Could also just be my HF
Oddly I have thought about just buying the top box of this combo – and putting it on a shelf or rather the arms for a shelf – and using it that way.
meh – probably won’t though.
Hang Fire
Good review, I read it carefully even though I’m not in the market for one right now.
You touched on the main issues with cheap boxes, maintainability and flex. Flex can cause drawers not to open, latches not to close, drawers to open themselves, everything that annoys us so much about cheap boxes. I’m curious to see what the early adopters say once this puppy is loaded up.
RCWARD
This is definitely a “home owners” tool box and as such it is fine for 90% of the population. Like it has been said here, this box is not for the pro’s. This and anything else sold at Lowes or HD. If you are looking for a great tool box you are not going into a Lowes that is for sure. Silly to compare it to a 2000 dollar plus box. It is what it is and it’s fine for most people. #TIACREW
fred
I’m afraid we engage in a lot of this sort of apples and oranges comparisons. Maybe it just our unrealistic expectations or us indulging in a fantasy that we will stumble into a big bargain – or that somehow we might find that a Harbor Freight Rolling Cabinet is just as good as one from SnapOn. I’ve always thought to buy the best that I could afford – within reason. The Kennedy machinist’s tool chest, 2 drawer base cabinet and rolling cabinet that I bought back in the 1970’s has served me well – but is not as heavy duty as something I’d want if I were going to load it up with lots of mechanics tools (no ball bearing slides). Stuart’s bit about gas operated lid openers – reminds me of the early time when I got my hand banged up from the closing top lid.
I guess if I were buying today – some of these boxes (PC, Dewalt and Milwaukee) might be on my shopping list to compare and see which provided the best bang for my use and my buck. Now I could be silly and compare what I have or prospectively might buy for home to the Lista stuff we had in one shop and the Stanley Vidmar stuff we had in another – in which case I’d probably buy nothing because I could not afford it.
chris parker
i really appreciate the time you took to finally really get a hands on view , and overview..i have been eyeing the milwaukee, but i thought i would wait a bit to see what the porter cable was all about..i was hoping for better, but oh well..thank you much again..
SteveW
I would like to see a comparison to something at the same cost, similar size, a real apples to apples if you will. I am looking at this one at HD: LINK The same size. The same $500. A few different little things and a different layout. A guy at work has one and after three or four years as a mechanic it still works fine.
Jon
One thing this PC box has going for it over the Husky you linked is the powdercoat. This really leads to a more premium feel IMHO and it’s something that I’ve appreciated about my Milwaukee combo.
cody
Most of you Yahoo’s really dont have a clue!!!
Rocky
Thanks for the review. Who makes a tool box with the best cost/ benefit ratio. I have a set of cheap craftsman tool boxes and they have lasted about 7 years and now the drawers and sliders are starting to fail. I have been hearing fairly good things about harbor freights us generals. I don’t want to spend 2000 but I also want quality. Thoughts?
Stuart
I think Milwaukee is doing a great job these days, and Dewalt too.
But with those brands you don’t have a lot of choice in drawer configuration or arrangements.
I would look at Strictly ToolBoxes (http://www.strictlytoolboxes.com/) . They carry Montezuma and Extreme brands, and their own Tool Vault models.
I’ve heard viper is decent too, but haven’t tried them yet. I’ve wanted to, but read about too many shipping incidents with their smaller non-freight-required boxes.
fred
Nice link Stuart!
They also seem to carry some Lista – but in a sobering lamentation apropos your post on buying a new car – my first new car was an Olsdmobile – with lots of bells and whistles for its day (1968) and it cost less than the cheapest ($3023.88) Lista sold at StrictlyToolboxes
Stuart
I’ve heard good things about http://www.motorheadextraordinaire.com and their Lista service.
Lista cabinets are pricey, but also lifetime purchases.
With a 440 lb drawer load rating for the 47″ model, it could in theory support one of these PC cabinets.
fred
Look like great folks
Much like a good truck up-fitter – once you use a specialized company like this – its hard to go back to a do-it-yourself approach.
Here’s one that’s worth a look:
http://www.dejana.com/
Ed S
I was just commenting to a friend that there aren’t many tool chests (top drawers and bottom wheeled chest) under $1000.
I like the deep drawers (can hold my tool and parts cases).
There is much though in this: lockable power for chargers (so kids can’t get to tools or batteries…screwgun worthless without charger/battery), pullout work surface, assorted drawer depths/sizes…
I wonder if there is any $ on my Lowes card… 🙂 Thanks for this info!
Ed S
Update: all the Lowes near me only have (1) listed in stock of the top chest only. And still $280. hmmmm
Dacan
What were the sale dates on the special value tags? Looks like 4/?? to 7/?? in the pics but hard to tell. Stopped by my Lowes today and its not on special, even had them look it up in the computer and showed them the pic here. Really want it to be on special online because after 10% I will absolutely buy this for $450.
julian
There are quality toolboxes all day long on my local CL for between $500-1500. Talking single, double and even a triple bay Snap On, Mac, etc.
Right off the bat you’ll get deeper drawers – 22-24″ deep compared to 16-18″ deep.
I’ve seen two pc Snap On stack boxes, 40″ wide, 45″ (base cab) high with the upper boxes for $600-1000 a lot.
Buy a used box – best bang for your money.
JT
Joe Atkinson
I like the box, it was made with the woodworker, etc. In mind, being in the building trades, I had a snap on box. It was horrible for tools. I saw this box in person, it seemed to be able to hold my woodworking tools in a better drawer configuration. We don’t need 20 gauge, double ball bearing 2000 dollar boxes, or boxes aren’t getting tools thrown in them, being bumped by cars and opened and closed 300 times a day. Woodworkers are much gentler with everything, I think this tool box I’d perfect for a home workshop, business.
Todd
Just got a first hand look at this box and I could only recommend this box for extremely light duty. Yes, it is MUCH less expensive than a Matco or Snap-On etc. but there is a reason for that. Very flimsy. I think anyone above the most beginner’s stage would be happier with a used quality box
Dennis Barlesi
I moved from Oregon to Idaho and lost the keys to my tool box. Anyway of getting replacement keys. number on the lock is 610
Stuart
Porter Cable customer service should hopefully be able to help you out.
MM
If they cannot a locksmith certainly can though a cheaper option is to drill out the lock and buy a new one. Most toolboxes use standard sized industrial locks for drawers and cabinets and so-on.
Gerald
Hi Toolguyd,
I am looking to purchase a Porter Cable tool box. Do you where i can find one? Just a big fan of the brand.
Thank you!
Stuart
I haven’t seen these in stock anywhere in a few years. I recently asked if they’ll be making new tool storage products as part of their arrangement with Tractor Supply, but they said nothing is in the works right now.