Tekton announced new 21-drawer tool storage combos, in black and red.
Tekton’s aren’t regular ball bearing tool cabinets and chests – they have heavy duty carriage-type drawers, each with a load capacity of 400 lbs at full extension.
The company launched new upper tool chests earlier this year, and are now offering a bundle with their 60″ rolling cabinet.
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The cabinet frame has a depth of 30″, and the chests have a frame depth of 18″. This leaves some room for your work on the cabinet’s top surface.
This bundle, which Tekton describes as their most complete tool cabinet system, comes with the following:
- 11-drawer 40/60 split bank 60″ x 30″ tool cabinet ($4,750)
- 5-Drawer 36″ x 18″ Upper Tool Cabinet ($1,700)
- 5-Drawer 24″ x 18″ Upper Tool Cabinet ($1,500)
- Stainless Steel Top 60″ x 30″ ($495)
This all adds up to $8,445. The 4pc combo is priced at $8,145, which seems to reflect savings of $300.
Each price includes free freight shipping, and so I’m guessing that Tekton’s passing on the discount from being able to ship the 4pc combo together.
As I gushed about in my post about Tekton’s cabinet system, their website provides full details about the drawer dimensions.
They provide detailed dimensions for the fully assembled combo as well.
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Tekton’s tool storage products are extremely well-built. I still have a test sample on-site, and thoroughly enjoy using it.
The carriage-based drawer system isn’t for everyone or all user needs, but it can hold a lot more tools and equipment than any and every ball bearing drawer I’ve ever seen or tested.
Here’s a closer look at the drawer support structure.
Adding to my opinion about how this style of tool storage is not suitable for all users or needs, I should also point out that Tekton offers a risk-free 90-day trial.
Tekton has always offered their tool storage cabinets, work surfaces, and now chests individually. It’s not a big deal that they now have a 4-piece combo with the roller cabinet, 2 chests, and a work top, but it seemed noteworthy.
If you were thinking of buying a fully-loaded combo, the new setup saves you a little money.
One of the things I like about Tekton is that they’re willing to try new things. Their website shows a couple of each combination system in stock, and so this could be an experiment to see if bundles are popular.
Countries of Origin
- Cabinets and Cabinet Top: Made in Canada
- Casters: Made in Germany
- Drawer Liners: Made in China
Jared
That’s a good-looking cabinet. Not inexpensive, but not tool truck-priced either.
I’m not sure I’d want shallower tool chests on top. While it gives you some working space, that seems like it would require discipline I don’t have. I see myself having to pick up and hold my tools and workpieces in my arms while I open drawers .
James
Exactly my mental image when reading this. Trying to load up my arms to open that bottom drawer…
Mike
Yeah, I agree, it sucks when you have stuff on that space and need to get into one of those drawers. On my boxes that are like that I pull the top cabinets all the way forward and use the space behind for storage of larger things I rarely need, but I’d trade that for deeper drawers.
TomD
What is a carriage type system? I’m having a hard time visualizing it.
Julian Tracy
More like an old school filing cabinet roller slide system probably.
Peter
If you click on the Tekton link it explains it with pics after scrolling down a bit on their page.
Mike
I like the 30″ depth, which if you can fit it, maximizes storage space compared to circulation or walkway width.
Obviously 400 lbs at 30″ extension calls for some expensive drawer slides.
Good points about needing to clear off work surface before opening top drawers. A 30″ deep work surface is rarely necessary, so upper level storage with work surface is quite efficient. The narrow work surface is most likely not a primary one anyway. It could be great for occasional use or to allow clearance beside a vise, for example.
This could be made in plywood, but heavy duty 30″ drawer slides are expensive.
A lighter duty, lower cost alternative could be a used flat file(s) with a work surface on top. They’re not meant to have other cabinets sitting on top in the middle, only at the perimeter.
Hanging an upper cabinet or adjustable shelving on standards above could give easy access to common tools while retaining upper storage behind cabinet doors.
Stuart
There’s also an image in the earlier post that’s linked to at the end of this one.
It’s just a completely different way of supporting a heavy extended drawer load.
Conventional ball bearing drawers might have load capacities of 100 to 200 lbs per pair of slides. These drawers can hold up to 400 lbs per drawer.
It is really difficult to visualize. I’ll add an image to the post.
Gary Nemens
Not completely new, lista,vidmar and many other industrial cabinets use them.
Stuart
Correct. And completely different from the ball bearing drawer slides most tool users are accustomed to.
Peter
I am also not sure if I would go for more shallow tops.
I ended up with a setup like that and do not see a reason to do it again.
Nice to see that companies still can make things at a good price closer to home.
Julian Tracy
Best way to spend $3-4K + on quality tool storage is buy a used tool truck box at around 80% off of retail. SO many deals around me (metro Detroit area) that you’d have to be fairly foolish to spend $8k on this setup with its clutter inviting odd top surface offset. OR – buy a brand new ICON box if you’re the type of person that just must buy something new.
Xrh07
$3k basically just gets you into good/great condition SO classics or comparable level Mac/Matco which are too light duty vs these.(SO classic 120/240 lb slides vs Tekton’s 400) Nobody’s giving heavy duty Masters away unless you want to trawl FBM for months and months. 80% off gets you down into the rusted out and dented up stuff. I’ve seen dented up Husky and old Series 1 U.S General hold more % value than 20%. That’s a fever dream if you think people are dumping more comparable Master series boxes at 20% MSRP without major issues
And if you decide to buy add-ons later….have fun. The other parts are slim pickings on used market, you’ll want to match series and color or deal with weird mishmashes. And if you can’t find used you’ll be getting bent paying $3-4k for hutches and lockers from a dealer. Seen people price out mixes of used and new and they just threw their hands and bought Icon because $30k into half new and half used full sized setups are such a bad corner to get yourself stuck into. Buy more tools, they have better ROI.
The partial width top boxes are also an option. If you don’t like that config then just don’t buy it. Toolboxes are modular systems for a reason and they don’t force you to buy any specific setup. Tekton will offer other options in time. That’s plenty evident
Nathan
I’ve seen a few tekton cabinets in the hangar and I mist say I like it. I don’t have a need for a 5000 dollar cabinet but I’m glad they make them
I’ve thought about getting one of the tops though.
Joe Thomas
On paper all the numbers look good/ impressive. How bout an actual review from serval users. I do have a few tekton hand tools that were made in the USA!!!! I’m humbly thrilled to know that this cabinets are made nearby; which is extremely rare now days. In conclusion, is nice to have more choices aside from matco, snap- on, u.s. general…etc
Stuart
As mentioned, I still have a test unit in my workspace. What do you want to know?
OldDominionDIYer
Nice, expensive but nice. I would prefer full depth uppers myself but always good to see competition.
Jesse
Their cabinets are made by Rousseau. I have the 48×27, 7 drawer at work. Thing is a beast. I pushed a little 30 inch Husky around the plant for years. When I decided to upgrade I wanted the best I could afford.
Originally I was going to buy the 36 inch. My bank declined the transaction. 3 days later they ran a sale with free tops. So I went bigger. No regrets here. It is a box my kids will be able to pass down to their children.
Chris
If Rousseau is making it, you know it’s quality. Hopefully they’ll add more items to the range, say some Garage Storage Cabinets! I could use a nice quality 72″high, 32″ wide cabinet, that’s made in the USA or Canada and of better quality than what Craftsman is currently selling.