Stainless Steel Tool Chest

A stainless steel tool chest is also called by many homeowners, craftsmen and DIY people a stainless steel toolbox. I can remember my dad's old tool chest that he used to have with him whenever he was going to the neighborhood repairing things for friends on our street. At first it was a shiny stainless steel box, however over the years the shine left a bit. But thinking back to those times, I have to say that this was the only drawback the tool chest for my dad had really, as it was as durable after many years of usage as it was the first time he actually bought it.

With this example I wanted to illustrate why it is good to buy a stainless steel tool chest instead of getting it from any other materials, such as plastic or wood, even if they are made of sturdy and hard fibers.

The truth is, nothing can come even halfway close to stainless steel. Wood burns, warps, breaks, plastic breaks and melts, however the worst that can happen to a good quality stainless steel box is simply let go of its shine. And even that can be brought back if you really want to do it.

So what are the main things you need to look when you are looking to buy a new stainless steel tool chest for your tool storage needs?

Size - Depending on how you are going to use it, as an industrial piece or in your own garage , it can be a heavy duty piece with a lot of weight that sits in one place in your garage, or it can be portable, ready to take it along, just like my dad did with his old trusted chest for his tools many years ago. If you have a garage and you need some great storage, you might be better off with one of the stainless steel cabinets, as trust me when the tool cabinet is full of tool it can weigh up to over 1000 pounds. You won't be able to move that piece from there anymore.

Mobility - This is tied in with the size aspect, since the smaller the chest the easier it is to move it around from place to place, from room to room.

Casters - If you have small casters, they might catch on various uneven surfaces and cause damages to the chest as well as risk your health. So go for at least 4 inches of casters, if you can get 5-6 inches, even better. Also try to get a chest with 2 locking casters that avoid it rolling away when you need it to be stable in place.

Material - While we are discussing stainless steel tool chests here, there is also another type of steel called mild steel. You need to know the difference between to two so you can get the type that mostly suits your accessories needs.

• The tool chests made completely of mild steel (also called painted mild steel) are rather poor in quality and will not last you as long as the pure stainless steel variety. Also they are easier to scratch and fade.
• There are also various types that have a powder coated stainless steel, meaning that it is sturdier than the painted mild steel or metal variety and it actually looks quite nice and professional.
• Going up the quality scale you can also find tool chests that have a mild stainless steel frame and drawer inners while the outer walls and the drawer fronts are made of pure stainless steel. This is a nice mix to have which has a good quality to it, however some people complained about the fact that they are quite difficult to keep clean and well, they're not the classiest to look at. But they are quite sturdy.
• Finally the pure stainless steel construction pieces are superior in quality and looks, however they are also heavier on your wallet, meaning the price is much higher. But like my dad's tool chest, if you buy one now, it will last you for many years, right up till you retire and even further.

Warranty - Another aspect of getting a quality tool cabinet is proper warranty. It is known that real stainless steel should last for a lifetime, so this is the only warranty that should be acceptable to you when buying your next piece. Nothing short of lifetime warranty should do. If you are not offered that kind of guarantee on the tool chest, leave them be as you will find many sellers and manufacturers that will happily offer it immediately.

An important note I want to make at the end is the fact that you need to remember that stainless steel is not magnetic, so there is way you can simply stick your tool to the side of the tool chest.

It would be a very convenient property indeed, however if you need that functionality, you have to buy something else instead or in addition to the stainless steel tool chest you are already buying.

Check out some of these Stainless Steel Tool Chests and Drawers at Amazon, worth looking at.