Vidmar and Lista tool cabinets

[Ultradog MN]

I have sorta been looking to upgrade my tool boxes here.
I can't afford Snap On or Mac, etc and can't see putting my off brand (but mostly USA) tools in a box that is worth more than the tools are.
I see both of the above brands come up for sale now and then. They seem to have a pretty good reputation.
Anyone here have them?
Any other comparable brands a guy might look for?
I don't do wrenching every day. More like I need storage for tools and tooling.
Thanks

 

[Fawteen]

Vidmar is excellent. Can't speak to the other one.

Haven't done a price comparison, but for my budget, Vidmar is VERY expensive. Perhaps less than Snap On (which is downright insane) but not by a lot.

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 10:15:14 01/05/22) I have sorta been looking to upgrade my tool boxes here.
I can't afford Snap On or Mac, etc and can't see putting my off brand (but mostly USA) tools in a box that is worth more than the tools are.
I see both of the above brands come up for sale now and then. They seem to have a pretty good reputation.
Anyone here have them?
Any other comparable brands a guy might look for?
I don't do wrenching every day. More like I need storage for tools and tooling.
Thanks

We had both of those at work. Can't say one is better than the other. The drawers on either are rated for 400 lbs. If you can find ones you like, get 'em and you'll pass them on to your grandchildren. Another comparable brand was Rousseau .

 

[Kansas4010]

I bought a U.S. General from Harbor Freight a couple years ago. They're pretty good for the money. Probably the best bang for the buck right now. This year I also bought a Masterforce toolbox from Menards. I believe they are made by Montezuma which makes those triangle toolboxes. A little more money than the HF but I think a step up in quality as well. Buy them when they have their 11% rebate going on and you get a store credit back as well.

 

[TomIn]

The best bang for the buck that I have ever found was used computer tape storage cabinets. You don't see many around anymore since tape storage dates back a couple of decades. The cabinets were about two feet deep with fairly shallow ball bearing drawers that seemed to have great weight capacity.

 

[Jeff NWOH]

Lista and Vidmar are both good cabinets.

Another option is old blue print cabinets. They have a lot of big shallow drawers. If you go that route, just make sure you get one with ball bearing slides.

 

[Larry EC-OH]

x2 on the Harbor Freight US General Tool Cabinets.
Excellent reviews and about the lowest price around.
I have purchased 16 of these cabinets and highly recommend them.

Larry

 

[greenmech]

I have the Menards brands in my shop. One is a Masterforce and the other Performance and they are good. Ron MN

 

[DelMN]

I have Masterforce and Harbor Freight. I think the HF is somewhat better. Less twist of heavy loaded big drawers. Also have Snapon and Craftsman but these are old and don't have ball bearing slides. The Snap on and Craftsman don't seem as sturdy to me. IMO If I buy again it would be HF. I use as you do, not a daily wrencher.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

A lot of cabinets sold by different companies that have different brand names are actually made by the same manufacturer in China. I found this to be true when I bought a Craftsman top cabinet at Loew's two years ago. Ellis

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

We had Lista where I worked. Excellent boxes.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Vidmar/Stanly will make a nice box if you can find one cheap...

I have a big'N it has ten 2" drawers and five 3" its 5 ft tall and 45" wide I spec they stored maps in it. I would like to have one with all 3"/4" drawers. I gave $300 for it : ) its heavy more than two could stand.

 

[SkipperII]

I've had a Craftsman bottom box for over 50 years. It followed me from a farm equipment shop, to the power company(3 different shops) and finally to my home garage a few years ago. Finally had to replace the casters two years ago. Up graded the top box a couple times, due to my tool obsession, still Craftsman, and no complaints.

 

[chvet73]

Ive had the same Craftsman since 1980. It works well. Recently I added a Harbor Freight US General. It works better then the Craftsman. I purchased it used.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Thanks fellas.
All good info from from you - as usual.
I will start looking for those brands.

 

[jimg.allentown]

Lista makes their own cabinets and are topped with wood tops that are made in Bally, PA. I've been inside their factory, and they are a class operation. Likewise for Stanley. Stanley owns Mac tools, and Mac cabinets are made by Stanley. I've seen inside their factory as well.

I can safely say that I would recommend either as quality equipment.

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 02:30:56 01/06/22) Thanks fellas.
All good info from from you - as usual.
I will start looking for those brands.

I would not buy any of them unless it had ball bearing slides : )
On a real box you can open a drawer and stand in it all others are toys...

My Vidmar I have another in my old shop with deeper drawers I keep my wood working tools in. It has deeper drawers : )

 

[504]

Best for the money,look at Harbor Freight,best for the money 45 years down the road, Snap On. My Snap Ons are worth more than I paid for them,but if I was buying today it would be HF

 

[K Effective]

I now have three Lista or Vidmar cabinets in the shop, I picked all three up at online industrial equipment auctions, all for under $300 each. I have a 30inch tall, a 42 and a 60, with six to 14 drawers. Staney/Vidmar has been stellar with replacement locks, handles and labels. I have repainted one cabinet and want to do some restoration on the tallest one this winter.

I missed out on one from CraigsList, full of tools for only $100.

I also picked up ten drawers of blueprint cabinet, I'll probably use them for small parts/nuts/bolts, etc. The drawers are too shallow for most tools, but very wide and deep.

Try to secure the drawer dividers with the cabinets, they are very handy, but expensive to buy.

One of the online auctions I use specializes in industrial stuff, especially used pallet racking. They have a warehouse nearly full of used Vidmar/Listas, but only release a few at a time.