Best Tool Chest for the Money 2021 (Quality and Value)

Tools chests aren’t exactly cheap, and not all of them are built of high quality. That’s why we have put together these reviews of the best tool chest for the money.

We will take a look at budget tool chests, and consider the pros and cons of each model. There are a number of factors that go into choosing a good tool chest, so read on to find out more – this article is all about getting the best bang for your buck.

The tool chest has many benefits, first of all, it is a great way to store your tools if you need more room than a toolbox.

It can help keep your tools from getting lost or stolen. So the reasons you might want one really are numerous, so let’s jump right in starting with our favorite choice first.

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The Top 5 Best Quality Tool Chests for the Money in 2021

We’re going to take an up-close look at the top 5 best tool chests for the money. These reviews are built to help you find a good product that is high quality but also relatively inexpensive.

Make sure to read through each detail so you pick up on the important pros and cons before you go ahead and buy a new tool chest for your garage.

#1:

Craftsman 6 Drawer Heavy Duty Top Tool Chest – best tool chest for the money

This is the best budget tool chest according to our research. This Craftsman 6 drawer heavy-duty top tool chest is very affordable considering the quality standards that it is built to. To be fair this tool chest, although of great quality, is a bit smaller than some of the other options we’ve put on this list.

It is only 26 inches wide and 12 inches deep, which means it may not be able to hold some of your larger tools.

This model however is designed for a specific use case scenario, not for those who are looking to store the largest tools possible. As we mentioned before, this is a very well-built piece of gear, it is made entirely of hardened tough steel so you can be sure that it is very durable and can put up with a lot of abuse.

Obviously, the more rigid the chest itself is the more securely it can keep your tools. And as far as the lock is concerned this tool chest doesn’t disappoint, it’s also very sturdy.

So as you can see although this tool chest isn’t our top pick we do rate it in 3rd place on our list, and it does provide the best value for money. So for those of you on a tight budget you might want to consider buying this one.

#2: Keter Rolling Tool Chest

This tool chest is the next pick for plenty of good reasons. This is a fairly large tool chest, so it will easily accommodate all of your tools in most situations that you find yourself in.

As far as the strength of this tool chest goes this is about as robust as it gets.

This also makes this tool chest a great fit because it means that it would be very hard to break into, thus making your tools very secure.

Very durable and tough construction. The locks on this tool chest work great for keeping your tools securely stored and safe.

#3: Viper Tool Storage LB2605R Tool Chest

In second place we have the Viper Tool Storage LB2605R, this tool chest is great, though in our opinion it does fall short of the Waterloo tool chest listed in the above review.

Before we get into the details and discuss why this option isn’t placed at number one on our list, let’s first take a look at some of the pros that this model actually has.

As far as keeping your tools secure goes this is an excellent choice – the locking system has a tubular cam lock that is VERY strong. That combined with the fact that this tool chest is made from very tough steel means that this bad boy is very tough to break into. It’s also good at resisting elements that it might be exposed to in the workplace.

So overall you can see that this is a very tough and secure tool chest, now onto the one issue that we can see. For how large this chest is, it doesn’t make the best use of all that space, the drawers are slightly too shallow for how big this model is.

Despite this minor gripe, we rank this tool chest at number 2 on our list.

#4: Rubbermaid Trademaster 5 drawer tool chest

The Rubbermaid Trademaster tool chest is yet another good option, however, it does have some minor issues that we’d like to point out, as it didn’t land in the top 3 spots of our list. This tool chest is particularly mobile, and can actually hold up to 250 pounds. It isn’t the biggest tool chest, but it does make good use of the available space.

There are five drawers that allow for the storage of a good amount of tools compared to some other chest designs. It does have a pretty strong locking system which should be adequate to keep your tools secure from theft in most situations, however, the overall construction of this tool chest is not that great.

The materials that are used in the construction of this tool chest are not particularly sturdy – which may make this tool chest a bit easier to accidentally break with your standard wear and tear. Overall this is a decent option, though clearly not the best choice on our list.

TB3205X-BK Roller Tool Cabinet & Chest

The Excell Roller tool cabinet is a decent tool chest with five drawers. Although this chest is meant to be designed in such a way that it is secure, it actually feels a bit flimsy and weak.

This is an okay option but there’s no getting past the fact that the materials that were used in the construction of this tool chest were quite cheap. When it comes to a tool chest, cheap materials don’t just impact the longevity of the product, but also the security.

A chest that is made from flimsy materials and is easy to break is also easier to steal things from, unfortunately. Overall this could be an okay option for you, but we do not recommend it very highly.

 

What Are The Best Tool Chest Brands?

There are a ton of different manufacturers of tool chests out there, some brands are well known and others are hidden gems.

You can get great quality tool chests at affordable prices with some lesser-known companies. The brands we list below are some of the tried and tested options that we recommend you go for.

Craftsman

Easily one of the most well-known brand names in this space is Craftsman. They are well known and reputed and producing great storage equipment as well as other tools.

You can gain massive benefits by purchasing a Craftsman tool chest, either to keep in your workshop or take with you on the move. Craftsman tool chests are widely available in-store, and online on sites like amazon.

Waterloo

If you’re trying to find the best tool chest for the money, you cannot miss the brand known as Waterloo. They’re well known to produce great quality products at more affordable prices compared with other manufacturers.

Overall Waterloo storage products excel because this company focuses primarily on storage devices like tool chests and boxes.

Husky

Many professionals prefer Husky tool chests because they have been making reliable tools and tool storage devices for many years.

Husky creates only high-quality durable products, the downside of this is that they’re usually not very cheap. If you’re a professional contractor for whom quality is of the most important then you can’t miss this brand.

Tool Chest FAQ

Q: What is the best tool chest brand?
There’s no shortage of good brands that makes high-quality tool chests. The difficulty is finding one that suits your needs and your budget.

So in our opinion, it’s best not to focus on a particular brand but rather focus on finding the best product for you.

Something to keep in mind, however, the best brands all offer a good warranty to protect your purchase from any problems that you might have down the line.

Q: What makes a tool chest the best?
The best tool chest will be made out of high-quality metals (or in some cases plastics). This is so they don’t break, and can’t be easily broken into, so you don’t lose your precious tools.

A good tool chest also needs to have high-quality wheels, smooth ball bearings and secure locking features.

Q: Why are tool chests so damn expensive?

Because tool chests are very expensive some people want to know why they cost so much, and why they can’t be produced at much lower prices. The answer isn’t as easy as you might think. Tool chests have to be very durable in order to keep your tools safe for years to come.

In order to do this, the manufacturer must use high-quality materials and processes which come at a cost. You can pay much less for a tool chest but it may cost you some quality. It’s best to find a balance between price and quality.

 

Final Thoughts on choosing the best tool chest for the money

The top choice on this list is the Waterloo, in our opinion this tool chest is the best for the money, and also a very high-quality option. The only chest which rivals this as far as value for money is concerned is the craftsman, however, the craftsman one is significantly smaller than the Waterloo.

When you’re shopping for a new tool chest remember to keep in mind how much space it takes up, and if it makes good use of the available space. For example, some products are very large but do not make good use of the available space.

Hopefully, you’ve found this guide useful in helping you with your shopping requirements.

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