All tool guys know that if you are going to have a man-sized collection of hand tools, then it is imperative to have a good storage system. What makes a mechanic project a breeze is when you can open a drawer, and right there at your fingertips is the exact socket or wrench you need. If you are looking for a bench-top tool box with ball bearing drawers, lots of storage and all steel construction, then chances are that the Husky 26PCHTHD 26 inch 6 Drawer Tool Chest will serve you well. This tool box has all the looks, features and quality of a high end tool box, but at a very modest price. And if you are looking for more storage space, you can also get the matching middle and lower sections for just a little bit more.
Husky 26 inch 6 Drawer Tool Chest Features
Our Husky 26 inch 6 Drawer tool chest arrived in a large cardboard box and the very first thing we noticed, even before we opened the box, was how much it weighed. the Husky has a good heft to it which we took as an indication of its quality construction. The tool box arrived completely assembled except that we had to place the thick foam-plastic drawers in each drawer. The entire tool box is made of steel other than the drawer pulls and the side handles which are made of extruded aluminum. The box, drawers, and lid are all made with welded connections. We like this because it gives everything clean look while maintaining the highest level of structural integrity. Inside and out, the tool box has a glossy black powder-coated finish. If, in fact, you use this tool box on the top of a tool box stack, the innovative lid design allows for easy access to your tools since the front edge is lower on the box. The lid features two gas struts that assist in both opening and closing. With these in place, the lid stays closed until you want to open it. Once it is opened, it stays opened until you are ready to close it. No pinched fingers from the lid slamming closed on you! Built into the sides of the tool box are flush mounted handles; this means that you can pretty much put this box tight up against other tool boxes.
For storage space, the Husky 26 inch 6 Drawer tool chest really shines for several reasons. There are three small drawers across the top, with two full drawers under these. The bottom drawer is about double in height to fit even larger tools. All of the drawers in the 26PCHTHD have EZ-Glide ball bearing slides that make opening and closing the drawers a breeze. We found that after we loaded each drawer down, they opened with the same ease. Also, if you push the drawers in tight, they have a soft lock feature that keeps them closed even if you tilt or move the box around. A gentle pull on the drawer will release the lock and they come right open. If you must lock the box up, you simply make sure each drawer is fully closed, close the lid and turn the key, and the box will be secured like Fort Knox.
As far as testing and using this box, we took our collection of wrenches, ratchets, sockets, and screwdrivers and organized them in the different drawers. So far we are happy to report that all is well and the tool box works great. It actually has gotten a lot of compliments tool.
Conclusion
There are certain items that just make sense, and the Husky 26 inch 6 Drawer tool chest is one of them. Everyone with any quantity of hand tools needs to consider a good storage system and when you talk about bang for the buck, this tool box shines. For our performance rating we give this box a 9/10 because it really has many professional features and a really high quality build. For our Value rating we gave this tool box a 10/10 because it is at a price point that many other manufactures would consider entry level, yet this box has many pro-features like ball bearing drawer slides, included drawer liners and a high quality build.
