Gladiator’s relatively new Cadet series of tool storage products are offered under a collaboration with Stack-on. The Gladiator Cadet range includes a full-size floor cabinet, half-size floor cabinet and drawer unit, a wall cabinet, and a 5-1/2 foot x 2 foot workbench. These products offer pre-assembled welded steel construction and are made in the USA.
There’s not a great deal of information on the Cadet lineup, but it looks like it was intended as a lower-priced option for those that couldn’t quite fit Gladiator’s premier welded storage units within their budgets.
Gladiator Cadet Tool Storage via Amazon
Gladiator Cadet Tool Storage via Northern Tool
Product Info via Stack-on.
I had looked at Gladiator cabinets at Lowes – but the 20% off discount that Amazon was offereing back in December – plus the availability of a cabinet that would have been a special order at Lowes – convinced me to purchase from Amazon. I purchsaed a rolling cabinet with wheels:
http://www.amazon.com/Gladiator-GarageWorks-GAGB272DRG-Premier-Modular/dp/B0015IYS86/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1295284873&sr=8-13
Based on what I had seen at Lowes – I was not expecting industrial quality (we have Lista and Stanley Vidmar in our commercial shops) – but the Gladiator cabinet is well built, sturdy and the interior shelf functions smoothly on full-extension glides.
What I also was not expecting – but got via UPS – was a damaged cabinet . After going back and reading the comments posted on Amazon – I should have. Except that the price was so appealing – I would have sent mine back. Instead, I banged out the dents that I could – and repaired a door hinge where tack welds had been broken in shipping.
Based on the cabinet build quality and price – I’d recommend it – but would be very cautious about the potential for damage during shipping. To be fair to UPS and Amazon – the cabinet is a pretty heavy piece – that was packaged in a cardboard boax – with only a thin piece or two of thin styrofoam to protect it.
Whirlpool-Gladiator – really need to upgrade the packaging.
I looked at the Stack-On cabinets several years back before they took on the “Gladiator Cadet” name. For me it seemed like a good deal because although they aren’t as well built or as nice as the Gladiator cabinets, they were way, way less expensive. However, as soon as they changed the name from Stack-On over to Gladiator Cadet, the prices seemed to increase by a solid 20%.
In the end I decided to go with the full Gladiator line. I have a mixture of the ready-to-assemble versions and the fully welded ones and I’m happy with them. I would never buy those Gladiator benches though… $500 for a bench is just silly. The Seville benches at Sams Club are just as nice with stronger legs and are only $200.
I have looked at these cabinets and I for one have never been impressed at how chintzy they are, I don’t find em strong at all, and for the price they can forget me buying any of em.