Gearwrench has come out with a new mobile tool work station, model 83169, which they say was designed to address common pain points from plant maintenance professionals across a wide range of industries.
To me, this means it’s aimed at MRO (maintenance, repair, operations) professionals, and other industrial or heavy duty multi-purpose users. It’s a divergence from simpler tool cabinets typically designed as “one style fits all” solutions.
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Gearwrench says that their new tool cart gives users practical functionality and also durability with customizable features that give professionals the freedom to make the Mobile Work Station work for them.
Press materials describe how Gearwrench engineers designed the new Mobile Work Station based on research and user feedback.
The Gearwrench Mobile Work Station measures 42″ long x 24.5″ deep x 42.7″ tall. There are 11 drawers in all, each with ball bearing drawer slides rated to 100 pounds.
At the top, there’s a full-width drawer featuring adjustable partitions, perfect for separating and organizing smaller tools and parts.
On the right, there’s a lockable side cabinet with adjustable shelf. Just above, there’s a charging tray, with power strip (6 outlets, 2 USB).
On the left, there’s a pegboard panel and spray can shelf.
Gearwrench says that the mobile workstation has a “vise-mounting capability,” something that readers always ask about when we post about new mobile workbenches or tool cabinets.
Additional features include 6″ x 2″ polyurethane casters, and a 2,000 lb total weight capacity.
Street Price: $1300-1400 plus freight
(I was told the MSRP is $2,745.10)
Buy Now(via Ohio Power Tool)
First Thoughts
This new Gearwrench Mobile Workstation looks to be a very interesting design, chock-full of user-friendly features. I like a lot of the ideas that went into it – the customizable top drawer, the locking cabinet on the side, and the pegboard on the opposite site.
That the power strip is located in its own tray is another convenience, where users can charge tools and devises without having to take up any worktop real estate.
It comes with a top mat, and I’m guessing the rectangular cut-out is where a vise can be mounted.
Although the workstation is primarily aimed at industrial settings, I think that other user types might find the different features suited for their needs as well.
What I find interesting is that the design differs not only from conventional designs, but also Gearwrench’s previous offerings. It also sports the new Gearwrench branding.
Will we see more new tool storage setups like this one? I can’t say whether or not this particular configuration would be perfect for me, but I like that it’s different. While some drawer space is lost, I think that the power station and cabinet on one side, and the pegboard and spray can shelf on the other, are nice touches that are worth the use of space.
I like the idea and want to see more “thinking outside the box” tool storage products from Gearwrench.
DanM says
Looks like a solid product, but imo it appears they missed the mark.
Some cool features but
It’s expensive. Maybe it’s their marketing dept trying a premium pricing strategy or they were looking at tool truck brands list prices, but MSRP at $2700 is a joke, it looks like an $800-1000 box at most.
The multi-color scheme doesn’t portray high-end. Lower-end big box consumer grade boxes have drawers one color and the frame another.
It’s big for what it is. 42″ x 25″ is a decent size box. Weird big drawers…doesn’t seem like it would hold as much as other layouts for its size.
A 30 something inch version of this thing priced well under $1K would be killer
But hey at least they are trying
Steve says
I like this idea but I think both ends should be locking cabinets. Also, the price seems way too high but they are thinking that companies with big budgets will buy them for their employees. Maybe so. Hopefully Harbour Freight will make a copy, but with my suggestion, for half the price. That would be big.
Toolfreak says
Yeah, saw a heads up on this on the GJ forum right when it was announced.
Like commenters on that forum stated, it’s overpriced for what it is, and they made it MORE expensive by having more smaller drawers when it would have been better and cheaper to just have full-length drawers all the way down.
It’d be a nice enough cart to have around a shop, but in this day and age, when you can get a Husky/Milwaukee/etc. roller cabinet from Home Depot all day long for a few hundred bucks, this is way out there for most consumers, which is generally Gearwrench’s target market.
Maybe this is something they’re going after for the high end, for techs or shops where they don’t want to spend Snap-on/Mac/Matco money on a box/cart but they might consider these with a multiple item order discount. Gearwrench does have tool trucks that drive around and sell it’s stuff to techs.
The yeti says
Bring back Armstrong
Toolfreak says
Too late – the tooling already went over to China.
Time to start over.
salmon says
That much money and the drawers are only rated to 100 lbs?
My top drawer tools would crush this cart.
satch says
I think most are seeing this from a mechanics or garage perspective. Stuart pointed out this was likely aimed at MRO groups. As someone who fit that description for 31 years, I believe this ismaccurate.
We used whatever we could that was similar. A cart like this would be a very useful item for facilities maintenance. And it may have to serve 2-4 people dpending upon size and type of building. We had guys who were titled as ‘GMRT’. Short for General Maintenance & Repair Technician. They were stationed in our large, ten story dormitories and acted like first rseponders. It could be anythi g from a leaking toilet to broken receptacle to a clogged drain.
They needed a wide variety of hand and power tools plus a varied assortment of small parts for faucet and toilet repair, thermostats(really a kind of capillary vsriable switch) formsteam valves on radiant heat registers(yes, still used til a year or two ago. Finally removed in renovation), wire nuts, several lamps, and loads of washers, handle hardware for cabinets, etc. Tools would include cordless drill driver, a pouch full of various hand tools, pistol grip drain auger(usually stored well away from everything elseLOL), several sizes of pipe wrenches, all sorts of drill bits. Small socket set. You get the point. This stuff would need to be moved from floor to floor and a versatile cart like this would have been nice.
Price is pretty dear. Being a state agency my purchasing people would have cried like whipped pups at paying for it. And it is big enough it would need to stay at one building. Some of our guys took care of multiple smaller buildings with no elevators and this would not have been efficient. But for larger facilities MRO it would be great.
Toolfreak says
From the advertising and promos, this is squarely aimed at garage/mechanic/tech use, like most other Gearwrench stuff.
Gary R says
Wonder if there’s a way to put the chargers and the devices being charged inside the locked cabinet. Don’t think I’d want to leave my phone, or even some nice battery packs sitting out in the open when the cart’s unattended.
STEVE says
I love GearWrench stuff but that pricepoint is too high. I think I saw one of those (Matco?) carts with the split/sliding top for around that much.
John says
The cost of those extra draws adds substantially to the street price. Six full width draws would be better with less manufacturing time and 10 less draw sliders.