For a limited time, buy a Husky 72″ Professional mobile workbench tool cabinet in red or black from Home Depot, and get a free add-on, with the value ranging from $848 to $1548.
Home Depot has this as part of their Super Savings tool deals sale right now (mid-August 2023). The “Buy One Get One Free” part doesn’t mean what I thought it did, but a free add-on makes it a hot deal nonetheless.
You can pick from a side locker ($1248), top locker 2-pack ($1448), top locker ($848), or top storage hutch ($1548).
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Who’s going to opt for one free top locker when you can get two? Ah – the single fits on top of the hutch while the 2-pack are sized to sit on a full setup with the workbench, hutch, and a locker at both sides.
I tested the Husky Pro storage cabinet, and recently donated it locally.
Read More: Home Depot’s Husky Pro Duty Tool Box – Early Review
Giving up this cabinet was hard, I’ve been kicking myself for it. It was necessary – I knew when I accepted the test sample that it was too big for my space for the foreseeable future – but I’ve never had such an efficient tool drawer layout before and don’t know if or when any other setup will come close.
While you’re not getting a second roller cabinet for free, this is still an unprecedented deal where you can get a free hutch, side cabinet, or top locker.
I’d go for the hutch or side locker as my free bonus pick. Maybe the top hutch would be my first choice, and it also has the highest retail value.
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I haven’t posted my final review on the tool cabinet yet, but plan to do so soon. While I don’t have it in my workshop anymore, I should be able to answer any questions you might have.
There’s no mention as to when this promo offer will expire.
Randy
I’m curious, how do you donate a toolbox?
Stuart
I cannot sell, barter, trade, or otherwise leverage tool samples for monetary gain or benefit, which means they have to be either discarded or donated if or when they leave my hands.
Tool boxes can be complicated to donate due to the logistics involved in moving them.
For a mobile workbench, I once asked a local electrician if they could use a tool box and provide feedback after long-term testing and use. The box showed up unexpected and unsolicited and I couldn’t accommodate it until I had sufficient testing space. A few hours later they came by, we loaded it into their van, and the roller cabinet was taken to their workshop.
I once arranged with a Home Depot manager to pick up a couple of Husky and Milwaukee tool storage products, and they donated them to regional police and fire departments.
I once asked my wife’s uncle to pick up a tool box and find a new home for it within the public benefit organization they work for.
For this one, I called the local DPW (Department of Public Works), asked if they’d like to pick up the large Husky mobile workbench and a Milwaukee 30″ chest and rolling tool box combo. They came by with a trailer, and off it went.
It took a few more communications than that, mainly to discuss logistics, but that’s the gist of it.
The DPW has been fantastic. I maxed out the high school with tool donations, and have not had the best of luck with maker spaces. The DPW distributes within their organization and also to local and neighboring public service departments (e.g. volunteer fire & rescue).
I have tried to work with local public organizations directly, and things get complicated. The same with makerspaces. “Do you want a large tool box?” “Yes!” “Great! I can’t transport it, can you pick it up?” “*crickets*” Habitat can also be very picky about what they take.
Michael Giordano
This gave me good feels. Keep being you, Stuart.
Stuart
Thanks!
It’s been my policy from Day 1. It’s inherently wrong to accept a product sample for free and then treat it in a way that assigns money value.
Explaining this to people can be difficult, but “it’s policy” can help with that. I donated equipment to a local daycare once, after talking to the co-owner that did all of the maintenance work and similar, and it was hard to talk them out of wanting to give me a gift card to a local restaurant as a thank-you.
I have other donation avenues for different types of tools and supplies, but tool boxes are the most challenging and restrictive due to their size and weight.
Jehremy
Next time, if they insist on gifting you a gift card or similar, maybe you could ask that they supply a lunch to (teachers, public servants, [insert here]) instead of a direct gift to you.
Stuart
@Jehremy,
I conveyed that, if they insisted, they could to donate to a local foodbank or similar in my honor.
TomD
If you run out of options, consider letting the local VFA or similar group know if the issue, as the people involved often have their hands in many charitable and similar local causes (schools, churches, shelters, etc).
Brendan Larrabee
Stuart,
I don’t know if you’re still in the NY metro area, but Rocking the Boat is a great organization that would love tools.
https://rockingtheboat.org/
Also Oakcliff Sailing Center on Long Island. Oakcliff will definitely pick up! They have a huge shop space, and train people to work on boats; racing around the world and the Americas Cup OakcliffSailing.org
Stuart
There are very many worthwhile organizations, but the logistics can get complicated and time-consuming.
I can occasionally accommodate specific requests, such as from STEM educational groups run by long-time readers and commentors.
Aaron
That’s incredible to hear. I’ve been a reader for years, and that comment elicited my first ever comment.
The stuff you’re doing is genuine and it shows. Thank you.
Stuart
Thank you, I appreciate it!!
Joshua Maddy
How does 1 sign up to become a tools and storage tester
Seems right up my alley I’m
A handyman/maintenance man I take care of over 300 condos in 2 buildings and many more commercial properties
Not out to make money off them but I do always love adding and trying new tools to my collection
Stuart
It’s usually invite-only.
Rodney62e
So I actually have another version of this. With the bottom half drawer set. Not the “wood topped”. Then I have the top hutch with peg board. And a side locker (normally $550). And I absolutely love it. I like this more than my old Kobalt one. That had the car stereo and refrigerator
Chris I
Craigslist “FREE”.
It’ll be gone in 4 minutes.
Stuart
But will it be used or relisted for profit? I try to find donation destinations where samples will be used or redistributed to new users at no cost.
There was one time when Habitat was uncertain if they could use something (a large power tool branded music player), and I told them that if there were no jobsite applications, one of their volunteers could take it home, or they could auction it off or similar if there were no other options.
Frank D
Indeed too many people who snap up anything free or next to no cost that they can; to then re-sell it for profit.
TomD
Around here Habitat for Humanity runs “restores” where they can at least sell it to raise funds for the work they do. Not sure if that is a nation-wide thing. https://www.habitat.org/restores
I’m sure they could liquidate a giant tool chest, less sure that they’d pick it up for you (but you could always get to know the local one).
Steve
Looks like a nice big box. I wouldn’t mind one of those myself…
Steve
Looked on Home Depot and its $3100 for the box and $7K+ for a whole cabinet system. Good quality is not cheap, but I’ll have to pass for now…
TomD
Yeah, it’s apparently a step up from the $1k or so base cabinets, but that’s a mighty big step for mankind.
Jeremiah James McKenna
This cabinet set up was on my next large purchase. Unfortunately I had to spend $20k Leveling my house and now $7 to $10k on a new roof. These large expenses have tapped my cash accounts, and while I do have the Pro account with a large credit limit, I’d still like to use the cash to pay off the CC after accruing Xtra points. But I definitely Need a tool chest to store my large Husky mechanics stool set and the other tools I have. The large tool set is still in the large boxes it shipped in. Ugh.
TomD
If you were going to get the hutch it’s basically a 28% discount. I’d do it if you could stack it with a CC 10% offer.
If you WEREN’T going to get the hutch, it’s much less of a discount, really.
Leo B.
“Giving up this cabinet was hard, I’ve been kicking myself for it.” Should the comma be a semi-colon? Either way, thanks for the heads-up on a great deal!
Stuart
Thanks! A semicolon didn’t seem to fit naturally, and throwing an “and” in there didn’t sound right either. I figured I’d move on and then revisit it during final editing but couldn’t find a less awkward way to put it.
Koko The Talking Ape
🙂 Nonetheless, a semicolon is correct in that spot. If it doesn’t seem to fit naturally, maybe it’s because we don’t see semicolons very often, or at least not used properly!
If you don’t like semicolons, you can use em-dashes, often rendered with two hyphens, thusly: –. Em-dashes are extremely versatile, and kind of hip nowadays in the literary world. You don’t use spaces on either side of an em-dash (unless you want to indicate you aren’t American).
(There is also an EN-dash, but it’s used to indicate a range of values, as in “40-50 miles” or the “Paris-Calais train.”)
https://www.scribbr.com/language-rules/dashes/
Stuart
I use semicolons somewhat regularly, but nowhere as much as much as em-dashes, which can be found in practically every post.
I also tend to break grammatical standards at times – knowingly – when it helps with readability.
Steve L
HD is still selling the 52″ Heavy Duty cabinet with adjustable-height hardwood top I bought a few years ago. 120 lbs / drawer, 1,800 lbs total Price now $705.
This Pro model is 72″ with 220 /bs / drawer and 6,000 lbs total. Price $3,498 + freebie selling for up to $1,548.
I could buy 2 x 52″ for $1,410 or 3 x 52″ for $2,015. Isn’t that a better deal if you can accept 120 lbs / drawer?
TomD
Supposedly it’s much studier and “heavy duty” (similar to the high-end snap ons?) but since my Milwaukee that’s basically equivalent of the HD 52″ is durable enough for me I can’t really see going to the higher step.
But I’ve not seen the Pro, and I don’t roll these around when full, either. They could just as well come without wheels, really.
Bob
I wish the tool companies would offer a bolt on heavy duty leveling foot that can be swapped out for the casters. Even if it was something you had to buy extra I bet you a lot of people would. I could always fabricate something but I’m lazy and not everyone can fabricate. I feel most people don’t move their boxes around once they are placed.
Robert
Even though it’s a good buy versus competing systems, I still figure the value of the tools I would store in it is less than the costs of cabinets. And that’s with being a prosumer, with some judicious (in my mind) splurges. So it’s a pass. But I do like to read about it for when I switch to Festool and Bridge City for everything.
TomD
That’s actually … a really good point. I have more Milwaukee than I should and I’d be hard pressed to get up there, unless I put some of the sewer equipment in.
Then again, compared to some prices on kitchen base cabinets, this thing is cheap.
Eric
The price of tool chests have jumped near 50% on certain ones in recent years, when the original Milwaukee 46in tool chests and work bench came out they were in the $700-$800 range which was a very good price even for there time and now they are upward of $1,400 it’s a shame to hard to find a decent quality box for a reasonable price anymore
Stuart
First, there were tariffs based on size and weight, which is why you can barely find shallow depth tool chests and cabinets these days.
Then the cost of materials and freight went up.
All that aside, this is built significantly better than most of Milwaukee’s steel storage products.
Rafael
I’m not sure if you have had the old 52 inch husky rolling tool chest with drawers, the shiny black withe silver drawer front? If you have, how would you compare them? I had the 52 inch but had a garage fire and need to eventually get one but if I can get a deal it might be worth looking at.
Eliezer Kolatch
You say that you’ve never had such an efficient tool drawer layout before. May I ask what made this layout so much better than other tool chests you’ve tested?
Stuart
I feel that it was the drawer count and dimensions.
The narrow drawers in particular allowed for great separation, in a way I haven’t been able to get with smaller roller cabinets.
In the final configuration before I gave it away, I knew where everything was, and everything was separated logically. I probably could have tweaked things a bit further, but I was quite pleased with the breakdown.
The shallow drawers are ideal for hand tools, but there were enough deep drawers and extended length drawers for other tools I typically run into complications storing, such as cordless power tools, 2-foot and longer rules, straight edges, and pry bars.
Eliezer Kolatch
Thanks, that is extremely helpful.