I finally spotted this Irwin Mobile Command Center wheeled toolbox at Lowes, after seeing several posts about it on various social media outlets. What really sparked my interest was the fold-out table — who doesn’t need as much table space as they can get while working?
This 48 gallon box is 40.5″ wide, 25″ deep, and 24″ high. It’s is made from structural foam, the same stuff Dewalt uses to make their tough system boxes. I have to admit I wasn’t really familiar with structural foam, so I had to do a little digging.
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Rather than just use straight plastic, gas is injected into molten plastic resin, and the resulting foam fills all the voids in the mold. Wherever the foam touches the mold, the air bubbles collapse, leaving a smooth shell. The structure the foam leaves behind inside the walls increases the rigidity while decreasing the weigh of the part.
To set up the table, you open the lid and pull the latch located in the center by the hinge. Then you pull the table out and up until it is level. Next, you lift the support legs up until they are under the front edge of the table. Finally, you match up the notches on the table with the tabs on the legs to make sure the legs lock in place.
When it’s locked into place, the table top has a height of 38.5″.
Here’s a closeup of the leg-retaining notches.
When the table is folded away and the lid closed and secure with the two steel latches. you can extend the retractable handle and pull the toolbox around on its two 9″ wheels.
On the top, you can see a V-groove for holding round objects, and a recessed area that Irwin says is for holding lumber while you cut it.
A close up of the hash marks in the “cutting channel” reveals that they are spaced in 1/2″ intervals, in case you need to do a quick measurement and can’t find a tape measure anywhere.
Opening up the lid again, you can see the seal around the top that provides the IP54 water and dust resistance. You can also see one of the two struts that hold the lid open.
Inside the box, you can see the structural ribbing. This ribbing might be able to hold 3/4″ plywood dividers to further organize the inside storage compartment. You can just see the removable storage tray to the right in the above photo.
Finally, how much weight can this rolling toolbox take? The above blurry packaging seems to say that the toolbox can hold a maximum of 110 lbs. while the table can support up to 50 lbs.
It looks like the Irwin Mobile Command Center is a Lowe’s exclusive for now. It’s available through the website for $200 and I’ve seen it on display in some Lowe’s retail stores for the same price.
Price: $200
Buy Now (via Lowes)
Stuart’s Note: My store is reporting 2 in-stock, but I didn’t see any when I made a special trip there the other day. If you’d be upset leaving empty-handed, order online or call your store first to confirm their inventory.
First Thoughts
This one large box gives you more than 2x the storage capacity of either the Milwaukee Packout or Dewalt ToughSystem 3 piece combos. It’s the same price as the Packout special buy — of course for that price Irwin also gives you a built-in worktable. This box gives you one big unstructured space, versus 3 smaller toolboxes. It all depends on what kind of storage you are looking for.
I mentioned the structural ribs above, but they may be one way you could organize such a large volume more effectively. It sure looks like they are meant for accepting dividers — otherwise why design them in pairs like that?
The one thing that makes me pause is the weight rating. It sure seems like it would be easy to pile in way more than 110 lbs of tools in such a large space. Plus the 50 pound rating on the table seems a bit low. You might not put 50 lbs of stuff on it, but what if you lean on it while working. You could accidentally put half your weight onto it without trying.
Adam says
I just saw this yesterday and was going to send the photo of it in when I got home tonight. Looked and felt robust. I’m dissapointed seeing the lowest weight ratings. The plastic felt like it could handle a lot more. Perhaps I won’t be picking one up, or i guess wheeling it out is more appropriate.
Stuart says
My feelings are that the weight limits are conservative. There’s often a safety factor, so that load capacities aren’t taken to their limits, and so that things like age and environmental factors don’t lead to potentially unsafe conditions.
Cr8on says
I saw this too and thought it was quite cool, it might be worth $200 but not for me.
firefly says
I like the idea. I have been searching for something like this for awhile. I am not a huge fan of the execution especially with the weight rating. The table look like it can be easily tipped over. It’s something I’ll have to play with next time I am in Lowes.
PatrickD says
I thought the table was quite flimsy, and it was priced about 100% more than it should be. Not sure what you’d do where you needed to haul that many tools regularly and have a flimsy table to use with them. I’ll take a Packout roller (or the Rigid/etc.), or even one of the larger rollers that only sell for $100 and use my truckbed.
JeremyJ says
I would think that the table should be able to hold the weight of a miter saw. The weight limits would make you think it was a “fastening” table, but it’s missing a clamp or dogholes.
A W says
Home Depot has a 50 gallon Husky tool chest on sale for $50 right now. I like the idea of a moble table, but not for 4x the cost.
I played with both and got the Husky. I’ve been using it to haul gravel from a nearby landscaping place instead of borrowing a pickup. It holds about 600 lbs of #57 limestone, although the handle isn’t rated for nearly that much.
Robert Weatherspoon says
Right.. I picked 2 up yesterday.
Julian says
The large Dewalt boxes are usually a bit cheaper than the husky’s, and more importantly, come with lifetime warranties. The husky does not.
taras says
This should be priced at $100. There is no way there is $200 “worth” of material and design in this product, nevermind the $349 regular price that they claim. I think I’ll go buy a Husky bin, the requisite parts to make this design (all at retail price of course), and still have beer money left over.
I’d hate to think what the price will be north of the border. The DeWalt rolling toughcase is more than double the price that you ‘Mericans have it for. You guys can acutally buy the 3 piece toughcase bundle for the same price that we get the rolling box for.
nigeldh says
With a name like Mobile Command Center and the “table” I think is more meant as a portable office or workstation. I could see this unit being used in the command post for search & rescue, fire/rescue. The MCC could supplement a Plan Station from https://planstation.biz
Pete says
I could see the table holding a set of plans or schematics, a laptop and some radios. And maybe a lunch in the bottom lol.
I agree that i seems over priced though.
Charles says
I was all over this til I saw the price. It’s perfect for setting up a laptop and pulling tools from below. Giving it more thought the size is a negative mark too. The 20-30 gallon totes are really the limit for moving or loading safely on a job site. When it requires team lift to load or unload your tool desk it’s tough to claim mobile.
JoeM says
It’s certainly a very interesting design. I like when companies come up with something that is, at the very least, a genuine attempt to solve a specific problem.
I’m not overly fond of these rolling boxes though. That’s solely a personal thing, I don’t like them from my favourite brand, DeWALT, either. But it isn’t because they’re flawed, or bad, I just have a personal preference for the TSTAK system. Everyone who uses them would probably call me blasphemous for not liking them, so I just want to reassure them all that it’s merely a question of personal taste, nothing judgemental.
Benjamin Rosnagle says
I agree with most of the reviews when looking at the design for the money seems to much for the overall weight ratings. I might see myself creating one as a DYI project and see how they compare.
Bob says
The manufacturing of this product is quite expensive $200 is not much above cost its designed to be a work Station for planning not a work bench . I see it having a lot of uses other then construction . Such as camping hunting ice fishing etc .
Mark Lockwood says
I am looking at using this for a mobile platform for onsite Drone operations.
Carl Sacherich says
I shopped at the New Castle,PA, Lowes this morning and noticed they had reduced the price $30 to $169.95. They still had the same 4 on display at the front of the store. Maybe this website had something to do with the reduction. But I still think the price is too high.
I had considered buying one for my emergency ham radio station. It could easily carry a large battery, spools of coax, several radios (pre-mounted to the table top), etc. But, besides the price, it would require stand-up operation, and it’s a little too big to transport in a car. But it has gotten me to thinking. I’ve already sketched out a plan for a more compact rolling emergency station that I could build for much less, and that would carry the necessary gear in a more specialized manner.
M Collins says
This would work well for my needs, except there was one pretty large oversight in my opinion – I think they should have added another set of wheels so this could double as a cart. If it could be pushed around while it’s open with the table top extended, I would have bought one yesterday (they’re marked down to $169.95 as Carl mentioned, above).
As it is now, you can pull it to a location and set it up but once you have the table top up and a bunch of materials on it, you can’t really move it around without having to clear everything off the top.
Big oversight.
Contemplated adding my own front wheels and still may…but still not loving the price.
Deuce Train says
If Milwaukee makes one, I’m all over it. All other brands have let me down.
JG says
Dear Benjamin and Stuart,
I have a novice/general question about flip-top tool boxes but wasn’t sure where to post it: are there models that remain stable and won’t tip over backward when the hinged lid is opened fully? For instance, when a lid is opened to 180 degrees, so that the top of the base and the underside of the lid are parallel/horizontally aligned/flush, but the lid top doesn’t rest on the table surface like the base of the box because the lid is, say, 2″ deep/high while the base is 8″ deep/high, it seems the box might tip over if the base of the box doesn’t have enough weight in it while the lid itself holds supplies. Are there boxes with the base and lid are of equal height so that when opened it forms a stable, flat surface? Does this make sense?
Thanks,
JG
Stuart says
Some boxes have specially designed hinges, stoppers, stabilizers, or enough weight that they can be opened when empty or lightly loaded, without the weight of the lid toppling things over backwards.
Generally, less expensive tool boxes have simpler designs and will topple backwards if there aren’t enough tools or items inside to counter the weight and leverage of the lid.
Lisa D says
I was thinking of using this for the gun range, there is never enough behind-the-line space. It would hold all of my tools and cleaning kit, etc.
Brody H. says
This would probably make a really good camp kitchen box. but it’s little pricey and a bit to tall, if you have a pickup with a covered bed anyway.
John says
I love everything about the box, EXCEPT THE HEIGHT!!! Ok all you tool box makers DEWALT, IRWIN, HUSKY… they have to fit in our trucks that have rolltop covers. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PUT ALL OF OUR VALUABLE TOOLS IN THESE THINGS AND NOT BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEM FROM THEFT??? Box heights must not be higher than 21”!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Justin says
Agreed! They do not work in truck with toneau covers. I have the same issue…Someone get on this!!!
Rick says
I like the design but the table needs to hold more weight, at least 100 lbs. Table height of 38″ is perfect. I’ll wait for other’s to make one more rugged.