Over at Home Depot, they still have some of these Dewalt 40″ tool storage combos in stock. It came out for Black Friday 2016, and is rather aggressively priced, at $598 for the combo plus a bonus Bluetooth radio and a bonus organizer.
I’m not comfortable saying that these are “free” bonuses, because this combo just came out, and it’s only ever been at this price point. So if the tool storage combo with bonus items were always priced at $598, are they still bonus items? I guess, if the combo continues to be sold at this price and by itself.
Dewalt’s language is also very specific. They don’t use the words “free” anywhere, just “bonus.” But I digress.
I’ve played around with the combo a few times in-store, and am convinced that it’s simply a less premium version of Dewalt’s black 40″ tool storage combo. This one:
You lose a drawer in the top chest and another in the bottom rolling cabinet. It’s hard to say without taking a thickness gauge or micrometers to both, but I’d assume that the black and yellow special is built with slightly thinner sheet metal in both the frame and drawer construction.
You get soft-close drawers 100 lb load capacity, and a 200 lb load rating for the large bottom drawer. I don’t recall if both bottom drawers on the yellow and black combo have the double slides.
The casters are typical “heavy duty” with 2 fixed and 2 swivel with brakes.
There’s also a power strip and USB charging ports.
For the price, it seemed decent. Some stores still have a few combos in stock, and you can also order it online. If your local Home Depot has too many in stock, they might drop the price this month or after the new year to help move them out.
If you’ve seen these in-store, what are your thoughts?
I think it’s a potential alternative to the also-cost-focused behemoths you’ll find at similar price points, or smaller 26″ combos that cost proportionally less. The black Dewalt 40″ combo costs a lot more, even double the price at some dealers, but you get known and sturdy construction, and not just the 2 extra drawers.
It’s tough to compare tool storage units like this, because everyone’s needs and preferences are different. Personally, I prefer greater storage density over sheer volume. I’d take a well-laid out 40″ combo with more drawers over a slightly larger combo at a similar price point.
You can fit a lot of hand tools into a 26″ combo that has more but shorter drawers. With rolling cabinets, you typically have to spend much more to get one with greater storage density, regardless of size.
Buy Now(via HD)
This combo offers good bang for the buck, but not exceptional. Which can be a good thing. From what I can tell from my in-store inspections, it doesn’t over-promise, but doesn’t seem to under-deliver either.
If you’re willing to spend a little more, consider the Milwaukee 46″ combo. A little less? Milwaukee’s 30″ combo is very good. Want a lot more storage volume for $100 more? Look at the Husky 52″.