For anybody interested, if you purchase this box for a maintenance job where you have to roll it around long distances at walking pace, the included wheels are perfect. Four swivel wheels are completely uncontrollable when you’re walking out to a machine, especially when you have hundreds of pounds of tools adding momentum. Four swivel wheels work good in shops and garages, not in a factory environment. Also if you need a durable work surface on the lid, pick up a thick sheet of polycarbonate and bolt it to the lid. Works great for hauling around big AC motors, pipe wrenches, chain, driveshafts ETC.

Almost thought it was Scotty kilmer talking 😂 but great video. Thanks for sharing

Dale, thanks for taking the time to share your mods. I appreciate the explanations instead of just sharing the idea and making me figure it out. I love my new cart and am like you in not wanting to drill, epoxy, or permanently changing anything on it. I learned a lot from your efforts. Thanks.

Thanks for the ideas Dale! I'm a machinist's apprentice and have been struggling to find a compact mobile work bench. Your drawer lock mod makes this cart just the ticket!

As someone who works with carts with casters extensively, I can say there is a definitive reason to put two swivels, and two fixed casters. All of my carts for my machine at work have four swivel casters and I hate them. If you think along the lines of a car or a forklift, two wheels turn, the other two do not.this is intended for you to be able to steer the thing, and with all four being swivels, the damn cart just goes wherever it wants and I can't steer it alone. The carts I use are more like six to ten feet long, and whenever I try to push it it steers itself right into everything on the front with no control. The swivels should go on the handle/ push side, and the fixed go on the front. Period. I hate four spinning things that just go stupid anytime I try to push it. Anyone agree?

Thanks for the tips especially the paint color and magnet ideas.

Love the video Dale! I followed your magnet strip idea. It worked like a charm. Like yourself I hate drilling holes in my cart. I also have the side tray. But I noticed how much the tray rattles and bangs when in the down position and the cart gets moved. So I found a fix for that. I bought a tool magnet strip from the home depot. I then placed the magnet strip on the underside of the side tray. Now when ever I lower the tray the magnet on the tray attaches it self to the cart proper and stops all the clanging. Magnet isn't so strong as to be intrusive. But it is strong enough to secure the tray in the down position.

Just purchased one of these tool cart. Love the lock modification. What a brilliant idea.👍🇨🇦

I just got the cart today and I love your mods especially being able to open the drawers without disabling the ability to lock the drawers. Thank you for the content!

Excellent modifications I do like the cart quite a bit as a retired Woodworker I’m going to use their design to build one of my own with self closing ball bearing slides to keep the drawers closed when rolling it around my shop mine is going to be modified for wheels and tire work At my lift area all in a private garage I want it to have holders for impact drivers and lug nut sockets to make it easy to perform regular maintenances on my vehicles and equipment plus another nice feature will be a sacrificial work surface that is inexpensive and fast to replace when it’s needed I also believe that the holders for the tools will need to be relocated and modified as my needs and vehicles are bought and sold plus thanks for the tip on Goof Off too I used to build residential homes and I got in the habit of using the heck out of it I found out the hard way by using it to get off some latex paint on a GE microwave oven plastic door handle that it just melted the handle that made me having to replace one all at my cost the funny part of the people that did buy and live in the home became close family friends for many years after I left that company the wife reckonize me from when they did buy the home and she did live in the house for over 20 years Lolits a small world after all the handle was fixed as soon as I received the new one that only took a day or two

The magnetic bar mod putting two together was worth watching this video, I'll be using that asap 👍

Very smart workaround for the lock bars! Good job!!

Thank you Dale for sharing the HF tool cart mods. I will be using them on my HF & Snap-On boxes.

I'm definitely doing the drawer lock mod to mine. Being able to open the drawers while the top is down is a very important. Having to take tools, parts, and other items off the top to get to a tool inside would get old after awhile. Thanks for the tips Dale.

Not sure if someone already said this but I arranged my locking swivel casters so they were on the front if you are facing the cart. Easier to lock/unlock them when they are right in front of you vs on the side.

If you own the HF green tool cart...you can use RAL green 6018 powder coat powder and mix the dry powder with few drops of acetone or MEK and it will turn the powder into a liquid and it’s instant touch up paint with perfect color match. Sorry I don’t know what the blue is!

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Informative and detailed example of thinking outside the box.

I like the idea of adding another fold up table to the handle side, then relocating the handle to the front, using one of those magnetic strips as a back brace. I just bought the 5 drawer series 2 tool cart myself and I am going to do that, plus add the US. General power strip and heavy duty caster wheels.. thank you for the great ideas.

This mod is great! Excellent way to disable and re-enable the locking mechanism. I’ll use this mod on my cart. Thanks.

I will be using mine as a beginner cart for my sanding blocks, hammers, dollies, and air tools. I’m just starting out this cart is perfect I think.

Really like Mod #3, will use it on my tool cart... In Amazon you can obtain magnetic strips glue it the mat, now it's a magmat that can be removed w/o damaging cart...

All good ideas Dale. I do like the HF tool carts....and I know eventually I will be picking one up for myself, I just gotta make room for it. :) Thanks for sharing all your upgrade info.

Thank you for the detailed explanations bud I liked the work service mod 👍🏼 good ideas

Keep the great videos coming. I also LOVED your video about coke and rust.

Great video. I liked and subscribed. I will end up doing all of these mods to my cart once I finally pic a color.

Magnet idea was the best, one I cant believe I didn't think of that before. Thanks!

Great ideas love the drawer lock mod . I been wanting a cart that i can open draws with the lid close so i could use the lid for a work space.

Thanks for the tips! Can’t wait to go get mine!

Best mod I've done to my hf cart is putting it on a lift table from HF. As a diesel mechanic I'm always going up and down for tools. So I put the cart on the table and no more up and down it's always at the right height. The next mod is to swap the hydraulic cylinder for a electric actuator that works with a remote and 12v Milwaukee batteries

Great ideas I liked the lid lock and did and it worked great thanks. there are 7 of these boxes at my work and we have done some other mods like I raised my box 1 1/2" by bolting the 2nd to the top holes on the box to the top holes in the frame then drilled new holes for the bottom brackets we use washers to make the screwdriver holes smaller and one guy used sheetmetal and a lock on the bottom to make more lockable space

I just bought this and the same color, this will be very helpful when I get putting it together for use, great video

Good job, sir! I love little mods that makes me more efficient. Thanks!

Okay. Thanks. Mod 3 is what I was looking for! To use one of their carts for a pellet smoker cart. Thanks for the videos.

I love modification #3!! You’re an absolute genius!

I liked all of your mods, because like you I don’t like drilling holes in my nice new cart. I especially like mod #3

Saw this video just in time for me to avoid drilling out the rivets that hold the whole lid locking mechanism in place. Thanks. Lots of good tips. I have one more of these carts to build, so will look for your assembly tips video next.

great ideas and implementation

I have the same box and I just purchased the same drawer liner from HF and cut it to fit. I attached it with 3M double sided tape. it holds great and peels off very easy. If I tear the top I have extra liner to replace it with. I added the the can holder and glove holders. I also cut, painted and attached a piece of sheet metal at the bottom on the side opposite the handle allowing me to place addition magnetic items there.

Loved all your tool cart mods definitely going to do some of those mods when I get my tool cart after Christmas 👍👍👍😁😁😁💰🇬🇧

Excellent video! Thank you Sir!

Great tips, thanks for sharing!

Great video. Thanks for sharing!

Just got the cart for work. Thanks for video. Going to try and fabricate a pry bar holder. Will be doing the lock mod. Although even being a full time euro mechanic my cart will fit under a car on a lift and use a parts cart next to the tool cart for bolts etc as I always do so don't see it being a problem so will be trial and error. Could fabricate a bottom frame with casters and angle iron and a mig or arc welder. and add a small parts cart right next to it on the same cart. Tons of options if you're handy and have access to a welder. Could even weld angle iron together if you don't have a welder and have access to a cutting torch using clothes hangers. Gotta watch ur heat so you don't burn a hole through though.

Hello Dale. Thanks for all the mod hints. As for securing your rubber mat. You can get rolls of half inch magnet tape . I bought mine from Walmart. In the craft section. No holes to drill. And easy off.

Awesome ideas. I think I will be modifying the lock mechanism this weekend but will put a HF magnet in the plastic piece to attach the to the back of the cart. Also considering getting a piece of C-channel the length of the box and use the existing holes near the corners by using longer bolts and some spacers. I think the double wings on the side is great. The 18 inch magnet ideas are great. I'm considering putting a wood top on the top of the tool cart.

Thanks for that mod to let you access drawers while top is closed. Did that right away, love it. For the top I set a plastic bucket on top on the first day and it left a giant circular scratch so I had to cover it. I got a 2' x 4' x 1/8" diamond plate pattern rubber flooring roll from a company called Rubber-Cal from Amazon for $20. Cut it down to size, put some masking tape on the cart top and then on top of that some double sided tape and taped that rubber mat down. The diamond pattern is 3D so it's not flat but that's okay for me. Looks great and I think it will last a long, long time.

Dale your the man I just watched your space ghost vids and you newer coupon vids Thanks for all your research and hard work This one of my fav vids of yours so I was checking it out again 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Great idea for the lock mechanism.....I will be doing it first thing Monday morning!!!

to hold mat on lid without damage and make it removable use command strips for picture frames but just the adhesive part

Thank You for sharing your tips. Love tip # 3, being able to open the drawers while the top is closed. I may put the magnetic bars on the back, but so far not sure. I have to finish the assembly first, I did watch that video already, it was great. Thanks again.

Just saw your video great ideas, and also thank you for sharing my tool magnet back to back video.

excellent mods all around! the magnet on the back of the drawer is genius! i love the community behind this tool chest and alot of the us generals tool box's lol

Yup, I'm doing that locking bar mod this week. I don't need it to lock all the time because it's at my home, but I'd like to be able to if my roommates have people I don't know over. 200 IQ move man!

Love the lock modification tip. Thanks a ton!

Top mat adhering: 1) Masking tape on the painted surface 2) Double sided tape between the masking tape & your mat. 3) You could go around the perimeter, or use even more if need be. It would be "permanently" attached, but yet still easily removable. I think that's kind of your style... Alternatively, a vinyl wrap could work well also.

Great video-- thanks for sharing Dale.

Like The Mods going to apply it when I buy my new box. Try hot glue to hold the top mat down might work out good let you know when I do mine

A Suggestion for attaching the top cover piece-clear silicon spread very thin. It should not damage anything, Thin enough it won’t be lumpy, and you likely could remove a very thin skim of it by just rubbing it with your fingers. It Might need waxed after that, but it should work. However, I haven’t tested that. Suggestion for stiffing up the front panel-a thin board. A 6’ privacy fence board is thin enough to clear the top where it sticks outward. It does need cut to size. My box is yellow. I cut a hole out for the lock, drilled the board for longer stainless steel carriage bolts (I polished the top of every bolt on my cart), and you need to cut 2 thin slots for where the lid drops down. Sanding it and Safety Yellow paint matches reasonably well. I also put some exterior, floor grade, polyurethane clear coat on it, so it cleans up better. That stiffens the front panel. It also allows you to attach things you wouldn’t want to drill into the box itself to attach. I also left one end long so I could hang a towel, or something else. Actually you can put wood all around the top, if you want. A friend of mine did exactly that. It looks okay. I also have a habit of putting my foot on the bottom of the front. Therefore, I put a 2x6 cut to size and attached in the same way. I left it sticking up slightly higher than the sheet metal. On the top where my foot rests, I put some think rubber that I believe is a mining belt line. It’s black and looks okay, but not super pretty. However, it does protect my cart’s frame very well. And I have a great foot rest!!! My cart sees heavy and hard use. It still looks very good, but does have a very few nicks. I use the Safety Yellow paint to touch them up. It’s a reasonable match. I’m pretty careful with my cart, but I do use it pretty hard. I do not like drilling holes into tool boxes, or carts. However, I learned long ago that I’m not a tool box showroom. If a modification is: necessary, saves time, makes it more useful and productive, will make the cart last longer, Or more secure, I will make the modification. The key to doing modifications is to take your time, get everything as perfect as you can, make everything match, so it will not look like it’s seen use in a war zone, and use good materials for the modification. Following that rule will make you much happier with your cart modifications. It will also make your life easier. Just my experiences and thoughts.

Magnet strips come in handy to keep the side shelf from banging around. Also i cut two holes in the top portion 1"1/4 so i can run cords on the backside. I also bought the snap on bumper guards to keep cart from being banged up.

On that top diamond plat pad, You could go to a go to a place.. That makes them magnetic signs like they use for Truck doors for advertising.. Get some of it and some double sided carpet tape to adhere the magnetic sheet to the mat... Then you could still take it off and clean it and lid... Also use it on the shelf and side tray too..... I liked the idea of cutting the draw lock down that works slick thanks...

Don’t know why I watched this video in the first place. I know I don’t even need one of these, so I then also won’t need to modify it. Looks so nice though, and your mods look like a lot of fun.

Thanks for your video. I completed the install of my unit however, I m having a problem with the gas spring strut. It is installed correctly but, I am not able to close the lid. Do you know if the gas spring strut has a locking mechanism?

I really like #3 so the drawers open with the lid closed...thanks for posting

These are great tips! Very Helpful.

You are a genius!! Thank you!! Great Video!!

Great video, definitely interested in that lock mod as well as setting it up as a mobile work surface. Keep up the great work man.

Only about a 3rd of the way into the video, I had to through a thumbs up at you for the "lock mod". That closed lid is irresistibly a big ole work area and what if I have something laying there in pieces and need a tool from one the drawer! Excellent idea!!!

Great ideas. I use a total of 4 of the bar magnets at the edge of the mats to creat a lip on the outer edge and secure my mat to the top of the box

The video was amazing! Have you thought about top 5 tips when assembling a toolbox ?

Regarding the magnet hack-HF sells those rectangular magnets which are the exact same as the ones you'd pull from that strip. A pack of two goes for $.99 I lined up 6 in a row then wrapped in vinyl to use as a rail for my commonly used impact, spark plug, and torx sockets at work.

#3 is brilliant!

Great job!

Awsome mod . thanks Dale

You’re a sharp dude. Thanks for the lock trick.

GREAT VIDEO!!!

Loved the locking lid hack, mine will get same mod asap!!

Great video, watching to catch up with your videos bro and yes I will watch all the commercials all the way through because you have some of the best tool content out there!

Good ingenuity. Thanks for sharing

Just bought my cart yesterday. I have several mods planned like the magnetic strips under the lid. I plan to drill and countersink my bolt heads so they're flush. Then repaint the top or cut a sheet of stainless and rivet it on. Thanks for the great ideas.

That was actually very intriguing to watch. Thanks for all the ingenuity ideas. You have been very helpful. Now I’ve got to get going putting together my little blue cabinet.

Mr. Lucid, I just want to say, "Thanks a Lot" for showing us the coupon for $169. I followed it up on the coupon website & printed it out. I took it to HF today and they honored it with no problem at all. Thank you!

Great video thanks alot 👍

That looking mod was cool gonna try that on mine

Thank u sir, very cool cart. I think ill do the casters and top lid cover

Cool ideas Mr Dale

The lock hack was reason enough to subscribe! Thanks for the great idea... 👍🏼👍🏼 from this guy!

Great job sir

If you want to access the drawers while using the lid as a table you can open all of the drawers a little before closing the top. They’ll still close just fine but they won’t lock. Also there’s a caster that they use on Sheetrock carts that has a pin you pull to turn it into a swivel caster so you can have the best of both worlds

Great video good ideas some I will use. Very detailed which helped a lot. Thank you for making it.

clever ideas!

Very useful vid!

Thanks for the vidio Dale! on mod #2 the mouse pad material just curius it may work with dose alagater black squer spring clips that they use to clip papers on the ofices the small one my work on the bottom age on the top lid? since the lid over size when its close?

Really good video I like the latch mod

Great job!!

Tip #3 on the locking mechanism is brilliant, however when discussing the magnetic items you refer to the finish as powder coated and say it was damaged by the acetone in Goof-Off. True, the acetone does damage the finish but that finish is simply painted, it is NOT powder coated. And while it is a nice sprayed on and probably baked-in paint finish, it is simply painted, like an automobile. Powder coating is a completely different process applied dry by an electrostatic process and baked-on at 400 degrees. You do redeem yourself at the end by suggesting the use of the back side of the interior support bracket to bring as a sample to the paint store and as a test piece for the color match before full use. Perhaps painting over some tape strips which, when dry will reveal the color difference. And being taped out, there'd be no over spray. Generally a good effort, so thank you for passing on your suggestions.

Cool stuff man.

Great idea Dale on the drawer lock mechanism. As far as the top. See if you can find some sheet magnet material or see if a company offers it. Probably will have to google it. 1/16” should be the minimum thickness. I will check myself and see if it’s out there. My big mod I want to do is add the 18” side cabinet to mine. I need to find or make a cleat to hang it on, and then not over load it.

Awesome

Great video!

To affix your top pad on a temp basis without scratching or messing up your powder coating use double sided carpet tape like they use on area throw rugs and carpet on hardwood floors to keep it from moving or lifting so as to prevent tripping over the edge of the carpets..... Hope this tip helps you out. Take care, Tim Jones