10 Best Budget Tool Chests Under $500 of 2023 – Top Picks & Reviews

Tool chests are a great way to keep your tools organized, but they can be unnecessarily expensive. In fact, tool chests can cost upwards of $50,000. Yes, you read that right! With this in mind, it can be hard to find a tool chest for under $500.

Luckily, we have done the work for you and found the 10 best budget tool chests under $500. In this article, we provide reviews for these budget tool chests and even offer a buyer’s guide to help you make a more informed decision. Let’s get started!

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites (updated in 2023)

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest	Made from highly durable materials Detachable box for on-the-go use Includes interior padding protection	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		WEN 73015 Garage Glider Rolling Tool Chest	Features magnetic trays Holds up to 350 lb of evenly distributed weight Includes 4 ball-bearing swivel casters	CHECK PRICE
		On Shine 8-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest	Large capacity storage Easy to transport Multiple color options	CHECK PRICE
		Keter Rolling Tool Chest	Made from durable materials Easily maneuverable due to caster wheels Include a central locking system	CHECK PRICE
		Stalwart Oversized Portable Tool Chest	Portable and versatile design Made from durable steel Large storage capacity	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Budget Tool Chests under $500

1. Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest – Best Overall

The Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest is durable, easy to transport, made from high-quality materials, and comes in three attractive colors. In fact, there is little to say about this tool chest that is negative.

To begin with, the Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest is highly durable. It is made from solid and durable steel, ensuring that it will last many years and protect the inside contents. Meanwhile, the wheels are made from synthetic rubber-plastic material that is also durable and resistant.

This chest has a detachable tool chest, which is extremely useful if you need to take tools on the go. The chest contains five drawers, two trays, one bottom cabinet, and one top box drawer. The set can be detached into two separate boxes.

Finally, the Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest comes with padding protection. This padding protection keeps the inside protected from damage in the case that tools should roll around. It also features a drawer lock rod that prevents any drawers from sliding out. All in all, we think this is the best budget tool chest you can buy right now.

2. WEN 73015 Garage Glider Rolling Tool Chest – Best Value

If you are looking for the best budget tool chest under $500 for the money, you will be interested in the WEN 73015 Garage Glider Rolling Tool Chest. This tool chest is not only affordable, it provides high-quality, durable, and useful features for organizing your tools.

The WEN 73015 is made from durable metal and lined with thick, absorbent vinyl-protected multi-layer padding. Together, these materials allow the contents to stay protected and dry.

One notable feature is its magnetic storage trays. These magnetic trays are foldable, and they will allow you to organize screws and bolts very easily.

The only reason that the WEN 73015 Garage Glider Rolling Tool Chest is ranked number two on our list, as opposed to number one, is that it has less storage space than the Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest.

3. On Shine 8-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest

The On Shine 8-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest is another good tool chest under $500 to check out. This model is made of durable materials and has large capacity storage, but it is still easy to move around and useful in many scenarios.

Notably, this tool chest is made from high-quality cold-rolled steel. This material allows the toolbox to be rustproof and even includes an anti-corrosive coating. These features allow it to be used indoors or outdoors.

Additionally, it has large capacity storage. It contains eight drawers and two cabinets, which allows it to be used for many tools and suitable for a variety of purposes.

At the same time, this chest is still easy to move and transport. The bottom of this tool chest contains four wheels, making it convenient for moving and transporting. The wheels can also be locked and disassembled, which will be helpful if you want the tool chest to remain in place.

On the downside, the setup was a bit counterintuitive and the drawers have trouble sliding. Other than that, this is a solid model.

4. Keter Rolling Tool Chest

The Keter Rolling Tool Chest is an ultra-durable and protective tool chest for under $500. Despite its affordable price, this tool chest is durable, locking, portable, and versatile.

Importantly, this chest is very sturdy because of its materials. It is made from a resistant polypropylene resin construction, which prevents rusting, peeling, and denting.

Not only does this model give tools a proper home, but the Keter Rolling Tool Chest also prevents theft because of its locking feature. This locking feature has a central design that allows all drawers to stay secure before, during, and after use.

The Keter chest is very versatile and maneuverable. It has drawers of various sizes, allowing you to store different tools. More so, the model comes with caster wheels that allow you to easily move this tool chest whenever needed.

This chest suffers from one of the same pitfalls as our last model, which is that the drawers don’t slide very easily. This can start to impact your work if you need to quickly reach for a tool. Additionally, it’s a bit small.

5. Stalwart Oversized Portable Tool Chest

The Stalwart Oversized Portable Tool Chest is three toolboxes in one, allowing it to be highly portable, useful, and maneuverable. Its unique design makes it a great choice for those who constantly move around with their tool chest.

Importantly, this is one tool chest that contains three separate pieces. Depending on how you use this chest, you can either attach all three pieces or separate them. This is extremely useful if you need to transport certain tools on a regular basis.

Even if you want to use the entire tool chest at once, the Stalwart Oversized Portable Tool Chest is easy to transport thanks to its adjustable carrying handle and back and glide wheels. These features will allow you to transport the entire chest, or all three parts, with ease.

Finally, the Stalwart Oversized Portable Tool Chest is extremely durable because it is made from sturdy steel construction with a reinforced injection-molded polymer. However, it’s not very portable — especially on stairs— and the lower cabinets of this model lack a built-in latch.

6. CRAFTSMAN CMST82769RB Tool Cabinet

If you are looking for the most durable tool chest under $500, you will be interested in the CRAFTSMAN CMST82769RB Tool Cabinet. This tool chest is highly resilient, contains several additions to ensure the durability and protectiveness of the chest, and features several additional items.

This model is made from metal, so it’s built to last. Additionally, this CRAFTSMAN cabinet comes with features to further the durability and protectiveness of the tools inside. For example, drawers feature 100-pound      ball-bearings that prevent the drawers from slamming. More so, the chest comes with a lid stiffener for added stability.

However, all that durable metal weighs a lot, which lowers its level of portability. What’s more, buyers reported receiving dented products due to poor shipping procedures.

7. Gerstner International GI-T24 Top Chest

The Gerstner International GI-T24 Top Chest is another good tool chest for under $500. Unlike the other tool chests that are made from metal and plastic, this tool chest is primarily made with hardwood, which protects the insides from moisture and gives the box a sophisticated look.

Unfortunately, the Gerstner International GI-T24 Top Chest comes with some downsides. Most notably, this tool chest is much smaller than the other models. If you choose this chest, expect to only be able to fit some precision hand tools.

Additionally, the name of this chest is slightly misleading. It is not a true Gerstner chest. Instead, it is a modern remake of the memorable classic. Because of this, expect the quality to be much lower than traditional Gerstner chests.

8. Rubbermaid Commercial Trademaster 5 Drawer

Another tool chest under $500 to check out is the Rubbermaid Commercial Trademaster 5 Drawer. This tool chest is affordable, features a locking mechanism, and offers additional storage features besides the five drawers.

This product includes five drawers for storing small and precision hand tools. It also comes with a convenient locking bar that enables all drawers to be locked for added safety and security. Additionally, the model contains pegboard side panels, cord wrap, and molded pocket compartments for further organization.

At the same time, this Rubbermaid product comes with several pitfalls. Most notably this tool chest is extremely small. You will only be able to fit small, hand precision tools inside. Because of this, you should avoid this chest if you have larger or many tools.

Additionally, the Rubbermaid Commercial Trademaster 5 Drawer falls apart easily, The drawers are especially prone to breaking, making them unsuitable for holding, storing, and protecting most tools.

9. TANKSTORM Portable Steel Tool Chest

If you are a businessman by day and a DIY home improver by night, you will love the TANKSTORM Portable Steel Tool Chest. This affordable steel chest has a unique, brief-case-looking design that makes it durable and portable.

It is made of steel, ensuring lightweight durability. The outside of the box is coated with a black powder finish that resists scratches and chemicals. Additionally, the model comes with a central locking mechanism and a double latch system.

Unfortunately, the TANKSTORM Portable Steel Tool Chest comes with many downsides. For example, this box is incredibly small and not suitable for storing bulky tools. If you have a lot of tools, you are better off with a different model.

Additionally, the latches on the TANKSTORM Portable Steel Tool Chest are easy to bend, making the model less durable and protective than other options on this list.

10. Husky H4CH1R 5-Drawer Roller Cabinet Tool Chest

Finally, the last tool chest on our list is the Husky H4CH1R 5-Drawer Cabinet Tool Chest. This tool chest is scratch-resistant, rolls easily, and offers medium-sized storage abilities. More so, it is made from heavy-duty all-welded construction.

With that being said, the Husky chest has several drawbacks. Most notably, this model is very expensive. In fact, it is one of the most expensive models on our list despite the fact that it is smaller and comes with fewer features than other models on this list.

Additionally, this chest does not come with keys for the locks. This makes protecting and storing your tools more difficult, and you will need to pay for an additional locking mechanism if you want to lock your chest.

This chest also often arrives damaged or with some dents. This is not a big deal, but for the price, you would want a chest that comes in perfect condition.

Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose the Best Budget Tool Chest for Under $500

So far, we have looked at 10 great tool chests for under $500, but you still may be unsure which model is best for you. If that is the case, then you need to know how to assess the quality and features of a tool chest. The best way to assess individual tool chests is by considering three factors: material, wheels, and storage capacity.

Material

The first factor to consider when purchasing a tool chest is the material. The reason for this is that your tool chest is probably going to experience a lot of harsh wear. For this reason, it is important to choose a material that is durable and protective.

Most tool chests are made either of steel or aluminum. Stainless steel is very durable, and it will handle the wear and tear well. At the same time, steel can rust if it is not properly treated, and it is often pricier than aluminum. In contrast, aluminum is lightweight and affordable. It is less likely to degrade against the elements, but it is more prone to scratches and dents than steel.

Another material to consider is oak or hardwood. Wood is much more expensive than metal, and it will require more upkeep. However, hardwood boxes are more attractive, making them a great option if you want a visually appealing toolbox.

Storage Capacity

Another factor to consider is storage capacity. The storage capacity will tell you how much weight the chest can contain as well as the size of the tools that can fit inside. Before selecting a tool chest, see how many tools you want to store and their general size. Once you know that, you can better select a tool chest that has the proper weight and size capacity for your collection.

Portability

The last factor to consider when selecting a tool chest is wheels or portability. Since your tool chest will host a lot of tools, it will be very heavy, making it difficult to transport. If you anticipate moving your toolbox around, make sure that it has wheels or some other transportable feature. If not, it can be a hassle to move.

Conclusion

As we have seen, there are a lot of tool chest options to choose from, which can potentially make the selection process more stressful. We hope that our comprehensive reviews have provided you with insight on how to best select a tool chest for your needs and preferences.

With that being said, we recommend the Goplus 5-Drawer Rolling Tool Chest Because it is highly durable, has a large storage capacity, and has additional features. If our top pick is a bit too expensive for your taste, we recommend the WEN 73015 Garage Glider Rolling Tool Chest, which is also durable, transportable, and stretches your dollar.

No matter what model you choose, it is important to remember the three main factors that we mentioned earlier. Notably, you must consider the material, storage capacity, and portability of your tool chest. If you consider these three factors, you are going to find the best tool chest for you.

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