Can total load be divided by drawer count?

A: No. Total load assumes even distribution across the cabinet and ignores impact; per-drawer load is a separate figure. Select on per-drawer load and plan actual loading at seventy percent.

How much safer is a three-point lock?

A: Roughly an order of magnitude in pry resistance, since forcing one side no longer opens the door, for about twenty percent more cost.

Must a tool chest be fixed to the floor?

A: Not always, but one condition must hold: it must not tip with a drawer fully open and loaded. Ballast or an interlock can replace fixing; without either, fixing is required.

Do full-extension slides fail sooner?

A: Not with a stiff cabinet. The failure case is a soft body with full-extension slides: at full travel the slide takes torsional load and the balls wear faster.

Should drawer dividers be specified at purchase?

A: Yes. Dividers fix where the heaviest item sits and how much usable height remains; retrofitted ones rarely fit. Give the supplier the largest item's size and weight. ---

Tool Chest Specifications: Drawer Load, Slide Travel and Locking

Quick answer: Tool chest datasheets list overall size and total load, which are nearly useless for selection. Four figures decide daily behaviour: load per drawer, slide travel, locking method and anti-tip. Miss any one and it shows up within three months as a drawer that will not pull, a unit that tips forward, or keys nobody controls.

The four figures a tool chest spec sheet should show
Load per drawer: the two conditions behind the number
Slide travel: is full extension worth the premium
Locking: single point, three-point and cabinet locks
Centre of gravity and anti-tip: the most neglected figure
FAQ

1. The four figures a tool chest spec sheet should show

Brochures give three figures: overall size, total load, drawer count. They tell you whether it fits, not whether it works. Two chests of the same size can differ threefold in load per drawer, offer full or three-quarter travel, and lock at one point or three — none visible in a photo.

Four figures matter: load per drawer, slide travel, locking method, anti-tip design. They map to four daily actions — pull, see, lock, stand. Ask about each in turn; it is far more useful than a total load rating.

Figure	Typical steps	What to check	If it falls short
Load per drawer	20 / 40 / 80 kg	full travel when loaded	slides distort, drawer sags
Slide travel	three-quarter / full	can you see the back	rear tools unreachable
Locking	single / three-point / cabinet	lock points and key tiers	edges lift, unclear ownership
Anti-tip	interlock / ballast / fixing	one drawer at a time	unit tips forward

2. Load per drawer: the two conditions behind the number

A per-drawer rating assumes even distribution and static load. Put eighty kilograms into a dozen sockets clustered at the front and the point load can double the rating; the balls brinell first, and every pull afterwards feels notchy.

A tool chest drawer fully extended on ball-bearing slides with a heavy tool set, slides visible

The second assumption is dynamic. Pushing a drawer applies an impact factor of 1.5 to 2, so one hard shove far exceeds the rating. Plan at seventy percent: an eighty-kilogram drawer loaded to fifty-five reaches its design life.

3. Slide travel: is full extension worth the premium

A three-quarter slide leaves a section hidden; full extension brings the drawer right out so the back row is visible. The difference barely shows in shallow drawers and is obvious past five hundred millimetres of depth, where rear tools need a torch.

A loaded tool chest on a slight slope with one drawer open, showing stability

Full extension costs money and stability: the cantilever is longer, so the cabinet must be stiffer, and a soft body sags at full travel. Test it empty and fully open, pressing the front edge — clear springback with no set is the pass mark.

4. Locking: single point, three-point and cabinet locks

A single-point lock secures one side and relies on panel stiffness elsewhere; a three-point lock drives bolts top, middle and bottom; a cabinet lock ties all drawers to one bar. Their pry resistance differs by an order of magnitude, while price differs by about twenty percent.

Close-up of the central lock of a tool chest with three locking points, key inserted

Which one you need follows management, not security level. A fixed crew locking only at night is served by a single point; handovers and traceability call for a cabinet lock with key tiers. Three-point sits between them.

5. Centre of gravity and anti-tip: the most neglected figure

With drawers open the load moves forward and the combined centre of gravity can pass the front edge, tipping the unit about its front castors — the most common injury route and the easiest thing to miss on a brochure, because an empty chest never tips.

Close-up of a drawer divider system holding wrenches and sockets in a tool chest

Three answers exist: an interlock releasing one drawer at a time, internal ballast, or fixing to floor and wall. Check whether ballast is standard — many units arrive without it.

One field rule costs nothing: put the heaviest tools in the bottom drawer. It only works if the internal layout is planned at purchase, otherwise weight follows convenience and lands on top.

Conclusion

Read a tool chest spec in four figures: plan drawer load at seventy percent, check that full travel lets you see the back, match locking to management, and require ballast or an interlock. Total load and size answer whether it fits; these four answer whether it still works in three years.

This article covers container-side specifications and design implications only, not the handling, loading or use of the contents.