If you live in an older home or even a small home, you know storage is at a premium. It always seems like we have more stuff and fewer places to store it. Sure sometimes we can be a pack rat and keep stuff we don’t need, but let’s face it, we all feel the same way about stuff. My stuff is good stuff while someone else’s stuff is junk. So what is one way we can counter this lack of storage and keep our good stuff safe and organized? How about a base cabinet? Which brings me to this review so let’s check out the HDX Utility base cabinet review.
HDX Utility Base Cabinet Review Overview
If you are not familiar with HDX, HDX is a Home Depot brand that is designed to be inexpensive. Now for my personal experience with HDX, I think some of the lines are good and some not so good. What I mean by this is I have bought some HDX products and they have been a great value while I have bought other HDX products and didn’t think the quality was all there, such as the HDX compressors.
For the HDX Utility base cabinet, there is no question about the quality. The reason being is because Keter makes this HDX cabinet. Keter is a large manufacturer that deals with plastics. They have been around for a long time and always build top notch products. In the past, we have dealt with some of their products such as a Keter Tool Chest, Keter Deck Box, and a Keter Folding Work table, not to mention all the other Keter products that have been branded under other names.
Each and every time we have dealt with a Keter product, they have surpassed what we have expected from them. Now with that said, this is only reviewing the base cabinet. I am not sure how the tall or wall units are in regards to quality and ease of assembly.
HDX Utility Base Cabinet Review Features
One of the best features of this cabinet is how easy it is to assemble. The unit comes folded down for easy transportation. Once you lay it down, just fold up the doors, the sides, the top, and bottom. They all snap into place as it’s one unit. So basically you can get the frame set up in about 15 seconds. Add another 30 seconds on for the shelf and you are all set. You don’t need any tools.
The unit is made of polypropylene which makes this strong, lightweight and easy to clean. Once the unit is set up is measures 18.5″ in depth, 35.6″ tall and 30″ wide. The cabinet has a 130 lb. total weight capacity with the shelf holding up to 65 lbs of the total weight.
The unit comes with a single shelf and as a user, you have different options of where you want the shelf in the cabinet. The shelf is easy to adjust and change heights.
Once reason the HDX cabinet is so strong is they have reinforcement in key areas. The cabinet isn’t a cheaply built cabinet. You can tell there was thought put into the different aspects of this cabinet.
The doors shut snug as the cabinet has a close feature located on both the top and bottom.
One feature to note about this cabinet is the doors. On top of the doors, there is an indentation that makes it easy to open the doors. I like not having a handle and having these indentations instead.
HDX Utility Base Cabinet Review Performance
On a short-term, yes this cabinet will hold up. When we put heavy objects on the shelf and the top, we didn’t see it bend or have any issues. Since we haven’t tested it over the long run, the one question is will the shelves bow over the years with dead weight on them? Personally, I don’t think so just because of the way it was designed.
Since this is plastic, you have to remember that you will get a little different performance than a metal cabinet. The door will shut different than a metal cabinet. But with plastic, you don’t get the weight or the chance of it rusting.
HDX Utility Base Cabinet Review Value
The Home Depot is selling this unit for about $60. This is a tough one for me to say if this is a good value or not. I really like the cabinet and I know it’s priced cheaper than other plastic cabinets we have seen. Considering this is better quality and cheaper than other plastic cabinets we have seen, I would say this is a good value. However, I would have loved to see this priced for about $50 to make this a great value.
HDX Utility Base Cabinet Review Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a good cabinet that is easy to put together, doesn’t cost a lot and has a great build quality, this is a cabinet you should look at buying. While I would like to see the price dropped by $10, it’s still a good value. Our experience with past Keter products, this one will hold up and would be perfect in the garage, laundry room, play area or anywhere else in the house where you need more storage.
I am interested in buying 2 of these to put in my garage, side by side, for 50# bags of sunflower seeds used in bird feeders. The idea is to keep mice away from the seeds. I don’t want shelves since the bags won’t fit if they are there. Will this compromise the strength and durability of the cabinets? I think I can fit 4 bags (200#) into each cabinet. Thank you for your help.
They are nice unit but not sure how it will hold up with a dead weight of 100 lbs.
How easy is it to wall mount this cabinet?
It’s easy. Just some screws and an impact.
There are NO instructions included with this cabinet. Just a bag of plastic parts you snap off. You tube vids of this cabinet assembly does not show where the extra parts go. Never have received anything like this without included instructions for assembly.
I just bought this. It is simple to put together following the pictures in the instruction manual. But there is little description of what to do with the extra parts… like the six round “washer type” parts. Where do they go? There is no explanation of how to use the other parts… the two connector connector locks the somehow fit in the middle of the doors.
I just bought two of these cabinets to be used as separate wall hung units in my garage. They are also designed to be stacked upon one another if you prefer that arrangement. I highly recommend these cabinets… they are good quality, sturdy, and a great value for the money. Each cabinet is simple to put together following the pictures in the instruction manual. Just remember that if you are using a cabinet as a free-standing floor or base cabinet, then pay attention to what is the bottom side and top side of the cabinet…they are reversed if you stack them This affects how yo install the inside shelf and connect the cabinets together… up or down. The only problems: They have limited weight capacity per shelf of about 50 pounds, but that is the nature of this type of plastic type product. it is enough for most light garage loads. Other issues: There is no description of what to do with the extra parts… like the six round “washer type” parts. Where do they go? Also, I would have liked two sets of clips for the doors, .. one pair for the top of the doors, and one pair for the bottom of the doors for better door security. There is no explanation of how to use the other parts such as the two connector locks the somehow fit in the middle of the doors to stack and connect two cabinets together. If you want to hang the cabinet on the wall, You can fasten the cabinet to wood studs in the wall by four or six screws that you drill through plastic blocks at the back of the cabinet. I recommend that you buy two shelving brackets for each cabinet, place the cabinet on the brackets, then screw the cabinet into the wall from the back. This may add a bit more weight capacity and not tear off the wall. I am amazed at the design engineering that went into this cabinet. It all neatly fits in one box packed within itself. You lift it out of the box, open it up tow side doors, snap together the sides the shelf, and the doors with no tools, This is a great accomplishment of logical and innovative product design with eh customer in mind. My compliments to the design engineers of this product… the best i have seen in this type of product to date.
How will this stand up on an outside deck to weather and sunlight?