The Highly-Rated Harbor Freight Mini Toolbox, According To Reviews

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If you enjoy tackling a variety of household projects yourself, you've probably accumulated many tools that every DIYer should own. You'll quickly realize, though, that you need to organize and store them correctly to protect your investment and ensure you can always find what you need. The top-rated toolboxes are available in many shapes and sizes. Some people need smaller, portable storage options, while others need rolling chests with several drawers. But no matter the style, if you want the most durable material, steel is generally the best choice. Steel resists damage, making it the ideal choice for rough conditions. However, manufacturing toolboxes out of steel can make them pricey. How can you save money while still receiving a sturdy metal case? Harbor Freight is known for selling affordable tools, and it maintains its low prices for toolboxes. One of the recent additions to its lineup is the U.S. General Mini Steel Toolbox for just $19, a low-cost buy with high customer ratings.

The Harbor Freight toolbox measures 6 inches deep, 6 inches tall, and 11 inches long, which is slightly larger than the Snap-on Micro Top Chest but doesn't have the same $131 price tag. Harbor Freight is also offering the toolbox at a significant discount, as Amazon and Walmart are selling it at an initial price of $35. Harbor Freight introduced the U.S. General toolbox in November 2024, and it immediately became a popular selection. It has more than 2,200 customer reviews on the Harbor Freight website and a near-perfect 4.9-star rating.

The small U.S. General toolbox has a good build quality, according to many Harbor Freight customer reviewers. The top compartment lid opens to a full 90 degrees and remains open, making it easy to see the items inside. One reviewer says the lid has a premium feel, ensuring it will protect your tools. It can hold 5 pounds of tools in each of its two drawers below the top compartment, and each one has ball-bearing drawer glides. "These are beautifully built, every detail just like a full size toolbox," one customer reviewer says.

Although the small size of the toolbox might make people doubt its ability to protect tools, its hefty feel shows it's made for work. "I thought this little toolbox would feel like a little toy, but I was surprised by the weight," YouTube reviewer How-to and Reviews says. It's "surprisingly heavy and built like a tank." Additionally, the base of the toolbox has small rubber feet underneath, which holds the entire unit in place when you're pulling open the drawers, preventing it from sliding across the top of the workbench. If you want to repurpose your toolbox for clutter-free bathroom counters or other storage options, the small size of the U.S. General model makes it a handy storage option. "Perfect size for storing and accessing my home tools in my kitchen cabinet shelf," one customer reviewer says. Another buyer stated, "I use this for my wallet, keys, ring, etc. It looks cool on the shelf and keeps everything organized."

Although negative reviews on the Harbor Freight website are rare, most of them focus on the small size. Squeezing two drawers and a shallow compartment into the toolbox's 6-inch height means none of the compartments have much space. It's a "nice sturdy little box, but the drawers are shallower than I expected, so it won't work for my intended use," one customer reviewer notes. Other reviewers would like to see a sturdy carrying handle attached.

Customers generally like the black, red, and blue colors that Harbor Freight initially released with these toolboxes. However, many want more choices. The good news is that Harbor Freight is preparing to offer three more colors in 2025 and allowing customers to vote on Instagram among hot pink, light pink, yellow, and orange for another color to be released in 2026.

One problem people are mentioning is that Harbor Freight can't keep them in stock. Harbor Freight sold the toolboxes for $10 each during Black Friday 2024 holiday sales after initially announcing them. This price was so low that it caused them to be out of stock for quite a while afterward, according to a Reddit thread. "The second they come in stock, they go out of stock," one Redditor says. Still, a few customers feel it's too overpriced and that the discounted cost is reasonable, considering the limited functionality of such a small toolbox. As one reviewer put it, "Buy it on sale; pass at full price."