Harbor Freight US General Service Cart – 2 Year Review
I bought a Harbor Freight US General 30″ service cart back in November 2020, for use as a catch-all in my garage.
It has served me well in the more than 2 years since then.
The cart features an open bottom shelf, a single drawer with ball bearing slides, and an open top compartment.
If I recall correctly, it went together easily. The handles’ surface finish had minor flaws, but other than that there wasn’t much to complain about.
This is a low-strength cart, but at the time I spent around $100 including shipping. There was nothing else I could find that even came close to what this offered for the money.
I bought this as a temporary catch-all. It has been my electrical work cart, my power tool battery cart, and my project workcenter.
Right now, I have the bottom loaded with cordless outdoor power tools and batteries, the drawer with a couple of hand and power tools, and the top with new equipment I’ll be testing shortly. There are tape measures, a drill, and a cordless vacuum clipped to or otherwise hanging off the side walls that surround the top shelf.
To my surprise, the finish has held up well also – there is very little chipping except a point or two where I am to blame. The wheels are in great condition, and the drawer shows no sign of wear yet.
I definitely got my money’s worth here.
I have been considering retiring the cart, as I need greater storage efficiency. Basically, I need something much taller that can hold more stuff without taking up a lot more space. The open shelf on the bottom is useful, but another shelf or second drawer would be better use of the space.
But, it continues to be useful. Maybe this will end up in the utility room, where it can hold misc. replacement plumbing and lighting parts. There are a couple of other ways I might use it.
The US General cart turned out to be far more versatile than I had anticipated. I bought it as a somewhat temporary solution, but I keep finding new ways to use it.
It’s too long to slide under a workbench, and too short to use as a work surface.
I should note that the current version is labeled Series 2, but I can’t see how it’s different than the one I bought.
Yes, I would absolutely buy it again.
The cart is currently priced at $140, and Harbor Freight has occasional promos or coupons that might work on it. There are 7 color choices – red, blue, black, green, orange, yellow, and white.
Key Specs
- 30″ length x 16″ depth x 35″ height
- 350 lb total weight capacity
- Powder-coated finish
- 4″ casters (2 locking)
- One drawer with ball bearing slides
- Weighs 52 lbs
Price: $140