leaving tool drawers open wears them out?

[The motor guy]

I worked with a guy that was adamant that if you left the drawers on a tool box open that it wears out the sliding rails. This sounds ridiculous imo unless it happens to be a heavy drawer. I like to leave them open, so I can easily remember and see which drawer I pulled the tool out of and put it back quicker.

 

[ArcticDriver]

There are several good reasons to close tool drawers, particularly in a busy shop where passer-by can get "hooked". Leave open too many and the entire box or cabinet can fall forward. Personally, when I was a kid I was always instructed by the old timers that its an important practice and I am glad I listened. If its his tool box and you are borrowing his tools then its pretty disrespectful to not follow his request and if its your tool box then you have no excuse to not memorize which drawer every single one of your tools belongs. Sorry but no sympathy here.

 

[The motor guy]

i agree i just don't see how leaving them open would wear out the tracks.

 

[raytseng]

i buy it. the rails are exposed to the environment more so they will collect dust and get gunked up more than if the tray were closed.

 

[CELICA_XX]

None of my thin drawers are subjected to excessive weight, so I don't mind either way. But if it was someone else, I'd respect his wishes.

 

[ArcticDriver]

Nothing worse than drawers which no longer have a smooth slide operation.

 

[Silk]

There is usually a sign on the box saying not to leave draws open. Can't remember which draw and where your tools in that draw are ? Blindfold me, and I'll open any draw and select any tool you ask for.

 

[PimTac]

Leaving heavy drawers open strains the slides. On cheaper toolboxes it doesn't take much.

 

[JHZR2]

I can see other reasons to close them. I can see how a heavy static load could bend/sag, possibly even gouge the drawers in time. Cant see how a static drawer could wear out bearings/slides.

 

[Kira]

ArcticDriver said, "Nothing worse than drawers which no longer have a smooth slide operation." There's PLENTY worse than that. Colon cancer, no-start conditions, your cat being hit by a car, bad breath, ripped upholstery, wasted food, people hypnotized into being consumers, sloth, air pollution, terrorism, colonialism, hanging snots when you're on a date ......I could go on.

 

[cb_13]

Originally Posted By: Silk

There is usually a sign on the box saying not to leave draws open. Can't remember which draw and where your tools in that draw are ? Blindfold me, and I'll open any draw and select any tool you ask for.

Must be nice. I should have bought a bigger tool box years ago so now I have deep drawers that are stacked to the top with tools. Those use once a year items are near impossible to find in my box.

 

[demarpaint]

Common sense tells me to close them. Wear, drooping, damage to the slides, risk of injury from banging into them, the list goes on. I see no point in leaving them open for long periods of time.

 

[Schmoe]

If they are weighted down, I'd shut them. Over time, those rails would bend and they wouldn't slide as smooth.

 

[tmorris1]

Agree you have weight cantilevered out from the slides which would definitely put more force on the slides.

 

[Mr Nice]

What about lubricating the bearings ?

 

[i_hate_autofraud]

I leave a draw half open so I remember where the tool goes but don't get hooked or knock it over!

 

[Ethan1]

If your drawer buckles just because you opened it, that's a good excuse to upgrade to Snap-on Side note: we might all pronounce "drawer" differently, but let's agree that it's not spelled "draw"

 

[bdcardinal]

I was always taught to close the drawer as soon as I was done taking a tool out. Not because of wearing anything out, but to prevent the very rare chance of the toolbox falling over. I have a Matco double bay with a full width upper socket drawer and that is a very heavy drawer especially when I had it full.

 

[Trav]

That's what I learned too. When you see a big box full of tools go over there will no question why you close the drawers and why you buy a box with locking drawers.

 

[ArcticDriver]

Originally Posted By: Kira

ArcticDriver said, "Nothing worse than drawers which no longer have a smooth slide operation." There's PLENTY worse than that. Colon cancer, no-start conditions, your cat being hit by a car, bad breath, ripped upholstery, wasted food, people hypnotized into being consumers, sloth, air pollution, terrorism, colonialism, hanging snots when you're on a date ......I could go on.

What a bazaar life one of us leads. Either me for never even thinking of any of those things or you for actually thinking of them?