Rollaway Toolbox Lock Workaround?

[Ben]

I have one of the Harbor Freight General rollaway bottom drawers plus top chest sets. The lock on the top chest irritates me.

I recognize that the reason it irritates me is mostly my fault, because I can't seem to help putting stuff on top of it. Then when I want something out of a drawer, I have to move whatever I put on top and raise the lid to open a drawer. My current workaround is to not shut the drawers all the way (when I remember). If you close them to just when they start resisting, then stop, they will open and close with the lid shut.

I'm wondering if there is an easy way to completely disable that lock mechanism? I will never have a need to lock this toolbox, so if there is a semi-non-destructive way to just disable the lock, I'd love to do that.

[zxcvbob]

I have one of the Harbor Freight General rollaway bottom drawers plus top chest sets. The lock on the top chest irritates me.

I recognize that the reason it irritates me is mostly my fault, because I can't seem to help putting stuff on top of it. Then when I want something out of a drawer, I have to move whatever I put on top and raise the lid to open a drawer. My current workaround is to not shut the drawers all the way (when I remember). If you close them to just when they start resisting, then stop, they will open and close with the lid shut.

I'm wondering if there is an easy way to completely disable that lock mechanism? I will never have a need to lock this toolbox, so if there is a semi-non-destructive way to just disable the lock, I'd love to do that.

I don't know about that specific box, but there should be a bar in the back that move up or down when you open the lid.  I would expect it to move up to engage the lock.  If you can disconnect it from the lid it should drop down and the drawers will be unlocked.  But don't drop it where you can't retrieve it with all the drawers closed, just in case it actuates the other direction! 

If the drawers are open and you close the lid and then shut the drawers do they lock?  That might be a clue at figuring out how they work.  (and if they don't lock, it doesn't matter so much if you break or drop something)

[dogmush]

Easy? No.

If you take the drawers out you will see some sliding bars in the back (one for each "bank" of drawers) that move when you raise and lower the lid. Those are the locking bars. Either disassemble them from where they locks into the lid and remove, or cut them out, and the problem is solved.

Of course  you have to take out all the drawers that are presumably full of heavy tools to do it.

If you look closely at the picture of the box with the lid open in the link below, you will see the three locking bars going from the lid down through  the top of the tool box.  Those are what have to go.
https://www.harborfreight.com/26-in-single-bank-top-chest-red-64160.html


ETA: read Bob's comment, and they do actuate the other way. Down is locked, up is free.  If you just detached them from the lid and drop them the drawers are locked.  They pretty much have to come out.  Your other option is to pull the drawers out and cut the locking tabs off the back of them.

[zxcvbob]

Those bars drop down to lock, and up to unlock.  Just disconnecting them isn't likely to work because they will drop down to the locked position.  (unless closing the drawers with the lid down does not lock them.)  You'll probably have to remove them.

[Hawkmoon]

From the photo on the Harbor Fright web site, the attachment of the locking bars to the lid looks a lot like a hinge. If you drive out the hinge pin, can the bars simply be lifted out?

[Ben]

Well, I'll take a couple of drawers out tomorrow morning and poke around a little bit. If it turns into a big production, I'll either keep doing what I've been doing or else learn to organize better and keep stuff off the lid. 

I just wish they would have made it the same as the bottom section, where the drawers only lock if you turn the key. Oh well.

[K Frame]

"I'll either keep doing what I've been doing or else learn to organize better and keep stuff off the lid."

Whoa whoa WHOA!

Let's not go and get all crazy and *expletive deleted*it!

It's FAR simpler to spend hours disassembling your tool box and screwing around with it than being a bit more organi....

Oh, wait...

 

[Brad Johnson]

Those bars drop down to lock, and up to unlock.  Just disconnecting them isn't likely to work because they will drop down to the locked position.  (unless closing the drawers with the lid down does not lock them.)  You'll probably have to remove them.

Find the right spot and you can lock it in the up position with carefully placed self-tapping screw or small bolt.

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

So it wants you to pull up its top before it lets you in its drawers?

[Ben]

So it wants you to pull up its top before it lets you in its drawers?

 

[dogmush]

So it wants you to pull up its top before it lets you in its drawers?

Most of them do.

[AJ Dual]

Just keep in mind that this is a safety feature. To prevent too many drawers being open at once and the entire toolbox tipping over. 

[dogmush]

∆∆

Not on that box.  All the drawers will open at once.  That's just a "security" lock.

[Ben]

∆∆

Not on that box.  All the drawers will open at once.  That's just a "security" lock.

I can't even think of a time I'd have all the drawers open at once. Even if I did, the heavier stuff is in the bottom couple of drawers, and the top drawers just have super light stuff like picks and screwdrivers and allen wrenches. Even then, the really heavy stuff like socket sets, big wrenches, etc. are in the bottom roller cabinet.