Husky vs Kobalt garage cabinets

Published 1 November 2026Compared from the makers' published specs, not tested by usWe may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page

Husky is sold at Home Depot and Kobalt at Lowe's. Both back their cabinets for life and take warranty claims at the store. Here's who each brand suits, with the details below.

Pick Husky if

You'd rather not assemble anything. Both Husky cabinets arrive assembled.¹² Lowe's lists Kobalt's welded set as needing some assembly.³
You'll load each shelf heavily. Husky's Heavy Duty cabinet is rated for 350 lb¹ per shelf, more than twice the 150 lb⁴ of either Kobalt cabinet.
You want a full warranty. Husky's chart calls its lifetime warranty a full one: "bring it back and we will replace it for free".⁵ Kobalt's welded-set manual calls its warranty "limited lifetime".⁴

Heavy Duty Welded Check price
Regular Duty Welded Check price

Pick Kobalt if

You want a whole wall of matching cabinets with a worktop. Kobalt's 8-piece welded set includes two lockers, three wall cabinets, a base cabinet, a rolling tool cabinet and a 72 in. bamboo worktop.³
You want the most weight in one tall cabinet. Kobalt's welded locker is rated for 800 lb⁴ in total, more than either Husky cabinet.
You only need one cabinet and don't mind putting it together. Kobalt's 2-door cabinet comes unassembled.⁶

Welded Steel Check price
2-Door Cabinets Check price

A garage wall of matching charcoal steel cabinets, with a bamboo worktop running between two tall lockers Illustration: a garage wall of matching cabinets with a bamboo worktop.

Load ratings

The charts compare each line's tall cabinet: Husky's two freestanding cabinets, Kobalt's welded locker and its 2-door cabinet. Kobalt's welded locker holds the most in total, and Husky's Heavy Duty cabinet holds the most per shelf.

Total load ratingHusky Heavy Duty Welded700 lb¹Husky Regular Duty Welded600 lb²Kobalt Welded Steel800 lb⁴Kobalt 2-Door Cabinets644 lb⁷

Load rating per shelfHusky Heavy Duty Welded350 lb¹Husky Regular Duty Welded200 lb²Kobalt Welded Steel150 lb⁴Kobalt 2-Door Cabinets150 lb⁷

Cabinet dimensions

At 24 in.¹ deep, Husky's Heavy Duty cabinet is the deepest here. Its Regular Duty cabinet is 19.6 in.² deep and Kobalt's 2-door cabinet is 18.5 in.⁶ deep. Lowe's lists only the whole set's size for Kobalt's welded locker, so it isn't drawn.

Side view, to scale1. Husky Heavy Duty Welded 81 in. tall¹, 24 in. deep¹2. Husky Regular Duty Welded 75 in. tall², 19.6 in. deep²3. Kobalt 2-Door Cabinets 72 in. tall⁶, 18.5 in. deep⁶Each cabinet stands against the wall on the left. Grid lines every 12 in. Size not listed: Kobalt Welded Steel.

At 81 in.¹ tall, Husky's Heavy Duty cabinet is also the tallest. Measure under your garage door track and opener before you order.

The top of a tall grey cabinet standing just below a garage door track Illustration: a tall cabinet close under a garage door track.

Assembly and installation

Husky cabinets are welded and arrive assembled.¹²
Kobalt Welded Steel has welded frames, but Lowe's lists the set as needing some assembly.³
Kobalt's 2-door cabinet is the one you put together yourself, and Lowe's lists its seams as not welded.⁶
Anchor them to the wall. Kobalt's manual says to fasten cabinets to the wall so they can't tip over.⁷

Hands tightening a bolt on a steel cabinet on a garage floor, with panels, a bag of bolts and an open box beside it Illustration: bolting a cabinet together on the garage floor.

Warranties

Husky's warranty chart gives garage cabinets a lifetime "full warranty". Husky is sold only at Home Depot, and its warranty runs through Home Depot stores.⁵

For Kobalt, call Kobalt or return the cabinet to the store you bought it from with the original receipt. The distributor repairs or replaces it "at its option".⁷ The welded set's manual calls its warranty "limited lifetime" and gives the same steps.⁴

Keep your receipt either way. Husky's chart says to visit a store for details.⁵

Fine print

Husky's Heavy Duty listing gives two gauges. Its title says 20 gauge and its description says 24 gauge.¹ Ask Home Depot which is right.
Kobalt's welded set has the same ratings as NewAge Bold 3.0. Kobalt's manual gives the same limits as NewAge's Bold 3.0 guide, cabinet for cabinet: 800 lb for a locker, 150 lb for a locker shelf, 100 lb for a wall cabinet and 600 lb for a base cabinet.⁴⁸ NewAge Bold 3.0 is in the full comparison.

Full specs

Spec	Husky Heavy Duty Welded	Husky Regular Duty Welded	Kobalt Welded Steel	Kobalt 2-Door Cabinets
Steel thicknessA lower gauge number means thicker steel.	Listing says both 20 and 24 gauge¹	24 gauge²	24 gauge³	Not listed
Construction	Welded, arrives assembled¹	Welded, arrives assembled²	Welded frames, some assembly³	You assemble it; seams not welded⁶
Tall cabinetSizes and ratings differ between cabinets in one line, so the rows below are for this one.	36 in. freestanding cabinet, HTC1000008¹	30.5 in. freestanding cabinet, G3002L-US²	30 in. locker⁴	36 in. 2-door cabinet, model 19001⁶
Total load rating	700 lb¹	600 lb²	800 lb⁴	644 lb⁷
Load rating per shelf	350 lb¹	200 lb²	150 lb⁴	150 lb⁷
HeightAs the maker or store lists it.	81 in.¹	75 in.²	Not listed	72 in.⁶
DepthHow far it comes out from the wall.	24 in.¹	19.6 in.²	Not listed	18.5 in.⁶
Width	36 in.¹	30.5 in.²	Not listed	36 in.⁶
Finish	Not listed	Not listed	Powder coat³	Powder coat⁶
Locking doors	Yes, keyed¹	Yes, keyed²	Not listed	Yes⁶
Leveling feet	Yes¹	Yes²	Yes³	Yes⁶
Worktop options	Not listed	Not listed	Bamboo, in the 8-piece set³	Not listed
WarrantyAs the maker names it. A limited warranty lists what it leaves out.	Lifetime, full⁵	Lifetime, full⁵	Lifetime, limited⁴	Lifetime⁷
PricePrices change often. The check-price links show today's.	See the check-price links	See the check-price links	See the check-price links	See the check-price links

Where to buy

Husky

Heavy Duty Welded Check price at Home Depot
Regular Duty Welded Check price at Home Depot

Kobalt

Welded Steel Check price at Lowe's
2-Door Cabinets Check price at Lowe's

Sources

Husky Heavy Duty Welded 20-Gauge Steel Freestanding Garage Cabinet, 36 in. W x 81 in. H x 24 in. D (HTC1000008), The Home Depot. Read 1 November 2026.
Husky Regular Duty Welded 24-Gauge Steel Freestanding Garage Cabinet, 30.5 in. W x 75 in. H x 19.6 in. D (G3002L-US), The Home Depot. Read 1 November 2026.
Kobalt 8-piece welded steel garage storage system, 132 in. W (model 53954), Lowe's. Read 1 November 2026.
Kobalt Welded Steel garage storage system manual, models 53952 to 53955, Lowe's. Read 1 November 2026.
Husky warranty chart, Husky (The Home Depot). Read 1 November 2026.
Kobalt 36 in. W x 72 in. H x 18.5 in. D freestanding steel garage cabinet (model 19001), Lowe's. Read 1 November 2026.
Kobalt 36 in. 2-door cabinet manual, Lowe's. Read 1 November 2026.
Bold 3.0 Series cabinetry installation guide, IM-PB3.01A-07 Rev 7.1, NewAge Products. Read 1 November 2026.