Storage on Wheels - I’m Saved!
Written: Feb 23 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 3 different size drawers, holds hanging files, well constructed, on casters, easy to move
Cons: If the bottom drawer is filled with heavy items, it can be difficult to close.
The Bottom Line: I can’t decide whether to file the bottom line in the top, middle or bottom drawer.
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| dlstewart's Full Review: Rubbermaid Medium 3-Drawer File Tower 3B23 |
My files threatened to bury me! Okay, not literally ... but papers and file folders clustered near the computer. Tote bags, stacked like cord wood, also contained papers. Granted, each tote bag held the papers neatly arranged and categorized, but there had to be a better way of organizing. Enter the Rubbermaid 3-drawer File Tower -- model 3B23.
What the Tower Looks Like
This is a very nice looking unit. The body is constructed of heavy-duty white plastic, and the drawers are a “frosted” see-through plastic. Each of the three drawers is a different size. The smallest drawer is on top, beneath that is the next larger-size drawer, and on the bottom is a roomy file-size drawer. Each drawer has a molded plastic handle that is shaped in an upside-down half-oval. The fingers slide under and into the handle for easy opening of the drawer. The entire unit rests on concealed casters, which easily slide on a hard surfaced floor. (I haven’t tried rolling the unit on carpet.) The top of this unit is flat so that items can be placed on the surface. A lip around the sides and back of the top help prevent items from sliding off the top of the tower.
Rubbermaid says the unit has a reinforced top shelf and that the unit is built with solid frame construction. An opening on the back of the unit (located behind the top drawer) offers a hand hold to easily lift the cabinet off the floor for carrying. The entire File Tower measures: 15" wide x 16"deep x 26.5" high.
The Drawers
The drawers slide in and out of the unit on built-in molded plastic rails. The drawers lock when pulled out so that the drawer and contents do not pull free of the cabinet. Also, if needed, the drawers can be removed from the cabinet.
Top Drawer – 12 1/4" wide x 14 1/4" deep x 3 1/4" high
This is the smallest drawer. File folders and papers can lay flat in this drawer. The drawer will even fit 8 1/2" x 14" paper. This drawer is also great for holding small items. This is the easiest of the drawers to close and fit snugly when closed.
Middle Drawer – 12 1/4" wide x 14 1/4" deep x 7 1/4" high
This is a nice medium-size drawer. I use it to hold a variety of items, including papers, padded envelopes, and a point-and-shoot camera. This drawer has good height for holding larger items. Sometimes this drawer needs a slightly heavier push to make sure the drawer is completely closed; it depends upon whether there are heavy objects in the drawer.
Bottom Drawer – 12 1/4" wide x 14 1/4" deep x 11 1/4" high
The deepest of all the drawers, this drawer has built-in rails to support hanging file folders. The file folders slide easily along the rails. No file folders come with the unit; you have to provide your own. This is versatile drawer space and doesn’t have to be used for hanging files. There is plenty of room to store objects of your choice. The one problem with this drawer is that it is reluctant to completely close when filled with heavy items ... or even hanging file folders holding a lot of papers. Even giving the drawer a good shove, it’s a challenge to completely close it. The drawer usually remains a tad open at the top.
Minimal Assembly Required
The only thing that needed assembly was to insert the four wheels into the bottom of the unit. I couldn’t believe how easy this was to do. I turned the unit upside down so that the bottom of it faced the ceiling. Then I took each of the wheeled feet and snapped them into their respective holes. Simple. It didn’t even require muscle power. No tools needed, either.
The only paper that needed removing was a piece of thin cardboard with the UPC code and other identifying information. This cardboard was taped in two places to the plastic tower and easy to remove. No stickers were on the unit.
What Can I Use It For?
I use the drawers to hold a variety of papers and items relating to one of the organizations I belong to. It’s great to keep everything pertaining to the organization in one unit. But this 3-drawer tower can be used to organize a variety of things. This tower isn’t just for papers either. Here are a few ideas for storage:
* Sewing and Craft materials and projects
* Scrapbooking accessories
* Photography supplies and files
* Hobby storage for related pamphlets and instruction sheets
* Garden seeds and gardening catalogs
* Sheet Music storage
* Income Tax files
* Mutual Fund (or other investment) information
* E-bay transactions or other records
* School papers
* Extra bedroom, kitchen or household storage space
Likes
* See-through drawer fronts
* The file tower is portable, easy to move around
* Bottom file drawer supports hanging file folders
* Unit is compact and looks nice
Dislikes
My only complaint about the cabinet is the bottom file drawer. When the drawer is heavy, it is tricky to completely close.
This isn’t a dislike, but I thought I would mention it in case you were thinking of changing the color of the File Tower. Rubbermaid products are made from polyethylene and polypropylene. One of the properties of this type of material is that it makes the plastic surface easy to clean. Unfortunately, while the plastic is easy to clean, it also means that materials do not adhere well to the plastic. Rubbermaid says that adhesives or paint won’t stick well to the plastic surface.
Summary
The Rubbermaid 3-drawer File Tower meets my needs and only cost $14.83 at Walmart. Since the unit is on wheels, it is easy to roll around my work space. Being on wheels, it’s also simple to clean underneath it, eliminating pesky dust bunnies. For the price, I couldn’t go wrong. This sturdy Rubbermaid File Tower works just fine for me. And I emptied all those tote bags so now I can refill them with other stuff. Hmmmmm ... maybe I should rethink the part about filling the tote bags with more stuff. I'll probably need to buy another Rubbermaid Tower to organize it all!
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
Rubbermaid Home Products Division
1147 Akron Road
Wooster, OH 44691
Tollfree Phone: 888-895-2110
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST Monday - Friday
Please read my other reviews.
Mighty Bright Light
JVC XV-N44SL DVD Player
Gateway 500X Desktop Computer
HP LaserJet 1000 Printer
Hoyle Card Games for the Computer
PennyPress Master’s Variety Puzzles
Park’s Seed (online store)
Adjustable 48" x 24" Table
Conair Ion Hair Dryer
Copyright 2004 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
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