Picking Out The Right Metal File Cabinet

Getting a quality metal file cabinet is essential, as it will be holding onto your folders and needs to be reliable enough so that it will last for a good amount of time. Ones which are made of metal are drastically more durable than ones made out of particle board, but they are also slightly less sturdy than the ones which are constructed of wood. With this in mind, metal models are cheaper than ones which are wooden.

Types of Metal Filing Cabinet

The size of metal file cabinet that you need for your specific purposes will be based on the type of documents that you are planning to keep in the cabinet. There are four standard file cabinet sizes that you might consider: 1. Letter sized: This kind of cabinet will typically only hold 8.5″ x 11″ paper and files. Many home offices use this type of metal file cabinet.

2. Legal sized: This kind of cabinet is made to hold both letter sized documents as well as documents that are the standard legal 8.5 inches by 14 inches.

3. Lateral file cabinets: These are made up of two or three drawers and can hold both legal and letter sized documents.

4. Personal file cabinet: These cabinets are smaller, less pricey, and hold only 8.5″ x 11″ letter sized files. When looking for a file cabinet that will fit both sizes of paper, both legal and letter, keep in mind that most cabinets will have sliding metal brackets that allow you to adjust for smaller or larger folders if needed.

Picking a Metal Filing Cabinet

When looking for your metal file cabinet, you should keep in mind how many drawers you need (and allow future file needs as well). It is possible to find file cabinets with as many as five drawers. If you intend to use the cabinet for storage purposes other than storing documents, take that fact into consideration when deciding how many drawers you will need. Also, if you plan on needing more than one metal file cabinet, you should think about buying one, two, or more at the same time as some retailers will offer a special discount for multiple purchases of the same type of cabinet, or cabinets in the same line.

It is important that you not fill up the top drawer of your metal file cabinet while leaving the bottom drawers empty as this can create a top-heavy cabinet that can fall and hurt someone. Only open one drawer at a time to ensure that the weight of the cabinet’s contents are even. Attach the cabinet to the wall in order to help reduce the chance of tipping over. Put heavier items in the lower drawers to hold the cabinet down and help to keep it in place.

Every work area needs a file cabinet of some sort. If you do not want to spend a lot of money on one like you would with wood, consider a metal file cabinet.