We sell Lista. You should read this page knowing that. What follows is a comparison built from what each manufacturer actually publishes, with blanks where a manufacturer publishes nothing, including blanks against Lista.
That constraint is the point. Every brand comparison in this category is written by a dealer to sell one brand, and they tend to fill the competing columns with numbers the competitor never published. If a figure below has no manufacturer or major distributor behind it, it is not in the table.
The table
| Spec | Lista | Vidmar | Rousseau | Lyon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per-drawer capacity | 440 lb | 400 lb on the long-standing line; 440 lb on the newer drawer slide system | 400 lb | 400 lb |
| Drawer extension | 100 percent full extension | Ball-bearing carriage system | Full extension, roll-out shelves also offered | Full extension, progressive action on Delrin rollers |
| Widths offered | 22 3/16″, 28 1/4″, 40 1/4″, 47″, 56 1/2″ | 22 1/2″, 30″, 45″, 60″ | 18″, 24″, 30″, 36″, 48″, 54″, 60″ | 22″, 30″, 36″, 45″, 60″ |
| Depths offered | 22 1/2″ and 28 1/2″ | 27 3/4″, with shallow-depth variants | 24″ and 27″ | 28 1/4″ |
| Locking | Removable core. Keyed different, keyed alike, master keyed, no lock, plus an electronic option | Single key opens all drawers, with optional security drawer locks and individual padlocking | Key lock, safety hasp, digital code lock, smart lock | Key cylinder, in single-drawer-access or multiple-drawer-access configurations |
| Steel gauge | Not published | Not published | Not published | 18 ga sides, 16 ga front frames, 14 ga pans, 12 ga slides |
| Cabinet load rating | Not published | Not published | Not published | 7,500 lb per housing; 15,000 lb stacked |
| Built in | Holliston, Massachusetts | Allentown, Pennsylvania | Quebec, Canada | Montgomery, Illinois |
| Warranty | Not published | Not published | Lifetime on the drawer rolling system; one year on materials and workmanship | Lifetime to the original purchaser against defects |
| Owned by | Stanley Black & Decker | Stanley Black & Decker | Independent, family-founded 1950 | Lyon LLC, in business since 1901 |
Sources are the manufacturers' own catalogs, technical sheets, and product pages, plus major authorized distributor listings. Blank cells mean the manufacturer does not publish that figure, not that the cabinet lacks the feature.
What the table actually tells you
The drawer capacity difference is smaller than it looks
Lista publishes 440 lb per drawer and Vidmar's newer slide system matches it. Rousseau and Lyon publish 400 lb. That is a 10 percent spread, and in practice almost nobody loads a drawer to either number. If you genuinely need the top of the range, the two Stanley brands have it on paper. For most buyers this line decides nothing.
Footprints are where the real difference is
This is the line to read carefully, because it constrains what you can physically do with the cabinet. Rousseau offers the widest span of widths, from 18 to 60 inches, which matters if you are fitting cabinets into an awkward space. Lyon runs one uniform depth. Lista is the only one of the four offering a shallow 22 1/2 inch depth alongside a deep one, which is what makes the wide HS footprint work against a wall.
Depth is the specification people regret. A 28 inch deep cabinet holds more and eats more floor, and long tooling needs the depth. Measure the aisle before you compare anything else. Every Lista footprint and the cabinets on each one are listed on our dimensions page.
Locking is the line that matters at scale
One cabinet: any of these lock. Forty cabinets across three buildings: the lock system becomes the whole purchase.
Lista uses a removable core with keyed-different, keyed-alike, and master-key programs, which means a fleet can be organised so supervisors carry one key and a lost key is a core swap rather than a lock replacement. Vidmar's standard arrangement is a single key opening all drawers in a cabinet, with optional security locks. Rousseau offers the widest range of lock types including digital and smart locks. Lyon offers a choice between single-drawer-access and multiple-drawer-access behavior, which is a safety consideration more than a security one.
The removable core is also why a used Lista with no keys is a cheap problem rather than an expensive one. That is covered in lock cores and locks.
Lyon publishes more than anyone else
Worth saying plainly since it does not help us: Lyon puts steel gauges by component, a cabinet load rating, and clear warranty terms on a public technical sheet. Lista and Vidmar do not publish equivalents. If you are the kind of buyer who wants to compare gauge for gauge, Lyon is the only one of the four that lets you.
Warranty is the biggest published gap against us
Rousseau publishes a lifetime warranty on the drawer rolling system, and Lyon a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser against defects. We could not find published warranty terms for Lista or Vidmar. Figures for Lista's warranty do circulate online, but they trace back to dealer marketing rather than the manufacturer, so they are not in the table. If warranty terms are decisive for your purchase, ask any dealer to put the actual terms in writing on the quote, including ours.
Two more brands you will run into: Equipto and Stor-Loc
Equipto and Stor-Loc are smaller American manufacturers that come up in bids alongside the four above, usually through regional dealers. Both build a real modular drawer cabinet rather than a light-duty tool chest, so they belong on this page. Same rule as the main table: published figures only, and a blank cell means the manufacturer has not published it.
| Equipto | Stor-Loc | Lista | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-drawer capacity | 400 lb on cabinets 30 in wide and up; 200 lb on the 22 1/2 in wide cabinet | Up to 400 lb | 440 lb |
| Drawer extension | Full extension; 6 ball bearings and 4 idler rollers per drawer | 100 percent extension on double roller tracks; 6 ball bearings and 4 rollers | 100 percent full extension |
| Widths and depths | 22 1/2, 30, 36 7/8, 45 and 60 in wide; 19, 24, 25 and 27 3/4 in deep | 24 1/2 in standard wide drawer; ten drawer heights | 22 3/16, 28 1/4, 40 1/4, 47 and 56 1/2 in wide; 22 1/2 and 28 1/2 in deep |
| Frame steel | 12 gauge | Not published | Not published |
| Lock | Optional | Not published | Removable core, keyed alike and master key programs, standard |
| Warranty | Not published | Guaranteed for 55 years | Not published |
| Built in | Tatamy, Pennsylvania | Kankakee, Illinois | Holliston, Massachusetts |
Two honest notes. Equipto's 200 lb rating on its narrow cabinet is the one figure on this whole page that is meaningfully below the others, so if you are quoted an Equipto in the 22 and a half inch width, check that number against what you plan to put in it. And Stor-Loc's 55 year guarantee is the longest published warranty of any brand here, including ours. If warranty length is what decides your purchase, that is a genuine point in Stor-Loc's favor and we would rather say so than leave it off.
How to actually choose
- One or two cabinets for a shop or garage. All four are good. Buy on footprint, drawer layout, lead time, and delivered price. This is not a decision that rewards research past that point.
- A fleet you will manage for years. The lock program and parts availability matter more than any spec in the table. Ask how you order a replacement drawer in year eight.
- You already own one brand. Stay with it. Nothing here is interchangeable between brands, not drawers, not dividers, not lock cores. Mixed fleets mean mixed spares.
- You want maximum published transparency. Lyon.
- Defense, armory, or aerospace work. Vidmar has the deepest track record in those environments. We sell Vidmar through our sister brand, Echo Industrial Source, so we have no reason to steer you away from it.
Common questions
Which modular drawer cabinet has the highest drawer capacity?
On published figures, Lista at 440 lb per drawer, matched by Vidmar's newer drawer slide system at 440 lb. Rousseau and Lyon both publish 400 lb. The gap is about 10 percent and is rarely the thing that decides a purchase.
Are Lista and Vidmar interchangeable?
No. They are sister brands under Stanley Black and Decker but the housings, drawers, and lock systems are different. Parts do not swap between them, and buying one expecting to fit the other's drawers is a costly mistake.
Which brand publishes the most specification detail?
Lyon, by a wide margin. Lyon publishes steel gauges by component, a cabinet load rating, and warranty terms on its own technical sheet. Lista, Vidmar, and Rousseau publish less, and some figures that circulate for them online come from dealer marketing rather than the manufacturer.
Is Rousseau better than Lista?
The published specs do not settle it. Rousseau rates its drawers at 400 lb against Lista's 440 lb, offers a wider range of cabinet widths, and publishes a lifetime warranty on the drawer rolling system. Lista offers a removable-core lock system with keyed-alike and master-key programs that suits fleets of cabinets. Which matters depends on whether you are buying one cabinet or forty.
Where are these cabinets made?
Lista in Holliston, Massachusetts. Vidmar in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Rousseau in Quebec, Canada. Lyon in Montgomery, Illinois. All four are North American manufacturers.
How does Equipto compare to Lista?
Equipto publishes 400 lb per drawer on cabinets 30 inches wide and up, and 200 lb on its 22 and a half inch wide cabinets, with full extension slides running on six ball bearings and four idler rollers. Frames are 12 gauge steel, and a lock is optional rather than standard. Lista publishes 440 lb on every drawer at every width, with a removable-core lock standard. Equipto builds in Tatamy, Pennsylvania and does not publish warranty terms.
How does Stor-Loc compare to Lista?
Stor-Loc publishes up to 400 lb per drawer on double roller tracks with 100 percent extension, ten drawer heights, and a 55 year guarantee, and builds everything in Kankakee, Illinois. It does not publish steel gauge or lock details. Lista publishes 440 lb per drawer and a removable-core lock system with keyed-alike and master-key programs, and does not publish a warranty term. The 55 year guarantee is the strongest published warranty of any brand on this page.
Why are some cells in this comparison blank?
Because those manufacturers do not publish that specification. Numbers for steel gauge and warranty circulate widely online for brands that have never published them, usually traceable back to a dealer's marketing page. We would rather show a gap than repeat an unsourced figure, including for the brand we sell.
If you are cross-shopping and want a straight answer on where Lista wins and where it does not for your specific job, tell us what you are storing. We will tell you when another brand is the better fit.