Metal file cabinets are in use all over the world, in a great variety of office spaces and even in homes. For home use they will be found in both a structured home office and just simply as a home filing cabinet.
Filing and document storage is one of those things that modern life demands and our forefathers hardly ever thought about.
For office use the criteria can be specific storage needs combined with the ease of filing as determined by the filing system. Then, many times as an after thought, you think of office decoration.
Home filing systems will usually be dependent on the room decor and secondly on the actual filing needs.
Metal file cabinets come in different sizes, different shapes and even colors. They have been around for a long time and will still be in use for much longer.
Their sizes will be based on their width and height. Height will be defined by the number of drawers in the cabinet – and these can be from a single drawer filing cabinet to up to seven drawers (more and they become extremely impractical as you cannot reach in and search with any sort of comfort).
Some of the well known manufacturer of metal filing cabinets are United Stationers, Storex and Hon all of whom have a series of practical, efficient cabinets that are available in different size suitable for any office filing cabinet requirements.
One of the main things that anyone looks for in a filing cabinet is that it should be a practical tool to help you organize your files, documents and papers. This means not only storing them but also being able to recover them with great ease. A filing cabinet that is too tall defeats this.
At the same time as you review your filing needs you should always think of a slightly larger size – and this should include the number of drawers, the width and the depth. And the reason is quite simple; after a time, files tend to get a life of their own and grow, and grow and keep on growing until you are forced to apply major surgery.
Width on the other hand will be defined by the size of the paper or files that need to be stored, as will depth.
The logical projection of this is the way sizes are defined:
- The Letter . Usually found in home office filing cabinets and is made to comfortably store letter sized document.
- The Legal. As the term implies these are metal filing cabinets that hold up to legal sized (14 in by 81/2 inch) documents. More commonly used as part of a filing system in an office.
Metal file cabinets also have other advantages:
- Durability. Their life cycle is much longer than other types of file cabinets. As they are made from steel they last longer and are stronger than other alternatives.
- Care. They are easier to clean and maintain.
- Fire Resistant. They are not (unless otherwise guaranteed) fire proof as this demands an additional manufacturing process, but they are resistant to fire due to their metal characteristics. If a fire does occur, the documents inside the file cabinet will be affected, but the metal cabinet itself will provide extra time.
- Safety. Locks on metal file cabinets are more difficult to break.
Office files are usually made of metal while home filing systems are many times made of wood or other material in addition to metal. In my case I have had very good results with metal file cabinets – especially the ones that come with wheels – as the urge to clean my workspace happens every once in a while and part of the process used to be emptying the filing cabinets just to be able to reposition it. That is no longer an issue.
Once bought they have a long and productive life cycle.
Click on image for some great deals on Metal File Cabinets:
