Electric Slide File, Archival Double Decker Metal Storage Box Holds 1500 2x2 Mounted Slides in Groups

I have acquired/owned five of these storage chests over a period of 37 years to store my many 35mm slides, and have always been pleased with their durability and performance. The metal is strong, the lids fit well, and the individual slots accommodate the slides in groups of twenty without the fit being too tight or constricting. However, the overall capacity of each chest is actually 1200-1300, NOT the 1500 as advertised. The only other potentially negative factor is that you should make sure that the latches are actually secure before lifting the chest, as improperly-seated latches will allow the chest to accidentally open when lifted by its handle, spilling your slides everywhere. One reviewer states that the plastic dividers are like those of a box of candy--I disagree, at least for those I own (perhaps those of more recent manufacture have changed): the plastic has not collapsed, cracked, or indented in my chests and has proven to be adequate for its purpose, so long as one does not abuse it. I have recently converted to individual archival pages for my slides, but these chests have always performed well for me.

The metal shell of the box is well-made, strong and sturdy. But I am very disappointed in the quality of the plastic insert trays; they crumple quite easily, are no more durable than paper and if slides are moved around in them much, will likely need to be replaced. I expected better for the price of this item. The poor quality of the plastic trays is the reason I gave this item four stars rather than five.

The steel boxes are unbelievably sturdy. Some have commented that the dividers are like dividers in packages of cookies. The bottoms of the divider trays are somewhat flimsy, but the sides are more than adequate to keep the slides organized. Also, the clasps to keep the lid shut seem adequate for normal handling. I purchased two of these items and consolidated 24 circular reels into about 1/15th the space.

I bought this b/c I needed to ship my family slides to a digital scanning service. I wanted something that could handle 1200+ slides and this was the only option on Amazon that fit my requirements. The 2 tray slide organizers are low grade preformed plastic. To achieve 1500 slide capacity you have to cram 25 slides into the dividers molded into the plastic it's not an easy fit. Plan to store 1200 slides or less. Also the bottom tray is trapped in the box w/o a clean way to remove it when fully loaded this is a bit of a challenge. I'm not planning to use the slides much after the are digitally scanned so this will function as a coffin for the slides until they completely deteriorate over time.

Like many others who have reviewed this slide file, I had bought my first Logan slide file some 30 years ago and now have four. The one I just received from Amazon was painted a different color (a metallic blue rather than a metallic gold) but otherwise identical. It is by far the best slide storage and file box I have ever found. Several people have commented on the plastic insert with dividers and called it flimsy. I have a different view - these inserts are the same as the ones supplied in my old Logan slide files and they have lasted 30 years of handling without any tearing, ripping, splitting, or other problem. I prefer them to metal dividers that came with a different style old box - no flakes of paint or metal - and they space more efficiently. If I were still taking slides (I'm not), then I'd continue buying these Logan slide files.

The tray for holding the slides could be firmer. One tray was very weak and thin. The next one after tailoring a bit(crimping the sides) held 25 slide okay.

As others have noted, the plastic inserts that hold the slides are very thin, though I think they will do the job. A bigger problem is that once you've filled the upper tray with slides, there is no convenient way to remove it to get at the slides in the lower tray. There's nothing to grab onto to lift or slide they tray out. Another issue is that the metal rims above the lower tray that the upper tray sits on make it difficult to put bunches of slides into the outermost slots of the lower tray. It's not impossible, but it's not easy.If all you're going to do is put slides in the box and store them for archival purposes, this product is a little pricey, but it'll get the job done. Just be prepared for some annoyances while you're loading it up.As for the 1500-slide capacity, um...no. With older slides in cardboard mounts, it will hold about 1200 slides at most, but that's assuming you put 20 slides in each slot. In practice, you'll probably sort slides into sets, so some of the slots will have fewer slides than they can hold. So figure more like 1000-1200 slides, depending on the thickness of the slide mounts and whether you divide your slides into sets that may not fully fill each slot in the box.

This has everything plus a handle. Metal construction isn't flimsy, there are two levels in one box with places to mark each slide. Holds an enormous number of slides is packets of 5 so that you won't confuse which are which. The closest I can get to a complaint is that the case makes a sound when it is put down!