Still not convinced about the filing cabinet...

G

goshafad

0
set up in GTD. I mean not using hanging files. I would love NOT to use hanging files for the reason GTD mentions. 1.) One file in one hanging folder does take up allot of room in the cabinet. Is that the only objection?

The hassle of finding a partitioning cabinet system to get the files to stand up properly or taking a cabinet and creating a hangingless system by using friction matting and a magnetic book end seems clumsy, perhaps not, frankly I have yet to experiment.

Tell me you who still use hanging folders, enlighten me. Does it work ok? What hang ups did you encounter (pun not intended) and is it a reasonable and workable system using hanging files when all is said and done?
Do you place more than one file or piece of paper in a hanging file? Is that a cardinal rule I should never break? Thanks.
 
I have hanging files at work because it's the only option with the file cabinets I am required to use. Saving space it not an issue because I have plenty of file cabinets. They work just fine.

I don't use hanging files at home. I started out using them, but by taking them out I increased by storage space by 200%, i.e a drawer that held 50 folders can now hold 150. The files don't look as neat and organized, but they look ok, and I can still file and find stuff just fine.

- Don
 
Exception to "no hanger rule" is my tickler file

I use hangers in my tickler file because they are easier to slide open when I need to drop something inside a folder. I dedicate one drawer for my tickler file and it doesn't even come close to taking up 3/4 of the space. I use the standard green folders for the day of the month and blue hangers for the 12 months. I also use the plastic tabs for labeling the folders.

In my regular filing system, however, I don't use them.
 
A few other personal objections to hanging folders:

  1. They're not quite as portable. I'd often grab folders out of my filing cabinet and take them to meetings. Hanging folders tend to flop open, and stick out of a stack of papers, and the hooks get caught on things.
  2. Hanging folders are a little more expensive than regular folders.
  3. Labeling a hanging folder takes more time. This is important; adding a new folder has to be frictionless, or one's filing system will quickly grow out-of-date.
  4. I can put regular folders in any filing cabinet, even cabinets designed for hanging folders. Not so the other way around.

Nothing worthy crying about here, of course. I will say that I switched from hanging to regular folders both at work and at home, and greatly prefer regular folders.
 
goshafad;73571 said:
Tell me you who still use hanging folders, enlighten me. Does it work ok? What hang ups did you encounter (pun not intended) and is it a reasonable and workable system using hanging files when all is said and done?
Do you place more than one file or piece of paper in a hanging file? Is that a cardinal rule I should never break? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have hanging files in most of my cabinets. I did purchase a few of the expensive follower blocks from Hon for a few drawers and am running a side by side test.

I put many folders into a single hanging folder, in fact I tended to buy the box end ones just for that purpose.

Advantages of the hanging folders is that even with several file folders in one hanging folder I can usually get to and see stuff easily. The drawers without the hanging folders are harder and I have to be more careful when I create a file to use a folder tab that is not the same as the one it will be filed next to. Means I have to look where the new file will go, pick out the correct tab for the new folder, label it and then file.

I've discovered that especially as I file just 1 or 2 papers in a folder that having the tabs staggered is critical. It's a lot easier to force a separation by just moving the offending same tab folders to a new hanging folder behind or in front of the new file.

There is a lot of wasted space in a drawer with hanging folders, even one that puts several file folders in one hanging folder. The drawers I took the hangers out of gained about 6-8 inches of file space in them.

My cabinets are very very full, way past the 3/4 full suggestion. I can't add more cabinets so I would gain some breathing room if I removed all the hanging files.

I guess for me the jury is still out. I go back and forth as to which is easier to use.

My suggestion is if possible try both ways yourself and then decide. I know now that if I had it to do over I'd buy the slightly more expensive file cabinets that include the follower blocks but are also set up for hanging files. Then I'd have a choice without the expense of an additional $50/cabinet to buy the aftermarket follower blocks.
 
Use them for catalogs

I use them in a special case for reference materials. I have 2 small carts for hanging folders. Each folder is labeled for a particular catalog. When I get a new catalog in the mail, I pull the old one out of the hanging folder and place the new one in. This system cuts down on the clutter of catalogs, especially mail order ones, that tend to accumulate around the house.
Mac
 
Brent;73596 said:
A few other personal objections to hanging folders:
...They're not quite as portable. I'd often grab folders out of my filing cabinet and take them to meetings. Hanging folders tend to flop open, and stick out of a stack of papers, and the hooks get caught on things.
Click to expand...

This becomes a non-problem if, like several others here, you use tabbed folders inside hanging folders and leave the latter behind. (Another advantage of this system: you don't need those pesky clipped-in labels.)
 
Day Owl;73612 said:
This becomes a non-problem if, like several others here, you use tabbed folders inside hanging folders and leave the latter behind. (Another advantage of this system: you don't need those pesky clipped-in labels.)
Click to expand...

I use the hanging folders - the only option in the office - with tabbed folders inside ( do you know that here in Italy doesn't exist :( ).

I'd add that the hanging folders can fall down into the cabinet, keep the documents pressed proportionally to his fullness and if you reach their capacity limit may be you have problem in how to create a sub-folder
 
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