A cheaper SAS drive rack for home server storage
Regular SATA are expensive in 2026, so used SAS from retired equipment can be a cheaper way to add storage. One example price is $33 for a 4 terabyte drive.
The main problem is that rack trays made for SAS are hard to find. A custom tray was made by changing a common hard drive rack mount design so the SAS connector heads can clip into place.
The design took five full-size prints and several smaller test prints to get the connector clips right, and the finished model is available on . The tradeoff is that may need an HBA, and the extra power use could reduce the long-term savings.
Key points
- Used SAS can be much cheaper than regular SATA drives.
- A 4 terabyte SAS drive is cited at about $33.
- A custom tray was made because suitable SAS rack trays were not available.
- The model was shared on for others to use.
- An HBA may add enough power use to weaken the long-term savings.