Probably more of a pro question than DIY, but has anyone gone from using various random tool cases, boxes or bags to a set of standardised interlocking boxes? Any good or bad experiences, and was it the right decision or a regrettable one?
L-Boxx, Tstak, Systainer or other?
- Thread starter ^woody^
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I'm the same situation right now, for hand tools and such I'm using the JCB system from B&Q, looking around the web I see the same system but marked as Ridgid or Keter, all 3 are the same, as a tool box system I think they're great, proper heavy duty, waterproof, my only gripe is the tote tray is never deep enough to stop your screwdrivers and such like over spilling and falling into the main box but I find that with every box I've owned.
As for power/cordless tools I've just upgraded all my old dewalt XRP stuff to the XR and they all come in the new tough system boxes, same principle as the JCB/RIDGID/KETER, you can lock them all together or buy the trolley and slide the boxes onto the brackets, just seen you can also get the van or workshop rack, same principle as the trolley but the rack is fixed to a wall or inside the van, keeps all your boxes nice and tidy
As for power/cordless tools I've just upgraded all my old dewalt XRP stuff to the XR and they all come in the new tough system boxes, same principle as the JCB/RIDGID/KETER, you can lock them all together or buy the trolley and slide the boxes onto the brackets, just seen you can also get the van or workshop rack, same principle as the trolley but the rack is fixed to a wall or inside the van, keeps all your boxes nice and tidy
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I saw those JCB boxes. B&Q are discontinuing them in favour of the exactly the same Macallister boxes. Reduced in price, but all sold out it seems. Is the handle of the wheeled box sturdy enough, it looked a bit wobbly when I tried one a while ago?
All my frequently used cordless tools are in a large wheeled box and that works well. But I'm a bit fed up with when I need to take some other tools with me, and either end up taking something out of the main tool box to make room, or carrying several separate tools or boxes. I just really want to stack everything and wheel everything at once. I also could do with some open boxes or totes - and I see that the JCB/Macallister system has these.
But, the JCB/Macallister boxes look too big for single tools, where as the L-Boxx and Tstak boxes seem the right size. But what I can't decide is whether to have a few boxes with lots of tools in, or lots of boxes with a few tools in.
All my frequently used cordless tools are in a large wheeled box and that works well. But I'm a bit fed up with when I need to take some other tools with me, and either end up taking something out of the main tool box to make room, or carrying several separate tools or boxes. I just really want to stack everything and wheel everything at once. I also could do with some open boxes or totes - and I see that the JCB/Macallister system has these.
But, the JCB/Macallister boxes look too big for single tools, where as the L-Boxx and Tstak boxes seem the right size. But what I can't decide is whether to have a few boxes with lots of tools in, or lots of boxes with a few tools in.
The handle I found is fine, just treat the trolley like a sack truck with your foot against the bottom and tilt backwards or hold the handle and kick the bottom away, either way works well. As for the tote tray then dewalt do one also, just Google DS280 it slides onto the trolley in the same way.
I don't know what you mean when you say the boxes look too big for single tools? The JCB top box is 150mm deep, same as the dewalt items, DS150,DS300 and DS400, that's a direct copy of the JCB system apart from the bottom dewalt box doesn't have wheels so you'd still need the trolley where as the JCB has.....EDIT scrub that, the more I look the more I find, the do a DS450 which has wheels and a handle
At the moment my 10.8v stuff lives in the top box until my DS150 comes them I'll get my brother to laser cut some foam to suit the drills and charger although dewalt do do some pick and pluck foam inserts for the ds150 box so you can personalise it to suit your tools
I don't know what you mean when you say the boxes look too big for single tools? The JCB top box is 150mm deep, same as the dewalt items, DS150,DS300 and DS400, that's a direct copy of the JCB system apart from the bottom dewalt box doesn't have wheels so you'd still need the trolley where as the JCB has.....EDIT scrub that, the more I look the more I find, the do a DS450 which has wheels and a handle
At the moment my 10.8v stuff lives in the top box until my DS150 comes them I'll get my brother to laser cut some foam to suit the drills and charger although dewalt do do some pick and pluck foam inserts for the ds150 box so you can personalise it to suit your tools
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In my days on site, on price work all my power tools lived in one of those big black plasterers tubs and were just hoofed in with their chargers and pretty much written off and replaced every year and my handtools just lived in an old style chippy's bag. most of my kit is now bosch and live in their stackable boxes with the inserts ditched, not that I ever clip them together. Others such as paslode, festool just live in their own boxes. I prefer not having to root through loads of identical boxes to find what I'm after.
My common hand tools live in a couple of Stanley open tote bags and my specialist tools in various hard toolboxes. I suppose it depends on how you work and if you mostly have to shift all your kit in one go or whether you have constant easy access to your van.
My common hand tools live in a couple of Stanley open tote bags and my specialist tools in various hard toolboxes. I suppose it depends on how you work and if you mostly have to shift all your kit in one go or whether you have constant easy access to your van.
D
Deleted member 174758
Having started with a couple of Festools in Systainers some years back I've standardised on them. The newer T-Loc is far superior to the old 2-clip Systainer Classic but at least they can both be stacked and carried together. Most of my more recent tools have either come in Systainers or compatible boxes (e.g. Makita Makpac, etc) which has made the choice easier, especially since Makita introduced their compatible Makpacs 18 months or so back. The number of manufacturers selling Tanos Systainers or derivatives has increased considerably with versions now available from Tanos (the manufacturer unless otherwise stated), Mafell, Festool, Mirka, Fein, Hitachi, Spit, Makita (Makpac - sizes 1 to 4) and Metabo (Metaloc - sizes 1 to 4). In addition there are acouple of 3rd party compatible copies such as the size 2 and 3 boxes available from Sealey last year. The main complaint I had against the Systainer is that it is too small for some tools, such as my Bosch 1100 watt impact drill; whilst that will fit inside a Sortimo box, it is a reallyt tight fit for a Systainer, my recip saw would be completely out oif tye question - Tanos have provided a solution in the form of a longer box in sizes 2 and 3, the Maxi Systainer, which is completely compatible. Against that the Sortimo boxes are a lot bulkier if you are carrying a stack of tham - big enough to cause problems oin some sites.
If you have lots of bulky stuff like heavy drills, large grinders, etc then maybe the Systainer system isn't for you. Otherwise there's an amazingly wide range of accessories and specials, such as the stackable open tool totes
the drawer units from Festool, etc. Overall happy, but there will always be some tools that don't fit the box (like my DW cordess nailers
)
One thing I will say is that having a box for a tool encourages me to clean them and put them away tidily. That way they do seem to last longer
If you have lots of bulky stuff like heavy drills, large grinders, etc then maybe the Systainer system isn't for you. Otherwise there's an amazingly wide range of accessories and specials, such as the stackable open tool totes
the drawer units from Festool, etc. Overall happy, but there will always be some tools that don't fit the box (like my DW cordess nailers
)One thing I will say is that having a box for a tool encourages me to clean them and put them away tidily. That way they do seem to last longer
I have the regular tools that will all go into a big box together, but also the less regular used tools (and their accessories) that I would prefer to have their own box. Even the smallest JCB box would seem too big for these, and if I was to have a few of them, then thats a lot of room for mostly empty boxes. The L-Boxx and Tstak seem better in this respect. Or, I suppose I could compromise and put like tools together and take them all out, even if I just wanted to use the one tool.
I am being drawn to these JCB boxes though
The last few jobs have annoyed me with the amount of different boxes I needed to cart around, or keep popping back to the van to get the box I thought I may not need. I also tried a couple of open tote boxes to carry just the tools I needed, but this got annoying replacing the tools into their correct box, and worst of all, there have been several days when they got soaked.
Mainly though its that journey to and from the van to load and unload the van morning and night. And to and from the van. And to and from the van ....
I was coming to that conclusion. There is a vast range, but the boxes do seem to be more for parts or service technicians.
The more I think about it, I am tending to favour larger and fewer boxes with several tools and fixings boxes inside, rather than more smaller but dedicated boxes.
Update
I went for the Magnusson boxes from B&Q. These are the rebranded JCB/Ridgid and Keter boxes. I prefered the type of plastic to the Tstak and L-boxxes, which looked like it was less likely to chip or crack when knocked. But the decider was some recent promo's and vouchers from B&Q which gave a hefty discount.
Anyway, they are nice boxes and they work well as tool boxes.
But the one thing I did not consider, and only found out in use, is that the "sack truck" style of transport is a right pain to maneuver on site, over any ground less than smooth, around things, through doors you name it. Its crap. And its hard with several stacked boxes and a bit of weight trying to push these around.
Previously my boxes were the pull-along type, low centre of gravity and easy to drag around. These stacking ones are completely different, even if pulled instead of pushed around.
I still like the concept for storage, but I don't think I will be using these as my main tool carrying box. I suppose the good thing, is that that my old tool boxes got a great clean out of all the crap.
None of the reviews seem to consider actual use. Stacking, unstacking, clipping, unclipping, moving, getting to the bottom box. It's a bit of a palaver. My previous set up was simple, and like many things simple is best. I'll just put up with a couple of more trips to and from the van.
I went for the Magnusson boxes from B&Q. These are the rebranded JCB/Ridgid and Keter boxes. I prefered the type of plastic to the Tstak and L-boxxes, which looked like it was less likely to chip or crack when knocked. But the decider was some recent promo's and vouchers from B&Q which gave a hefty discount.
Anyway, they are nice boxes and they work well as tool boxes.
But the one thing I did not consider, and only found out in use, is that the "sack truck" style of transport is a right pain to maneuver on site, over any ground less than smooth, around things, through doors you name it. Its crap. And its hard with several stacked boxes and a bit of weight trying to push these around.
Previously my boxes were the pull-along type, low centre of gravity and easy to drag around. These stacking ones are completely different, even if pulled instead of pushed around.
I still like the concept for storage, but I don't think I will be using these as my main tool carrying box. I suppose the good thing, is that that my old tool boxes got a great clean out of all the crap.
None of the reviews seem to consider actual use. Stacking, unstacking, clipping, unclipping, moving, getting to the bottom box. It's a bit of a palaver. My previous set up was simple, and like many things simple is best. I'll just put up with a couple of more trips to and from the van.
D
Deleted member 174758
That describes part of my own logic - I need to be able to carry multiple boxes at a time and ideally be able to open boxes in a stack - the Systainer T-Loc can do this, whilst most others can't. And I, too, don't like making more trips to the van than absolutely necessary - especially if, like today, I'm working on the fourth floor with nary a hoist, lift or labourer in sight. The other point I missed about the Systainers is tha the foorprint means that they stack neatly on a Euro pallet. Not a big deal, I know, but when you have a team of 6 or 7 going off to a job in Inverness or Limerick and all the stuff has to go in a very limited space on the truck it becomes a bit more significant. The "palaver" you refer to means that you need to force yourself to be a bit more organised, systematic if you like. Or possibly just a bit OCD. But that all goes out of the window when I drop a selection of (mainly hand) tools into a couple of totes..... At least they clip together with the tool boxes. And as for the "sack trucks? Never found one that would work on the average mud-infested, brick-strewn, potholed British site - the manufacturers need to come up with something that has larger wheels and pneumatic tyres, I think.
I think it all boils down to there being no "one" system which suits everyone
Yes thats it. What works for one might not for another.
For me, even the most simplest thing of moving out the back gate, past a wheelie bin and around a plant pot on the corner of the house became a massive problem with these stacked boxes. I've done this thousands of times previously pulling my other tool box and carrying a box or a bag, and I did not give it a second thought.
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