Tool Cases

[Herb Smith]

In an effort to throw out "junk", I noticed today that I have a lot of those plastic cases that hand tools come in. In my shop, most of these tools are located in drawers (sans case). Excluding keepers like Festool Systainers, what do you do with all of those plastic cases? Keep? Toss?

[Mel Fulks]

I try ,mostly unsuccessfully, to give them away. I'm too cheap to throw them out. It's a problem

[Wayne Lomman]

I keep tools in the cases. You can see at a glance that everything is in place and you put the case in the vehicle when going elsewhere to do a job. Cheers

[Van Huskey]

The tools that come in nice containers (Festool/Mirka Systainer, Fein their case and Bosch LBoxx etc) I leave in those containers.

I keep the bags that tools come in like Dewalt sometimes does but repurpose them.

Blow molded containers I tend to toss and replace with Systainers, they just take up too much room, but I still like my tools to be organized.

[Mel Fulks]

In commercial shops I don't think the boxes are a good idea. Sometimes the tool evaporates ...or something. But the box will often remain....if you can't get theives to take them no wonder you can't give them away!

[George Werner]

Same as others here, if it's a blow molded case I pitch them and replace them with a Systainer.

[Mark Gibney]

For tools I take to a job site I keep the containers. I can include collets and bits in with the router for instance. I also keep tools I house on open shelving in their cases, but 12 V screw guns I just keep in a drawer.

If I don't want the case it goes in the blue recycling bin, I think they are usually PVC.

[jack duren]

I don't want systainers,ammo boxes,first aid or any other boxes in my shop anymore. Half the time I forget what is even in them. Nothing more than hoarding. I'm taking several of these to work Monday to see if the installer wants them.... I have a lot of router boxes eating space as well. Maybe they hit the door too

[Ben Rivel]

I keep tools in their cases/systainers. I feel it keeps things more organized and helps keep my tools cleaner. In fact I really dont like tools that dont come with some sort of case.

[mark mcfarlane]

It's interesting people like their Systainers. Do you have them in sysports or something similar, or on shelfs?

I find them kind of a PITA. I don't travel with my tools, and have 4 'stacks' of systainers about 30" tall each (3-4 systainers per stack) and am thinking of just building drawers, or a rolling toolbox, for the accessories and keeping the tools out on shelves next to the bench where they are faster to grab rather than bending over, opening a drawer, and moving crap around so I can, for example, get down to the actual router. Similarly, repacking something like the router sustainer or LR32 systainer is a PITA for me

[John Jenkins4]

It's interesting people like their Systainers. Do you have them in sysports or something similar, or on shelfs?

I find them kind of a PITA. I don't travel with my tools, and have 4 'stacks' of systainers about 30" tall each (3-4 systainers per stack) and am thinking of just building drawers, or a rolling toolbox, for the accessories and keeping the tools out on shelves next to the bench where they are faster to grab rather than bending over, opening a drawer, and moving crap around so I can, for example, get down to the actual router. Similarly, repacking something like the router sustainer or LR32 systainer is a PITA for me

The systainer attraction continues to elude me.

[jack duren]

The systainer attraction continues to elude me.

The price and name...

[Jim Dwight]

I keep a few tools in the case they came in but usually I throw them away. I made a few custom cases a couple of which I still have and use. I made them to store the accessories with the tools. I like bags more and usually keep them - I have my fein multi-tool in the bag it came with and have accessories in there too, for instance. Most of my tools are on the wall or in drawers. Frequently used tools go on the wall - not in a case.

[Von Bickley]

The only tools that I keep in their case are my nail guns. In the South, we have this small creature called a dirt dauber. They can stop up a nail gun real fast.

[pat warner]

Planters, for herbs. Also good for worms.