# Tool bags vs. Tool boxes



## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I use the Dewalt hard boxes for range boxes when shooting. They seal up great and protect what is inside, far better than the soft sided boxes, IMO. They don't allow for over loading like soft side, so you have a trade off.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Whichever one you decide on make sure to also check on Ebay before buying.
I found the rolling one there for $18.50 cheaper.
And no I do not work for Ebay.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

I use bags, boxes & 5 gallon buckets with inserts. The bags are flexible so less space is needed. The trick is not to overload them. I live in an apartment so storage is minimal. My tools are in my van.


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## t.carpenter00 (Jan 23, 2018)

My problem with the boxes is that at some point you have to load them up. And if that's my primary storage, I will make them too heavy. So, my batteries are in a big Milwaukee bag, my power and cordless tools in my truck box ( my impacts and drills are in a Lenox carrying tote), and my hand tools are divided between two gasketed 26" tool boxes. And, even remodeling, I have very little inconvenience. And, since I already had the truck box, my storage system has cost me about 100.00.
If I was doing commercial work though, I would probably buy a rolling system, for portability and security. But in the mid size town I work in, it fits me great. 

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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

As a painter who dabbles in the other trades every so often as a courtesy to some of my elderly customers, I prefer a tool box and designate one for each trade. I am liking the Craftsman tool boxes at Lowe's because they have a long, sturdy, metal handle that makes them easy to pick up. Other tool boxes have the little handle in the middle of the lid which can make them hard to pick up if they are really loaded up with tools.

I bought a rolling tool box years ago and found that it was just too cumbersome and heavy to get off my truck. The rolling feature was/is great until you have to go up a flight of stairs or cross a tricky threshold.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

It really comes down to what works best for you.

For me, I'd rather have the soft set simply because of all the pockets. Being able to quick grab items that I'm always using vs digging through the box looking for the small stuff is important to me.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

I had the same thought when I read the "My Tool Bag" thread. I have a few bags that came with specific tools, and overall I like them. I generally toss in related parts, materials, bits, etc. I also have various sizes of hard tool boxes, from my huge "plumbing stuff" box all the way down to a little one for small electrical and electronic work.

Most have "extras" like compartments, pockets and trays, which can be useful depending on the task.

I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those step/seat/toolbox combinations. My boiler guy has one, and it's really perfect for his trade. His is a two-step model. He said they're hard to come by. For some reason they're not very popular.


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## t.carpenter00 (Jan 23, 2018)

I trim out of a Stanley rolling box I got for free. It's perfect for nails, guns, and the associated junk for trim/stair jobs. It's not always with me like the other stuff I mentioned earlier, but it is a really nice convenience. 

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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

There's no right answer, but think it through as best you can and I will still almost guarantee that you will end up just like myself, and I'm sure others here, with some really nice little used boxes, bags, or whatever in the attic at some point. After 5 decades or more of jiggling things around I have a large roll around for mechanics tools, torque wrenches, test equipment, etc., shelves, drawers, and boxes for carpentry tools that I use in the shop, an overstuffed machinist box for calipers, mic's, etc., buckets, and bags. Some guys love the hard side cases that drills, impact drivers, etc. come with, but other than a few things like hammer drills and reciprocating saws all of those really nice hard side cases I have set empty on a high shelf in the shop. The tools are on shelves where I can get to them without opening a box, and I have a couple of 40-50 year old canvas sacks that I stuff with tools when I take them someplace, based on whatever I might need or want. I have buckets with liners that I keep most of my plumbing and electrical tools in, as well as a couple similar buckets with various assortments of construction/carpentry tools. If I need to lay out walls or whatever, I know that this bucket has mason lines and blocks, 100' and 300' tapes, protractors, chalk lines, plump bobs, crayons, paint sticks, etc., etc., or if I'm going to chase an electrical problem I know that bucket has a digital and analog meter, fox and hound, wire nuts, cutters, strippers, etc., etc. If your focus is on taking care of your own home and vehicles it's pretty easy; benches with ample drawers, pegboard, shelves, etc. do the trick. It's when you leave home, whether as part of your work or to help the neighbors down the road that you have to integrate some ingenuity. Back to boxes, I have a really nice 4' carpenter box and very nice cantilever mechanics box in the loft in the barn, can't really part with them as my folks bought them for me years ago, but it really didn't take too long to outgrow them.


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## Domo (Nov 9, 2018)

If the bags are made by Dior, you're fine.

However, if you wish to protect your tools, I'd use a box.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

> I prefer a tool box and designate one for each trade.


I try to divide the tools as well. They have to be juggled from time to time.


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

De Walt has a rolling cart with 3 boxes. I keep sprinkler tools and some parts in mine. Very sturdy. https://www.murdochs.com/products/t...ce=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=385559&gcli

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-...bo-Set-3-Components-DWST08250203130/300702772


The only tools in a bag are my DeWalt Sawz-All and a Grinder. But those tools, batteries and blades do fit in the bag.


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## Californiadecks (Aug 30, 2012)

I have those Milwaukee boxes they are very nice. very easy to organize and not too spendy either.










Mike.
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[emoji631] [emoji631]


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## fireguy (May 3, 2007)

I got my grandson a cheap bag with cheap tools. The same cheap bag and tools I gave his sister last Christmas. I took some pill bottles and filled them with nails and screws. 
Then we went through the tools, and the useage of the tools and fasteners. 

Then, in moment of meanness, I sent him the link to this page. Could have been even more cruel by getting him on the Black Book of Tools catalog https://www.blackbookoftools.com/

Then I felt real bad when I opened his gift to me. A 24 pak of Black Butte Porter.


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## diplodock (Dec 28, 2018)

For indoor use I like bags, I have found them easier to keep organized and i dont mess up people's floors. For out side I like plastic tool boxes, or plastic tool centers like the stanley ones, basically small chests on larger wheels with a retractable handle.


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## David Henry (Dec 23, 2020)

I'm using Milwaukee rolling toolbox and I think it's the best darn toolbox out there! I’m able to organize now without just dumping everything into one roll around bag. Plus my previous box was so so heavy. With this system, I can break it down into light pieces and not kill my back by lifting those tools.


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## landfillwizard (Feb 21, 2014)

I use bags for most of my hand tools. I have different bags for different tasks. I have a trim, plumbing (2), soldering, electrical (3), Kreg, and rough carpentry. I have multiple bags for heavy (plumbing) and room (electrical). Depending on the tasks I might have 2 to 3 bags, but there is room inside to search foor what I need.


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