You need wheels. Day after day, you pull up to the job and grab your tool bag. The years go by and the tool bag gets a little heavier each year. You need more tools, you end up hand carrying things for hundreds of feet, miles all over the jobsite throughout the day. When do we let gravity do the work? The box that failed is the one that we never bought. Time wears you down enough, let the ground do the heavy lifting.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Short Answer
Get something with wheels. The two-wheeled cart has gained popularity in recent years for good reason — the boxes are modular, they have quick connections, and they make moving tools so much easier than carrying them.
I have used the Milwaukee PACKOUT (paid link). It is not the only system on the market, and I will be straight with you below about what I have and have not used.
What Actually Matters (And What the Spec Sheet Won’t Tell You)
Can you open it one handed?
Yes. Which matters more than it sounds, because you are almost never walking up to your box with two free hands. There is a piece of duct under one arm, or a drill, or a coffee you are not setting down in the mud.
Do the latches hold up in the cold?
They work all year round. Cold is not what kills them.
Use is what kills them — see what breaks first, below.
How much does it weigh when it’s full?
This is a trick question. If it is full of feathers, 3.58 lbs. If it is full of tools it weighs whatever you put in it.
Take a typical day. Drill, Sawzall, multi-tool, grinder, another drill, four batteries, two chargers, and all of the hand tools you need. They are all in the box. You are running 40 to 60 lbs.
But it has wheels. You only have to lift it from the truck to the ground, and then hope the sidewalks are done onsite. If they are not, team lift it to the slab.
Does it fit how you load out?
Pack it upside down. Not literally — put the things you need last on the bottom.
Sounds obvious until you are standing on a slab unloading three trays to get to the one tool you needed first.
What breaks first?
The latches. Honest review — they get used constantly and they fail over time.
After that, the handle.
Here is the thing that actually extends the life of the handle: get the expander trays (paid link) and move the weight up. The handle lasts a lot longer when it is not carrying everything from the bottom of the stack.
Modular Systems: PACKOUT, ToughSystem, Pro Gear
These are the three major systems on the market right now. I have only used the Milwaukee PACKOUT, so that is the only one I am going to tell you about from experience.
It came out first and my back hurt. I jumped on that real quick.
The compartments, the space, the organization — it had it all. Then you start expanding it and finding the variety of ways to store things. I am nerding out right now.
It turned carrying everything in a bucket, everything else in the other hand, and a ladder on your back, into a peaceful walk from the truck.
A box is only as good as what goes in it. Here is the ductwork tools list.
The Real Cost Savings Is Your Body
The best advice I can give somebody who is still young has nothing to do with which box you buy.
Use an elevated working surface (paid link) instead of bending down to the ground to do your work. I bought these recenlty and it changed how long I could work. Standing vs. kneeling changes a lot of things for someone that didn’t lift properly and has lower back issues (me). Or if you are insistent to elevate you station, wear knee pads if you are going to be kneeling. Use gloves. Team lift heavy things.
The cost savings comes in not ruining your body and needing surgeries to keep working.
That is the whole argument for wheels, and it is the whole argument for everything else on this page.
If You’re Just Starting Out
Get the two-wheeled cart as a minimum, and make sure your tool bag has shoulder straps. (Both are paid links)
You do not need the whole system on day one. You need to stop carrying everything in your hands.
Not sure what goes in it yet? Here are the hand tools worth buying first.
Shop Storage vs. Job Site Storage
You will not get around needing a lot of tools onsite. But you can cut down what travels.
Do routine production work in the shop as much as possible, and keep the tools for routine production at the shop. Pack your truck once with the tools that are needed away from the shop, and organize them for efficiency.
Common Questions
Is the Milwaukee PACKOUT durable?
The material is durable and light weight, and the wheels are solid rather than hollow. That last part matters more than it sounds for rolling on uneven surfaces, rolling through dirt and rocks, etc.
Can I add onto it, or expand it?
The PACKOUT is meant to be expanded. You are going to love the options. Try the backpack (paid link).
Can a toolbox be too heavy to carry?
Yes, and there is a whole category of boxes built on that assumption.
For a long time the Knaack 4830 jobsite box (paid link — this one is a big boy) was the authority on lockable jobsite storage and work stations. They are still widely used and still useful.
The problem is that they do not move easily. A smaller one like the Knaack 3219 (paid link) is easier to handle, but neither one rolls out of the box. Wheels can be added, and there are multiple aftermarket options for it. Getting them up and down stairs is not realistic. The 4830 model usually gets moved offsite with a forklift or crane.
That is the trade-off. A Knaack stays where you put it and locks. A PACKOUT goes where you go.
Roll on over to quickdrawinvoice.com to generate invoices for free. No snake oil, no subscriptions. We hate them too.