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.

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The Short Answer

The two-wheeled cart has gained popularity in recent years for good reason. They make moving tools so much easier. They are modular. They have quick connections for convenience.

What Actually Matters (And What the Spec Sheet Won’t Tell You)

Can you open it one handed?

Yes, you can.

Latches in cold weather?

The latches work all year round.

Weight 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 can weigh as much as the mass aloud in the volume. Let’s take a typical day. Drill, Sawzall, multi-tool, grinder, another drill, four batteries, two chargers, 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 just have to lift it from the truck to the ground and hope the sidewalks are done onsite. If not, team lift it to the slab.

Does it fit how you load out?

Yes, but it upside down. Not literally. Put the things you need last on the bottom.

What breaks first?

The latches. Honest review…the latches are used often and fail overtime. The other part that fails is the handle. I actually recommend getting the expander trays to move the weight up on the handle, the handle lasts longer that way.

Modular Systems: PACKOUT, ToughSystem, Pro Gear

These are the three major products on the market right now. I have only used the Milwaukee PACKOUT. 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 expanding it and the variety of how to store things. I am nerding out right now. It turned carrying everything in a bucket and everything else in the other hand with a ladder on your back into a peaceful walk from the truck.

If You’re Just Starting Out: The Cheap Answer for a First-Year Apprentice

The best advice I can give someone that is still young is to use an elevated working surface instead of bending down to the ground to do your work. Wear knee pads, use gloves, and team lift heavy things. The cost savings comes in not ruining your body and needing surgeries to continue to work. Get the two-wheeled cart as a minimum and make sure your tool bag has shoulder straps.

Shop Storage vs. Job Site Storage

You will not be able to get around needing many tools onsite. Do routine production things in the shop as much as possible. 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

Can I reach it from a ladder?

No you cannot.

Is the Milwaukee PACKOUT durable?

The material is quite durable, light weight, and the wheels are more solid than hollow.

Can I add onto it, or expand it?

The Milwaukee PACKOUT is meant to be expanded. You are going to love the options! Try the backpack.

Can a toolbox be too heavy to carry?

For a long time Knaack 4830 jobsite box (paid link, this one is a big boy) box was the jobsite lockable tool storage and work station authority. They are still widely used and useful. The problem is that they are not easily moveable Knaack 3219 (paid link). Wheels can be added but that is usually aftermarket, there are multiple options.

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