Cant help to feel that systainers aren´t for me

[Northernlight]

I respect systainers and totally understand their use for a mobile roadwarrior, but for this hobbyist and his limited (very limited) shop space i can´t help but feel a little........ underwhelmed.

For me i love having all the tools at arms reach ie on my workcenter atop the festool extractor and the only reason i ever open the damn systainers is because i need an attachment or the like. But i imagine i should be able to move all those bits and pieces out of the systainers and into a drawer. i Reckon some of you have already done this? Can you share with me your thoughprocess?. I won´t get rid of the boxes permanently but rather move them into storage.

 

[peter halle]

Don't feel bad - there are others here who store their systainers and deal with their tools in other ways.  In fact here in the US there have been Festool products (limited scope of products) that we could buy with the Systainers due to the fact that they probably would be used in a shop situation and never see the inside of the Systainer once used.

Peter

 

[massproducedsawdust]

Personally, I like them. They bridge the gap between organised storage in the shop and quickly being able to move them when working out of the shop. Each to their own though, I wouldn't use them if I was solely workshop based.

 

[Alan m]

i think if your in a small workshop they are a must. i couldnt cope without them (or other boxs)
if you had a really big workshop where you could have areas dedicated to diferent tools then you could have them out and ready to go

 

[kevinculle]

It depends on the situation...as with you in my shop where I spend 90% of my time the tools are out on shelves or easily accessible in a drawer and the cases they came in, whether systainer or ordinary are in storage empty.  But when I have an installation or other remote job the day before is spent identifying the tools needed (always have too many but always miss one I need) and packing them in the proper cases for loading up the SUV.  If you are 100% shop-bound then there is no need for them unless you favor the wall-o'-systainers shop motifs that are often seen on this site.

 

[Wooden Skye]

I personally like them even with a small shop.  If you decide not to use them, you could sell or store in case you ever sell a tool. 

 

[Cochese]

They've been essential in my small shop at organizing and providing enjoyment. I even sacrificed a small bit of additional space to put them on drawers for ease of use.

It's been very nice knowing exactly where the tool is, and all the accessories. Could I have done it a different way? Sure. But then I'd have to store the systainers elsewhere and that takes up even more room.

 

[RKA]

Nothing wrong with ditching them.  You could easily squeeze 2 tools into the space occupied by the systainer for one of those tools.  The other bits and bobbles don't usually take up much space and in some cases they can be used with multiple tools and really should be stored in a "common area" (think batteries and chargers).  The systainers are nothing more than a forced form of organization and because they stack so easily, a lot of tools can occupy a minimal amount of floor space (at the expense of volume).  Of course, stack them too high and you have another problem...it's a royal pain in the a** to get at those tools at the bottom of the stack.  In come drawers for your systainers, which eats up a little more volume and disperses the stacks of systainers (more sq ft gone). 

So it depends on how you work, how much floor space you can dedicate for tools storage, how much cubic footage (meter-age) you can dedicate, etc.  If it doesn't make sense for you, scrap the systainers and put the tools in shelves or drawers built to accommodate multiple tools and their accessories. 

 

[mrboult]

If my woodworking life was solely based in a workshop that I never planned on leaving then sure. I would LOVE to ditch the systainers and have beautifully organised shelves and drawers with a place for everything  [smile]

But in my life I do and will continue to move my tools - And for this I find systainers Perfect!

So perfect in fact that they have moved into the rest of my life for keeping all sorts of stuff. I haven't blown a crap load of cash doing this, I just  . . .

- buy one I see going cheap on eBay every now and then
- have spare systainers because several of my Festools just shuffle around 'communal' systainers in the line up. . .
- rarely I buy a specific systainer for a specific tool freeing the original systainer
- or I sell a tool but keep the systainer . . .

Point is - they are slowly multiplying, and I love it. Next time I move house i'm probably gonna be able to do it myself with a sys-roll and a sys-cart [big grin]

 

[semenza]

I used to remove all power tools from cases in the shop and store the case behind the tool on a shelf. That way the case was handy when needed.

Since using Festool and Systainers I initially did the same, but finally realized how nice it is ,even in the shop, to grab the systainer and automatically have all the abrasives, and accessories for the tool in hand when going from storage unit to one of two or three work benches.

Depends on the shop and usage. Nice thing is the adaptability.

Seth

 

[Dick Mahany]

At first I liked systainers, then not so much, now I treasure them.  I'm a hobbyist in a very down-sized shop and I initially really liked the way I could store my tools in an organized way.  Then I found one of the reasons that I liked them so much was the stacking ability.  That quickly got old as it seemed that the tool I needed was always at the bottom of a 4 or 5 systainer stack.  What a pain to unstack them.  (Yes I know the T-Loc design allows one to open a systainer without unstacking....in theory..... however that was not practical in my situation.

Then I saw some great MFT cart designs here on the FOG that allowed all of the organization that I liked, yet also allowed independent access to each systainer.  Now I treasure them  [big grin].  I can definitely see advantages for their use whether one is a mobile user or a shop based user. 

 

[Gregor]

I like to keep the tools in the systainers as they stay dust-free there.
Ditched all old-style ones though, T-Loc only.

 

[Holmz]

In some ways, the systainers are like saving the XMAS wrapping paper and throwing away the present.
They are handy if one doe not have drawers, but for a basic cardboard box they are not cheap.

 

[J0hn]

Don't feel bad - there are others here who store their systainers and deal with their tools in other ways.  In fact here in the US there have been Festool products (limited scope of products) that we could buy with the Systainers due to the fact that they probably would be used in a shop situation and never see the inside of the Systainer once used.

Peter

I agree

I have my DTS 400 sander and a Trion jigsaw in one 12" wide by 17" drawer.  My tracksaw in another.  Never saw the need for systainers and if I had the choice I would have purchased without them if I could

 

[Scott in San Diego]

After 17 years of Festool stuff,  Most of the original tools are gone and replaced with new. But, I still have all of the systainers plus many others picked up along the way. 

The classics were not my favorites, but have gained favor this past year.  It finally dawned on me to close the two front latches in the highest position and use the exposed top of the latch as a lever to unlatch them easier.  As an added benefit the latches are then ready to receive a systainer from above with no further front latching.  If this is common knowledge, pardon me I was really asleep at the wheel.  [big grin]

 

[Peter_C]

You could cut the storage space in half by NOT utilizing the Systainers, and by selling them gain enough money to buy more Festool. Win Win! Pop them in the classifieds here and they will all sell within a week, if not a couple of days. T-locs sell for about 20% less than new, but the classic Systainers do not sell for much. You can check pricing on Ebay by using "sold listings". If by putting them in storage you mean like an attic, they could get heat damaged. If you mean a pay storage...oh heck no! The question to ask is do you see yourself using them in the next three years? If not then sell them.

FWIW 80% of the plastic boxes my automotive tools came in got tossed, as they would have taken up too much room in my tool boxes. I need stuff to stack on top of each other, or I would have needed a couple more tool boxes.

On that note I need mobility for my remodeling tools and Systainers, along with lots of Ridgid tool boxes and cheap plastic bins, house a large majority of my tools and supplies needed. I have a Sys-Roll for moving Systainers, the Ridgid lower boxes have wheels, and a small folding dolly that is good for 200lbs, easily moves my stuff around.

 

[tallgrass]

you are right, you don't need them, i'll take them off of you for my organizational needs.

 

[Holzhacker]

As others have mentioned it depends on your needs. I love the systainer system for job sites. On the other hand my shop tools haven't seen their systainers in a long time. My TS75, HL 850, ets 125, ro90, etc that get used pretty much all the time just stay on the floor, mft or shelf for easy reach. Taking them in/out of systainers would be a PIA.
Do what works for you.

 

[ben_r_]

They take up a lot of space and if you arent a mobile worker and just work out of your shop they dont make a lot of sense as they require some sort of sliding drawer/shelf system to keep them all individually accessible IMO. That said they are nice for keeping everything for each tool organized, they do keep the tools "cleaner" and protected when not in use, and keeping the systainer does improve resale value when it comes time to upgrade. But yea, Im still on the fence with them myself. Im also not very impressed with their "toughness". I have had several come cracked or chipped, etc or the plastic insert being broken just from the shipping to me. Now UPS CAN really beat up a package, but I was surprised these didnt handle that beating better consider how many roadwarrior workers supposedly carry them from job site to job site. Buuuut Ive got a bunch now, so I'll see how they hold up in my shop.

 

[demographic]

Mobile Self employed subcontractor here.

Love the T-Loc boxes for their mobility and they all fit nicely into my toolsafe.

Only one slight gripe is the handles when they get worn they aren't so secure.