Disappointed with Festool Systainers

[mbcabinetmaker]

I love the concept.  I love the organization.  However the quality of these boxes do not represent Festool quality.  I am not hard on my tools but I do use them daily and transport to and from jobs constantly.  I have yet to have a systainer make it over 6 months without a break or crack.    I have even transfered my sanders to soft bags from Lowes.  Very disappointing.

Thanks for this great sight to Brag and Vent

Mark

 

[jonny round boy]

I am not hard on my tools ....

... I have yet to have a systainer make it over 6 months without a break or crack.

Mark,

I think you're in a very small minority. To me, the two statements in bold contradict each other. I don't think I'm particularly hard on my tools, but I can be on occasion. I've never had a systainer break or crack (though I have accidentally cut into them on a number of accasions!).

 

[mbcabinetmaker]

Well now lets look at it from another angle.  I have tons of tool in cheap plastic cases from Bosch, Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee and others that have held up for years.  If I am hard on my tools then they must be a lot better quality than Festool Systainers.  FYI check the ends of the open outside columns on your systainers.

Mark

 

[mastercabman]

Unlike you Mark,All of my systainers are holding up pretty good.I don't abuse them,but then again i don't baby them.I do have some scratches and small pieces that broke off.I sometime stand on them as a step stool.But nothing serious.

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I have 30 systainers.  Some are beat down and a shade of dingy I can't recreate.

I have stood on piles of them, knocked stacks over, shut them in the trailer door, dropped them, smacked them into door metal doorways.

I have done everything but be nice to them and they are holding up great. 

some of mine are over 3 years old too.

 

[Frank Pellow]

I have approximately 30 systainers, and have had a handful of them for over 6 years.  Many of them have been subjected to rough treatment and some of them look kind of beat up.  But, none of them have dented or cracked and they are just as usable as when I purchased them.  I can't even imagine wheat I would need to do to a systainer the break it.

 

[ajones]

I agree with you in part, I dont think they are the best quality, they do clip together which is usfull. But it can be a pain to get to the one out of a middle of a stack.
they do discolor in sunlight and turn a nasty yellow

the catches are also awkward to use

but I have not managed to break one yet

I guess the new t lok sorts out many of these issues,not bought any festools for a while so I have not seen the new one yet.

I would like to see the color changed to the color of the tools or the color of the illusive fogtainer

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I've never broken a systainer, but FEDEX cracked a couple. [scared]
Of course, Festool replaced them when I called.  I used the cracked systainers to store vac bags and extra plug-it cords. [big grin]

 

[Holzhacker]

I know I am very hard on tools and my systainers  are holding up well. I use them for cutting surfaces, they've fallen down stairs, out of the trunk onto the ground, my fat ass stands on them and everything else others have mentioned. If yours aren't holding up more than 6 months then you really must be brutal on tools. I expect a tool to take a beating. If my Sys were only lasting as long as yours I would be selling each one off after buying the tool.
Sorry but you may want to re-evaluate how you handle your tools. As far as the durability comparison to other tool boxes made of expanding poly/fiberglass/whatever the stuff is, it isn't fair. Those boxes are by nature tougher. I have a bunch of them in my garage and basement that I just haven't through out because I'm hoping to find some place to re-cycle them instead of just dumping in the trash. Their different shapes and sizes don't allow for the versatility and convenience that Sys do.

 

[Jesse Cloud]

...
Sorry but you may want to re-evaluate how you handle your tools. As far as the durability comparison to other tool boxes made of expanding poly/fiberglass/whatever the stuff is, it isn't fair. Those boxes are by nature tougher. I have a bunch of them in my garage and basement that I just haven't through out because I'm hoping to find some place to re-cycle them instead of just dumping in the trash. Their different shapes and sizes don't allow for the versatility and convenience that Sys do.

Mark,
I think Holzhacker may be on to something there.  I've got several fiberglass tool containers I will send you for shipping costs, bet you could get a garage full if you want. ;D

 

[Pete Pedisich]

I love the concept.  I love the organization.  However the quality of these boxes do not represent Festool quality.  I am not hard on my tools but I do use them daily and transport to and from jobs constantly.  I have yet to have a systainer make it over 6 months without a break or crack.    I have even transfered my sanders to soft bags from Lowes.  Very disappointing.

Thanks for this great sight to Brag and Vent

Mark

Mark, at first I thought that the Festool systainers seemed thin and the plastic appeared to be more brittle than my DeWalt cases which seemed to be made of a tougher and slightly softer plastic, yet 5 years later none - out of eight - are cracked (just checked the corners), and I have found them to be the perfect balance of lightness, strength, and utility. Are yours in any kind of temperature extreme?

-Pete

 

[tbellemare]

Pete might be on to something. I have played a lot of disk golf in temperatures from 100 degrees F down to freezing. When it's hot and a disk hits a tree hard, it gets marred as some of the plastic displaces. When it's cold and a disk hits a tree hard, it can break down the middle.

Tom

 

[Texastutt]

I've broken a couple... one on a sheet of ice and left a square bruise on me and you could see the handle and lines very clearly. I burned one with a work light when I hung it on "the stack" and I just cracked another one when I swerved to miss an idiot and it flew off the shelf with a heavy systainer hooked under it (also dumped a bunch of supplies on the floor of the trailer what were not in a systainer).

 

[Peterm]

The only real problem I've had with mine has been the lid on the top Systainer in my standard 'stack' cracking where the handle bears against it. I replaced the first one, and epoxied a couple short lengths of steel angle to that one when it started developing the same fault; my standard stack weighs about 45 Kg and goes with me everywhere, which doubtless contributes to the problem

Otherwise, whilst I don't think the front catches on the 4-drawer Sortainer (or the Tanos 5-drawer) are particularly good, I certainly haven't had any other problems and I cart my gear around a lot.

Pete

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

You guys are worried about them fading too?

Come one, they are cases for tools.

These are tools not trophies.

 

[Jonhilgen]

I have a couple of systainers that have cracked corners.  Thy still work fine, and I came to the realization that I need to stop throwing hem around so much. 

I'm not tough on my tools, but then again, I'm probably the only man on Earth that has had four Stabila levels go bad...Right Tom!?  [embarassed]

 

[tbellemare]

You're just lucky that way, Jon...

Tom

 

[Deansocial]

ive had 2 stabilas and 2 empires go bad.

most my systainers are broken in 1 way or another.  i too think they should be more study for what you pay. people have said about other cheap plastic cases but thats the point these are far from cheap

 

[Ken Nagrod]

You guys are worried about them fading too?

Come one, they are cases for tools.

These are tools not trophies.

Anyone who might be concerned with this will be glad to hear that an SPF 50 lotion protects the Systainers quite well.  Remember to reapply after getting them wet!

 

[ajones]

You guys are worried about them fading too?

Come one, they are cases for tools.

These are tools not trophies.

Yes but they look proper sh@t when they go yellow looks like they are on 40 a day