Festool addiction is real

[luvmytoolz]

1. However, before Pelican existed...Zero Halliburton aluminum cases reigned supreme...and in my estimation they still do. Unfortunately, they priced themselves out of the market.

2. Can they be stacked?
Can they be latched to one another?
Can they be opened when other cases are stacked on top of them?
Can they be carried and moved while in a stack using a single hand-hold?

As far as commercial flights go, most of us woodworkers have few commissions overseas. Professional photography is a different venue than professional woodworking thus needing a different solution.

The new TYO systems seem to be the next evolutionary step replacing both those brands in the fields they're targeting?

 

[Cheese]

The new TYO systems seem to be the next evolutionary step replacing both those brands in the fields they're targeting?

Not familiar with TYO?

 

[Michael Kellough]

I can confirm the square corners of Classic Systainers don’t like baggage chutes at airports. The chamfered corners of later Systainers should fare better.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Not familiar with TYO?

They were in another thread recently: https://mytyo.com/

Pretty sexy looking gear, no good for tools though really.

 

[onocoffee]

Part of the genius of Festool, is sponsoring this site, which fosters and help fuel the addiction, and most especially, the unfathomable addiction to the Systainer.

I came from the direction of camera protection, and Pelican had the same level of (basically unwarranted) devotion. (I prefer soft cases, and when travelling, I place the soft cases in hard side coolers which provided impact protection and protection from heat—also thieves are less likely to break into a car to steal a soda and a sandwich than a camera or a track saw).

Surprisingly, there appears to be no Systainer-specific forum websites.

I still think that Pelican has the advantage over a Systainer. They have far greater impact resistance, and can be placed as a regular cargo item on a commercial flight.

I came from the world of television and motion picture production. As such, I've used A LOT of Pelican cases. They are excellent for impact resistance and when fitted with the right foam suspension, they offer unparalleled containment of even the most delicate and expensive electronics and cameras - enough to, as you said, toss them into the cargo hold of an airliner and fly around the world. Many times, the airline would deliver us a ULD (Unit Load Device) - what is known as an airline cargo container, and we'd fill them up with gear and send them to the location.

And while that would be my preference for such equipment, I do think Pelican cases would be difficult and unwieldy for woodworking tools. They could work, but it wouldn't be as convenient as Systainers (and the PackOut-type cases). It's just not what they're designed to do. In production, we would pack the components of, say, a motion picture camera, in multiple Pelican cases for transport. However, once on location, the components would be reassembled and stored on the camera truck - which has been kitted out specifically to hold everything the camera department needs for ready access. The main exception would be the lenses. Most camera assistants will keep the lenses in their Pelican cases until they were needed.

Pelicans can stack but I wouldn't necessarily want to stack as many Pelicans as I can with Systainers. Stacking Systainers up to six feet is not necessarily out of consideration. Stacking Pelicans six feet is precarious!

All that said though, I don't see Systainers as necessarily designed for the kind of work and environments as Pelicans. I can see (and have seen) motion picture technicians using Systainers on set, but that's more of a niche thing than standard practice.