Festool Storage Frustrations

[stvrowe]

At current count, I have a total of 16 systainers/sortainers and storage/tool retrieval has become a source of frustration for me in my last 3 projects.  I currently store systainers on a shelf under my assembly table and on the rollaround cart.  Just finding the right tool and digging it out is a PITA.  Murphy's Law indicates whatever the next tool I want to use is on the bottom.

It seems as if most members have built their own systainer ports which I suspect is due to the high cost of the Festool version.  I simply don't have the time to do so because of that pesky day job and the start of the house remodel.  I suspect that if I were to add up the true cost of the way I would build my own systainer port, it could be more than the Festool version.  My questions are:

• How many of you have the Festool Systainer Port?
• Was it packaged well and received with no damage? (I seem to remember reading a review at Ultimate Garage or something about being prone to damage)
• Does it rack?
• Was it worth the cost?
• If you had to do it over again, would you build it or buy it?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Corwin]

I upgraded from three of the SysCarts to two of the SysPorts last spring and couldn't be happier.  I still use the carts, as I really could use another SysPort.  But the SysPort WILL eliminate the PITA factor you mention.  The SysPorts, like all products from Festool, arrived in perfect condition.  I don't see anything to worry about in regards to racking.  The only little thing I possibly find annoying is that you need two hands to open a drawer -- one to push the little green button at the top, and the second to open the drawer.  Often I find myself with a tool in one hand ready to put away, only to have to set it down to open the drawer.  Not a deal breaker by any stretch, just a minor inconvenience until I adjust.

And if I had it to do over again I would will!  Yep, I can see another SysPort or two in my near future.  So, it will be daja-SysPort all over again. 

Corwin

 

[Daviddubya]

I have both - a shop-built "Mobile Festool Center" and a Sysport with the old mini-Sysport bolted to the top.  No doubt the Festool Sysport is a very well-built unit.  The price is jaw-dropping, but it certainly does the job.  BTW, I got my Sysports from another Festool user at a very reasonable price - free.  Go figure!

 

[Eli]

BTW, I got my Sysports from another Festool user at a very reasonable price - free.  Go figure!

I'm not the only one around here who gloats!

 

[semenza]

Hi,

    With that many systainers you would probably need two sysports even for just the most used tools. So the Festool ports would be at least $1000 USD.  I would think that even if you figure the value of your time plus materials to build your own it would be less.  The time you spend building the sysports would quickly be made up in time saved on the house remodel.

Seth

 

[stvrowe]

Thanks for the info guys.  SWMBO has given the go ahead so it looks like I will be ordering soon.  The technique for success: Rearrange your shop twice a week for about 3 months making sure she knows you are doing it.  (Note to self:  rearrange even when you know you don't need to.) Whine about how frustrated you are with shop storage and saying there is no way you would spend that much on a Systainer port. Add icing to the cake, because I will be building my own Systainer Ports, you won't get your new sewing room as soon. ;D ;D ;D
Steve

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Hmmm, a very cunning stunt. (Don't mix up the letters what ever you do!)

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Steve,

I am contemplating the same question as I finish up a large, HD storage chest of drawers for my garage/shop.  That ~36" W x ~84" H x 26" D cabinet of (Chinese origin) birch plywood with 5 drawer trays cost about $300, most of which was for the 250 lb rated slides and levelers.  Although certainly not a fair comparison, the closest alternatives were units from Griot's Garage or the Ultimate Garage which would have cost at least 5X as much (but made of heavy gauge steel and capable of holding at least 2X the load. 

I have examined a Festool Sysport unit at Rockler's and it is indeed nicely designed and very well made.  If you are a pro and plan to move your Festools around a lot, and need to lock them on jobsites, I recommend you buy them from Festool.  But if not, I think it will be far more economical to build units that can achieve your primary goal of not having to dig out the Systainer of interest from the bottom of the stack for far less cost.  For example, you don't have to use metal drawer slides.  In simplest form, the drawers/trays could be  made with 1/4 inch masonite (hardboard) bottoms that engage slots dadoed into the sides of the case which could be formed from 3/4 inch melamine, MDF or plywood.  To ensure the dados match, arrange the side pieces so the slots can be sawn or routed at the same time.  (See Jerry Work's MFT Manual for detailed instructions on how to do this.)  To make the drawers/trays slide more easily in their dadoed slots, the edges of the drawer bottoms could be waxed or wrapped with HDPE tape.  I made a captain's style bed for my son >15 years ago which has 3 full width drawers under the top bed.  This bed and these drawers are still in daily use and continue to operate quite smoothly on shopmade wooden side guides and with a very short piece of HDPE tape adhered to the front edge of the bottom board of the frame.  Everyone who tries them is surprised at how well  they work with so little effort.  These bed drawers are ~ 24"W x 6" H x ~40" D (length of sides) and constructed with maple fronts, 3/4 maple veneer plywood sides, maple backs and 1/2 birch plywood bottoms. The drawer/trays of a homemade sysport are not likely to carry as much weight as does one of the empty drawers of that bed, so my hunch is that the much smaller and lighter sysport drawers won't require much effort to pull/push them.  And a little friction helps keep them in whatever position they are.  There are other strings on FOG which show and discuss many different designs and construction tips.  Most include metal drawer slides, and the price of those can vary from only a few dollars to several times that.  Likewise, a set of casters is likely to cost from a low of maybe about $20 to over $50.  One compromise to consider is purchasing the castered base units from Festool and build the sysport to set on that base.

Dave R.