For the love of perfection - Systainer T-Loc for older tools

[jdw101]

Hi All,

I have spent way too much time trying to understand how I am going to replace the old Systainer for my older ETS 150/5 to the new TLoc version.  First, why can't I just get the Systainer that the tool would normally come in as a part and just use it with insert, stickers and all?  I looked on the Ekat system but I didn't find it. 

What I would really love is to replace it with a Combi-3 (I think it's called) where you have the tool spot and the drawer but I want it to have the tool labels, the top of the lid diagram and insert just like the new TLoc.  I screwed up and bought a Combi-2 thinking it would be big enough.  Was not correct but found it was great at storing other stuff, my rule of thumb is if you order the wrong thing, keep it because then you get it and the right thing (tm)

So please folks, who can help me here.  I want the T-Loc Systainer with the insert and lid diagram plus the outside stickers as if I bought the sander today.  I would alternatively love it in a Combi-3 but if I could get the new Systainer complete I would not bawl too much

Thank you so much, I really have spent a lot of time on this, not coming here as a first resort, that of course caused me to buy many Sortainers and Systainers I didn't originally need.  Perhaps that is the idea behind this being complicated lol.

 

[flannerybj]

I contacted Festool USA a few weeks ago with the same intentions.  Here is what I was told:

1) The fully configured Systainer that is sold with the ETS 150 is not available for purchase separately.
2) I should contact my Festool dealer and ask them to purchase the black plastic insert, which has the part #700879 for T-Loc Systainers.  If I recall correctly, the insert costs about $23.
3) The white foam bumper that is attached to the Systainer lid is not available for purchase separately.  In cases where the bumper is black (e.g., OF 1400 router), this part might be available for purchase.

I hope this helps with planning your Systainer upgrade.

 

[semenza]

Hi,

  Belated welcome to the forum!  [smile]

      You  can order some of what you want in the form of parts. However you should also be able to transfer the components from your Classic Sys to a T-Loc.  I swapped my ETS150 the insert will either fit or fit with a little scissors trimming. The lid diagram can most likely be done the the same. Might need to glue it in place. Outside labels ??

    One thing on the combi that you may have already tried ..... I don't particularly like the drawer for abrasives. Hard to fit a lot of 150mm.  And it tends to pop up. In boxes that fit or something on top to weigh it down would be OK, but still not a lot unless you don't mind it being in mixed piles.

      On the Combi units the # refers to the size of the Systainer top portion.

Seth

 

[jdw101]

Thank you both, helps me a ton.  It kind of boggles the mind a bit that you can't buy the packaged Systainer as a part.  I do realize they went to lengths to make them both work together but it's a part they have to make regardless so why not offer it?  Hard to know how these decisions are made I guess.

Off to buy more stuffs!  Thanks!!!!!

 

[jdw101]

Ugh, I bought a Systainer 2 which is the current size that the ETS 5/50 ships in but I realized mine is an older ETS than what is currently sold, I tried fitting the bottom into the new systainer and it's not tall enough, I would have to use the "3" size which kind of makes it larger than it needs to be.  So now I have a worthless 2 that I dropped my dp611 router in.  Wish it was one of the more generic colors so it didn't look like a festool :| but still.

I am going to just sell my ETS and buy a new one.  That is going to be the perfect solution for me, new tools haha.  Oh well :|  On the bright side, I was able to actually order it on Amazon and have prime same day shipping for nothing.  That's pretty cool for a product as sort of Niche as Festool is I thought and I don't live in a major area either. 

 

[jdw101]

So while I am a doofus and bought the wrong things and didn't know what to get, I have learned a couple things that might be helfpul for others

One, there seem to be a lot of cool Systainers out there that we may not have access to in the states.  I found a particular item I really liked from a place called Vantainer and with shipping it was either less or equal to what it would cost here.  I wish we had a better supplier for all things Systainer, I unfortunately have fallen in love with them!  Here is the item I ordered that I could not find:http://www.vantainer.com/systainer-t-loc-combi-2-with-mft-worktop-anthracite-876-p.asp

It's Anthracite which is what I wanted and it has the drawer and MFT top.  Really cool.  Anyway they seem to have the micros if you want that sort of thing and some other cool options.  Any advice on getting these for a good price and selection in the USA would really be welcome.

Also, I feel like the inserts available for the mini's are really overpriced.  I am not a manufacturing expert but I do know that this particular type of formed melted pattern is about 30 cents worth of materials, like for the 8 divider insert.  The boxes are amazing and have some very good engineered features in my view but the inserts are nothing special, for 13 dollars it should actually be something special honestly.  I have reached out to two shops I know that have these types of machines, they melt a sheet over a mold.  I am going to build some patterns in wood and then cnc some ganged versions of them for melting.  Any ideas on the mini divider options you would like to see? I think it's a pretty amazing third party market, there is a ton of profit to be made on the dividers and the ones they give you aren't that innovative or anything.

Thank you again everyone, I've actually been a member here a long time and I have a fair investment in Festool but I had not posted a lot due to work being so busy all the time.

 

[semenza]

A MFT top on a Combi could be handy. One thing to note is that it is easy to swap lids around so the MFT top can be place on any regular size range Systainer. Same for Attic lids.

Seth

 

[Michael Kellough]

So while I am a doofus and bought the wrong things and didn't know what to get, I have learned a couple things that might be helfpul for others

One, there seem to be a lot of cool Systainers out there that we may not have access to in the states.  I found a particular item I really liked from a place called Vantainer and with shipping it was either less or equal to what it would cost here.  I wish we had a better supplier for all things Systainer, I unfortunately have fallen in love with them!  Here is the item I ordered that I could not find:http://www.vantainer.com/systainer-t-loc-combi-2-with-mft-worktop-anthracite-876-p.asp

It's Anthracite which is what I wanted and it has the drawer and MFT top.  Really cool.  Anyway they seem to have the micros if you want that sort of thing and some other cool options.  Any advice on getting these for a good price and selection in the USA would really be welcome.

Also, I feel like the inserts available for the mini's are really overpriced.  I am not a manufacturing expert but I do know that this particular type of formed melted pattern is about 30 cents worth of materials, like for the 8 divider insert.  The boxes are amazing and have some very good engineered features in my view but the inserts are nothing special, for 13 dollars it should actually be something special honestly.  I have reached out to two shops I know that have these types of machines, they melt a sheet over a mold.  I am going to build some patterns in wood and then cnc some ganged versions of them for melting.  Any ideas on the mini divider options you would like to see? I think it's a pretty amazing third party market, there is a ton of profit to be made on the dividers and the ones they give you aren't that innovative or anything.

Thank you again everyone, I've actually been a member here a long time and I have a fair investment in Festool but I had not posted a lot due to work being so busy all the time.

That would be interesting...

 

[jdw101]

You could even have molds of particular tool sets, like the Zobo forstner bit kit they had back a while ago which I am still trying to buy the imperial one :| For me the only real cost is the aluminum billets to cnc the forms out of, friend already owns all the equipment including the cnc to make them.  Just need to try a couple.  If I had a few wildly popular I could do the gang stack of them side by side otherwise I'd end up tossing the excess.  Still much cheaper than 13 dollars per though at least for me.

 

[jdw101]

A MFT top on a Combi could be handy. One thing to note is that it is easy to swap lids around so the MFT top can be place on any regular size range Systainer. Same for Attic lids.

Seth

Thanks Seth, I didn't even think about doing that.  I am now having a bit of an addiction to these containers.  They are just nice, they stack well, they seem to be sturdy and they are clean looking.  I wish every tool company used them.