m137 (new tote) systainer, why does locking latch only go one way?

tallgrass

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Oct 25, 2007
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Why dose the m137 systainer Tote have a tab that prevents the locking latch from rotating both directions? What am I missing?
 
My guess is to keep it in a flush position, if there isn't a strike/detent to keep it from turning further it's more likely to stick out over the top and getting popped off easily. (Like the latch on a ct hosegarage)
 
But it can still stick up when rotated clockwise. I am not saying you are wrong, I have just not seen it on any other sustainers. I could easily cut the tab of and refinish it so the systainer would look perfect. I have found nothing in the literature suggesting what it is nor in the Festool videos. It just seems odd.
 
Are you talking about a specific style of Sys3 M137, or just a standard Sys3?

None of the Sys3s that I own have anything blocking the latch from turning 360 degrees.  It may be a mis-cast part?
 
Best I can think of is to prevent tipping the stack / Vac over with the latch rotated 180. No lid on the Vac or tote so someone could rotate the latch to the position that allows opening a mid-stack Systainer. When they try to open they might tip the whole thing over.  [2cents]

  Not sure though  [huh]

Seth
 
squall_line said:
Are you talking about a specific style of Sys3 M137, or just a standard Sys3?

None of the Sys3s that I own have anything blocking the latch from turning 360 degrees.  It may be a mis-cast part?

Tallgrass is talking about the tote version
festool-sys3-tb-m-137-systainer-toolbox-klium.jpg


I think Seth is right.
 
Nah.. the “lid” doesn’t open at all - the T-Lock latch doesn’t do anything else than lock onto an above Systainer.
The “lid” on the tote toolbox is further secured with locking pins in the front corners like the ones on the rear of a real hinged lid.

I think it’s only to keep owners try and open the lid - that won’t open anyhow.
I did, but that’s another story 😁
 
FestitaMakool said:
Nah.. the “lid” doesn’t open at all - the T-Lock latch doesn’t do anything else than lock onto an above Systainer.
The “lid” on the tote toolbox is further secured with locking pins in the front corners like the ones on the rear of a real hinged lid.

I think it’s only to keep owners try and open the lid - that won’t open anyhow.
I did, but that’s another story 😁

Ahh, that makes sense.  It's a lot like the T-loc on the OG MINI and MIDI then: it's only there to secure the next Systainer, not to allow anything to open/close.

I'm surprised I haven't snapped the lid on my MINI-I/MIDI-I, since the latch allows the hose garage to open, but the hose garage door isn't designed for a stack to rotate with it.
 
FestitaMakool said:
Nah.. the “lid” doesn’t open at all - the T-Lock latch doesn’t do anything else than lock onto an above Systainer.
The “lid” on the tote toolbox is further secured with locking pins in the front corners like the ones on the rear of a real hinged lid.

I think it’s only to keep owners try and open the lid - that won’t open anyhow.
I did, but that’s another story 😁

Right the "lid" doesn't open nor does the top of a CT (which also has the stop).  So if you mistakenly rotate the latch to the position (middle lobe pointing up)  that would normally allow a mid-stack lid (actual lid) to be opened without unstacking, you could end up tipping the whole stack over.

I don't know if that is the reason for the rotation stop, but I can't think of anything else.

Seth
 
That would be nice and consistent yeah. Especially because they give the impression that it can be opened.
 
Coen said:
That would be nice and consistent yeah. Especially because they give the impression that it can be opened.

Yes, you got it.
Here’s mine..
The two holes up front have (had..) pins/plastic dowels.
To get it to open, there’s a lot of plastic chewing in the rear marked area to be done too.
The latch I just pulled of at this stage, so the tab is still there.
[attachimg=1]
 

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The frustrating part of this was, I was aligning the latches in a stack so they were uniform, as one wants to do from time to time. I could not rotate the latch on the strainer so that it matched. The green latch has both ways arrows on it, however the tab is not obvious. So when you are turning a latch that will not turn, while using up your vocabulary of profanity, only to find there is a tab there preventing you. The profanity continues. Only to find there is no reason for it. There has to be a reason, otherwise you would not mold that detail in the molds. I am curious what the thinking was. Is there a festool product that needs the latch to be constrained in such a fashion?
 
tallgrass said:
The frustrating part of this was, I was aligning the latches in a stack so they were uniform, as one wants to do from time to time. I could not rotate the latch on the strainer so that it matched. The green latch has both ways arrows on it, however the tab is not obvious. So when you are turning a latch that will not turn, while using up your vocabulary of profanity, only to find there is a tab there preventing you. The profanity continues. Only to find there is no reason for it. There has to be a reason, otherwise you would not mold that detail in the molds. I am curious what the thinking was. Is there a festool product that needs the latch to be constrained in such a fashion?

  Can't you turn all the other latches the other direction to match?

  I still say it is to prevent accidentally tipping a whole stack over thinking that you have rotated to the position that allows mid-stack opening. That's my story and I'm sticking to it unless someone or Festool comes up with something better.

Seth
 
you could be right, and I can always do it some other way. however how does the direction of rotation prevent the condition you suggest? I can place the latch in the 12oclock position by rotating it clockwise , locking the tote to the above systainer. What is the problem by creating the same condition by rotating it anti-clockwise? I would love someone from Festool say what the thinking was.
 
It is there so you cannot put it in the position that the latch looks like an upside down T, not to prevent it to put it in the position you want it in. (not being able to do that is just a side effect).
If you were to put it in that position, and carry the stack, all the weight would be on the pivot point, instead of being on the pivotpoint and the lower latch-nub-thingy. They already used this method on the ct hosegarage, and chose to put it on the same side.
There's no risk of trying to carry a stack with a regular systainer with the T-loc in that position, because the lid will open, and you will notice.
 
tallgrass said:
you could be right, and I can always do it some other way. however how does the direction of rotation prevent the condition you suggest? I can place the latch in the 12oclock position by rotating it clockwise , locking the tote to the above systainer. What is the problem by creating the same condition by rotating it anti-clockwise? I would love someone from Festool say what the thinking was.

The tab doesn't allow 180 degrees rotation from the 'closed' position to the 'open in stack' position. It does not matter on what side they would have placed the tab, but they probably once picked that side and stuck with it.
 
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