McFeely screw assortment in Sortainer/Systainer

MavDog

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Jun 21, 2010
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I recently received a McFeely catalog in the mail and noticed that they offer a 1300 piece screw assortment kit that comes with either a Systainer with dividers or a 12 drawer Sortainer.  These both seem like great storage containers for the assortment but I am worried that the screws could get stuck in the drawer unit.  Does anyone have either of these and are they happy with it?

What do you think of the McFeely fasteners?  Which style of their fastener and coating do you use the most?  I am running low on screws so the catalog came at just the right time  ;)
 
Hi,

Yes, the screws can / do get stuck in the drawer units sometimes. The shorter the screws and the more full = more chance for a drawer to get stuck.  Usually shaking , or a flat steel rule slipped in froom the back side can dislodge the screw.

Also the dividers in the Systainer version are actually modular boxes. So you can change the arrangement and sizes to suit your needs, and also take out the box of screws you are using to keep them close at hand.

As far as the McFeely's screws go, I have used a variety of types and coatings in the past ( all square drive) but have switched to GRKs because I like them much better. The McFeely's were a bit variable on the quality depending on the type. Exactly which ones were good and which were not as good .... I can't remember.

Seth
 
I have a few of the McFeely screw assortments in both the Box Systainers and the 12-Drawer Sortainers.  Each type storage unit has its own advantages and disadvantages.  

The 12-Drawer Sortainers provide access to their contents without having to remove units that may be stacked above.  Each drawer can have its own label so you can readily identify what is inside and have instant access.  And, Sortainers come with drawer dividers, so you can separate items within a drawer.  I've only had an occasion or two where the drawer became stuck due to something shifting within the closed drawer, and didn't find it too difficult to a time getting that resolved -- but, I don't transport these very much at all, as they mainly stay in my shop.  

The Box Systainers come equipped with a hard-foam lid insert that covers the boxes when the lid is closed.  This prevents any of the contents from getting mixed up and there are no drawers to get stuck.  I have the original 'Classic' Systainer 1 Box units which don't allow access to their contents within a stack.  The newer T-Loc Systainers might allow you to gain access where the Classics do not -- but how well that works may be dependent on what all is stacked above...  

Either type will allow you to take an individual box or drawer out from the Systainer/Sortainer and take it to where you are working, which is handy.  My preference has been to keep screws in the Box Systainers and nuts, bolts and washers (or other hardware) in Sortainers.  Both type storage units are nice to own, and you will likely find a use for either type.  So, why not order at least one of each?  You can always order another and swap the contents as desired.
 
Last year I wanted another divided systainer so I opted for the McFeely screw assortment.  I've been using their screws for a while now and I can't complain.  I like either the drylube (if your looking for a dark screw) or the yellow zinc.  Both of those screws drive really nicely into wood and I find the quality very good.  I think the drawer sortainers are nice, I own 2, but I don't think they would work well with screws and traveling..

Dave
 
I've used the McFeeley screws in a Systainer for several years now and love having them easily available and as part of a Festool systainer rolling stack. The McFeeley's screws were tested along with some big box ones by one of the leading mags a year or so ago (?) and they won the comparison -  they were both the cheapest and performed best. I too like  GRK screws but they're a bit more $.
 
I have been getting most of my screws from McFeelys for several years. I have never had a problem with any of them.
The screw assortment/ Sortainer package is a good deal.  
I have had minimal problems with screws getting stuck in the drawers.
How you fill the drawers makes a big difference.
 
Hi,

As Corwin said - transport is definetly another factor in the Sortainer drawers getting stuck on screws. 

Just a note on my comment on the McFeely's screws.... none that I used were actually bad in quality, but some were just good as opposed to really good. Another reason I switched was that I like the torx  drive better than square.

Seth
 
Here is systainer label art I developed for the McFeely Systainer 1 1300 screw assortment.

[attachimg=#]
 

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Those assortments aren't even available anymore are they? At least they weren't the last time I looked...
 
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