Systainers

[BobMagnuson]

I am new to the world of owning Festool though I have admired and drooled over them for quite a while.  My new TS75, ETS 150/3 and CT-33 + accessories are waiting for me on the front step when I get home.

I have a question regarding the Systainers.  In what order do people stack them, why, and do people use the Systainers for other things than the storing the tools that came in them?  It watching shows Freeform Furniture that feature the hosts using Festools, they show banks of Systainers.  Granted they have every tool available but Systainers seem to be available in all different sizes and configurations. 

Show off your stacks!

Bob

 

[Daviddubya]

Bob - I use systainers in a stack for transporting them.  I have a shop-built Systainer cart in my shop for storing the Systainers.  I find it more convenient to grab one Systainer, as compared to one in the middle of a stack.  However, stacking them for transport to a job site is a wonderful advantage to me.

 

[mysterium]

Hi Bob,

Congratulations on you new "stack" of Systainers.

If I'm stacking to transfer to a job... 1st I only bring the one's I think I'll be using, & what ever I plan on using 1st is the one on top.... Of course I never seem to have Systainer I end up needing & the one I'm using at the time is never the one on top!!!  

Some Systainer "go" together, like a particular Sander & it's abrasives Systainer, or either of my Plunge saws & Blade/clamp Systainer, or the Routers & the hole drilling system.

I have multiple number of Systainers for my consumables & accessories.  I only have one Systainer with inserts for abrasives; the 6" sand paper.   But have multiples of the Systainer #4 & #5 because I buy boxes of 50/100 abrasives & store the boxes loose within the Systainer.  Looking at my over flow boxes of abrasive, I could use another 3 Systainers.  

Although I have 2 1/2 Systainer Ports, I could use 4 more to house the "stuff" when at the shop.  On site the ones I'm using ride on the CT vacuum or on a Systainer Dolly (there is another post on this subject currently).

But the real answer they move around in different positions like a Rubric's Cube.

jim  

 

[Dan Clark]

I tried to be logical at first, but now it's just kind a random movement.  They just sort of move up and down the stack by themselves.  It's good excercise for you though. 

If you get a Festool router, make sure that you get the Festool Router Bit systainer.  Great router bit storage.

Dan.

 

[Lou Miller]

I have 9 systainers so far. I built a simple shelving unit that houses them in the shop. Each shelf is able to hold three #4 systainers side by side (they didn't have the #5 systainers when I built the shelves) and none of them are clipped together while on the shelves. This makes it easy to simply pull out whatever I need and go. I have room for about 3 more systainers on the shelves and then I'm going to have to build another one.

When I go to a jobsite, I only take what I need. The current job I'm on, I have them all there. The order I stack them is meanigless as I'm going to end up opening them all up once I'm there anyway. I usually take over the customer's garage and spread the systainers out along the floor. At the end of the day we sweep up and either put them back in the truck or tuck them in a corner of the garage where we're working.

I do try to keep some things stacked together all the time. Like the saw and the accesory kit (angle unit, clamps, connectors), those two systainers get clipped to one another. I keep all the sanders and the systainer for 6" abrasives clipped together. I'm going to pick up another systainer that will be used for router bits, and that will be clipped to the router systainer and the hole drilling jig systainer.

Being able to clip these things together is a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference when setting up shop on a jobsite. Every tool manufacturer should do this, but I don't really have a lot of one brand like I do Festool, so I guess it wouldn't help all that much though. It would still be nice if they all did it though. 

 

[Ned]

Hi Bob,

One combination that works really well for me is for the OF1010 router.  The router systainer sits permanently on a sortainer, the one with the big drawer.  The sortainer holds all the 8mm and 1/4 bits in the big drawer, and copying rings, collets, slot cutters, and small MFS hardware.  The huge advantage of the sortainer over the systainer sold for router bit storage is that you don't have to remove it from the bottom of the router case, ever.

If you've got an OF1400, you might want to check the sortainer info to see if your larger bits will fit.

The edging kit systainer and the one for the hole drilling kit are underneath the sortainer.

Welcome to the world of Festool.

 

[Dontee]

Hi Bob,
I'm only one year into the Festool club myself and have just gotten to the point in setting up my new shop where I will start to use them for the reason I acquired each one. 
I have built a work/runoff table that is just short of eight feet long.  My intention is to build a sliding tray into the table for each Systainer and have that tray extend out far enough to allow the lid to rest back against the table.  That way all my Festools are right there and the extractor and boom are against the wall behind me. 
I don't ever have the need to leave the shop with my Festools and this idea seems to be the best for me.

Don

 

[JayStPeter]

I keep my ATF55 (older version of the TS55) in the systainer.  It is a convenient way to store that one.  My OF1400 was in a drawer, but currently back to the systainer until I make a little more shop storage.  I much prefer it in the drawer as the systainer for it is pretty crowded.  My ETS150 is permanently in a drawer.  Its systainer is now used for my HVLP gun.  It'll fit better in the OF1400 systainer when that is free again.  But, the less used HVLP gun stays on the bottom of the stack.  Since the OF is such a pain, its systainer is usually open with parts hanging out.  My drill stays in its systainer since I carry it around fairly often.  I can also put a set of bits and some other tools in there to do jobs around the house.  But, that systainer doesn't go in my stack, it just sits on a bench.
My goal is to have occasional use tools in the stack with the ATF on top ready to go.  More used Festools will reside in drawers in the shop.  I don't do much work "in the field" so the systainers don't do much for me portability wise (aside from the drill).

 

[Bob]

I was just thinking it might be an idea to make a buket=boss thingy to hold had tools in systainers.  Anybody try this yet?

Backwater Bob

 

[Dave Ronyak]

I was just thinking it might be an idea to make a buket=boss thingy to hold had tools in systainers.  Anybody try this yet?

Backwater Bob

I haven't yet, but I am thinking of buying a Systainer 4 or 5 and making my own versions of tool and accessories organizers to have a place to keep clamps and accessories hardware for my MFT 1080.  Many of the items I want to store are not tht heavy but do not fit conveniently into the drawers of the Sortainers excepting the large bottom drawer of the 4-drawer unit Item #491522.  A stack of lift out trays could be made to fit into a Systainer 4 or 5.  Have you considered the "Tool Organizer" Item #491301 which has a wooden insert for hand tools in a Systainer 4?

 

[Bob]

I had a look at the organizer thing, was not impressed.  I have so many hand tools it makes it hard for me to transport what I need.  Right now I have two of those stanley drawer roller boxes and one of those really, really big bags from woodcraft...have most stuff I use in there and can barely pick it up.  I have been working on this problem for years.  Too heavy/don't have what I could ever need/can't find what I need.  Maybe I should see a shrink? My real tool box is a 20' step van and I can't get it all in.  I am upgradeing really so am selling perfectly good tools off so I can breathe.  (doubles) I am going to go semi retired this summer so I want to "have it all and be mobile"

Backwater-Bob

 

[Frank Pellow]

I was just thinking it might be an idea to make a buket=boss thingy to hold had tools in systainers.  Anybody try this yet?

Backwater Bob

...
  Have you considered the "Tool Organizer" Item #491301 which has a wooden insert for hand tools in a Systainer 4?

I have the tool organizer and I do use it to keep a set of extra tools organized.  For the most part, these are tools and hardware that I find I need when called to a relative/neighbour/friend's house to do a "small" job for them.  I used to spend a lot of time figuring what to take with me (and almost always forgettin something).  Now I just grab the organizer systainer, along with the systainers for whichever power tools I think I will need, sometimes an old Black and Decker Workmate, and then I go.

 

[ccmviking]

The systainers are nice for tool protection however they are kind of a pain.  Clipping and unclipping stacking and un-stacking is not a fun task.  The clips are not always easy to deal with (some people on here lube them to make it easier).  They do keep the tools out of the weather, but if you are really looking to have quick and easy access to them a sysport, or custom built drawer arrangement is the answer (somone on here built drawers that housed the systainer inserts only, that way you pull the drawer open and there everything is) and best solution.  I have most of mine in a trailer and have build a rack that each systainer fits on and is held at a slight angle.  I would have built drawers for all of them but I wasn't having much luck coming up with a quick and simple latch to keep everything in place (try trailering all your stuff through the Kern River Canyon as a test of how well it's seated).  One of my c12's is in the systainer insert on the top of my cart so that the drill, chucks, charger etc. are all there where I need them without opening anything.  My cart works out pretty awesome as I just roll it out of the trailer and into a house and have a lot of what I need right there.  I need to do some fine tuning of the trailer layout and am going to build a new aluminum custom cart in the near future that fits my stuff better.  I have yet to see any trailer outfitted and organized like mine (the one on this old house looks like crap).  I'll post some pictures of it in the next couple of months, it really is fantastic.

Chris...

 

[jimg]

I for one would like to see the pictures of how you organized your trailer. I have been putting this task off for a couple years now, but need to get to it soon. What size is the trailer?

 

[MarkusS]

You can have a look at this webpage http://www.tanosmobil.de - Tanos is the company that produces all the Systainers (not only for Festool and Protool but for many other companies). Tanos offers a system to store Systainers in various cars. There is a PDF with the assembly-instructions, perhaps the pictures give you an idea how this works http://www.tanosmobil.de/pdf/tanosmobil_einbauanleitung.pdf

The other company is Sortimo - they are kind of standard here in Germany - although they don't use Systainers. They offer top quality at top prices, no problem to spend several 1000 bucks only for the Sortimo stuff (without the car) http://www.sortimo.com/sortimo_international_en.html They even offer specific solutions for carpenters http://www.sortimo.de/en/picture_database/trade_specific_solutions/carpenterswindow_construction.html - just to give you some ideas ...

Regards
Markus

 

[Norm St.Onge]

MarkusS - All I can say is...wow! Those are some slick set-ups. Our only choices here seem to be the ratty sheet metal shelving that looks like it was built in a 1950's shop class.

Thank you for the links. -Norm

 

[jimg]

Thanks Markus, some good ideas there. I like the folding workbench vise and the tension rods to transport large flat items on edge.

 

[ccmviking]

The Sortimo stuff looks like it could have some potential.  I was also looking at Fastube.com when I was setting my trailer up (by the way it's 7'X14').  You really have to have a custom setup based on "your" stuff if you want to take a lean approach to this.  An example is a bin to hold small parts and not a drawer.  If you use a drawer you cannot see qty levels or exact content at a glance.  You must also open the drawer, remove your item and then re-close the drawer.  If you use a bin, you can see the item for identification, qty checks, and then you just grab what you need from the bin (nothing to open or close).  Another example is my Festool guide rails... I went a while carting them around in the zippered pouch that Festool sells for this purpose.  So when I went to get it out of the trailer I'd have to unzip the back, take the rail out of the bag, and then when finished I'd have to rustle and rustle that rail back into the bag.  Most people would just fight with this annoyance (don't say not me because you all would, that's what we all do at work, just live with the problems) but instead I got rid of the bag.  If you make sure how you are storing them does not allow them to be damaged and keeps them in place that's all you need to do.  So my rails are standing verticall in a holder and I can just grab one and go.  It may be only a minute or two here and there but it's very important to me.  Those small things frustrate me to no end and when I have a non-billable moment I love to correct them (I wish I had a little more of this but of course green consumes us so I can't say "no").  Point is be careful with purchasing pretty containers and make sure it's suited for the purpose and functional without extra work and movement. 

Chris...

 

[MarkusS]

Yes, I think this Sortimo stuff has some potential 

Sortimo has a combination of drawers, cases and boxes - the pics on their website might be a little bit misleading.

What looks like a drawer is mostly a sliding frame that simply holds a case. You can pull out the frame and then you can open the case while it is resting on the frame - or you can take the case out off the frame and with you to where the work is - and in the case are many seperate little boxes which hold all the little stuff one might need.

Although I don't own a Sortimo-car i own some of these cases (they were sold cheap as a promotion - guess by whom).

The cases are opened by the two latches which are in the cover above the handle - easy one-handed operation.

The "Sortimo-Trick" is the base plate - they've these plates as a standard part for many different cars. In the plates are rails and holes which hold the cabinets and racks an give them  great stability. AFAIR they've some crash-test videos on their website - very impressing what this construction can stand.

Regards
Markus

 

[TahoeTwoBears]

I need to do some fine tuning of the trailer layout and am going to build a new aluminum custom cart in the near future that fits my stuff better.  I have yet to see any trailer outfitted and organized like mine (the one on this old house looks like crap).  I'll post some pictures of it in the next couple of months, it really is fantastic.

Chris...

Chris,

Did you ever post your pictures of your trailer? I'm anxious to see it. I searched around but couldn't find any mention of them.

Thanks,

Mike