T-loc compatibility with Sys-Maxi?

[fritter63]

Something I've been wondering about.

I'm getting ready to purchase a bunch of empty systainers to cleanup up the storage of my non-festool tools. The question that comes up of course is "classic" vs. T-loc!

We all know Kreg's rather brute answer to that one...

But seriously, I like the T-loc with it's card/label options, but it seems to me that Tanos has stepped away from their "system" philosophy by making the T-Loc's apparently incompatible with the Systainer Maxi's. What I mean is that with the classic system it is possible to stack and lock two systainers (sideways) on top of a Maxi. But I don't think this is possible with the T-Locs? And there doesn't appear to be full coverage on the T-Locs (Maxi, mini).

So, is it possible to stack and lock T-Locs on the maxi?

ETA: removed erroneous comment about T-locs > 3)

 

[jonny round boy]

I'm not certain as I don't have a maxi (or any T-Locs for that matter!) but I believe they should be compatible since the T-Locs are the same size overall as the classic, and they also have the lugs on the bottom for the classic latches.

Frank Pellow posted a pic of his collection the other day & he has both, so maybe he could confirm it?

 

[shokunin]

I think they should work.  I have a couple of Maxi's, but no t-locs, but as long as the T-Locs have the feet on the sides of the systainer, they should work like the classics.  Looking at the pictures it appears the t-locs do have the two "feet" on each side near the rear of the systainer.  These would attach to the front and back latches on the Maxi.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

So, here the definitive answer: yes and no.  [big grin]

Yes, you can attach T-Locs to the Maxi. However, with one caveat. The T-Loc Sys 1 will only connect with a slight modification to the Maxi. Because it has a smaller space around the latching mechanism used for classic Systainer connections, you need to sand down the Maxi latch a bit. See attached photos, let me know if you have questions.

Maxi with T-Loc Sys 2's connected.

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Maxi latched to a T-Loc Sys 1 after modification.

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Image showing the "modification" done by sanding down the connecting latch on the Maxi. I pulled the latch off the opposing side to show how much material needed to be removed. A couple of seconds with the Rotex did the trick. As an aside, ABS does a good job cleaning Rubin.

[attachthumb=#3]

 

[Frank Pellow]

I'm not certain as I don't have a maxi (or any T-Locs for that matter!) but I believe they should be compatible since the T-Locs are the same size overall as the classic, and they also have the lugs on the bottom for the classic latches.

Frank Pellow posted a pic of his collection the other day & he has both, so maybe he could confirm it?

Yes  [smile] they do inter-connect as shown in this photo:

[attachimg=#1]

but, as also shown in the photo,  [sad] when they are so stacked, the t-locs face inward.

 

[Frank Pellow]

So, here the definitive answer: yes and no.  [big grin]

Yes, you can attach T-Locs to the Maxi. However, with one caveat. The T-Loc Sys 1 will only connect with a slight modification to the Maxi. Because it has a smaller space around the latching mechanism used for classic Systainer connections, you need to sand down the Maxi latch a bit. See attached photos, let me know if you have questions.

Maxi with T-Loc Sys 2's connected.

[attachthumb=#1]

Maxi latched to a T-Loc Sys 1 after modification.

[attachthumb=#2]

Image showing the "modification" done by sanding down the connecting latch on the Maxi. I pulled the latch off the opposing side to show how much material needed to be removed. A couple of seconds with the Rotex did the trick. As an aside, ABS does a good job cleaning Rubin.

[attachthumb=#3]

Strange, I did not need to sand mine down.

 

[fritter63]

Strange, I did not need to sand mine down.

It's not the length of your latch, it's the stickin' of the click-in!

 

[jonny round boy]

but, as also shown in the photo,  [sad] when they are so stacked, the t-locs face inward.

Yes, but so did the classics. If they faced out you could get to the latches, but the lids wouldn't open anyway as they'd foul on the adjacent systainer...

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Frank, the modification is only for T-Loc Sys 1. are you saying you used Sys 1 without modification or other sizes?

 

[Frank Pellow]

Frank, the modification is only for T-Loc Sys 1. are you saying you used Sys 1 without modification or other sizes?

Sorry, I missed that point.  [embarassed]  I used a sys 2 for my test.

 

[Frank Pellow]

but, as also shown in the photo,  [sad] when they are so stacked, the t-locs face inward.

Yes, but so did the classics. If they faced out you could get to the latches, but the lids wouldn't open anyway as they'd foul on the adjacent systainer...

Good point, but I envisioned stacks of different heights so that you could open some of the outward facing t-loc systainers.  Also, you could have opened the two sytainers at the top of the stack.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Frank, the modification is only for T-Loc Sys 1. are you saying you used Sys 1 without modification or other sizes?

Sorry, I missed that point.  [embarassed]  I used a sys 2 for my test.

No problem. The T-Loc Sys 1 has less space around the Classic Systainer latch point in the front. All of the other sizes have more space around that latch point and hence don't present a problem when attaching to the Maxi. Hope that makes sense.

 

[fritter63]

Frank,

could I trouble you to measure and post the interior dimensions of the maxi when you get a chance? I can't tell from the other sites if what they give are external or not, and this framing nailer I want to put in there is looking like it might be pretty tight.

Thanks.

 

[tbellemare]

I just measured one and it appears to be 560mm x 360mm x 165mm.

Tom

 

[Frank Pellow]

I just measured one and it appears to be 560mm x 360mm x 165mm.

Tom

My conservative measurements which eliminate all protrusions are a little less, that is: 555mm x 330mm x 165mm.

 

[tbellemare]

I had another go at it, Frank, and I got 540mm x 335mm x 170mm. There's a bit of a taper (draft) so it depends where you measure it.

Tom

 

[Frank Pellow]

I had another go at it, Frank, and I got 540mm x 335mm x 170mm. There's a bit of a taper (draft) so it depends where you measure it.

Tom

Tom, I noticed and accounted for the back to front bevel but missed the side to side one.  I agree with your latest measurements.

 

[atomicmike]

Frank,

could I trouble you to measure and post the interior dimensions of the maxi when you get a chance? I can't tell from the other sites if what they give are external or not, and this framing nailer I want to put in there is looking like it might be pretty tight.

Thanks.

Which framing nailer are you planning to store in there? I have a Bostitch F28WW that I keep in a Maxi with no problem at all. It only goes in one specific way, but it fits nicely. There's even room for a box of nails off to the side.

- Mike

 

[fritter63]

Frank,

could I trouble you to measure and post the interior dimensions of the maxi when you get a chance? I can't tell from the other sites if what they give are external or not, and this framing nailer I want to put in there is looking like it might be pretty tight.

Thanks.

Which framing nailer are you planning to store in there? I have a Bostitch F28WW that I keep in a Maxi with no problem at all. It only goes in one specific way, but it fits nicely. There's even room for a box of nails off to the side.

- Mike

It's an Hitachi NR93, and near as I can tell its 365 mm even with it angled (nail clip parallel to the box side). So I don't
think it's even close to fitting.

It's one big dang gun, I even got a nice case of "trigger finger tendonitus" from it that took 4 cortisone shots to (almost) get rid of.