Means of Organization - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Inner10 · 09-09-2009, 02:24 PM

Everyday I fight for optimal organizaion and loose, I need a good system for organizing and transporting my tools and accessories.

Tools:

I've determined that soft sided tool bags are the best for tools, I have about 5 bags with different handtools/cordless/corded tools inside working very well. Yet my Hilti bags are starting to fall apart (greenlee bags are still looking great). I think I will eventually replace them all with Veto's. Any better suggestions?

Fastners:

For fastners I have a metal rack in my van with bins that I fill up, I then transfer small amounts of screws/anchors into my small soft sided tackel box (a Plano) with 4 trays (wood/metal/concrete/drywall). This is plenty for little installs and service calls, if I need lots I just bring up a box full of fastners. After a year and a half my little tackel box needs replacing, it did a great job but just not enough longivity. Still I like the individual trays inside one easy to carry bag.

Other suff:

Here's the tricky part, most of my truck is packed with various cables: RS232, vga, rca, bnc, cat-5 all preterminated all in a huge variety of legnths. At the moment I have rubbermaid shoe boxes (clear ones) filled up with cables and it works OK, but their weakness is they arn't the most durable AND they are difficult to transport. I can't just throw a few over my shoulder like I can with my bags.

Ontop of cables I have piles of little do-dads like connectors, resistors, relays, contacts, box connectors, electrical boxes, switches, keypads, wall plates and more wall plates, rack hardwear.... I could go on for days!

Bottom line is I'm looking for a system that replaces my clear plastic bins, needs to be more portable and more durable. I tried hard brief-case like containers with the clear tops (like that stanley one for screws) but again awkard to carry and can't take a beating. I've been eye-balling Festool's Systainer/Sortainer solution and it looks nice yet pricy (and I would require alot of the buggers... and they are not available locally).

I realize that my organizational needs may be quite a bit different then most of you yet any advice you lads can offer would be wonderful.

Thanks!

TBFGhost · 09-09-2009, 03:00 PM

....I threw out all my hard and most my soft cases for my most used tools. I am able to fit alot of tools in two 48" side boxes on my truck this way. I also can just grab and go when I get to the job. If I am bringing in a bunch of tools, I used a 4' rolling mini scaffold as a cart that can carry it all...stole the idea from Basswood IIRC.

Inner10 · 09-09-2009, 04:55 PM

Thanks for the reply ghost, I have a 48" Greenlee lockbox that I use for to cart around a large number of tools, (mainly powertools) but taking everything apart and throwing it in the bin would cause disaster. I freequently do small calls in condos/apartments as well as shopping malls and houses.

I still have to keep 'like' things together that I use often for quick grab and go eg.

Bag 1 - Hand tools/meters/souldering
Bag 2 - Drill/impact/twistdrills/bellhangers/spades
Bag 3 - Hammer drills and bits
etc.

Like I said I need a way of organizing a thousand little nick-nacks.

I do however love the mini scaffold as a cart....definitly going to steal that idea!

WarnerConstInc. · 09-09-2009, 09:25 PM

Veto Pro pacs and systainers.

Easy to grab all the tools you need in one trip.

Inner10 · 09-11-2009, 09:58 AM

I didn't realize that systainers all snap together and can use the vacume like a cart...thats sexy. And after seeing a picture of the metal festool locking cabinet that holds 20 systainers...thats just bad-ass.

Honestly though, are they worth the price for an injection molded plastic toolbox that locks together? Am i going to drop it in the winter and have it crack or throw it in the truck and watch the latches bust?

Its a large investment to make seeing as you really realize the full advantage of them when you all your goods organized in em.

Again the problem of availability plagues me, I'd love to get a couple and test em out, i just don't want to be throwing a few hundread bucks into the wind. Systainer owners please feel free to chime in with your 2 cents

I know in the long run I will save enough time for it to pay for itself.....but at the moment getting 10 systainers and inserts is a hard pill to swallow.

WarnerConstInc. · 09-11-2009, 03:56 PM

Here's a few things about them.

They are abs plastic and yes they take a beating.

The latches are meant to hold up to two hundred pounds, the handles up to four hundred.

They make a roll board that they can stack on and you can wheel it around, and the nylon casters lock.

Remember, if you dont like them, you have 30 days to send it back for a full refund.

Here is a link for a company that is now carrying the full line of Tanos (maker of the syatainer)

http://www.mysystainer.com/default.asp

Inner10 · 09-11-2009, 07:06 PM

Thanks Warner,

I think I'l order up a couple to check em out. I love that one with the little drawers, but 155 is tough to eat for a plastic box.

Thanks for the link, have you done any online price shopping? Do you buy yours from that website?

Like I said before I think the closest retailer (which I've never been too) is an hour away.

WarnerConstInc. · 09-11-2009, 07:18 PM

I have not ordered from them yet, they just started carrying Tanos earlier this year.
I ordered my sortainers through Festool.

It is a bit expensive but, like you said it is quite convienet that everything stacks together and locks together.

Double check prices between Festool and My Systainer, some items are cheaper from Festool, some from the other.

Maybe you could order from an on-line dealer in Canada and not have to drive to go get them.

I have slowly been putting other tools in systainers. I am pretty much comitted and am very happy with their quality and customer service.

Quiglag · 09-12-2009, 05:14 PM

You also might want to compare prices at CPO Festool. They also offer free shipping on orders over $149, and with Festool prices that is pretty easy to do.

Another company you might want to check out is Sortimo and their L-Boxx. They are a German company that makes Vehicle storage solutions. Their L-Boxx is very similar to the Systainer

+ YouTube Video

WarnerConstInc. · 09-12-2009, 05:19 PM

I just saw those the other day, pretty cool set up. He had some nice Wera screwdrivers in there!!

The thing about these cases is they are designed to fit neatly on the eruo pallet size.

Ever seen a truck deliver a bunch of pallets that came from europe?

All packaging must fit neatly on these cool molded osb looking pallets.

Mike Finley · 09-12-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inner10

Here's the tricky part, most of my truck is packed with various cables: RS232, vga, rca, bnc, cat-5 all preterminated all in a huge variety of legnths. At the moment I have rubbermaid shoe boxes (clear ones) filled up with cables and it works OK, but their weakness is they arn't the most durable AND they are difficult to transport. I can't just throw a few over my shoulder like I can with my bags.

Would it make any more sense to keep the cables on bulk rolls on wall mounted spindle system and pull and cut what you need whenever you need it? Seems you would be keeping it better organized and be buying in bulk at better pricing?

Inner10 · 09-12-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Another company you might want to check out is Sortimo and their L-Boxx.

Cool stuff thanks!

Quote:

Would it make any more sense to keep the cables on bulk rolls on wall mounted spindle system and pull and cut what you need whenever you need it?

Mike unfortunatly most low-voltage cable either comes in boxes or on gigantic rolls that don't fit on wire stands. I have a purpose built shelves in my van for wire which are OK. Pulling some off as need is a no-go, it works great in the shop (i have an overhead mounted system) but in the feild you have to bring the whole roll/box in.

Mike Finley · 09-12-2009, 07:25 PM

Like these things

Inner10 · 09-12-2009, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Like these things

Yes Sir.

Most speaker wire, alarm wire, smoke wire, cat-5/6, microphone, cable wire comes in boxes now. Only specialty wire like structured cable, smart cable and odd ball stuff comes in rolls.

Inner10 · 09-12-2009, 08:07 PM

Mike I should have added, the many many cables I have to organize are individually packaged preterminated cables in a huge variety of different legnths. I have them all in rubbermaids but could even use pails.....or systainers.

Quote:

You also might want to compare prices at CPO Festool.

Looked at the site, looks like they only ship to the US....although I'm only 45 min from NY.

WarnerConstInc. · 09-12-2009, 08:56 PM

You did notice some of the price differences between the two, some cheaper from Festool, some from my systainer.

I think there are several on-line dealers in canada.

charimon · 09-12-2009, 10:31 PM

I am a tile/ bathroom specialist. I have a small trailer (6x12 V Tandem trailer 7' tall on the inside), and finding a way to store and keep orginized everything I need has caused me to switch to an all Systainer/sortainer setup . Right now I have 34 of a needed 47 non-festool systainers in kits such as elect, plumbing, Tile, laminate, trim, caulk, drywall.... (drywall kit, sys3 for tools and a sys3 for 45min powder; copper kit, sys1 for torch and flux and a sort 9 for copper fittings) The fact that you can lock together everything you need for a task, carry it in as a unit in one trip, saves me 15-20 min a day. This translates into more than the Value of a new systainer every week. I think the most useful kit is a sys1 or 2 for your cordless drills with a sort 12 for various fasteners.

Thanks Craig

Inner10 · 09-12-2009, 10:39 PM

Craig sounds like a wonderful setup you have if you don't mind me asking where did you purchase all of your systainers?

Also if you have any pics to share i'd love to see how your organization "stacks up".

Thanks!

charimon · 09-12-2009, 11:21 PM

I buy from Timmy C at http://www.festooljunkie.com his brick and mortar store is 45min away. I have also picked up a bunch from "drinkers of Green Cool-Aid

" who have shops and have stated in the Festool forums that they don't use their systainers, I send PM's offering to buy them.

I am planning on posting a thread about my trailer soon I have built a wet saw mount for my DW and have had the back few ft Line X'd I will try to get photos of that up next week.

Storage racks for sys's are very easy to build
with out too much detail here tonite, build a rack of 2 sides (1" deeper than a sys) and back (1/8" larger than the width of a sys) make these what ever height you want make a number of "shelf 1 pic" shelves note the cutout for your hand to lift, the lip is 9/16, and they are 1/8" deeper and wider than an actual sys (pic 2). Kreg it into the bottom of the rack. slide in what ever sys setup, place a 3/4 spacer and kreg in the next shelf... they cant tip out but slide out easily by lifting and pulling.

Thanks craig

I shot the pics with my cel phone of an xtra shelf

Quiglag · 09-13-2009, 05:18 PM

I sent an email to Sortimo US to see about their pricing. They do not have an online store, but you can order directly from their US HQ. Hopefully I will hear something back on Monday.