Help me design a mobile tool system

[Yankeefarmer]

For years I have struggled to find a proper solution to transporting and staging the tools I need at a worksite. (I‘m not a contractor, but do do a wide variety of building maintenance tasks at the multiple buildings at our place and for family and friends.) My preferred work style is to securely hang tools like squares, levels, hammers, pliers, etc on a wall, so they are quickly spotted, easily put back, etc. Photos below to show how I have my basement workshop and shop set up in this style. I’d like to devise a similar concept that I could set up at the job site. I’ve been struggling using a bucket boss for years, but it doesn’t provide the easy visibility of what tool is where, and completely fails at transporting larger items like a carpenter’s square or level.

My thinking currently is something like a Milwaukee pack out wheeled 2 or 3 drawer base unit to hold cordless drill, impact driver, etc plus smaller items like tape measure, pencils, markers, etc with a rack above for the things mentioned above. But I’m having trouble figuring out where the pack out system might accomodate a rack above and secure the tools on it during transport. Any suggestions/insight would be much appreciated.

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

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Kind regards,
Olli

 

[BWWgarage]

I’d do packout and build shadow foam layers that could be removed and displayed? There may be an example in bike tool thread?

Big items?!?!

 

[zimman]

https://www.tiktok.com/foryou

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Unless you go for the foaming approach (pretty space inefficient), laying everything out for visibility is pretty at odds with portability.

Will you have a separate set of tools in your portable solution, or fill it from your workshop ones based on the task at hand?

 

[AEAdam]

I have a similar problem and no good solution. Best I’ve come up with so far is to develop tool “kits” that align with specific sorts of jobs. Right now I have a basic carpentry/framing kit, finish carpentry, plumbing&mechanical, electrical, & masonry. They aren’t well organized.

The obvious downside is the tool duplication. Almost every kit has its own screwdrivers and pliers. Really, every kit needs an impact driver maybe a drill. So the whole kit concept can get out of hand.

Then I thought, surely there’s a core kit of tools. I need a tape measure for every job. An impact driver, carpenters knife. Really I need pliers, screwdrivers, then everything ends up jumbled together again.

At work, if you need an electrician, one shows up in a golf cart with a 6’ ladder on its roof. But if any carpentry work is required at all, he makes a call and another golf cart shows up. So maybe this is the right way to think of it. I might need 2 or 3 kits to complete any given task.

For me, it’s multiple buildings but more multiple floors in one building, separated by stairs and doorways. So a simple roll cart alone doesn’t work. But I don’t need a back pack.

 

[KnurledNut]

@Yankeefarmer
Considered a hanging tool roll, portable tool wall, storage apron?

Some are designed for utility work as bucket aprons but could be just as effective:





Another option would be a cart designed for mobile use if you have room to haul it upright:

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Thanks for the suggestions/ideas so far. As I’ve ruminated on this over the past couple days, I’ve decided that a rolling cart is just too big and bulky for my needs, especially because there’s often stairs involved. The direction I’m currently headed in is trying the Milwaukee Packout 20” tote. I think it may be more satisfactory than the Bucket Boss because of its rectangular form factor as compared to the Bucket Boss’ pockets often being ”just around the bend.” Also the inner rectangular compartments seem more suited to holding a cordless drill and impact driver than the round bucket. I also like the ability to strap my level to the tote. It’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I’ll be testing it soon.

@YesIHaveAHammer I already have two separate shops: the one in my avatar where I do mechanical/metalworking and my basement where I do woodworking stuff, so I have duplicate tools such as pliers, screwdrivers, drills and drivers, etc in both places. This ”system” will live in the basement shop using mostly tools from there.

 

[GeoBruin]

This is my mobile solution. It's easily transportable and handles stairs pretty well (although it is heavy). It's geared more toward mechanics tools and general maintenance tools than woodworking tools and might not accomodate large items as well as (for example) deep packout drawers, but also allows higher density than the packout system.

 

[Robinson1]

What seems to work best for me is to have a basic core set of tools in a small easily portable bag these are the tools that you need on pretty much any project.

Everything else stays on the truck and you keep an empty tool bag or two so you can load up what you need in addition to the basic core kit.

Replace truck with shop/garage/barn if you’re not working out of a truck

 

[pi_guy]

When I hit the track I did bins. Depending on how long would determine what I would bring. One day Test "test trips" often didn't bring the welder. I had a track toolbox for hand tools. Then I had 3 bins for wire and harness repair, one bin for welding and a Miller machine, bin for race car tools alignment and shock stuff, then would load other bins with testing tools depending on car and duration.
Often there were bins for parts and other project related stuff. Then I have much of my hardware in Durham drawers and would pick and choose which ones to take, three in a bin was managable.
The bins I used were GM parts bins. Like my garage always the bin you need is the first one loaded so it did make loading and unloading easier.

 

[AJHD]

This is my mobile solution. It's easily transportable and handles stairs pretty well (although it is heavy). It's geared more toward mechanics tools and general maintenance tools than woodworking tools and might not accomodate large items as well as (for example) deep packout drawers, but also allows higher density than the packout system.

You've posted this a bunch of times...

But it never gets old, it still makes me jealous every time I see it.

 

[GeoBruin]

You've posted this a bunch of times...

But it never gets old, it still makes me jealous every time I see it.

Yeah. It took a lot of time, so I've got to get some good mileage out of posting it!

 

[rust in the eye]

As YesIHaveAHammer states above portability and easy visibility are a bit at odds.
My thoughts are to fabricate a folding board to accomodate all you want in sight and a separate tote for transport. You'd need to set up once at the job but have your cake and eat it too.
A proper fitting covering might even allow transport with tools in situ.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

What seems to work best for me is to have a basic core set of tools in a small easily portable bag these are the tools that you need on pretty much any project.

Everything else stays on the truck and you keep an empty tool bag or two so you can load up what you need in addition to the basic core kit.

Replace truck with shop/garage/barn if you’re not working out of a truck

This is just the approach I’m taking. I’ve struggled with this issue for the last 40+ years. Tuesday my 20” tote arrived, I loaded it up with all my basic tools, and so far I’m very satisfied. The tote is superior to the bucket boss because it’s rectangular and the open space is divided into two compartments. It has eliminated many trips back to the shop for the tool I didn’t think I needed. My next step is a couple of easy To carry organizers for frequently used fasteners instead of just carrying the box of fasteners I thought I was going to use to the job.

 

[The Metric System]

My preferred work style is to securely hang tools like squares, levels, hammers, pliers, etc on a wall, so they are quickly spotted, easily put back, etc. Photos below to show how I have my basement workshop and shop set up in this style. I’d like to devise a similar concept that I could set up at the job site.

If you want to easily replicate a version of this in the field consider traveling with a few bar magnets that you can clamp/screw/ziptie/etc in a visible spot once you are on-site.

Then as you use tools you stick them to the magnets, where they'll remain visible and easy to access until you finish the job.

It won't work all the time at every site or for every tool, but it might cover most of your needs in an inexpensive and functional way.

 

[BWWgarage]

I found tool box wars on FB ... no idea how I ended up there, but some pretty cool mobile set ups ...

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[u2slow]

A tool bag/bucket and wheelbarrow (for the additional and larger items).

 

[richfinn]

TECH OT-LC - VetoProPac

The TECH OT-LC is a large capacity wide open tote with removable/swappable vertical pocket panels. This bag comes with the 10 and 15-pocket tool panels and a bulk storage panel, and it also includes the large center box with two repositionable partitions and a removable insert box with a...

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