Real world cordless tool storage

[barrysuperhawk]

Ok, so heres the deal. I have been looking around at various tool storage ideas, plans, premade kits, and even completed items. Some of them are quite slick, and the ones on here are very impressive.

The problem I have is that almost all of them seem to be patterned around the user that has 5-6 identical except for color - cordless drills, one battery for each, always unplugs their charger and stores it next to the drill, has maybe 1-2 neat boxes of bits...

Its like walking into a staged model home and expecting your own house to look like that after living there...


And then there is me. My problem is that I don't just have 5-6 identical except for color drills, I have 6 different sizes of drills from the small "atomic" impact to a couple of their monstrous cordless boltbuster impacts. I have settled on Dewalt 12 & 20v cordless tools (don't judge me), and by now I have a couple dozen if you count 18v tools I can still use (with adapter). My current battery charging station consists of 6 chargers (4 dewalt, 2 EGO - Really don't judge me for that) and 10-15 batteries at any given moment. I also have Oscilating tool, jig saw, bandsaw, rotozip, 3 sawzalls, 5 angle grinders (really, don't judge me), 2 circular saws, vacuum, SDS hammer... most of which won't fit in the cookie cutter slots. And then there are the hundreds if not thousands of drill bits, cutters, blades, hole saws, saw blades, scraper attachments...

The french cleat versions appeal, but I don't have much wall space to dedicate, and my workbench is actually on casters so I can move it. I also only have about 10% of the tool cases because I am a big fan of bare tools.
Right now I (also) have a set of wire rack shelves (also on casters) that I have been using the tool hooks on individual tools to hang from. Its a hot mess, but it is expedient.

So, I tend to agree with the dude from mythbusters that drawers are the debbil, and should be avoided as much as possible, but my primary workbench started out life as a dresser (like you put in your bedroom).

 

[Ign]

Yeah, my "system" is a cluster, also, and would make sense to no one but me.

For lesser used tools I don't mind drawers at all. I've got things like the 2738 buffer/polisher I've never used...a drawer is great. I've got the M18 planer I've used once...in a drawer. Both M18 "Hawgs"....never used, in a drawer.

My Fuel portaband and M12 portaband are rarely used, so in a drawer. In fact something like the Fuel portaband is so huge as cordless tools go it's difficult to store on a hook or hanging. Some leave it setup in a SWAG table and that's cool. Obviously a shelf is always an option but if you have a working welding/machine shop w a wood stove, everything gets a layer of grime in disturbingly short order.

My drills just sit on a secondary bench (not my primary fab table) and my grinders hang from the bench. All chargers are wall mounted in the same corner.

No system is perfect. Mine works for me, mostly, kinda-sorta.

 

[sweet victory]

I've had my eye on this for a while, but it only works for tools with large batteries. (Milwaukee M18, Dewalt 20V, etc.)

https://perchtools.com/

I think Perch in on the right path of offering "racks" that can be loaded with modular holders to mix and match tools. Looking to see what other's can share.

 

[DFB]

5 drawer roller cabinet works best for me for the bulk of my cordless tool storage.

Sawzall hackzall, grinder, cutoff tool, screwdrivers, impact drivers, chuck drills, ratchets solder iron heat gun, some lights and RA tools are all kept in drawers when not in constant use though several worklights lights are are always attached to to my tool cart by hook or magnet.

Generally batteries are stacked on top of the rollaway.

As for chargers gawd there are too many lol!, I keep about 3 plugged in on the workbench and couple of others go out with tools on jobs but the rest of the chargers are never used.

I have no want or need to hang tools out and on display

 

[liliysdad]

I have a plethora of yellow tools, 20v and 12v. I store the drills and impacts on the top of my toolbox, along with batteries and chargers. The larger tools such as grinders, saws, etc go in the deep drawer of my box.

I have about a dozen batteries, and 5 chargers running all the time. Luckily, the 12v and 20v uses the same chargers. Makes life much easier.

 

[bczygan]

If I could even find all my tools and batteries, it would be an improvement!


Bill

 

[acer66]

I've had my eye on this for a while, but it only works for tools with large batteries. (Milwaukee M18, Dewalt 20V, etc.)

https://perchtools.com/

I think Perch in on the right path of offering "racks" that can be loaded with modular holders to mix and match tools. Looking to see what other's can share.

Looks cool I just like to store them with batteries and when I say store it means laying around somewhere in the shop and on the job site I store them in boxes.

 

[RTM]

I don’t use mine consistently enough to justify leaving them out, tho the chargers often are. Right now gearing up for our PGE lack of maintenance shutdowns, so getting all the flashlights ready to go.

I live near the Pacific rust and salty fog generator, so I try to box everything. Thinking of building a box to keep all Makita 9.6v in and together, and able to travel. Tools, batteries, chargers and bits. I have a similar pre packaged DeWalt set up.

 

[acer66]

This got me thinking and most of my corded power tools are in cabinets in the boxes they came in.
My most frequently used tools, besides a corded track and a table saw, are all cordless and live in my version of a Ron Paulk workbench (think wooden torsion box) in the shop.
All chargers and batteries are just thrown together in a cabinet.
Going on a job site I have most tools in Bosch l-boxxes to stay better organized.

This is a good thread since I looking into streamlining things especially in the shop.

 

[jonshonda]

The solution you are looking for likely doesn't exist for good reason. Either not cost effective or damn near impossible to solve.

 

[macs_rock]

Like most I suspect, mine are either stored on top of my workspace or whatever project I'm working on and in the way, or set down somewhere I can't remember and I have to look for them. I should organize my ****.

 

[will335i]

Following this intently. My power tools and their accessories are a giant cluster and really slows me down hunting for stuff. A lot of my cordless stuff is in a pile spilling out of the large dewalt bag. Drill bit kits are scattered on across benches. Blades are in various tool boxes. Batteries in every corner and half used packs of sanding pads across the garage.

A lot of this is on me and needing to clean things up but without having a solid place to keep every thing and two young tax deductions running around my time for projects gets limited and usually the clean up is what suffers the most.

 

[ike]

...

 

[nelstomlinson]

I have four four-drawer file cabinets on a welded frame on casters. The cordless tools live in those drawers, along with their consumables. The chargers and battery storage are on a shelf, drill bits are kept in Huot bit chests beside the drill press, which sits on a short cabinet stuffed with large bits, chucks and so on.

 

[acer66]

What really helps me keeping my sanity at a manageable level is that most of my stuff has a place where it lives.
Even if I have to untangle I do not know how many different chargers I know at least roughly where they are.

Of course a few days ago I was looking for a tool all over the place and in the end I looked where it was supposed to be and there it was.

 

[sanddan]

I store them based on use. Cordless impacts go with air impacts, CL drills with drill, you get the idea. Chargers all go in one spot where it's out of the way and has a 4 gang outlet. I'm not a collector, just a shop junky. My tools seem to be organized by the intended use. Tools used when welding/fabricating are mostly near the weld table. Short walk to the tools when needed. Mechanic tools are near the 2 post lift where they get used the most. On big projects they are strewn everywhere and not put away until the project's done. Sometimes that makes it hard to find the one I need but I just have multiples on many of them so I'm bound to find one that will work. LOL One wrench or socket in a given size is just never enough.

 

[tyyost]

I started doing boxes for most of my cordless stuff. Tried bags, drawers too. Over the years I have trade specific boxes, plumbing, electrical, drywall, carpentry, etc. most of my cordless tools live in Ridgid boxes - circ saw with blades,guides, and squares in a medium box, drill and impact driver and traveling bit sets in a medium box, sawzall, grinder, and hammer drill in their own smaller boxes.

Auto stuff lives in garage, impacts in a French clear wall holder, m12 ratchet and die grinders in my cart. Inflator lives where I last set it down.

I keep a m12 drill out on my bench for odd jobs.

 

[LeeG]

I keep my chargers under a cabinet and out of the way. The batteries go on 3D printed holders I purchased from Ebay.

View media item 104572
I keep my very commonly used tools (M12 drill, impact driver, stubby impact) on this hanger near my work areas.

View media item 106927
My slightly less often used tools are on my pegboard.

View media item 106928
The remainder are mostly in systainers in a cabinet. I have over 50 M12 and M18 tools. I tend to keep my tools organized by how often I use them. The "once in a while" tools are usually in the shed.

 

[MushCreek]

This reminds me that I was going to build a battery caddy for my M18 batteries. My shop isn't heated, and the batteries don't like the cold, so I bring them into the basement for the winter. I was going to machine something that the battery mounts would slide into, and maybe a spot for the charger. I have two chargers, though, so one could just stay out in the shop, and one in the basement. It would be cool if I could design the caddy to hang on the wall so it can continue as storage when it gets to its destination.

I haven't even attempted to come up with organized power tool storage yet. I have a set of shelves that they flounder around on in no formal order (not including the half dozen or so scattered around the shop on any given day).

 

[dlwilson]

I built this a few months ago, and it has worked out great. Since then I've added a couple more tools, so the pieces of PVC on the top shelf are for when I get a chance to add more holders.

 

[pbon]

I have a 3x2x7 locker with shelves and out all my M12 and M18 tools in it. I’d need a lot of wall space to hang them all on the wall and some are bulky like lights, fan, vacuums, table saw, miter saw. I probably have 30 tools in there arranged on the shelves, along with batteries and chargers.

 

[richfinn]

I hang my impacts and drills on the stainless steel pocket clips that came with them on a section of sheet metal in my van

Loctite the screws, or they shake loose

 

[seber]

I like that Perch system, but $114 plus $7 per tool! Damn! I don't think it would be hard to make my own. A little sheet metal and some woodworking.

 

[acer66]

I built this a few months ago, and it has worked out great. Since then I've added a couple more tools, so the pieces of PVC on the top shelf are for when I get a chance to add more holders.

I like the pvc pipe solution but my concern was always that the pipes will dig into the tools over time.
What is your experience?

Thank you.

 

[dlwilson]

I like the pvc pipe solution but my concern was always that the pipes will dig into the tools over time.
What is your experience?

Thank you.

I think one of the decals has been mangled by the pipes, but I haven't noticed any other wear. I cut the slots in the pipes a little narrow, and widening them would make it easier to get the tools in the pipes, as well as not causing wear. But I use these tools for engine and suspension work, and for fabrication work. They get used hard, and I'm not too concerned about cosmetic wear.

 

[mc4life27]

I like that Perch system, but $114 plus $7 per tool! Damn! I don't think it would be hard to make my own. A little sheet metal and some woodworking.

I think the 114 is for the mount and a set of the plastic inserts for whatever brand. So you could store a total of 9 tools for the 114 that’s why they ask you what brand when you go to place an order. Now still the 114 is still pricey but for something and looks like it’s hand welded and made from stainless I can see why they are asking that much but their system got me thing of something I could fab my self


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[barrysuperhawk]

I have pretty much transitioned 100% over to cordless tools in my garage. Every time I have to screw with an extension cord an angel gets her wings ripped off. My charging station is in a breezeway (house climate) and I typically bring batteries out when I need them, and back in to charge when they are dead or I am done for a while. I have all of my workbenches in the garage on casters so I can move them if needed, and I am warming to the idea of PVC pipes to hold drills and basically round tools. Im still not sure what the best way to hold odd sized stuff will be - things like the cordless bandsaw or even the circular saw.

 

[cretedog]

Been tired of cordless tools and chargers taking up my bench and chest top space for quite some time now. Finally got to making a wall hung unit to hold all but the really oversized / odd shaped ones. Worked out nicely. 36"w x 40"h x 5.5"d.

 

[cretedog]

Finished

 

[cannuck]

I had a few Makita cordless tools going back to 9V days, but stayed for the most part with corded for the longest time. I bought mostly blue stuff for my wife, but when it came time to get modern cordless stuff for my shop, I looked at what my "day job" customer with literally hundreds of people in the field were doing. They had some really high end stuff, but to get the selection and value they had drifted towards the red stuff, so red I went with. What I find is I use it so much that I put in a 2' x 6' open shelf under the workbench so I can get at them instantly. Not pretty, but effective. I can't really go with a racking type of arrangement as at the rate Milwaukee keeps on introducing new tools, the collection just keeps on growing. I also seem to have got by for several years on 2 x 18V and 2 x 12V batteries.