tool box or tool bag ???

[ironfist]

Hey


I'm a new service tech , and i'm on the move a lot , and the hand toolbox i have is too small and i'm looking for a new one I found two that I like but I'm being pulled from right to left on it . the two i'm looking at are these two. what's your opinion ?

 

[KCarGuy]

I have been a Tech Rep for 20 years now, I have my Tool bag that I carry into accounts if I know that it going to be a "General" service call.

Then I also carry a large Military style hard case filled with many, many more tools for much more in depth service calls...I bring that one in on a collapable 2 wheel cart. Only so that i do not wind up with shoulder problems down the road.

both have served me well.

 

[DiStOrTiOn]

Well, do you need to carry a drill/impact when you do service calls? If not, I would go with the box, I got sick of digging through the **** that gets stuck in the bottom of softside tool bags. If you do, and it doesn't have a separate case, the bag might be better for you since you can put the drill in the middle of it. Just my .02 from when I was doing site work.

 

[35mastr]

I prefer the soft side bags personally.Its just more organized for me.

The boxes are just to bulky and not being able to sling them from your shoulder will start to wear on your hands and back.

 

[jniolon]

I've tried most and like a soft side bag better. I do mostly millwright work and it's all wrenches, sockets,ratchets, hammers...etc

I've got an 18" CLC bag with a bottom compartment for a divided box... don't use the box but use the lower area for squares, hammer, flashlight, shims...stuff I don't use much

it has a shoulder strap so it's easy to sling over your shoulder and move... although I usually pack more than I can carry... I'm looking for something longer to fit my socket rails and hammer better. I usually let the strap out till the bag is at arms length and hold the handles and use shoulder both... longest trip was 1/4 mile and it was getting heavy !!!

later
John

 

[john w]

How about a tote? I just ordered a CLC 1579 20inch model for school. I have 2 of the Craftsman totes and they are very handy. I take about 90 pounds of tools to the shop every week and have gotten rid of my small boxes in favor of the totes.

 

[jniolon]

that's a good size... but I don't like the open top. I try to keep the stuff I can afford to lose outside pockets... all the good stuff is out of site... I keep my stuff close to the job but you can't watch it every minute....open top is an invitation and some folks hear snap-on tools screaming "take me...take me"

john

 

[Monte]

how about this ?

 

[jniolon]

Monte,

Louie is ok but a little ostentatious for your normal mill... but when we go to the nicer auto plants I'm really partial to my Vera Bradley with my precision stuff protected so well

john

 

[Danglerb]

CLC stuff I've seen so far looks really nice. I'm thinking some kind of wide mouth bag with one or two tool rolls.

 

[1961MGA]

I am also a tech and I only bring emergency tools and the tools I use all the time to diagnose the problem. Like CarGuy said, I have a second box with my indepth tools in there. You will find that carrying all your tools around in the box will be heavy and you will see tools you RARELY use in there.

I have a husky canvas electricians bag. I was luck and got it at a discount when they were clearing them out. I think I paid 15$ CDN at the time.

Almost forgot, that bag you have selected is a piece of ****! I had one for less than 3 months and it started to rip on me. If you can find one, try to get a canvas or a thicker material bag.

 

[jerryW]

What are you a service tech on?

I do appliances and prefer the soft bag so as to not scratch up a customers house.


jerry

 

[plinker]

I had a similar problem.
At first I used two C-man 12" tool bags which worked ok. I had borrowed my Dads Snap-on UT-22 box cantilever tool box and that worked great.

I found that Toptul (TBAC501) has one and bought that one it's on par with the Snap-on box and so far has held up good ( I got it first week of Jan.).

You open the box and everything is right there, no digging.


Th only thing I dont keep in the Toptul box is wrenches I use wrench pouches and keep them in a smaller Waterloo box.

 

[Merkava_4]

I'm gonna put this link up because they make tool bags and advertise in AMT (Aircraft Maintenance Technician) magazine all the time:

http://www.toolpak.com/

 

[Monte]

http://www.planomolding.com/hardware/products.asp

 

[-B-]

Go pro http://www.chicagocase.com/product.php?catid=61&id=80

 

[lbgradwell]

how about this ?

Don't let Elroy see that (although he's more of a Coach man)...

For electrical stuff, I use a bag much like the CLC/Kuny's bag you have pictured, ironfist.

For my more general "Go Bag", I use a crappy DeWalt "contractor" bag that my cordless tools came in. I like the idea, but this just isn't a good execution...

I would LOVE something from Veto Pro Pac, but I'm just too cheap to ante up the cash, so I will likely go with something very similar to john w's CLC 1579 20-inch choice. I don't mind if it's an open-top; in fact, the wider, the better with lots of exterior pockets and a sturdy handle & strap.

 

[Elroy]

Actually Elroy has one similar that he uses for electrical tape.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Actually Elroy has one similar that he uses for electrical tape.

Something told me you might be hanging out in this thread Elroy!

 

[Frank Elson]

I've carried a box around for more than 30 years, in fact I never saw a bag until I went to the States the first time, and my last box was the cantilever as in your pic.
I came home and bought a bag. I also bought a handful of tool rolls. So now I have the bag, filled with rolls. I can find anything in a hurry, there's less noise inside my vehicle and I can take the bag into anyone's house without damaging anything.