In article ,
"bob" wrote:

[snipperized for brevity]

Question: How do you store these tools and their cases? Am I messing up by
tossing the cases?

After I read your post, I realized that I had never given it any thought.
Most (75%) of my power tools are in their cases. The ones I use all the
time, like my routers... on the shelf... no cases.
My cordless Milwaukee 14.4 volt drill. In the case. Always. The charger
and a few bits and bits belong together. It also helps during clean-up
on a site, to see if I retrieved all my bits and bits. I also just
realized, that it is my only cordless pro-grade tool.
Other tools... like my Milwaukee jigsaw, pretty much has to live in a
case. That pointy thing with teeth would have to be removed
otherwise..and where would you keep IT?
My Porter Cable belt sander CANNOT live in its case, because the outside
of the case is so rounded that it won't stand up... OR lie down with the
sander in it. It's like one of those jumping bean toys.... and the
inside of the case, is so moulded to the shape of the sander, that if
you wind the cord wrong, the case won't close. Just awful.
To me... a case makes sense. If you reach for your laminate
trimmer...you might as well have all the trimmer bits and guides and
bases right there.
I actually made a few cases.. like for my Paslode 16ga finishing nailer.
I only ever purposely paid extra for a case once. The one that went
walkies when somebody lifted my Lamello biscuit joiner.
The replacement is in a plastic case. The TOP still comes in a wonderful
case, the C2 classic doesn't.

I sooooo want the Fein Multimaster with that gorgeous case with all them
outer-space-looking weird Roswellian shaped attachments.

I really enjoy looking at some of the cases that antique pistols came
in.