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aemeijers

wrote:
I am doing some garage cleaning and I just tossed out all those huge
bloated tool cases that power tools come in. For example, I have an
18v battery reciprocating saw. The saw itself only requires a few
inches of space on my shelf, but the huge ugly case takes up half the
shelf. I can fit all my power tools in one cabinet, but all those
cases take up a whole shelf on the wall. Am I the only person that
hates those cases and tosses them in the garbage, or does everyone
find them annoying? I'm just curious.

It seems these companies make those molded plastic boxes as large as
they can, yet the tool itself has to fit into a tiny place inside the
case and that usually means the battery and blade has to be removed to
allow it to fit. Then the rest of the case is just wasted space, and
they dont even allow a space to put blades and such because they fly
all over the case and fall out when opening it. My garage is too
small as it is, and I surely dont have the space to waste on those
things.

I'm just curious what others do with them?

Gary
Those cases make some sense if you are a working carpenter and have to
provide your own tools on the jobsite. Yeah, most probably are bigger
than they need to be, to give a Big Tuff look in the store. But they do
offer a whole lot more protection than a stamped-steel box or old milk
crate in the back of the truck. All that extra space lets the inside
pocket be isolated from the vibrations and crushing the outside receives.

I'd pay a few bucks extra for a logically designed case that could hold
an assembled tool, with compartments for all the usual accessories that
travel with it. Cases where you have to tear the tool down completely
each time are a pain.

Sears has been the biggest offender, and not just on power tools. For a
few years, their mechanics tool sets came in cases like that, with no
extra places for oddball sockets or extra tools to go. They seem to have
switched back to traditional boxes lately. Dewalt and Makita, along with
Milwaukee, seem to provide the best carry cases, with real latches and
such, but are still often short on blade pockets.

Since I'm not currently using tools for a living, mine seldom leave the
house, but I do keep them in the boxes, for the few that have boxes.
(After 20 years in an apartment, I am slowly rebuilding my tool library,
depending heavily on garage sales until a good sale comes along, or I
Really Need a particular tool around the house.) If and when I ever get
around to setting up a bench, they will probably have dedicated slots on
shelf, with the empty cases going in dead storage, which this place has
plenty of.

aem sends...