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Tool bags......

ryoken

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I was gonna put this in my build/novel/blog thread, but I figure it'll get more views here as everyone doesn't read that..... please try to bare with me on this one.... now that I don't have a tool truck of any sorts anymore, I've run into an issue....

as a marine mechanic, I live by tool bags... it's by far the best method as I have so much stuff that I set them up in groups... I have a screwdriver bag, a plier/cutter type bag, 3/8 drive socket bag, electronics bag, etc, etc...

it just works far better than a plastic tote type tool box... I'm also VERY particular about the bags.... I'm sure many of the tool truck junkies here have seen these offerings from mac and snappie...

TBLGORG.jpg




they don't work for me... they don't take the slamming around, stuff down in a bilge action that my stuff goes thru... the tools fall out of the pouchs, etc...

I'm also not interested in the many deep bags available from Craftsman, etc... that look something like this.....



DrBag-01.jpg





what i use and need are these smaller, shallower bags that you may have seen on the tool trucks from time to time...


331f90ac.jpg



pretty sure they don't make the snappie one anymore...... and i haven't found the mac one... they used to come as a plier kit from mac, and my mac guy would empty em, and sell me the bags for $10.. i would buy as many as he had at that price..



dfe364e3.jpg





as you can see even my better ones are getting tattered.. I usually can get 2 to 4 yrs out of em, then they start to develop holes....

I have found this offering from Milwaukee, and the dimensions seem correct... not overly deep, etc... they are listed as 9" wide, 10 deep...


Milwaukee-48-55-3490-rw-63541-24240.jpg





but they do run about $30 shipped... I will buy one to see if they'll work.. if good, I can buy more....



but I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on where to look for something like these? I've been looking at eghey pretty religiously, but all they seem to have are the much deeper Dewalt, Makita, etc type bags that I'm not interested in.... google hasn't brought up much either...

I wish I knew what company was making them for Mac and Snappie at the time... if anybody has any ideas on somewhere to look, I'd be very, very grateful... :bow:
 
I use the cheep black or OD green gunners bags. They come in two lengths, maybe more but I've only seen two. Generally, they have two inside pockets w/ velcro closures and one outside snap pocket. They last a couple years and I throw them away. I get them from the flea market or HF.

I don't buy good ones because they get coated in nasty chemicals. Sometimes they get nasty before they get holes. If they get too bad, into the trash they go. My crimper bag lasts for years, but my everyday bag I'm lucky to get close to a year.
 
mine get a bit of oil, bilge slime going every now and then... but it's mostly tool wear that gets em..

hmmmmm, maybe I'll stop in and pick a couple of these up and give em a try....

image_356.jpg




can't beat the price.... and they're pretty shallow looking which is critical... the deep ones just bury the tools too easily...

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-inch-tool-bag-35539.html
 
I got that same Milwaukee one with the 10 amp grinder I bought a year or so ago. The bottom is holding up quite a bit better than the cotton bags like you've pictured. The cotton ones last pretty good but they always end up abrading holes in the bottom for us. I got a Rigid one with a drill I bought a while ago too that looks pretty good. It's still sitting on my shelf though so who knows.

We get a lot of DeWalt bags given to us from material suppliers. They hold up pretty well too. Definitely pretty cut resistant. They come in a bunch of different shapes and sizes, but even the bigger ones we get are pretty shallow. I'd rather have smaller ones that are more organized and easier to carry than try to carry a bottomless pit up a ladder with me.
 
yup, that's exactly it..


I'm known to run anywhere from 6 to 10 bags.... I do have a couple of the deep ones that where freebies or something... I basically use them for "I need to keep this for my mobile work. but only use it for those odd, larger, not often used tools...."



I do have a large, long low Makita one, that I'm guessing is for a sawzall.. it's strictly my 1/2" drive bag... metric and SAE dep and shallow, ratchets, extensions, etc.. for a big bag, it's perfect for that...


but I'm really looking for smaller stuff.. here's a perfect example of invaluable to me..... my bit bag... I have an indexed nice set at home in my box.. but I keep this in the car for going in bilges, etc....


it's small, pen for sizing....






74df3d2e.jpg





holds f*cktons of bits all in one place....




d43a6353.jpg







I'm definitely gonna pick up that Milwaukee and see if I like it.. hopefully it's not too big, and I'll get more.. my Mac Guy was a great source, I'm lost without him now...
 
Home depot has some nice Huskey bags that were on sale a month or two ago. Not sure if they still are on sale. They seem as nice and the same quality as the mac bags that came with the pliers. 10 bucks for 2 bags when i bought mine.
 
I used to have that Snappy one, too. That was a good one.

I like the black ones because they are shallow, too. I also add a piece of white closed cell foam so I can see what's in there.
 
my bone yard tool bag is made by klein tools, canvas bag with leather bottom. its about 20 years old now, no holes still in great shape.
 
mine get a bit of oil, bilge slime going every now and then... but it's mostly tool wear that gets em..

hmmmmm, maybe I'll stop in and pick a couple of these up and give em a try....

image_356.jpg




can't beat the price.... and they're pretty shallow looking which is critical... the deep ones just bury the tools too easily...

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-inch-tool-bag-35539.html


Funny, think we had that exact bag for a tool bag in my parents truck. But it got NO use, so ....no comment:D
 
I'm useing a couple medium small pelican cases. indestructible, waterproof. ok they're not nearly as cheap as them bags. but they last just about forever. you can get them any and I mean any size and some colors. not bomb proof, but military grade for sure.

I think mine is a 1450 with no foam its 6" deep. when I get some more they will be thinner yet. but the square size is pretty nice.


http://www.pelican.com/canada/
 
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I had a couple of those MAC bags, but I think I threw them away. I'll look. If I still have any, you can have them for the cost of shipping.

Martin
 
Ryoken, I'm a traveling Generation Tech, I travel all over Western and Northern Alaska to remote Villages accessible only by Air or Boat, I use bucket boss brand toolbags and they hold up great 5years of HARD service and there still in really nice shape
 
my bone yard tool bag is made by klein tools, canvas bag with leather bottom. its about 20 years old now, no holes still in great shape.

x2...this is from the early 80's, it has a few holes, but I use it everyday...

toolbag.jpg
 
Ryoken, I'm a traveling Generation Tech, I travel all over Western and Northern Alaska to remote Villages accessible only by Air or Boat, I use bucket boss brand toolbags and they hold up great 5years of HARD service and there still in really nice shape

who you working for?
 
go buy a Hilti Sawzall, they come with a GREAT bag, just like the Milwaukee. Not sure if they are the same, but sure do look the same. Best part, you just go a new :hack:
 
I have the big Craftsman "Gate Mouth" that I got on an after Christmas super sale price. I know you said that's too big, but I've found a way to make it work rather well. I keep "always need" hands-on tools in the main bag pockets. Then I have some of the HF small bags for segregating tools. All standard wrenches and sockets (on rails) in one. All metric wrenches and sockets in another. All driver tools and accessories (adapters, extensions, etc) in yet another. Screw/nut drivers and similar (like hex wrenches) in another. And finally one for all adjustables (pliers, crecent, grips, etc). Random stuff that doesn't fit cleanly in the category goes into whatever bag is most similar (so I can easily find), and big stuff like the mini-sledge and pry bar are loose in the bottom. There is also an empty "task bag" I use when I need to be mobile without lugging everything. I grab everything I might need (I hope) and toss it in so I just carry the one bag to the site (with at least one obligatory trip back for some tool I overlooked). I've also been meaning to color code for easy id, but haven't yet got that done.

This is the standard bag that goes into whatever rig I'm driving. Just grab-n-go...
 
I sure like the Veto bags. Back when I bent a lot more nails than writing estimates it was my mainstay bag. They are spendy, but worth it. I tried the bucket buddies and always ended up with a pile of crap in the bottom of a bucket over time. Little bags with all my stuff for finish carpentry always ended up in the wrong bags by the end of the week. It wasn't till I went with the Veto style bags that life got a little more organizer on the job site.

I have the XL now. Use one side for pliers, cutters and the other for screw drivers and scrapers. You can really load these bags up and with the zip up sides you don't need to worry about them tipping over and dumping all of your crap throughout your vehicle.


This is the bag that I have: Veto pro pac XL
XL_med.jpg


But always wanted this one too, the XXXL-F

XXL-F_med.jpg


They may work for you, may not. But, they are an awesome tool bag.

Here is the full website:

http://www.vetopropac.com/products
 

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