I spotted a new Dewalt drilling and driving power tool accessory set, DT71569-QZ, and its case struck me as quite interesting.
It has a clear lid – always a nice touch – and is advertised as being a reusable storage case for use with a T-Stak drawer unit. I’m not sure, but I believe they’re talking about the DWST17804 case, currently $25.49 at Acme Tool.
Advertisement
That actually seems like a neat idea. Does the accessory case take the place of one of these drawers, or does it fit inside it? Just to clarify – it doesn’t look like this is a T-Stak unit, it looks like it is only compatible with a T-Stak drawer unit. But you could use it by itself as well.
You get a selection of drilling and driving accessories – hole saws, screwdriver bits, nut drivers, drill bits, and masonry-drilling hammer drill bits.
Now, while this looks like a neat idea, I am so confused. Why are the drill and hammer drill bits given metric sizing? And if you look closely, the hole saws have dual-unit measurements on their plastic cover.
I’m thinking that either this is an international listing that accidentally made it to Amazon.com, or it’s coming to the USA but the decision was made to reuse the metric set’s product image.
I’d love to see something like this bundled with a T-Stak unit as part of a holiday season promo, except maybe with a different drilling and driving accessory assortment.
Advertisement
Price: $23
Buy Now(via Amazon)
It’s temporarily out of stock, but still available for ordering.
Hilton
Certainly looks like a great buy as a starter set or to keep in a truck or under the bed.
I may just just get one for the office as we sometimes put up network wall cabinets and I hate lending out my tools to the runners.
jec6613
It’s definitely a UK kit, the model number is the UK one, and they don’t re-use the numbers globally. It’s also why the hole saws are dual labeled, while the drill bits are metric only – the UK still has some imperial system usage. Why it’s showing up on USA Amazon USA, I have no idea, but I like the set as a starter, or to sit with an older disused 18V drill tool kit.
Roger
Obviously it just drops into the 2 drawer or the deep drawer units. It’s nice for a starter or a Father’s day/holiday special/gift/etc but not great storage wise. I can fit about 10 tough cases into a deep drawer unit and it has more capacity plus space in the center for 5 bit packs, 2 of those round bit pucks, and a bit more. It would be great if they issued stuff that promoted tough cases in tstak. Like the hole saw set with only just the insert for a tough case so I could put it into a tough case. Even something that could address the long bits that are beyond the height of a tough case.
Drawer replacements are a good idea also. But get rid of all that negative space. Make it more useful like hold other bits vertically. They could have made a frame railing system where you could pull out the holder rails from the tough cases and insert it into the frame in the drawer.
ktash
Yes. I’m always interested in ways to fit more in a small space and keep it organized. I agree, this looks like too much wasted space.
Curtis
Agree entirely. I keep my daily use tools in my truck and space is at a premium. Also, I prefer drill bits with 1/4” hex shanks. That way I can also use them in my impact driver.
The yeti
Slick
Dennis
I did a little searching, and it seems the whole unit fits inside the drawer. I found this picture:
https://www.buyaparcel.com/wp-content/uploads/DWST1-70706_DT71569-1007×1024.jpg
Alex
I like that Dewalt is working on smaller storage cases that work with their tstak line. In my opinion, it’s one the greatest weakness of the stackable boxes system. Once you got the box, you are on your own to organize your stuff inside of it. Kaizen foam is great but for big items not lot of accessories.
Btw, have you seen the new tstak radio and tough box cooler? Can’t wait to try them out 🙂
Adabhael
Agreed. I love stacking Tough Cases, Lboxxes, but I hate (and always procrastinate) on organizing them. I wish MFRs would sell more modular accessories, and release 3D cad files for those designing and fanning their own.
mike douglas
yes, … aEurop “thing”
there are actually 5 different variants
example: there is also one with router bits !
cheers
Steve-o in NY
do you have any links for these other variants?
Sean
That changes things! Now I am intrigued
Matt
Are t staks popular enough to facilitate the urge to push this on the storage market?
Hey DeWalt…. Make a tardier one. Target it toward the tough system buyer. Make detents for sockets and wrenches. Sold
Michael
The tabs make me believe it could be compatible with some of their already released bits and driver kits. If so, sign me up for some empty ones.
Kevin
I love that new dewalt products seem to be stemming from some of there outreach to consumers in labor industries. On that note, I would love to see more roll up sets. All mine are old now, and hard to find anymore. Working as a mechanic I cherish my roll ups. I can unroll on top of an engine, have access to a set of wrenches, and cover a surface( top of engine) at the same time.
Drew
Anyone know what hole saws are those? They seem really shallow like 1” and the arbor too.
JoeM
I would be happier if it came empty, and they sold the insert bit/driver/saw holders separately for a dollar or two each. So you could get all the drop-in-drawer cases you need for what you already have, and only buy the inserts you need for the TSTAK cases you own.
I mean… If we’re already invested… Why do we need innovation in STARTER KITS of all things? Shouldn’t the SYSTEMS be expanded and adaptable instead? I mean… Seriously… Why do I need MORE of what I already have and use, simply to get the case I’ve always wanted for it, filled with stuff I CAN’T use?
It floors me that DeWALT doesn’t think of this. Always trying to throw stuff in to validate the cost, but never offering the system it’s made of so we can put OUR stuff inside instead. The little bit boxes that hold the hex bits are great, but you can’t buy empty rails for inside, even direct from DeWALT. You have to buy new sets, and then pull rails out as you see fit to organize them.
I’m a DeWALT person, and I’ve wanted to invest fully in the TSTAK system… but I don’t need all that stuff in that container, I just need that container… like… ten of them. So I can take all my rails from my little tough box bit cases, and put them inside, organized in drawers. I HAVE Hole Saws, and Drill Bits, and all that stuff. That container would just give me a better way to keep them WITH their needed tools in TSTAK boxes.
Seriously… The DeWALT marketing department is on drugs.
Stuart
Very few people buy the small bit and blade organizers that Dewalt sells. I see the same ToughCase accessory boxes on store shelves every time I go, collecting more and more dust.
You don’t think that Dewalt has access to historical sales data? They probably see that filling these cases with accessories sells a lot more of them than empty cases.
This is a basic set, almost definitely aimed at DIYers instead of pros. So that means the delivered “value” needs to be higher.
Altan
I have seen 4 different type of this in UK/EU market, one is this one you are discussing about, one with SDS+ bits, one with extreme bits and one with router bits, I have bought 6 of them just to use the plastic racks to organise my E6.3 hex shank tool accessories, I use them with DeWALT yellow/black accessory cases (ToughCase), they are the best to organise tool accessories, I have around 50 of them, different sizes of them, I would purchase empty ToughCase accessory boxes if they were available in the UK, but they are available just in the US, here in UK some people sell them as empty cases on eBay and they are always sold out quickly, every week I check eBay to see if there are some available.
Corey
I’ve always seen these as a resupply option, but priced higher to include whatever nifty new case/storage option they think can tip you toward buying this rather than the pocket full of individual items you actually need. Definitely works lol
Will - Tile Guy
I got these for my Dremel accessories
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19OTaQPJasZE-2KFiu1TZAJwaSGaz8JZi/view?usp=sharing
Rami
I don’t like that these kind of sets always include masonry bits as I have absolutely no use for them. I work as a tool salesman, and about 90% of my customers also don’t like paying for masonry bits when they don’t need them. Has anybody found any alternative use for masonry bits, so I would not have to just throw them away every time?
Hilton
Suppose it depends on what your house is built out of. Mine is all brick and mortar with concrete slabs so masonry bits are essential for any DIY homeowner in South Africa. Even our boundary walls are either brick or concrete pre-cast, no whimsical wooden fences around here.
fred
IMO these sets are meant to appeal to a DIY audience – maybe owners of a cordless hammer drill and impact driver. The low cost and breadth of assortment is meant to be appealing. But I’m not a fan of sets like these in general. While the tools will probably get the job done, I find the components often to be of marginal quality. I prefer to buy industrial supplier twist drills and individual holes saws (ins sizes I need), SDS masonry drills (preferring a small rotohammer over a hammer drill) and driver bits from folks like Wera.
Altan
There is a bit a better version of this set here is the link
https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dewalt-Dt70620T-5035048541074-Extreme-Drill-And-Sds-Set-100-Piece
glenn
Rami, I sort of agree as I own and use a rotary hammer for work, but I think these kits are aimed more at the diy-er and handyman as Fred stated .
As for uses for standard masonry bits? Yep, if you are afore said diy-er and have a hammer drill and only drill the occasional hole in masonry, these will get the job done, albeit slowly.
Also they will drill a hole through roof tiles and also ceramic tiles…..with caveats….low speed, low pressure and ABSOLUTELY no use of the hammer function on the drill.
fred
As Glenn says:
“Also they will drill a hole through roof tiles and also ceramic tiles…..with caveats….low speed, low pressure and ABSOLUTELY no use of the hammer function on the drill”
I would add that in cutting tile these bits tend to skate around getting started – so a fine touch is needed. Once the hole is started – applying some water as a lubricant (a ring of plumber’s putty to create a well) and flushing agent – may also help. If you need to cut more than one hole – maybe you will prefer a diamond core drill like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-3-16-in-Diamond-Plus-Mini-Hole-Saw-49-56-0503/204994399
glenn
Definitely Fred, dedicated tile bits are far better but masonry bits can do it in a pinch but you do have to be very careful.
I have found the spear point type bits easy to use in tiles being easy to start as well. I have to tried them in glass though.
https://www.audel.com.au/sutton-glass-tile-bits-3-0mm-12mm/
Fred I have not used the type you linked to for small holes. Do the centre as well as the spear point when starting?
fred
The harder the surface the more the bit wants to wander. Porcelain tiles and glass are tough in this respect. Spear point glass drills wander less than masonry drills and Bosch carbide point drills that we’ve tried. Grit edge hole saws may skid around a bit less because there is more contact surface area along the rim to provide friction. They still need a light touch getting started. Sometimes a piece of masking tape (with a center point marked) applied to the porcelain tile at the spot of the hole – will help as a starting point. You can also make a drilling jig out of scrap wood with a hole in it and some double-stick tape on the back. We would sometimes use a shop-made drilling jig for drilling (usually an angle grinder and core drill) out stone countertops to insure proper spacing.
Altan
E6.3 hex shank Milwaukee diamond drill bits are the best in their category, because you can drill deeper holes compare to other brands like Alpen . Specially for the sizes like 5 or 6mm diameter which are smaller than the hex shank itself.
glenn
Cheers Fred, I don’t often have to drill tiles so your advice is much appreciated.
Ben
In the UK houses are made of brick….
Altan
loooooooooool I would make my sentence like this: In the UK houses were made of bricks… we use a lot of plaster board also in the UK, most of the internal walls are made of plasterboards and we use them for ceilings as well. There are some houses that the ceilings are made of concrete and internal walls are made of bricks or blocks, but very rare.
Joe
I’m a Dewalt guy 20v,60v,120v, and Milwaukee M12…I own all the ToughSystem boxes,which I don’t use anymore. I own all the Tstak boxes which I use everyday. They are stacked inside my truck . I love Tstak ya the drawer drags with my 6 Flexvolt 9ah inside but they’re great. I don’t see the use for these inserts. The drawers are already divided inside. So now you pay for a drawer unit then another $23 twice for these ? Totaling $90 plus, that’s nuts. The stack is great as it is or just improve the line a little more….the standard box with foam inside holds my 20v sds plus rotary……
Steve-o in NY
This has me thinking: do the mechanic tool sets that come in the stackable cases that have removable trays fit in this same t-stak drawer unit? anyone have a set they can try out?
Stuart
I think they will be a little too tall. I’m familiar with them, and am sorry that I cannot check for this right away,
Phil
A hat, a brooch, a pterodactyl…
Hilton
Sounds like a great title for a book Phil.
glenn
Or another sequel to The lion the witch and the wardrobe?