As you might have seen, Home Depot will have this Dewalt ToughSystem 2.0 modular tool box combo stack on sale for Black Friday 2020, for $149.
You can’t actually buy this combo kit right now. Buying all 3 components separately is supposed to be discounted to $149 in your shopping cart. But, the small tool box isn’t available for purchase, and neither is the 3pc combo kit.
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But… something strange happens if you add (2) of the medium tool boxes to your cart along with the rolling tool box – the combo discounts to $160.40 in your shopping cart.
The medium-sized Dewalt ToughSystem 2.0 tool box is priced at $65. The rolling tool box is $89. When you add those to your cart, the total is $154. If you were to add the small tool box to your cart, which you can’t, it should be $199 and then discounted to $149.
But if you add a second medium-sized tool box to your cart, it’s supposed to be $219, BUT Home Depot’s system is knocking nearly $59 off the price, resulting in an order total of $160.40 with free shipping.
This seems unexpected, or maybe it’s an unadvertised deal?
If you wanted two of the medium tool boxes instead of one medium and one small, this might be the deal for you.
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Buy Now: Medium Tool Box
Buy Now: Rolling Tool Box
See Also: Small Tool Box
See Also: 3pc Combo Set
Compare: 3pc Set via Acme Tools
If this isn’t an intentional deal, there’s no indication as to how long it’ll last for. If you’ve been waiting for a good deal on Dewalt ToughSystem tool boxes, this might be the one for you.
Update 11/4/2020 1pm ET: It looks like Home Depot has now added a limit of 1 tool box of each style. Check back (or refer to the links above) to see if this changes. – Thank you to C for the heads-up!
Brad
Do these work with the v1 boxes?
Corey Moore
Can confirm. Needed to shave some of the 45 degree plastic on the bottom of the 4 port charger to make it fit, but all other boxes I haven’t had any issue mixing and matching v1 and v2.
Stuart
Yes, should be backwards compatible.
Brad
Cool thanks, just picked a set up.
MFC
So I was in Home Depot testing out how the boxes all latched together, because the first iteration of DeWalt boxes all seemed pretty cheap. These also seem like they lacked the QA tolerances needed to be a good box. When I would click them together only one side would catch and I actually hurt myself trying to open up the lid latches. They take a ridiculous amount of force to open and close. Packout still seem like the clear winner in selection and quality, whereas the Ridgid boxes are the clear winner in durability and cost. If ridgid would keep innovating new boxes/bags I think they would be a bigger seller. I guess TTI doesn’t want the competition amongst themselves too much?
Are the boxes I tested just lemons? Or have you experienced the same?
Corey Moore
Only issues I’ve had is trying to drop on my really old v1 boxes, with messed up feet grab spots.
Aaron
The toughsystem cases shine when you use the system carrier cart, van racking, or workshop racking systems. The latching lid feature is basically secondary. The problem with stacking toolboxes is that to get to the middle or bottom ones you have to take the rest off. That’s what the carrier gets right. Even packout isn’t competing with that. Hopefully the packout drawer units get it right and there is a second system that works without spreading boxes out over an entire kitchen.
John Blair
The tolerance that put me over the edge was the drawer box which sags in an makes it so you can’t open the drawers. That and losing fingers trying to unlatch the side latches. V2 looks like an improvement but “Burn me once, Shame on you, Burn me twice, Shame on me.”
JR3 Home Performance
I played with them in store too and noticed that as well
Neil H
Stu, youre blog is costing me a fortune! So hard NOT to buy. Don’t do it don’t do it. My wallet is crying!
Stuart
And it’s only the first week of November!!
If it makes you feel better, my wallet is crying too these days as I prep and order samples for later season and early 2021 hand tools reviews.
John Blair
I have the ToughSystem’s V1 that I did Kaizen foam for some of my tools. I am doing everything new in Packout. The ToughSystem boxes have been really disappointing. The only two things I like are the rolling cart and the PowerStation. I’ve thought about 3d printing an adapter plate to connect the power station to my Packout stack. Once I’ve done that, the rest will go on Craigslist.
Doug N
Great deal, thanks Stuart.
Stuart
You’re welcome!
Tomonthebeach
90% of my tools are in the Craftsman version of these stacked boxes. I used this method because living on the beach, exposed tools rust quickly. They nicely fit under my workshop tables. But…..
After over a year of using these boxes, I find then to be a real pain in the petutti. A far better scheme would be to have pull drawers with the bottom box having a drop-open front door. Every time I need a tool, I have to unclip the box(es) on top to get at them, then put them back when done. With drawers, I could remove the took and return it without that hassle.
Stuart
Craftsman has Tstak, this is ToughSystem.
All modular systems have stacking boxes that need to be removed for lower box access. ToughSystem 2.0 makes it easier than The first generation boxes.
I’ve used drawers tool boxes before, and don’t like them. They cost a lot more and can sag and bind under heavy loads.
I’ve yet to try Dewalt’s updates drawer boxes.
Big Richard
TSTAK is still DeWalt, NOT Craftsman. VersaStack is Craftsman’s line, which is compatible with TSTAK.
Stuart
Sorry. VersaStack.
One is black and yellow, the other is black and red.
They’re functionally the same, fully cross-compatible, geometrically identical.
Tstak and VersaStack, and Stanley FatMax Tstak are all not compatible with these ToughSystem tool boxes.
It’s just branding. Now, a Dewalt Tstak tool bag is being released in the USA as a Craftsman VersaStack tool bag. It’s hard keeping track of things when the products are identical aside from color scheme.
Brad
Well that’s confusing for someone that’s just getting into these boxes.
I assume the Craftsman Versastack boxes are only compatible with the Dewalt TStak boxes not the Touchsystem? The latch mechanism looks really different. Most of the stores around KC have the Craftsman boxes but not the Dewalt. Otherwise I’d buy some of the small part Craftsman storage boxes if they fit Toughsystem.
I have two large Dewalt Toughsystem v1 boxes, two medium v2 boxes, and the large v2 roller box – yet I’m not in the Dewalt tool echo system 😉 Mostly thanks to Stuart!
I’m going to buy two of the garage storage racks later this month to re-org my garage workspace. My home built under table storage is to chunky and hard to use and I’m wanting to upgrade to a cabinet table saw so space is going to be critical. I’m hoping wall hung large tool storage will save space.
Stuart
ToughSystem 2.0 is compatible with ToughSystem 1.
TStak and VersaStack are compatible.
Dewalt also has organizers that aren’t compatible with either system.
I don’t think it’s been much of an issue over the years actually, or at least I haven’t heard of any confusion.
Frank D
That is the perpetual dilemma between tool chests and modular storage … and the trade-off between quick access and mobility.
I envy people who only work in their garage or workshop and can dial that in with cabinets, shelves and tool chests. But, if you need your tools to travel frequently to let’s say the barn, a second property, a friend or family member’s house, … and you want to be space efficient, where you can stack a couple things in the car/van/truck, it may get exposed to some weather, falling objects, … then you pretty much have to be ready to unstack along a wall or in a central square area and dig in. Some of my hand tools I still have in buckets with jockeys, for quick access. I’m considering packout bags on top … but they’re really poorly featured for the money, because they have one size fits all internal pockets, no usable pockets on the outside, sometimes two flat spaces that can hold a credit card … where other bags will have a multitude of usable pouches.
Big Richard
Cabinets, shelves, and tool chests are the way to go, these modular systems are only good if you like stacking and unstacking totes.
Admittedly, I do enjoy watching green contractors at our facility constantly stack and unstack, open and close, stack and unstack again, all to get the one tool they needed. The seasoned ones bring only what they need.
As far as mobility goes, when I do need to move tools, I’m fine with each tool being stored in the individual canvas bag or hard case it came with. For the random odds and ends, hand tools, bits, blades, etc., this is my go to:
https://www.dewalt.com/products/storage-and-gear/tool-storage/multilevel-workshop/dwst20880
The modular storage systems are one pissing contest I’m glad I never got into.
Jos
I went to my local Home Depot today, and they had the small tool box in stock (not available for purchase online). I bought it with the medium and rolling tool boxes, and they discounted the total to $150.
C
Looks like they’ve updated website to limit one Med box in cart.
Stuart
Boo.
Thank you for the update!
OM
Home Depot read your article. Can’t add more than 1 medium box to your cart at a time now 🙁 (1pm 11/7)
Stuart
I wasn’t the only one who posted about this.
Chances are they’re trying to preserve inventory for Black Friday deals, which is why the small box was also manually set to out of stock.