I have had the Makita MakTrak tool box system on my mind recently. Specifically, I’ve been wondering about when it will appear in stores, and also about the prospect for drawer options.
Makita launched their MakTrak modular tool box system a few months ago, and it’s worth paying attention to.
See: Makita MakTrak Tool Box is a Perfect Fit
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I spotted Home Depot in-store availability notices for several Makita MakTrak tool boxes lately, which could be a good sign.
I couldn’t find these at my local store, although Home Depot’s website says they’re there.
Looking for MakTrak recently had kept it on my mind, and I have also been thinking about how they’d work out drawers.
I woke from a dream the other night, where – after stealthily evading dinosaurs – I found a hypothetical MakTrak tool box with drawers.
Although the colors were different, I told myself it was a MakTrak box. The tool box looked well-polished in my mind – shown above is the closest approximation that I could come up with.
It was MakTrak-sized, but with drawers instead of lidded tool boxes – one horizontal drawer and a bunch of vertical drawers. Some of the vertical drawers were removable, almost in the same way as their MOLLE dividers, and others had slides on the bottom and guides on the top.
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After I woke up, I spent a few minutes trying to work out whether the concept could work. Might this be a potential solution? It’d be heavy, but it’d fit within the MakTrak form factor.
Maybe it could be approximately the same depth as the rolling unit plus large tool box when stacked together?
Nothing would have to be unstacked, and you could still attach other tool boxes or organizers if needed.
It wouldn’t fit bulkier tools like a circular saw, but could hold other tools, supplies, equipment, and maybe electronic accessories such as a battery charging dock. Larger tools could be tossed into the existing “extension” box that sits over the rolling tool box’s handles.
This all sounds a bit rough, maybe a little ridiculous, and definitely expensive, but I woke up thinking “that could be useful” and can’t shake that feeling.
My badly Photoshopped image has 1 horizontal and 7 vertical drawers. The one in my dream had 1 plus 6. I wonder if just a bank of 6 vertical drawers would work well – maybe 4 shallow/medium, and 2 deeper ones.
Add wheels and an extending handle, and you have a solution that could be accessed from the back of a truck or taken on-site.
We’ve seen vertical drawers in industrial storage systems. Would it work here, or would it be limiting?
Dewalt has horizontal drawers in their ToughSystem and large format DXL tool box system, but they don’t work as well as in the larger format system as I had expected. Meaning, I’m not sure I would wan to see the same from Makita.
Makita MakTrak half-width drawer boxes could be about be the same size as say Packout’s. But I think that a different way of thinking might be needed if they were to launch full-width drawer modules.
I’m split 50-50 as to whether this form factor could work in the context of a portable tool box system. Maybe there can be customization options, such as tilt-out bins for small parts. What if the drawer modules could be configured or customized to an extent, similar to what Bosch has done with their L-Rack and WorkMo products.
Thoughts?
Robert
Stuart, are you saying the MakTrak has gone the way of the dinosaur? I’m having trouble visualizing how vertical boxes would be advantageous, seems the contents at the top would fall down, unless it had a lot of sub compartments.
Stuart
No. It was a dream involving dinosaurs and I saw a MakTrak tool box that didn’t exist.
I woke up and wondered if it was plausible.
Vertical drawers often have shelves. For cordless tools, maybe support pegs or cradles?
Or imagine an entire organizer could slide out, e.g. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/milwaukee-packout-tilt-bin-organizer/%3C/a%3E .
Dewalt’s DXL system is good for what it is, but I wouldn’t want to see more of the same form factor in MakTrak.
So what would a MakTrak drawers form factor look like?
I’ve been fascinated with vertical drawers, but never considered it for something like a portable tool chest. They’re usually for fixed storage. https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/vertical-drawers-storage/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Geewiz
Careful what you eat before bed. Love your posts.
Stuart
The really fun dreams always seem to take place in the morning. This one involved an empty school bus, Massachusetts, dinosaurs, and MakTrak, although it wasn’t in Makita colors.
Yadda
You should complete your drawings/images and copyright them. What were the colors? Maybe this is your mind subliminally telling you to start your own modular tool box line. 🙂
Stuart
In the dream the color was yellow-orange, but I just knew it to be MakTrak. I didn’t pay much attention to the color other than to think “hmm, that’s not right, oh well.”
Saulac
I had to look up vertical drawers…seems to be a high end option in kitchens and shops. The storage density (?) seems to be low and may not be a good fit for portable storages. Could made sense in cases these boxes are used as portable workstations.
James
The counter to this is that I kind of want to maximize organization over volume usage with modular storage because the stack gets heavy quick and the whole point with modular (for me) is we don’t have to bring everything.
I’m really not sure about the MakTrak system though because the Packout huge flat box is great for hoses for us but nothing else. I’m not really sure how guys are using a packed out MakTrak because just the base unit looks so heavy… …so maybe guys are just leaving this on their pickup? or at the site like a job box? I’m still confused by MakTrak a bit and yet to see it in the wild up in Canada..
James
sorry – meant to be a reply to Saulac.
Nathan
What color was it? They do have that outdoor tools in tan and green
Katie
One of my most used purchases has been the Bosch L-Rack drawers. I have them stacked with the different sized drawers and a couple of boxes. Better than building a cabinet out of wood. Rolls easily, a thing of beauty for organization.
I watched a youtube video recently Lincoln St Woodworks, titled “I don’t get why people don’t build cabinets like this.” He built pull out cabinets with shelves. It was shop cabinets, but also for kitchens. I would have loved to put those in my kitchen, but it’s been finished fairly recently, so no go. I did put in a couple of spice racks that pull out with shelves instead of using filler panels. for the base cabinets. I use it all the time.
Maybe a combo of these two things.
Jonathan OAF
Where’s the link to preorder the Orange/Yellow MakTrak vertical drawers Stuart?
Thanks for the read!
Stuart
There was no one around to ask, probably because of the dinosaurs.
I’m going to see if I can design something like this for my own use, although the slides will be tough to get right. I’ve built vertical pull-out panels into workbenches before, but always with side-mounted slides. With multiple drawers, that would not be as space efficient as if the slides or roller system was stacked above and below the drawers.
James
Maybe a hanging slide to take the weight on top and then a guide of sorts at the bottom…
John
Tell us more about your dreams haha. Let’s get weird.
Stuart
I have no idea where it came from. I tend to try a lot of different workshop cabinet and storage designs. I’ve never seen anything like this, and am almost convinced that it could work.
And if it seems too ridiculous, well we can blame my subconscious, providing an easy out. =)
If you dreamt up random tool box designs, I’d want to know about it!
Farmerguy
Lucid dreaming is great. There are methods to encourage lucid dreaming to happen. As a reader, I am glad to see Stuart putting 168 hours a week to Toolguyd.
For the vertical drawers, I could see it as a solution to change combination wrenches, hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, etc. It would be akin to some vertical drawers in compact kitchen spaces for spices and jars. Not a fit for everyone, but would offer something new in the product segment.
eddiesky
I could see where the maktrak units were the vertically-stored storage units that you can pull out and take with you. You can fit more vertically than horizontally, but you need to remove them to open/access.
I know I always say this, but having those storage containers that lock, with clear lids, labeling for side and top/front of contents (Screws, fasteners, fittings, etc.) makes it ideal, and having a container that stores these vertically, that locks them for transport (incase you want to mount inside a van/truck) and allows unlock, pullout, take with you… seems a good idea that is missing from current storage.
Now, I have a dream where I learn a 3D app to design a storage unit, then slice the files and send to my Bambu labs X1 printer and make a mini mockup that I can sell to influencers for storing small parts and jewelry! 🙂
Steve
What if you’re colorblind when you dream? It could be a Milwaukee case, lol.
Al
Me as a child: Whoa…dinosaurs!
Me as an adult: Whoa…color-coordinated tool storage!
Alexk
I dreamt I was eating spaghetti. When I woke up, the string from my pajamas was gone.
Think it was a Groucho line.
Jared
I think a vertical drawer box would be pretty neat – or even just easily removable drawers.
William Adams
There was at least one toolbox in Tolpin’s _The Toolbox Book_ which had vertically formatted sub boxes which were pulled out (and often used individually for smaller tasks).
On a much smaller scale, HF used to have a set of organizers sold in a 10-compartment over-case which I am quite fond of, and the plastic trays of which fit quite nicely in their largest STOREHOUSE 8-Bin Large Portable Parts Storage Case in a stack down the middle, leaving the sides for the plastic trays and so forth — it works nicely to hold my leatherworking gear.