Milwaukee has officially announced their new Packout Crate, and open-topped tool tote box, model 48-22-8440.
Resembling a milk crate but with solid walls, the new Milwaukee Packout tool tote has open handle grips and Packout connection points on the top and bottom.
Advertisement
It also has Packout connection tabs on its rear, for attaching to the new Packout wall mount without spilling its contents.
You can place it at the top of a Milwaukee Packout tool box stack, or in the middle.
Its top Packout connection points can only fit fill-width Packout components.
Advertisement
I would only want to carry the Milwaukee Packout crate by itself or from below, as opposed to from something attached on top of it, but options are good to have.
It doesn’t look to have any difficulty being in the middle of a stack of Packout tool boxes, bags, or organizers. Plus, attaching a Packout organizer or tool box on top could help in dusty environments, but keep in mind that the handle loops are still open.
Milwaukee says their new Packout Crate has a 50 lb load capacity.
Internal Dimensions: 16″ x 13″ x 9″.
There are inregrated weep holes that prevent water from collecting inside.
With the new Packout tool tote crate, Milwaukee says that Packout is the largest, most versatile, and most durable modular tool storage system in the industry.
Price: $40
ETA: November 2019
Discussion
I know exactly what some detractors are going to say. “$40 for a plastic milk crate?!” Well, yes. But with a 50 lb load capacity, solid walls, and the ability to connect above or below other Milwaukee Packout tool boxes (with some limitations), or horizontally to the new Packout wall mount accessory.
Because you cannot easily find them for free anymore, how much does a good milk crate or crate-style storage box cost to buy?
Compare: Milk Crates via Amazon
Tool totes like this one are extremely useful for holding bulky tools, supplies, and other equipment that might not fit neatly inside a closed tool box.
By itself, this probably isn’t the best buy. But as part of the Milwaukee Packout system, where you can integrate it into a new or current workflow or storage setup? Modular tool storage products are pricey. Dollies are pricey, tool boxes are pricey, other accessories are pricey, and yes, even something that looks like a milk crate will be relatively pricey.
If you ask me, the new Milwaukee Packout tool tote seems to be a good addition to their modular tool storage lineup. Yes, it’s pricey, but will it make your work easier or better organized? Then it would be $40 well spent.
The new Dewalt ToughSystem tote, which is finally available here with a top handle, is similarly priced at $39.
Compare: Dewalt ToughSystem via Tool Nut
Photos from Milwaukee NPS19 Media Event
Milwaukee showcased the new Packout Crate at their NPS19 new tool media event. It stacked easily with other Packout tool boxes, organizers, and accessories. It looks out of place when stacked between full-width tool boxes, but it can connect without issue.
Here, a Packout organizer is attached to the top of the new Packout tool tote.
The Crate + organizer combo connects easily to the wall mount accessory.
Here you can see how the Packout Crate can connect to the wall mount base.
The handles look sturdy and easy on the hands.
They can be hard to see in the photo, but there are small weep holes on the bottom of the Crate, to help drain water. The holes are small enough that you shouldn’t have any issues with small parts falling out of the box. You might also be able to use the slot for your own divider or custom slide-in inserts.
Champs
50 pound load capacity, so… six gallons of milk?
If you’re in the Packout system it’s kind of a rounding error compared to the rest of your investment, but even then it seems more like a deal sweetener than something to buy at retail.
Jeffrey Clare
Also how about a divider for crates to separate or little part containers clip on sides inside or outside of crate
Lawrence K.
There are quite a few guys on eBay who make a lot of 3D aftermarket dividers and containers for most of the Milwaukee packout line up. I was surprised how reasonable some of the prices were and the plastics were sturdy. You have to search several ways with your search terms, but using Milwaukee plus whatever thingy you are looking for should get you there.
John
Crate job!
Jim
YES!
Brian A
Full width pieces can connect on top, so the large tote and the large bag can then connect securely? I fear it may actually be full width and depth pieces.
50lbs for what you can put in the tote, but I cant imagine it can take as much weight on top of it as other pieces? Wonder if thers a number on that?
Corey Moore
Shame there’s not a drop in one wall, like the DeWalt. Being able to put a box on top of the crate and still reach inside is valuable. Second Gen DeWalt crate with top handle is a really good feature, too. Pretty sure I drilled my own weep holes in my Gen 1 and Gen 2, though. Great to see packout continue to develop.
PETE
Now where are the drawers!?!?!
Brian A
I remember reading somewhere earlier in the year there was a lot of new packout pieces coming in 2019, cant remember the number but I was surprised it was so many…… Only to be disappointed at NPS there was 4 and 2 of those was supposed to be out in 2018. So the only new pieces are the radio and the crate.
I have every packout piece except the mounting plate. The more I get and use them I continually think the format is flawed and they should abandon it with a redesign. The mounting foot print is too limiting. Pieces can only be mounted one way. The backpack is almost unusable because the bottom is so large.
William Adams
Came here to ask that very question — who has time to unstack and restack all these components?
Stuart
*Wink wink, nudge nudge.”
Flotsam
Seems like all this stuff is geared to the tradesman who must carry in a bunch of tools to a job site. I see this stuff working great if you had a van or work truck kitted out with this.
For a homeowner/DIYer like me it is a bit of overkill.
Vards Uzvards
TSTAK Open Tote to the rescue!
https://www.dewalt.com/products/gear-and-equipment/tool-storage/tstak-open-tote/dwst17809
https://www.craftsman.com/products/versastack-system-tote
John
I have one of each. The DeWalt lives in the garage and is used as a collect tools and supplies for a project and move everything around the house.
The Craftsman lives with my car detailing supplies in the basement and is used to tote what I need up to the garage.
Perfect size, weight, and price for what I do as a DIYer.
In that regard, the whole Tstak line is underrated. I’ve probably got 15 boxes in various sizes for power tools, tool accessories, trade specific tool kits (electrical, plumbing, drywall, painting, caulking, etc.) and supplies. Acme tools runs them on sale pretty regularly so they can be bought at even better prices.
MichaelHammer
I use the Tstak extensively in professional environment. They were the first to come out with drawers. Drawers are the key to great organization. Otherwise you end up with boxes everywhere cuz who wants to keep unstacking and restacking all day
William Adams
I bought a Husky Rolling Connect, and the bottom / wheeled base is open, depending on using some other component to close it up.
It’s been an improvement, but I’ve found the whole unstacking/restacking thing a bigger pain than I’d anticipated. I’m currently experimenting with modifying one component to make it into drawers or something (it’s currently holding a pair of Harbor Freight 20-bin parts organizers I’m going to fill with foam and use for delicate tools).
Considering some sort of tool chest with drawers — started a discussion on the forums:
https://discuss.toolguyd.com/t/reviews-of-luggage-like-tool-chests-with-wheels-and-drawers/1951
Paul C
I have the Dewalt Toughsystem totes (“crates”). I had honest to goodness milk crates in college that came from a dairy that used to do home delivery in reusable glass bottles. We eventually had to “upgrade” to cardboard or plastic (yuck!!) The handled version is a lot more useful than the basic tote. Packout doesn’t have a handle. I have 3 of them. One has a handle and the other two don’t. One mostly contains “truck books”, paperwork, and my “bugout” bag. The second just keeps cab tools from wandering all over in the truck cab and stacks on the “paperwork” tote. The third with the handle is my favorite. I can load it with loose tools and boxes of small parts stacked on top of the cart with the rest of my tools in the boxes on the cart. Then when I’m done I can dump trash and/or loose tools that I don’t feel like putting back right away in the tote and haul everything out the door in one trip. I love that thing. I thought originally I’d just get them for cab and bed organization but in a lot of ways these are actually more useful than the large tool box and the wheeled tote.
To the question about weight…can’t answer for Packout but I have stood on mine with a toolbox on top as a make shift step stool without any issues. The newer version with the cutout and the handle is a bit more wobbly if you stack it with a lot of weight but so far no issues that I’ve noticed.
What’s odd is the comment about it can only handle “full width” stuff stacked on top. One of the photos shows a tool box stacked on the crate but the very next photo shows a crate with a half-width tool bag and parts organizers stacked on top of it but there’s a clear plastic lid peeking out, and one of the other photos also shows this exact same lid on it. That’s quite a bit different from a Toughsystem “tote” which is completely open topped.
fm2176
I believe the “lid” is a low profile organizer. I own a few Packout boxes and they are well-made. I also own ToughSystem and Ridgid boxes and like those as well, especially for the much lower pricing.
Brad
The 50lbs load capacity sounded low since even the Packout small parts organizer has a 75lbs. load capacity. The DeWalt crate has 110 lbs.
But my take on it is that they have it listed at maximum value for which the Packout wall mounting plate is suppose to support, and that is 50lbs.
With only four slides on one row for any vertical/wall mount anything about 50lbs could possibly result in damage to the crate, the wall mount, or possibly even the wall.
More then likely a warranty/legal limit then an actual physical limit.
Rocky Hatt
The crates look good enough, the Dewalt that has a handle on top is better, but after 30 years of plumbing new houses, nothing beats a couple of 5 gallon buckets.
Bob
A for effort but when it comes to attaching composite bins to the wall Tough System wins. Packout takes up too much space to mount the non milk crate boxes to the wall.
I think Milwaukee missed not integrating an independent holding bracket system like DeWalts does into the design. The tough system boxes can be nested simmilar to packout or you can use the wall mounted, van/truck mounted or dolly mounted bracket system. The brackets allow you to grab boxes mid tier. Nested boxes are a pain if you need to get the bottom box open. Too bad. The Milwaukee boxes are pretty heavy duty even holding up to abuse with cinderblocks. At least they seem too in youtube videos.
I guess having drawer units is a work around if you can only nest your boxes. Did I hear right Milwaukee is comming out with those?
Bob
Looks like the DeWalt tough system brackets will hold 176lb per pair of brackets.
Milwaukee Packouts are only rated for 50lbs? Thats pretty weak sauce if that is corect.
Reno
My guess there only rated at 50lb because they can hang on a wall not sure why you would want to hang these on a wall makes no since
Frank D
Why oh why is everything Milwaukee now produces a different width length, and variation on the original style which is a bit bigger and has the aluminum tie-downs. They’re really missing the boat in terms of uniformity. The crate looks silly small in a way in the middle or on top of a stack.
The What?
Because that was the only thing that Milwaukee could come up with to make it seem like this $40 laundry basket actually has some sort of purpose. There’s nothing more useful than a crate mounted to a wall let me tell you. Best part is that they weren’t smart enough to at least make it 16″ wide so they had to design some plate thing just so it could hang up and not fall off the wall. What a worthless turdbox. I mean seriously. Contractor bags are rated at a higher load capacity than this piece of sht. I’ve got a collapsible plastic box cart that’s 18½”x16x15 with wheels and an extending pull handle that’s rated at 70lbs load capacity. I bought it for $20 at office depot or staples. I use it to carry bags of concrete, thinset etc and it’s held up very well. I bet the bottom of this Milwaukee POS would fall out if I put a 5 gallon bucket of paint in it and tried to wheel it up a driveway. So the 50lb load capacity makes this plastic box worth $40? Really? Well how come I paid less than $40 each for my box cart with wheels and my Rubbermaid and sterilite storage boxes with a much higher load capacity? Huh? I’d give this thing a $15 value and not a penny more. And that’s pushing it.
Stuart
Another new tool, another rant about how much something must suck because it’s not perfect for your particular needs? At least try to be open-minded? It’s hard to take your arguments seriously when you use phrases like “worthless turdbox.”
It’s great that you can use a collapsible office cart (I had one too a while back) for rolling around bags of thinset or concrete. But that’s not what this is for.
Let’s say you needed to haul around a cordless power tool combo kit (which could fit in a Packout rolling tool box), a crate filled with some extension cords and a corded worm-drive saw, another crate filled with caulk guns, spare supplies, and maybe some drywall tools, and an organizer filled with hardware for a job. You could load up a stack of Packout boxes and you’re all set. Sure, you could accomplish the same with other products, maybe a small dolly, $20 plastic crates, and a bunch of bungee cords. More options are good. Just because something might not work for you, that doesn’t mean it’s a “worthless turdbox.”
Techtools
Why does everyone whine about the 50 pound weight limit, just start throwing stuff in there who cares if it’s 100 pounds I am sure it will hold. I am sure there is a keyboard warrior typing up a comment against mine, I’ll leave you with this one!!! A Ford Fiesta says it fits only 5 people. But my Mexican butt can fit 12 and luggage!!! Lol
Stuart
Okay, you can fit 12 people in your 5-seat car. But can you fit them all in safely?
MichaelHammer
? lmao
Daniel
I want a Versastack version of this but I guess I could just go with the Tstak.
Daniel
I just realized they do make one…not sure how I missed that.
Vards Uzvards
TSTAK is just $20 on Amazon.com, and Lowe’s goes even lower, with Craftsman version, at $15 right now.
Alex vR
Frankly, I think Milwaukee knocked it out of the park. I’m going to use many of these to organize all of my spare supplies (via electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.), which by the way, will be replacing a repurposed milk crate. Additionally, I feel the $40 price point is on the mark, as long of course, they’re robustly made.
Avi
With all the comments about the weight, has no one noticed the price, if both Milwaukee and Dewalt crates are $40, does that mean the dewalt is overpriced or the Milwaukee is underpriced, because for the rest of the pieces tough system is cheaper than packout?
Corey Moore
I’d venture to say that underpriced would be Milwaukee’s claim. But at the same time, someone over there obviously knew that they couldn’t be asking for a large price tag on this, the most basic and/or smallest modular tool system tote on the market.