Milwaukee Packout and other modular tool box system users have strongly expressed a common request – everyone wants rolling tool boxes with drawers.
Milwaukee Tool has several Packout mobility solutions – a 2-wheel dolly, a 4-wheel cart, a 2-wheel rolling tool box, and an extra-large rolling tool chest. Packout fans want more.
Ever since Milwaukee’s first Packout tool boxes with drawers came out, users almost immediately asked for the company to add an extending handle and large rear wheels, so that they can add tool boxes on top.
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You can have drawers on the bottom of a rolling tower, if you buy Milwaukee’s hand truck-style 2-wheel cart.
There’s also a 4-wheel cart.
But what everyone wants is a more native solution – drawers with wheels. They don’t have that yet.
As things are now, you have to remove everything from on top of a Packout rolling tool box in order to access its contents.
Where’s the rolling tool box with drawers?
I spoke to Milwaukee Tool’s Matt Vargo, VP of Product Marketing and Milwaukee’s top Packout authority, at last year’s Pipeline media event.
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They’re working on it. As of last August, they were pumping a lot of engineering work into the project and were hopeful for an early 2025 launch. These things take time to get right.
That’s not all.
You know how all of Milwaukee’s larger Packout tool boxes have metal side rails? There’s a reason for that.
We asked Matt to spill one more secret.
There’s going to be a whole plethora of accessories that utilize those side rails in a massive way, in the near future.
… we’re going to go BIG.
Hear it for yourself:
Milwaukee’s next Pipeline media event is coming up soon. We know what Milwaukee has been working on. Maybe they’re close to finished and we’ll get a sneak peek and some firm details. Stay tuned!
Mr. X
Video is private.
Must be really top secret, Stuart! 😉
Stuart
Sorry! It’ll be up in a minute – thanks for the heads-up!
Oops. I got done with all the editing last night (eliminating background noise, etc), scheduled the video for 9:05am. Wrote up the post and set it scheduled for 9:10am.
Well, it seems that I got the day wrong.
OldDominionDIYer
I love the Packout system. I’m always looking forward to their next innovation, I like that they take it seriously! I also appreciate that they listen to the consumer, how refreshing.
Gabe S
I’ve been holding out on buying packout for these exact reason, as soon as this arrives will happily make the switch. I’ve been using the craftsman mobile workstation cantilever toolboxes been very happy with them, but they’re limited to 80 pounds
Brent
A large capacity, single drawer, packout toolbox would be great. I currently use three four- drawer, two three-drawer, and one two-drawer, but would love a large bottom drawer. Now I have to go to my other storage to fetch any large tool item such as a Sawzall, instead of having it with me. The large packout containers are fine, for what they are, but make no sense if you have to take apart a whole rolling stack of boxes to get at what’s inside.
Peter
I really like the packout system
and I also like that they do not stand still and keep pushing forward.
I am too deep into the Festool/Bosch system but who knows.
I guess I see more packout because of the color in the back of open trucks.
But it makes me wonder if they have a higher UV rating than other boxes.
Michael F
If you’re into Festool Systainers then you don’t need to worry about the UV rating of the Packout. I’ve had both, and while I prefer the size of the Systainers, the Packout is in an entirely different durability class when it comes to the plastic. It’s thick and will last forever even if left out in the sun.
Champs
We all have our use cases, and I guess that “portable shop toolbox” is the paradigm that is winning out even if drawers don’t seem to fit the original imagination of Packout, at least from my perspective.
Still seems like there’s room for more “solid state” applications for the base, like charging/PDU, dust extraction, or air compressor, but that’s not the direction we seem to be going.
Andy
Milwaukee previously announced a M18 9 gallon dust extractor with Packout compatibility:
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/milwaukee-cordless-dust-extractor-0888/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Jeremiah D
I agree that this kind of thing is more practical in the holistic big picture. The idea of drawers on the bottom box is better than the current but tools or system components that are heavy-ish but you dont bend over and utilizes often is even better.
Im thinking charging, battery storage, vacuum/dust extractor, compressor,…. Or storing less used tools or accessories.
One or two big drawers or a front opening box. If design practical a box that opens on the side could work too. Possibly a modular shelf to split the space vertically.
Goodie
Going with the drawers and cart makes me curious if the will build a mobile work-station a-la Festool.
Tango
I’m with you on that one. Even the Feestool with rail and a box on the bottom is easier to get to than the packout… And having a small work top is not a bad thing either.
So far the festool has packout beat in so many ways in my mind – but don’t get me wrong, not being able to open the bottom drawer is a flaw of a diferent kind…
I gues nobody does it perfect.
Goodie
LOL, the problem of having choices. Systainer is the right solution for me in that it has great internal volume and accessories. Packout is very high-quality and rugged, but is less efficient at internal volume and doesn’t have the accessories. Cost wise, I don’t think there’s much real world difference when you get systainers with nearly all Festool tools.
Stuart
Systainers are not zero-cost additions to Festool tools; their cost is baked into the price, whether you want them or not.
I feel that Festool/Tanos Systainers and Milwaukee Packout tool boxes are so fundamentally different that there’s very little overlap when it comes to user needs and wants. I own components from both systems and use them in very different ways. I think Packout offers heaps of advantages for most users.
S
Definitely curious to what they’ll offer with the side rails.
There’s already a bunch of independent 3d printed accessories that people are already making and selling for packout. So in some ways, Milwaukee is playing catch-up on their own product.
And given the timeline, it definitely seems that they’re being a lot more careful with new tool rollouts than they’ve done in the past
OldDominionDIYer
Take a look at Flex stack pack for some idea how Packout will exploit those corner rails, Flex is a near copy of Packout only with less convenient connections.
Saulac
Same here. I guess it will be upgraded rails compatible with accessories like you said. But I hope, base on hype in the video, it will be more than that. Something to secure the boxes vs to secure accessories to the boxes.
Jared
If a drawered cart were available when I first bought my mobile tool boxes, I likely would have started there. It seems like such an obvious benefit to avoid unstacking your stack just to retrieve something from the bottom.
Hopefully Dewalt will offer something like that too.
Ruston Greer
DeWalt appears to have bowed out of the competition. StackTech was poised to make a splash but Lowe’s torpedoed them in favor of the inferior Klein boxes. I went with StackTech because of the drawers, which look to be DOA now. When I make the move to Packout I will also begin transferring to Milwaukee tools. These companies should be packaging all their products in their modular toolboxes instead of those garbage canvas bags.
Paul White
People have asking for single deep drawer tool box , but not the one on the rolling tool box , they say Milwaukee is listening to customers ,but really there not , , I made one out of a two drawer tool box 3 years ago when the double drawer tool box came out, they should have made these at the same time too give people a choice, 1 drawer, 2 drawer 3 drawer 4 drawer, please Milwaukee listen to customers, to what they want , not what you want,
Stuart
I’ve constantly heard requests for a rolling drawer tool box.
Paul White
Over in n, Ireland , , I know some the ones that bought the rolling tool box , Def will not buy another one,to get a deep drawer, they said they would only buy a single deep drawer tool box if Milwaukee made it, I surveyed 20 different people , that I know have got the old Milwaukee rolling tool box, and 16 of them said they wouldn’t buy the new one , they would rather have a single deep drawer toolbox instead , more versatile they said , not restricted to a rolling toolbox, but then again we are only a small country, compared to yours, so others words our opinions mean nothing to Milwaukee,
Matt j
Thanks for this! Been looking all over the internet. Surprised they haven’t come out with yet.
Stuart
It hasn’t been released yet – I’ll post more once it’s ready to launch. There’s an image in this post, it remains to be seen whether there are any changes in the final design – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/milwaukee-pipeline-2024-new-tools-full-list/%3C/a%3E .