Over at Ohio Power Tool, they have special pricing on select Flex Stack Pack tool box bundles, and this fueled thoughts I was already having about uncertainties.
Flex has yet to make any announcements about 2024-2025 expansions, with the last new products having debuted one year ago, and you’d be hard-pressed to find them at any Lowe’s stores.
As some readers have pointed out, ToughBuilt’s stock price and trading status has been concerning, and they have recently been delisted due to non-compliance in regard to NASDAQ filing requirements.
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A major cordless power tool brand is about to launch their own tool box system.
For any tool box system, here are some very significant questions that are difficult to answer:
Will the tool box system expand with new options, offerings, and accessories?
For me, that’s the big one. Milwaukee has been expanding their Packout system at a steady pace, launching all kinds of new products and solutions, many of which serve my needs far better than their first couple of waves of products.
When looking at a storage system, “is that all we’re going to get?” is tough to answer because it relies on information we don’t have. Few can accurately predict what we’re going to see launched in the following year – or years.
Will the tool box system continue to exist?
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Frankly, I don’t think any tool box system is at risk of disappearing.
I was talking to an industry friend the other day, and they asked if ToughBuilt is going out of business. They’re not. I’ve seen similar rumors on social media, and I can’t tell if it’s a logical but erroneous conclusion based on their stock price and exit from NASDAQ, sensationalism for the sake of internet clout, or in the least bit possible.
Let’s consider the worst scenario possible. The company has low cash flow, but they do have lines of credit. What if ToughBuilt seeks to take the company private?
Ignoring their stock situation, I think that ToughBuilt has high interest and user demand, and that StackTech is bound to expand. There are already signs that they’ve gotten past their inventory and supply chain constraints.
Given the demand and interest, I think that private investors would step in. Or, there are partnerships and collabs to be arranged with other companies.
All that’s said, I don’t think StackTech’s situation is as dire as some internet critics make it out to be.
What about Flex? Their parent company has a long history of excellence. Maybe Stack Pack’s expansion has slowed, but they’re not going to simply throw in the towel. Or at least I don’t think they’d give up so easily.
Quite a few modular tool box systems are stagnant. Quite a few tool brands are embroiled in different kinds of challenging situations.
Which tool box systems are safer to buy into? Which should be avoided?
It all comes down to confidence.
With Packout, I’m confident that they’re going to continue to pour time, money, and effort into future products and developments. I feel similar about Dewalt ToughSystem.
Ridgid has introduced few new tool boxes, accessories, or storage solutions over the years, but they’ve remained a constant presence at Home Depot.
Flex’s Stack Pack system seems stagnant right now, and they’ve been squeezed out of Lowe’s – perhaps until the next holiday shopping season. But there is plenty of availability – and promotions – at independent retailers.
Does a particular tool box system offer what you need now?
Is there a risk that you won’t be able to expand your kit with another tool box, organizer, or accessory in a month, 6 months, 1 year, or 5 years from now? 10 years?
That’s always a possibility, even for companies that are not enduring imperfect business or market circumstances right now.
I don’t think any modular tool box systems are at risk of simply ending.
In the camera world, Canon has been discontinuing their EF-style lenses after decades, as they switched focus to a modern mirrorless lens interface. A single lens might cost a photographer or videographer thousands of dollars – as much as a truck full of modular tool boxes.
Should a modular tool box system be dramatically transformed in a few years, or discontinued – which I don’t see happening – you can cross that bridge at that time and adapt as necessary.
Or, what if another new system emerges and it much better suits your needs?
I’ve transitioned from Dewalt ToughSystem, Bosch L-Boxx, and Festool Systainers to Milwaukee Packout. It took a long time and cost a lot of money, but Packout is much better for my needs.
Tool users occasionally buy into new cordless power tool systems.
Change is an expensive hassle.
When buying into a modular tool box system – as with cordless power tools or other products that can become long-term commitments – one has to weigh the pros and cons.
I can understand the hesitation. Everyone wants to make the right choice from the start.
So, shop according to your present day needs. You can take your potential future needs into account as well, accommodating as many “what if?” scenarios and possibilities as you can think of.
Flex Stack Pack seems stagnant, with their second product expansion now a full year ago. It hasn’t been a full year since ToughBuilt StackTech launched or was even announced. I don’t think either brand or system is going anywhere.
ANY modular tool box system could become stagnant at any time. Are any of them at risk of being abandoned? I highly doubt it, but yes, it’s a possibility. I’d argue it’s a slim risk, but some critics are more doom-and-gloom.
When is the last time Dewalt launched a new Tstak product? You can still buy Tstak tool boxes online, and compatible Craftsman VersaStack tool boxes and accessories are available at Lowe’s.
I didn’t switch over to Packout based on their future potential; I added some of their tool boxes and accessories to my kit and then fully dove in when there were attractive promos on drawer tool boxes and 4-wheel carts.
I added a few Dewalt and ToughBuilt tool boxes to my kit last year, based on how they serve my present-day needs, and use them more as limited or individual storage solutions.
In less than 2 months, tool brands and retailers are going to kick off their holiday promotions, and there are going to be modular tool box systems everywhere. If you’re worried about a particular brand or system’s longevity in the tool box market, make your purchasing decisions accordingly. Or, wait and see if risks dissipate.
I’d say that Milwaukee Packout has become the category leader. If you want to be 100% confident about future expansion and compatibility, stick with them. There are benefits in going with a different system, but there will always be risks.
I say all of this because the market has gotten messy.
I think that Flex makes a great system, although I like Packout a lot better. Flex Stack Pack is no longer available at Lowe’s, and there are no signs of a third wave of new products or accessories. But there are some deals right now, and I feel they’re worth sharing about.
ToughBuilt’s situation is much more complicated. When talking to them, business is as-usual, and they’ve been working to improve nationwide availability of their StackTech tool box system. Their stock price tanked, then very slightly recovered, and then they exited NASDAQ following a rescinded appeal over delinquent filings.
Why didn’t they file the required paperwork with NASDAQ?
Random people on social media think it’s a sign they’re going out of business, which seems very unlikely to me. Personally, I think they were holding back their filings or competitive or strategic reasons. Lowe’s is their primary retail partner, and the same is true for some of ToughBuilt and StackTech’s fiercest competitors. I think it came down to complying with reporting requirements or withholding potential ammunition from competitors at a very critical time.
Does any of that mean you shouldn’t buy StackTech tool boxes? What about Flex?
If it truly worries you, wait another year or buy into a different system.
I have made a lot of purchasing mistakes in my life so far, and sometimes it’s because I bought something I liked better rather than choosing something more popular and better supported.
Modular tool box systems have become so popular that I think some folks feel it’s something they need to buy. When you look at tool box system and think “that’ll really save me time and effort,” maybe that’s the path you should follow. If you don’t feel that way about any particular tool box system, that’s a sign you should wait.
There are selling points and detractions for every singly modular tool box system available today – and also those that are coming.
I also think that uncertainty and purchase insecurity is a risk for nearly every modular tool box system. It’s just the way things are.
Weigh the potential risks and benefits and make your purchasing decisions accordingly.
Pavel
As a recent new homeowner and needing power tools I’ve decided to go with Flex, given their lifetime warranty and clearance pricing in Rona, who took over the stores when Lowe’s left Canada.
Since most of new tools don’t come in cases and only offer a tool bag if you’re purchasing a kit, not a bare tool, I needed to have a storage solution. Rona didn’t have any Flex Stack Packs, but I was able to find one that included three boxes (no drawers, though) at the dealer for $280 Canadian. My wife bought it for me as a 1 year wedding anniversary. Sure, I could’ve gotten a different brand on sale for $100, but so far I’ve been impressed with Flex features and built quality.
For corded and air (pneumatic) tools I’m not brand loyal, I’ve a Bosch mitre saw with stand, a DeWalt table saw with stand, DeWalt 18 and 23-gauge nailers and Stanley narrow crown stapler. Corded DeWalt circular saw and cordless Ryobi grinder, impact and a drill, an orbital sander and a multitool by Cat. In addition to a rear handle circular saw, paddle switch grinder, hammer drill and impact, jigsaw and SDS Plus drill and tower and flood light and a fan from Flex.
In the future if I see something that I need, even if it’s from a brand that is not part of my battery platform, I might still buy it if it’s a good deal. As I did with 80V Greenworks blower and trimmer (8 years warranty for batteries and 4 years for tools through Costco) or Benchmark reciprocating saw that was only $40 and had the same 5 year warranty and other specs as Milwaukee corded Sawzall.
Robert
Panel, how well run are these old Lowe’s stores under Rona? Or is it too soon to tell?
Hoho
Way better… but still more to go. Anything on deep sale or clearance they, for some reason, put away in some unmarked location. If you go in as a customer and look sales associates will spend hours, literally, looking got you. I’ve done this with tools, supplies, prova board etc.
If you order online they call you and say they can’t find it.
Everything else is much better managed though.
David
Wow what a great, in-depth article Stuart. Well written, thorough, but it never felt like a really long read.
For me, at home (I don’t go to job sites anymore) my four big ol red toolboxes. pegboard, and cupboards/cabinets are all I need. I don’t really see the need to invest big $ in the new Packout style stuff. If I had to go to job sites, oh heck yeah that’s 100% the way to go. Maybe if I had everything in my shop stolen and had to start all over I would. It’s friggin rediculous how much red toolboxes cost now, even at Harbor Freight! $800 for a red toolbox (for instance) would buy a great storage system style set up that’d hold more stuff than the red toolbox and be portable. Well, more portable than a big red toolbox I mean lol.
But for guys not going to job sites, with garages already full of red toolboxes, I can’t see the need to switch to this new system.
My son bought a house 3 years ago. I visited him a couple of months ago. Tools everywhere 🤦🏻
I wish he’d invest in a good starting-out set up. I told him so. I also told him if he does, I’d recommend going with Milwaukee. I said that for the exact reason you mentioned in your article: they’re are continuously investing a ton of time and money into making their system the number one, best, high quality, durable, system there is AND they keep adding new items to it using feedback from guys that actually use their stuff. I love that they keep coming out with new stuff that’ll work with what’s already out there. Milwaukee today is like the Craftsman from the 60s and 70s. Lots of innovation going on. I just don’t think the other companies have the capital to keep up with them.
Stuart
Thanks, I appreciate it! Stream of thought discussions and editorials can be risky. Too much proofreading and they quickly balloon in size. Too little and they can be disjointed.
The last part you said is very important. Milwaukee can outspend a lot of competing brands with respect to development and marketing, and they can take greater risks.
doneanddusted
FWIW, my approach to power tools is simply to buy a few file cabinets.
10 bucks at a thrift store, and you’re good. Lateral file cabinets are really good for this stuff.
These plastic toolboxes are cool looking, and range in size from briefcases to Rubbermaid tub sized or so, but don’t look particularly useful to me if you aren’t always loading and unloading them from a truck to/from the jobsite.
The super cool thing to find is either a cheap map cabinet (for parts) or best yet, an old metal filing cabinet intended for index cards. Those card files are way better made than anything you’ll find now.
Put hotrod stickers on everything, and Bob’s yer uncle.
JR Ramos
You have written slight misinformation about TB. They voluntarily withdrew their appeal and thus effectively delisted themselves – it was their choice to do so, baffling as it was (at first). They were under threat of being delisted for three separate issues but they threw in the towel before getting the hearing that was scheduled. They are effectively private now.
This is a very important distinction and this plus their general history is why only a fool would invest in them moving forward. Right now I think their lawsuits may govern them in the immediate future but unless they can truly get stock to sell and distributors who will pick them up again and/or make square footage space in stores, they have a tough row to hoe. No way to answer this but I kinda wonder if the financing agreement (earmarked mostly for operational costs but that presumably includes most things from the wording) they got back in springtime is still valid after the stock acrobatics…it’s possible that a clause could revoke it in a situation like that. Legal fees might eat up a larger chunk of that funding than is comfortable even though that’s a forecast part of any business’ usual costs. Plus whatever is going on with their China suppliers, which seems to be on the down low, but if they can’t right that ship and have to try to find a new factory…well.
I do hope they make it but I half expect them to file bankruptcy soon. If they can’t get a significant boost from holiday season sales, which may be doubtful in the current economy/opinion of the economy, and given the trends of election years, then they may not be able to recover, and maybe not even if those sales do boost their short term figures.
You’re asking why TB didn’t “take care of business”…..speculation but there was that major investor in the last days. I couldn’t find much information about here other than some biomed investments, but she didn’t appear to be a tool/industry person. She bought a majority stake’s worth of stock and was poised for influence in decisions on the board. Maybe they wanted to nip that in the bud and that’s why they threw in the towel. Whatever shenanigans were going on in their accounting were serious and they were just sending up smoke screens, but it was probably attempting to protect stock value/hide the true situation. They did state that they would rectify the two (three now) late filings but have yet to do so and since they are no longer required to, I kinda doubt they will (with hardly any shares or movement on the OTC markets there’s not much point in them doing so anymore anyway…if they were serious about fixing things and re-entering the market they would have taken care of at least one or two of these filings by now).
You can pretty much ignore, imho, any words given to you directly by company reps on any level. You are marketing and potential to them and they do not answer to you, and if they were honest about things then sharing with you represents an extreme risk and liability for both sales and brand perception. I never showed much interest in this side of TB or most other companies but after seeing some of the comments over the last year I started paying attention and looking back at their history and such, digging more into the recent and present. I didn’t mean to sound harsh above by saying “only a fool” but y’know that’s pretty much the truth if you look at this from an investment and business standpoint. No sour grapes on my part because I never bought any of their shares (thank goodness) but there are a handful of people on the web spreading a lot of discontent – some valid and some not – but the facts are all there and they are not difficult to find or decipher.
Does this matter as a consumer and tool user? I would have bought into a good amount of StackTech last season but the stock wasn’t there and the pricing wasn’t great. And I wanted to see a couple particular items that I couldn’t…yet. By the time I could, deals had evaporated (and did the pricing also increase a bit, too?). And then the new/promised/soon items just didn’t arrive and continued to not arrive. Couldn’t even buy any of their pouches and I wanted to replace one and add another. So to me, they totally are not worth purchasing, not for anything that I expect to still be available in the future. If that changes I may buy in to StackTech, no hurry for me to change (and no real reason not to go with someone else, either, honestly). If TB had simply been able to have stock available for sale and been able to deliver items as stated – even longer than “soon” – there would have been many more people buying, from the sounds of things around the web. But you can’t make money without a product to purchase and a lot of people got fed up and will remain fed up. Much ballyhoo marketing and then…..undersatisfication….people move on. It’s unfortunate that the product launch happened that way (and the initial few product review videos that showed minor flaws/one major flaw didn’t help either).
It’ll be interesting to see how the various patent lawsuits shake out and whether or not (or how) that effects the product lines available. It’s such a saturated market. These storage boxes are priced higher than they should be, imho, but bottom line is that they are too expensive to be considered consumables, so making a decision on which should wisely include whether or not replacements will be available in the future, else you have to re-invest somewhere else and go through the hassle of having extra random old boxes or selling them off.
Stuart
The outcome is the same; rescinding an appeal to avoid involuntary delisting resulted in delisting.
Regarding the several ongoing patent lawsuits, nothing has been pulled from the market yet. As far as I am aware, Milwaukee has filed infringement complaint against Klein, and Meridian has filed complaints against SK and ToughBuilt. Festool/Tanos has set up licensing with other companies, and that could be an outcome where infringement is determined in the current lawsuits.
I think the next few months will be extremely significant and very telling for most modular tool box system brands.
Should any of this be cause for concern for buyer with limited needs and a max budget of $300-500?
JR Ramos
It’s not the same – at all. They were delisted, yes, but it’s a very different scenario and every investor will be aware of this. It’s important and carries weight forward.
Cause for concern with a limited need and budget….not for the right-now onesie shopping, but if that’s important to them or someone with more needs and more $$$ in the future, then probably yes. There are an awful lot of companies that have come and gone only to leave their customers holding the bag…sometimes it’s just sad, sometimes it hurts the wallet.
Incidentally, this is why I never really pay attention to lifetime warranties. I have half a full chest of lifetime warranty tools from companies that disappeared but thankfully they’re quality so the warranty was unlikely to be needed anyway.
Stuart
Frankly, I think there’s a huge disconnect between what’s going on in the investment side and what’s relevant to end users, such as inventory availability.
You kept mentioning that I’m doing a disservice by not discussing it. Now we’re discussing it.
I spoke to a couple of brands recently about modular tool storage.
From all those recent conversations, and others over time, it’s clear that some brands have a very clear strategy, and others are winging it.
I feel that ToughBuilt has a better plan than most. Time will tell.
When it comes to a future-proof modular storge system, Milwaukee will keep expanding, and I think Dewalt ToughSystem is the next most future-proof option. Festool/Tanos Systainers will likely also be around for a very long time, although they rarely innovate anymore.
With most other systems, there’s going to be varying levels of uncertainty and risk. Such is true for all kinds of tools and other products these days.
JR Ramos
I mentioned it once…but yes. Disconnect…if that’s what we call it, is it not still relevant to end users? I think I covered that…to some it will be, to some it won’t matter.
I think TB maybe had a great pie in the sky plan and lofty dreams, but they took some huge risks that didn’t pay off (and probably should have been seen clearly as not being a good chance at paying off). I mean they’ve been in the hole for YEARS and trying to drum up money with loans, stock issuance (dilution…reverse splits), and even in 2021-2022 where they had greatly increased sales dollars they still lost a crap ton of money. And yet in that same time period they increased administrative expenses phenomenally as well as executive pay, drew up all these new lines of tools (how many remain today? Only a couple.). And THEN they tried to expand globally to Europe, South America, Russia…and I think one of the “stan” countries. They didn’t have a solid base to build from in order to make any of that work, and predictably they lost money in the process and those markets didn’t flourish or come close to it. It was exceptionally poor planning and management and there is no way for anyone to refute that really. That’s not a better plan, it’s irresponsibility or incompetence. Now…does that affect end users? Only if you want to buy the same product again, have warranty service available, etc. The disconnect is in fact quite connected.
I’d like to see them stick around, maybe clean house of 2 or 3 of the four execs and pare things back to rebuild a solid base of products that are reliably available and where the company has a reasonable future…and then grow wisely, with an actual smart plan. This will depend greatly on people giving them a second (or third) chance. Their image may not be tarnished with end users all that much, but it certainly is with distributors (and we’ll just ignore investors…).
It’s hard to overcome that especially if anyone has been left in the lurch with outstanding balances of any sort. I had the misfortune of watching two companies go under and it was quite a lesson to see how everything transpired. One of them filed bankruptcy (a victim of trying to protect their business in the face of an aggressive takeover by venture capitalists in the 80s). Before that bankruptcy filing they had such trouble making ends meet that their stores weren’t stocked, they stiffed a LOT of vendors, and just a complete mess. After restructuring was approved, only a few vendors got their dues and some didn’t get nearly what they were owed. Guess how many of them gave that company a second chance to sell their products? I think two…out of around thirty or so. That’s a reverse situation but the bottom line is that business relationships are built on both profit and trust, and either one can sour the relationship such that it won’t be given a second chance. I don’t think TB has been *that* popular that they have extra sway in getting that second chance, but maybe so.
Two of the top three chains have ditched TB now (those being HD and Menards but also Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply), leaving them with Lowe’s and Amazon and small peanuts like Acme and such. If they can recover stock production/payment they may do best to increase Amazon availablity more than they have, and/or sell direct, which might anger Lowe’s, but they’ll have to do something more than Lowe’s.
Brad
The modular toolbox segment is already over saturated I have absolutely no desire to look at anything outside of the Dewalt boxes and the Ryobi Link wall mount systems I already own.
As a general home owner ToughBuilt was way to late to the party and has nothing interesting for me personally. That goes for any new system’s coming to market Dewalt and Milwaukee got out in front early and still innovate there’s really no need for 90% of the home owner (the largest buying) segment to look at anything else.
Stuart
As long as there’s differentiation, does it matter?
We’re starting to see less distinction in some of the more recent offerings – I think that this is going to be more of a problem than there being too many brands to choose from.
Al
I dislike that the brands are as much about advertising brand as they are about doing stuff.
I’m still trying to figure out how to paint my tools grey, because being yellow or red or green or blue is distracting.
Was hoping ToughBuilt could do that for portable tool storage.
I don’t need for boxes and tools to match colors.
MattT
Milwaukee’s is obviously great stuff, but it’s got the prices to match and I really think it’s overkill unless you’re a pro hauling your tools from job site to job site. I think for most DIYers, T-Stak/VersaStack is perfectly fine.
I went with the VersaStack flavor because, weirdly, the cases have better specs than the DeWalt versions. Specifically, better water resistance, and metal hinges. And readily available at Lowe’s for reasonable prices (and sales are not uncommon).
JR Ramos
I still like those, too. None of my TStak are older than about five years but they are identical in every aspect to the Versastack except for the gasket in the lid (and I guess Craftsman floats that lifetime warranty where DeWalt doesn’t (but might)). I have routinely gotten the DeWalt 4″ case on Amazon for $16 to $21 several years running, where I see the same in red for $30 to $32 consistently but never lower. I just bought a 20′ roll of epdm round rod and tucked it into the lid channel…voila, same water resistance and came out considerably less expensive enough to make it worth the small effort. But latches and hinges and side latches are all identical. Love their drawers, they are a great value. Not a fan of the larger deep box or the rolling box. My Lowe’s has all but nixed the Craftsman in store, just a couple organizers now but none of the tool box items. I’ve usually just compared pricing for both brands and gotten whichever was cheaper at the time regardless of color. I think a couple items are certainly jobsite- and truck-worthy but there are always apes that go too rough and tumble with them or just chuck heavier tools on top of them from outside the truck. The Toughbuilt and Flex are both really nice.
Perry
I’ve been using tstak/versastack boxes for about 5 years now on jobsites and I still prefer them due to size. I didn’t like the bigger toughsystem and packout boxes, they were too heavy and awkward to carry in and out of the truck or move around multiple times a day.
There are still occasional new releases on Amazon that I think Stuart might have missed, but they are definitely not advertising well at all.
mizzourob
Flex not rolling out any new accessories for their stack pack does not bother me, what they have is well thought out.
The bigger issue is that I can’t imagine how Lowes and Home depot have enough floor space to sell so many systems. The marketplace for these needs a few standards and then each poer tool manufactuer can make accessories for their battery design, perhaps sepcial promos with a standard box in their colors (i.e. Bosch’s L-Boxx).
All of these new boxes have trully innovated on the Systainer and L-Boxx designs of the past but if there were a standard then every player could still make peices unique to their tools (or tools to match the standard ssytem like Flex’s fan or Milwaukee’s vacuum), but would work with the others. I know this is a pipe dream, but imagine how crazy impact drivers would be if not for the 1/4″ bit standard?
Big Richard
Related, DeWalt’s ToughSystem DXL is finally going to be available next month. After teasing it at WOC back in January, they issued an official press release today:
https://dewalt.mediaroom.com/2024-09-04-DEWALT-R-Announces-TOUGHSYSTEM-R-2-0-DXL-TM-Storage-Lineup,-the-Industrys-First-30-in-Modular-Workstation-System-Designed-for-Optimal-Productivity
Tucker
I came back after reading earlier today to mention that I saw the system (and pricing) in an Acme mailer that came to the house today.
Nothing on the Acme website yet – saw this a while back with the compact Sawstop saw too where it was on the mailer first.
Andy
What do you think about the pricing of the DXL units?
It caught my eye while flipping thru the Acme flyer earlier today. I’m not in the market but am curious to know what other people think.
Tucker
It’s a bit steep for your average homeowner. But I guess we’ll see if they end up with any sales on them going forward.
My interest is mostly in a lighter weight option to create tool chests in places like my basement where lugging a 300lb (empty) tool chest down the stairs is low. I generally don’t find the mix of drawers to my liking, so this becomes somewhat customizable.
Tucker
I should add that looking at something similar-ish in size to a Dewalt rolling toolbox from the same Acme mailer, it was nearly 2X the cost. So not insignificant.
Peter
I see different type of tool boxes a bit like having multiple battery platforms which I have at least a dozen.
I buy tools depending on my needs, the best deal or both and what battery they are using is secondary to me.
I have Festool boxes because the tools came with them and Bosch for the same reason but I also bought a bunch of them separately plus some Milwaukee part organizers because they were on fire sale.
Most of the time I group them for the job and if the boxes are different and do not go together I do not care and just keep the boxes that go together together.
Joe H
Do you think Home Depot will phase out Connect modular boxes in favor of Build-Out tool boxes? There is definitely a price difference between the systems yes. Personally I hate the way Connect box actually connect to each other and half or more of my Connect boxes have snapped off on one side. So my Connect boxes are currently loosely connected. They couldn’t stand use Minnesota’s colder days.
Stuart
It’s hard to say, seeing as how Husky Connect is HD lowest priced storge system.
James
My L-Boxx’s met a similar fate in the Canadian cold. Lots of cracked pieces.
Durability might be Packout’s biggest strength and weakness. I love that I can’t break it (except the transparent lids), but obviously that creates bulk and lowers usable storage volume.
Hoho
Toughbuilt was fighting short sellers as one of the most shorted stocks by the numbers and then someone bought a large chunk of the company.
They didn’t get delisted by nasdaq, they told nasdaq we don’t want to be listed anymore after the fact. They went private on their own to eliminate issues that the stock market has with policing, which means they found some larger means of procuring loans.
Not saying they have been the most profitable company ever, but we’re fighting some pretty predatory stuff.
I think toughbuilt will be alright.
JR Ramos
They aren’t private yet, but I would expect them to head that direction. They’re in the OTC expert market and still able to be traded (very limited activity and must go through special brokers). They’ll be there for awhile and can reemerge later if they take care of some things – they said they intend to do that but really it’s looking doubtful. In their previous 10-K statements they alluded to some very serious deficiencies in structure and ability to maintain operations satisfactorily (2022) but they put their money and efforts elsewhere rather than righting the home ship…which is what led to the disaster of the last year, year and a half. They’ve never been profitable in the big picture, even when sales were high and stock prices were unnaturally high. They have been in the hole for a very long time. Crazy since several of their products were successful and well received and people have been clamoring for more to purchase, but they’ve always been in the red due to very poor governance. They will be 100% dependent on loans for the forseeable future, as they have been for at least the last 2-3 years. Not sure they can get enough to get it all going again, assuming they have stores to put their products in.
I hope they’ll be around….honestly will be surprised if we don’t see a bankruptcy filing this year or next summer. Or perhaps they’ll try to merge or find a buyer who will take over.
Curious about the lady who bought in with such a large chunk…if she doesn’t have some inside connections with them, then they just hosed her really badly. They probably weren’t in a position to jockey their options with preferred stocks and such, so maybe they pulled the plug to keep her from having that majority interest and a vote (assuming she’d get one, which is the norm but some companies work things so that can’t happen as easily). Doesn’t seem predatory…solo operator and too small an amount for that.
Bonnie
I’m just overly wary of buying into any new system after Husky/Keter discontinued their excellent original modular parts organizer.
JR Ramos
I was thinking about this the other day, and it really is amazing how oversaturated this market has become, and so quickly. One thing that I’m thankful for is the way Milwaukee effectively raised the bar and coerced others to follow suit. SO many years that we didn’t have good options and the ones that first arrived were kind of half-hearted and not very rugged. It’s a good change and the options now are so much better and work-worthy instead of just for garage storage. It’d be nice if the pricing were a little more sane, though…really is a bit out of whack.
chip hershberger
As an owner of 60 packouts,I am worried about Tough Built not lasting long.
As a user of any tool genre, I want competition to push everyone forward.
Color wars good for the end user.
With social media it has been a boon for manufacturers with amazing exposure for free.
In the 90’s everyone wanted free stickers and merchandise, now it is being “sold” in amazing #…it was quite a shift in mentality for me to understand.
As a mobile user ,modular use is a true game changer for me.
Currently sitting in a camper and gone 2 weeks at a time,I can add or remove tools per task on my return trips home.
However in my garage, I also have a dedicated 56″husky that is great for more condensed storage and also heavy tools….and in my mind would be a waste to replace with modular static storage.
To each their own!
Bruce
I spent a lot of years dragging tools in and out of buildings as a contractor. I tried dozens of tool carts, backpacks, rolling tool boxes, buckets. They all suck and the new modular tool box systems suck too. Big, heavy, useless on stairs, annoying to get in and out of the truck. The problem exists, but this isn’t an answer, it just means I end up opening up more than one box to find the item I need.
TomD
Sometimes it seems that for the money spent on tool storage solutions you could hire some teenager as a gopher instead, and just throw everything in the truck 🤣
The “opening the box” problem is interesting – why haven’t we seen clear or at least translucent storage yet?
Chaz
Or a box that slides opens from the side. Basically the outer portion is a sleeve.
You saw it here first!
Stuart
Lower material/physical properties, higher costs, heat problems.
Alexk
Recently worked with someone and helped load his pickup for a new job the next day. Most power tools were in bags and hand tools in tool boxes. One bag stuffed with batteries, another stuffed with drills and impacts and a bag with recip, circular, jigsaw, grinder etc. Working in an area where it’s single family homes, you park in a driveway and grab what you need as you need it. I see lots of trucks with packout, and it’s great to have options for what works best for you.
For what I do and what I have, the $130 (Christmas sale) Ridgid three piece is fantastic. Might get the drawers if I find a need for them.
After loading that truck, I am trying out using bags again, and kinda liking them better. I like not having to unstack heavy boxes that have mixed tools in them and empty it to get the tool on the bottom. I do keep my m12 drill, driver, OMT, five batteries, bits/blades, square/bevel etc. in the Ridgid briefcase and carry that and a Husky pouch with some hand tools when I first walk in.
At $130, if Ridgid no longer made cases, it wouldn’t be a problem. If I bought into a system and my plan was to get more and more and outfit a van or shop, then it would be an issue if a company stopped making them. For whatever innovation some brands have, if you plan on expanding, I’d go with a company that has longevity and wouldn’t want to anger people who buy all their other products by stopping a product line. For a business, I’d go with Milwaukee or Dewalt.
In 2005, I had a great kit of Dewalt XRP tools that ran on nicads. When all my batteries went bad, a replacement battery was $100 and it seemed foolish to buy nicads when everyone was going lithium. It took Dewalt a long time to offer an adapter that would accept their lithium battery. So long that I switched to Milwaukee.
Jared
I totally agree with the premise of this article: too much is made about the possible future of various modular toolbox systems.
I get it, it’s annoying when a “system” you buy into becomes obsolete or something comes out for another brand that you wish you could have. It’s just that speculating about those possibilities makes way less sense than just buying the system that already works for your needs.
Even if your brand does go out of business, it’s not like the toolboxes stop working.
Maybe things are different if you’re investing thousands to equip a your business. I could see that being a more painstaking choice.
If we’re talking about whether you should consider a typical 3-box “stack” from brand A or B though, I can’t see the future of either brand having much influence. Switching to a new system in the future would be annoying, but it’s not a catastrophe.
Andrew
Would have bought the flex boxes if they were in stock anywhere. Went with Craftsman and have been happy. If Makita was out would have gone with those so my tools could all be the same color and get alone.