I came across an ad for a fully-accessorized Yeti Loadout 5 gallon bucket, and it seemed very reasonably priced at $40.
But it’s not $40, that’s the price for just the bucket.
Looking for more details, Yeti lists the fully accessorized bucket at $130. It’s available in multiple colors, with “seafoam” shown above.
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The combination comes with:
- 5-Gallon Bucket – $40
- Bucket Utility Gear Belt – $40
- Removable 3-Compartment Caddy – $20
- Lid – $30
I can appreciate the concept.
There is no shortage of 5-gallon bucket accessories out there, and a system like this, although limited, seems elegant.
But the price…
There are a lot of alternative options, for both tool and recreational use, that come close to the offering similar functionality for a lot less money.
The Yeti bucket has all kinds of features, most with trademarked names.
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It doesn’t have a non-slip base, it has a BEARFOOT non-slip ring. The handles? HEFTYHAULER and LIPGRIP.
The bucket weighs nearly 6 lbs empty.
I can’t help but wonder if I’d see greater appeal in this if not for the sticker shock.
There are many premium tool storage and mobility solutions that are highly recommended by their users. Feedback from Milwaukee Packout, Veto Pro Pac, or Occidental Leather product users, for example, often convey that the performance and quality are worth the price.
Is that the case here?
There are often jokes about pro tool users showing up to jobsites with DIY-grade tools. What’d be your take if someone showed up to a jobsite with their gear in a Yeti cooler?
Or, have you used the Yeti Loadout bucket and found it to be a heavy duty and viable alternative to common home center-style buckets?
Forget the accessories and add-ons. What about just the bucket at $40?
Cameron
Is this an April Fools thing, making fun of Yeti’s overpriced coolers?
A quick look at amazon to deck out your own bucket tote:
– Five gallon bucket – FREE (or $5 if you want a pristine new one, but what’s it gonna look like after a couple of days?)
– Bucket Buddy tool organizer – $20
– Parts organizer – $10
– Lid (with more parts organizers, or a padded version for sitting) – $15
– No-slip stick on pads for the bottom – $5
– Plastic handle for more comfortably grip – $5
Fully tricked-out tool bucket: $55 total (or $60 if you bought your bucket).
Stuart
More like I’m hoping I’m not unreasonably biased in seeing this as luxury rather than premium.
$40 for the whole shebang seemed decent, before I realized the price didn’t match up to what was shown in the image. $130 seems unconscionable.
I like the idea of modularity, though, but definitely not the price.
Mitherial
This Yeti bucket *really* is not the same product category as a regular $5 bucket–try handling one at your local Ace Hardware store.
(Yes, the accessories are overpriced)
Peter
The guy in the pic does not look like he is going to a job site so I think it’s more for the Yeti crowd than for a regular construction site.
I was just doing a boots tour and we stopped a high end area.
One of the luxury yachts was being maintained and the crew looked like out of a catalog.
All dressed properly and clean while wearing the same clothes.
The tools they had laid out were super organized and extra clean.
No music playing and no lollygagging like staring into a phone either.
It was very impressive to watch.
In a setting like that I can see a yeti bucket.
mikedt
$40 for a Yeti bucket or $2.98 for a HomeDepot bucket. I’ll take the HD bucket and $37 worth of tools.
Rob H
Unfortunately, the Home Depot buckets have gone up in price. They’re about $4.50 now.
Jimmie
If you’re willing to go with somewhat smaller buckets, hit up your local bakery. One of my local bakeries will sell a 4.5gal frosting bucket for $2 (at least that’s what they charged me last Summer). They’re strong, have air-tight lids with pour spouts and they’re food-safe if you wanted to use them in your pantry to hold, say, pet food or rice.
IronWood
I’m still deep in 5 gal pickle buckets from way back when my wife managed a restaurant. They are great, and free.
IronWood
Yeah but they don’t come in Seafoam. You can’t put a price on Seafoam.
Robert W ZIEMBA
sure you can. its $40.
Alex
$2.98 you can get a 2 gallon HD bucket
Luke
I think this is made for the people who have a 100k fishing boat and want a premium looking storage option. It’s for the people who put the YETI sticker on their vehicle. I’m sure it’s also sturdy and well made, but their market is more wealthy fanboys than blue collar tradesmen.
Stuart
Even in recreational use, is it for enthusiasts, or wannabes to look the part?
Philip+Proctor
I love buying quality tools and gear. I refuse to buy Yeti’s overpriced Gucci gear.
Jim Felt
I’ve been gifted a couple of their coolers and sure they’re okay I guess. But the wow (price) factor just isn’t something I care about at all.
Gave them away. Or should I say “up-cycled” them?
Oh. And don’t forget the price of their branded ice pacts! Criminy.
Joe
We make fun of the price, but for those who put their tools in a Milwaukee or Dewalt organizer, it’s about the same price, just a different shape and color.
John
Perfect to load up with festools.
John E
Festiol storage costs more.
frobo
This totally fits the definition of Veblen goods in my opinion.
Trevor
My first thought was it is for the TikTok crowd as another coffee mug hype trend. As Stuart said, way over priced. I wonder what their profit margin is.
Steve
I don’t think the price is that bad – depending on what you get. Handles on a typical bucket really stink, so a better handle is a welcome upgrade. The outside pockets look novel, but if they are plastic, that looses it for me. What is great about the fabric pockets is they give and adjust. Fixed plastic takes up space. Not sure I like the lid – it needs to be something you can stand or sit on. The tray in the top looks interesting, is there a tray below it? Can you get different trays or maybe put additional pockets in there? If this would have all of this functionality, for me; I’d buy one. I haven’t looked online and I’m guessing the don’t have a lot of the features I’d be looking for. But, it could be a promissing start to something.
If it is just a bucket with a tray, lid and some fixed outside pockets; I’d agree with the others – it’s overpriced…
John E
Bog standard stainless steel dog water bowl with YETI painted on the side: $50. Enough said.
MM
The price is beyond outrageous. Now there are times when I would consider paying a premium for a more heavy duty version of a 5-gallon bucket, but $40 ? Heck no, I was thinking more like $10. Tops.
Now as far as tool storage or something to use on a job? I don’t really get it. The whole point of bucket based organization is that the buckets are cheap and ubiquitous. Once you’ve moved away from repurposing a used bucket and you’re spending real money for a storage solution….why is it still shaped like a bucket? That shape makes sense for storing liquids. It doesn’t make sense for much of anything else–I’ll put up with the less than ideal shape given normal buckets are cheap or free, but not if I were to pay out over a hundred bucks.
If I want a bucket I’m getting freebies or buying basic 5gals. If I want an organizer to carry around tools or parts on the jobsite I’m going to buy a tool box, fabric tote, or some kind of modular storage solution like Packout, Toughbuilt, etc.
Adrian
This comment really gets at the heart of the problem. Many readers on this site would happily pay 10x more for a very well made tool vs a poorly made tool-shaped object (think knipex vs walmart pliers). So I can easily see paying $40 if I really need a good bucket. But it’s not easy to come up with good hypotheticals of why I would need a good bucket vs some other storage/transport solution.
On the plus side, it would probably come with a free Yeti sticker that you could slap on an old cooler. I’ve heard that the YETI logo on the side of
a cooler improves ice retention by 16-24 hours depending on conditions.
Jim Felt
I believe your life retention rate observation is considered accurate.
Though I’ve no idea what Consumer Reports has said though?
IronWood
I got a Yeti sticker that came with a free swag coffee mug from my work. I immediately put it on my old Igloo Playmate lunchbox, and I can report a huge improvement. As my coworker said, “It may not be colder, but at least it’s cooler…”
Jerry
One thing to consider is the cheap pliers will slip, give you a blood blister, and mar your work.
A cheap bucket still carries whatever I need. Unless I’m using the bucket as a stepstool or stand I can’t see the value in paying 8X as much.
Mitherial
If you are carrying something heavy (e.g. 60 lbs of river stones for the Wife’s landscaping project), a rectangular container with pointy corners will bash painfully against your calf each time you take a step, and the handle on a cheap bucket may snap. Same deal if you are hauling all of your fishing tackle down to the beach to go surf-fishing (Yeti sells a rod-mount for this setup).
MM
Rectangular doesn’t necessarily mean pointy corners, the old Milwaukee product that mikedt mentions below and that I posted a link to Stuart’s article on doesn’t have any sharp corners. “Square buckets” with rounded corners are common for many products, for example Fresh Step cat litter.
…and more importantly: rectangular means the load can be reconfigured to be narrower, which means your carrying arm doesn’t have to hang out as far from your body. A 5 gal bucket is much more awkward to carry than a suitcase or a traditional shape toolbox of the same weight.
mikedt
Milwaukee had a square bucket like tool tote that they didn’t produce for very long. I’m kind of sorry I didn’t buy it when it was available.
MM
That sounds like a much better idea. I googled it and found this old Toolguyd article:
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/milwaukee-bucket-tool-box/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Honestly that would be a lot more interesting to me. It’s reasonably priced, the square shape makes it a lot more practical, and you can still use it as a seat.
Jody
Have that bucket box…its great. Holds a lot, lid is secure and can stand on it.
Main use is electrical site box, holds rolled wire, outlets, expanders, boxes, hand tools, testers and 5 in 1 drill.
blocky
The non-slip pad on the base is probably good for boat decks, and if I had that kind of boat, this would be the bucket for that context.
BigTimeTommy
People with boats would buy this. 5 gallon bucket is a popular storage option with boaters and Yeti is a favored overpriced conspicuous consumption brand to that demographic. Don’t want to look like a filthy poor at the marina with an orange HD bucket 😉
Anyways, if this was red and said Milwaukee on it there would be a bunch of comments saying “Wow I can’t believe the best bucket in the world is so cheap!”
s
you should head over to the red winch post… your expectations on tool branding will be quickly unseated.
Robert
Yeah $130, but is in endorsed by Old Blue Eyes’ kid. Priceless.
Evadman
5 gallon pickle bucket from Portillos: $2
Enjoying the pickle fragrance for 6 months: Priceless
Mark M.
Remember that Yeti was originally a passion project of two brothers, which then led to a private equity buyout, which then led to an IPO. You could argue that having capital allowed their original vision to expand and be refined, but you could also argue that at some point the goal of the business became far less about passion and more about generating returns for shareholders (25x, as it turns out, for the Cortec PE group). This bucket is dumb and speaks volumes about the direction of the company and (assuming it sells with any volume) about the stupidity of the American consumer.
Scott F
I think the stupidity of the American consumer came first, FWIW. Nobody is forcing consumers to buy these flashy overpriced products – but there’s a market for them.
And as evidenced by this comment section, that market is not on this site!
NoDak Farming
If this bucket was a red Milwaukee Packout integrated bucket, the entire comments section would be a different conversation. And there is a Packout version of a plastic milk crate. So it’s possible Milwaukee will offer a pale someday that integrates with Packout. Maybe a square shaped pale?
I did buy a fully kitted out Yeti pale as a gift, for my brother. He both ice fishes and lake fishes a lot; plus camps with his family. So I thought he could find a good use for it. I should check in with him to see how he ended up putting it to work. I can state it is really well made. It’s very comfortable to sit on for some reason. Like maybe it’s slightly taller than a regular 5 gallon bucket. That clear lid with the gasket is super nice. The interior organizer tray is nice too.
I do have some Packout gear, but I don’t think I’ll be in a market to buy Yeti gear for myself. It just depends on where a person wants to spend their money. And name brands do come into play when it comes to making those decisions. How many times have we all heard of an expensive tool or tool box as having “features” and “quality” that “just work”? It’s often subjective. But for those certain people, it’s the difference needed to get them to part with their money.
NoDak Farming
Can’t believe I misspelled *pail so many times, over and over!
Also wanted to add that when I did buy this Yeti pail, it was many years ago. I think tan, white, and grey were the only colors available at that time. So, anyways, this isn’t a new product. And demand not only keeps them in production, but also gave reason to add different colors.
criketzchirping
I’m picturing a much larger scaled Milwaukee socket in red molded plastic with packout integrated base. Yeah, I think there would be a market for that as long as the price wouldn’t blow it out of the water.
Charles
I love the Yeti bucket load out. It’s indestructible, will last forever, you can stand on it, sit on it, it takes a beating, holds a lot of gear. It is pricey, but there’s nothing else like it that I have seen. This bucket will outlive your grandchildren.
Dave
Till someone steals it lol
Rog
I’m no fan of Yeti and own zero of their products but, if this was Milwaukee and red everyone would be falling over themselves to justify the cost.
Michael F
I have Yeti tumblers and coolers that are in absolute pristine condition after almost a decade of heavy use. I know it’s easy to write off as “oh, this is for rich posers”, but…the quality really is incredible. You just don’t know until you buy one.
Rillis Burns
Definitely agree I am a person that values quality that is the very reason I am more than happy to spend my money for Yeti products also Yeti have found a way to allow personalization of many of the items that would normally be average.
Also the bucket can handle boiling water… The bucket can handle anything that is thrown at it while still looking brand new after wiping it clean the handle it comes with is sturdy and comfortable to hold. Also if you are ever referring to there drinkware it keeps ice forever.
Wayne R.
If I ever see someone carrying one of these, it’ll likely be carried toward a bro-dozer. Seems like cost is just as irrelevant as usefulness to those guys.
Steven+B
Everyone is missing the point. This is a $40 quality bucket…not just a status symbol. It’s MUCH stronger than the cheap buckets everyone talks about. I am confident I can stand on this. My craftsman bucket? I can feel it flex under my fat butt. I am not confident I can stand on a HomeDepot or HarborFreight bucket, especially since they’re less than 1/3 the weight/plastic.
I almost bought this many times, mostly as a portable seat and storage system.
To me, comparing a Yeti to a HomeDepot bucket is like comparing those cheap plastic parts organizers you get with fastener sets at Harbor Freight to a Milwaukee Packout small parts organizer. Both get the job done. One is much higher quality and will last a lot longer than the other. The Yeti is higher quality plastic and 3x as much of it. It literally weighs over 3 pounds more.
Look, we love to gripe and complain that everything is cheap plastic these days and “they don’t make it like they used to.” Yeti is one of those brands that is a little overpriced, but generally justified in being overpriced. Everything I’ve bought from them is very high quality and they sell replacement parts and have a good warranty. I have a Yeti mug that is going on 5 years of daily use and still doesn’t have any chipped paint. I mean literally…I drink like 3 cups of regular an 2 cups of decaf a day…I am a coffee enthusiast. It looks almost as good as new…color a little more cloudy, interior stained from coffee, but looks great because the paint is very durable. Their coolers are ironically ubiquitous and ugly. Why?…because I see 20 year old Yetis all over the place. Someone buys one and it lasts forever…it’s covered in dust and got dings on it, but works great and lasts forever.
You buy that bucket, you’ll never need to replace it. You’ll be able to load it with more and put more weight on it than you ever could with any other bucket. I am confident standing on one and using it as a step stool or a seat.
I wanted to buy one to fill the gap in the Packout ToughSystem ecosystem. None of them have seats. I probably can sit on my ToughSystem box, but am not confident it won’t warp.
Want a good bucket? Yeti makes the best, TMK. Not everyone needs a heavy-duty bucket, but if you do, they are worth the money, IMO. They are purchases meant to last a lifetime. So if you get one, make sure you like the color!!! 🙂
Michael F
I know right?! I have a feeling the majority being so negative on this bucket own stacks of Packout. My guess is that if this bucket were red and had a lightning bolt on it nobody would be complaining about the price at all.
MM
I can appreciate the need for special or heavy duty buckets. In the past I’ve bought USDA food grade stainless steel and special teflon buckets for lab use–those were several hundred dollars each–as well as transparent polycarbonate buckets like they use in commercial kitchens, and a few other specialty types. Right now my go-to for durable buckets is the local farm & feed store. But if I don’t need to work with liquids why am I buying a bucket? I’m sure it is high quality and extremely durable–but if its intended purpose is to store tools and materials why is it round?
I’m not complaining because the Yeti brand is premium price/quality. I’m complaining because it seems like a puzzling decision to make this product round. The way I see it, this isn’t really a “bucket” per se. Nobody is going to fill it with paint or use it to mix thinset. It’s a utility box that’s bucket-shaped. It would be much better utility box if it were box-shaped.
Nathan
Best bucket I ever bought cost me something like 80 dollars in 2005. I still have it. Best feature it’s lid has a seal in it and it has a ratcheting lock. Twist it down and it locks you have to hold a tab to release it
Anyway great bucket not seafoam great but you can buy that for like 10 bucks at AutoZone.
Oh why it was 80 dollars. Well it came with a grit guard and a mitt and polish products and some towels.
The above is a fashion statement
Alexk
Love reading these comments and the strong feelings for and against.
Only Yeti product I have is an insulated coffee bottle that has a sliding cap that is held on by magnet. It makes it easy to clean the cap fully, keeps coffee hot for a long time and was put on the free table at the dump I work at. Replaced it with a Christmas gift of a Starbucks one that is easier to hold and most important, doesn’t leak if knocked over. But the Yeti is a solid, high quality one. For my lifestyle, I’ve spent from around $20 to $80 on coolers. If I did hard core camping or extreme anything, I would look at Yeti. Overkill for me, but I can see its niche. How many people wear carhartt as a fashion statement instead of actual work wear?
Regarding team red: my tools are red, but I’d be just as happy with yellow. My milk crates are …..milk crates. Not red nor Ridgid black, which is my tool storage system. $34 for a milk crate? If I was full time journeyman, I’d pay the premium for a system that works well. For me, bungees. I’m not going to customers where you can make more money if you look more professional. And good organization helps you work neater and faster.
Kris Petrie
Way too much to spend on tool storage. I’ll stick with my Veto Pac.
Wayne R.
I’ll also stick with my Veto’s, but they’re no slouch in cost, either.
BigTimeTommy
Is this supposed to be an ironic comment?
Kris Petrie
Yes, I don’t know what font to type in sarcasm.
Stuart
If you want to ensure a comment is seen as sarcastic, add an /s at the end.
Sally
I think people underestimate how strong the desire for unconventional colors has become with a younger demo. People remember the fancy sneakers and flashy hats but throughout the years it grown to include the wrapped cars, the RGB keyboards and computers. I doubt you’ll find many on the jobsite but for those that want something at home…I wouldn’t say that this price is reasonable but it will certainly make someone think twice. And soften up the market for when Rtic follows up with the release of their bucket haha
Jim
To those looking for a higher quality bucket, check out used (or new) 5 gallon paint buckets.
I only have experience with buckets from Sherwin Williams that I get from a local painter. The local recycle center won’t take them because they have paint film in them!
We use these buckets to haul dirt and gravel while doing trail work in a county park where I volunteer.
I’ve never seen an SW bucket crack or a handle fail.
A Home Depot bucket might last a few work session before the handle will fail
Jared
If we didn’t have 5 gallon buckets as a point of comparison, I don’t think the bucket price would look quite so ridiculous. That’s a standardized mass-production item though. The Yeti invites the comparison by also being a bucket… but it’s a special bucket.
Of course, by the time you add up all the accessories there are many competing products that just look better. I’m certainly not taking the position that the Yeti offers good value.
For me, a bucket, even one equipped with add-ons, pockets and lids, remains an unappealing way to transport my tools. Even in Seafoam green.
Greg
this will be the first time an empty plastic bucket gets stolen from truck beds, I bet thieves will use this for barter with the snap-on guys
Chuck
This intrigued me, so I started looking for fancy buckets.
There are square buckets like the Milwaukee one for $11 or so. Craftsman makes one for $12.
West Marine has a bucket with padded seat, base, and interior accessories for $80. The bucket alone is $29, and I’d say that the YETI one appears to be 1/3 stronger.
Then you have the Huckleberry 5 gallon bucket for $100. Looks very sharp, and makes this YETI downright reasonable.
Chuck
Huck, not huckleberry.
Mitherial
I own this Yeti bucket (in white, not ‘seafoam’ or whatever) and some of the listed accesories.
When you pick one of these buckets up in person, it is immediately obvious that it is different in kind than the standard 5-gallon hardware-store bucket. Yes, it costs 8x as much as a standard bucket, but it will last 10x as long and probably uses 20x to 30x as much plastic in its construction, making it *much* sturdier. The heavyweight handle is a pleasure to use.
The optional lid is strong enough that I would be willing to stand on it in a pinch (try that with a regular bucket!) and it won’t shatter in the cold like the cheap buckets do.
At $40, I consider the bucket itself to be an excellent value for someone who wants a permanent product, not a disposable bucket. I conceed that the accessories are overpriced, and I don’t have much use for the wrap-around pockets or the tray-insert.
Stuart
Thank you for the hands-on feedback!
Mitherial
Also, I took the Yeti nameplate decal right off for a less conspicuous look around the garage and yard.
If I had a $100K fishing boat, I would have left it on. 🙂
Nathan
Does the bucket have a max weight limit? I’ll admit the handle and the lid look nice. Not sure if necessary.
Jesse
I had this whole bucket system 6 or 7 years ago. I think it was like $60 altogether then. Gave it to a coworker at the end of the job.
Ray
These get high marks on fishing forums for surf and pier fishing – comfortable to carry, capable to hold tackle/rods, and sturdy to sit on. I don’t have one, but if I fished with any regularity I would think it well-worth the cost as an all-in-one seat/caddy that will last forever.
Farmerguy
I own and use more than one of these. I have wasted $80 on worse things. I have a kit (bucket, lid, tool tray) and the reason it is worth it to me is the bucket hasn’t cracked or broke when filled with heavy sharp fencing parts. I can leave it out in the rain and the lid is rubber gaskets so rain doesn’t get inside. The lid is strong enough for me to sit on and slightly wider than normal. The tool tray works well for part divider. I like the system and I can buy it off the the shelf is I need more. The premium is worth it to me to not have parts rained on or small parts dumped out in the field when the bucket inconveniently breaks at inconvenient timing.
blocky
YET I can’t justify it.
Greg
There is a product called “Wild Stool” which is a toilet seat for the yeti loadout bucket
Drew
I have this exact setup. However, I did not purchase it. I won it in as a door prize.
Here’s my take on it:
• Quality – unmatched. It is sturdy, heavy-duty, and well made. It even statrs that you can leave it outside without worrying about it (The cheap buckets, after sitting in the sun for a couple of months become brittle and fall apart). With the lid on, I have sat on and even used it as a step stool (I’m 250lbs)! Unloaded, the bucket is pretty heavy.
• Size – typical 5 gallon size. To me, it seems like there is less room on the inside than a typical 5 gallon bucket, but maybe it’s because the sides are so thick? I have yet to fill a regular bucket and pour into the Yeti to compare.
• Cost – Sticker shock indeed! But compared to other loadout systems out there, I don’t think it’s all that bad. Plus, the quality of this bucket’s plastic seems bulletproof compared to other loadout systems.
• Would I recommend? Depends. I think there are plenty of reasons that you could justify spending $40 on a bucket. But there are plenty of things that just using a regular, cheap bucket will suffice. I, personally, will not be replacing all of my 5 gallon buckets with the Yeti, but I can see actually purchasing a couple more, so that they can be used for the garden as a tool holder and something to sit on and as a tool holder/seat/step stool for HVAC or electrical work.