Are Milwaukee Rolling Tool Boxes Any Good? What To Know Before Buying
You probably know that certain tools are must-haves for homeowners who need to be able to handle basic DIY jobs. These items are often pretty heavy and bulky, complicating the process of carrying them efficiently to the job site. Additionally, storing your most essential tools to ensure they remain viable can be challenging for professionals and DIY homeowners. Although there are hacks you can use to stop tools from rusting, the better option is to select a high-quality toolbox that protects your equipment while making it easier to carry with you.
Many manufacturers have modular rolling toolboxes, which have been around for more than a decade. Popular manufacturer Milwaukee is no exception, introducing its Packout rolling storage system in 2017. Over the subsequent years, Milwaukee added more innovations and products to enhance the usability of this system.
Modular tool storage systems allow you to organize your equipment efficiently while protecting it. The rolling carts let you move your heavy tools more easily than lugging the boxes by hand. Most contain high-quality materials to withstand the rough treatment that sometimes happens while working on projects. But what sets the Milwaukee system apart from the others? And what are some of its top features? We'll discuss key aspects to help you decide whether to purchase this system.
Benefits of the Milwaukee modular rolling tool box system
One of the biggest benefits of Milwaukee's system is the tough material used in its construction. These rolling toolboxes have weatherproof seals, rated to IP65, which means they're dust-tight and water-tight against light sprays, protecting your tools against most issues you may encounter at the job site. It's also helpful that the design allows you to use the rolling cart in a horizontal or vertical orientation. The fixed handle provides ease of use in either position. The horizontal configuration can be helpful when you want a long, flat toolbox on the bottom while stacking smaller units on the top. Such a configuration can make the Milwaukee unit quite heavy, but it supports a load rating of up to 250 pounds, so it should be able to handle the horizontal load smoothly. Its load rating outperforms many of its competitors.
Ultimately, the Milwaukee Packout system is popular because of its versatility. Suppose you love having your tools and supplies highly organized. In that case, the Milwaukee system's various options let you select compartments to organize into the layout that makes the most sense for you. No matter how you organize your tools, you can fit everything together, thanks to the modular design of every piece of the Packout system, including attaching soft-sided totes, which helps the Milwaukee design stand out against competing products.
Why you may want to consider rolling tool boxes other than Milwaukee's Packout
Price is one of the most significant drawbacks to selecting the Milwaukee Packout system. Although you can pick up the basic setup at Home Depot for $139, you'll undoubtedly spend a lot more when buying additional compartments. For comparison, you can purchase DeWalt's similar rolling modular toolbox for $119 for the basic setup at Home Depot. However, considering that Milwaukee products tend to have a better durability rating than some of the competitors' products, you may be willing to pay a little extra.
One complaint that Reddit users mention regularly is the difficulty in accessing tools in the bottom box of the modular stack. The only option is to remove the various compartments stacked over the bottom box to get to it. Some other users prefer using more side drawer units in their Milwaukee stack rather than designs where you have to open a top lid, as the drawers make it easier to access their items.
Finding the perfect configuration will take trial and error because you have so many options in the Milwaukee Packout for the different boxes you can stack on the cart. You could unnecessarily spend money by purchasing boxes you find out you can't use efficiently. It's tough to know precisely which components you need before you buy.