# Those ridicilous Plastic tool Cases...



## Nicopernicus (Nov 20, 2013)

Anyone here as annoyed as I am with the plastic tool cases that come with the larger powered hand tools? After you take the tool out of the case and stow them in your shop the cases themselves 
take up huge amounts of space…I never want to throw them out for fear I may have to pack up a tool to use it in the field or I may upgrade and sell the tool as it has been replaced with something better and wood prefer to sell it with its case..seems to never happen anyway.

The molded fittings on the inside of the case clearly only receive the tool meant for it in specific…
and that makes things a little difficult.

Is there anyone in tool land that has a clever idea for these buggers? Something useful or ingenious…can they be cut or reshaped to suit some purpose? Dewalt seems to be the worst offender of these wretched plastic thingys and I am two shakes away from tossing the lot into a dumpster…although the minute I do it there will be some discovery or need…

Any thoughts?


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I've always wondered the same thing, but in the end I tossed mine after getting frustrated w/ the amount of space they occupy.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I've done a few different things with mine. They area apparently popular at garage sales, something I don't do, so I gave some to Goodwill. I sat a couple out for the trash, always the night before, and they often get picked up by somebody besides the sanitation guys. I only have (and will forever only have) one Festool, and I sold that one at about 1/2 the price Fessie charges for new ones. I did see one marked with a recycle symbol, and it went to the recycle center. I have 2 small ones from Bosch that actually may be useful for other things, so I've kept them. I'm trying to figure out how to bolt one to my small tractor to keep a few tools in. Lastly, the last 2 Milwaukee cordless tools I bought (and my Bosch recip) came in a fabric tote, they actually have uses beyond the tool. That said, every time I see a thread like this, I'm surprised by how many folks actually keep their tools in them…so we are in the minority. I can see using them f you truck them around from job to job, but that's not me.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

It would take a lot more than a plastic tool case to get me annoyed…but I always throw most of them out right after I buy my tool since all my work is done in my shop and not in the field. I do store some infrequently used tools in some just to keep them dust free. Never found any other use for them.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

All my tools are in drawers or on shelves. I keep the plastic cases for a while but then they get tossed. There's only a limited amount of room.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

I keep a few for tools I don't use too often but most get tossed.


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## 69BBNova (May 1, 2012)

I usually keep the boxes till just past the return period in case they stop working…

I only kept one box from my circular saw and modded it to fit my black and decker valve grinding stuff…

I got rid of it last year, it was easy sale because he liked how neat and orderly it was…


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

I've heard of people cutiing/modifying the inside of the cases to better accomodate the tool/cord/accessories. 
Me personally, if a tool doesn't fit into a case quickly/easily, I toss the case. If it does, I store the tool in the case. 
Most get tossed.


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

I guess I'm in the minority here, as I like and keep the tool cases. The tools get stored in their cases and then reside in a drawer or cabinet. They do take up extra space and take a little more effort to access, but I prefer to keep my tools clean, organuizaed, and protected from damage, so for me the trade-offs are worth it. I'm a hobbyist though-my view my change is I was using lots of the tools on a daily basis.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I use some of them, they do protect the tool, especially those with blades. On the other hand, they can be a real PITA if I can't coil the cord quickly into the case so it actually closes, as a result, some of them are kept for storage, and others are chucked.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I enjoy putting them out at the end of the drive, (latched closed, of course), and see how many hours they last. Not many. But I must admit, I've never seen any at a garage sale empty, nor at the Goodwill. Someone must find uses for them. 
In any case, once you get a couple soft bags, (which I keep), any field work is much easier with soft bags rather than the hard cases. Even the guys where I was in sales for a mechanical contractor, floating around in the vans, the boxes almost never had the tools in them. Usually at the end of week cleanup, they would get tossed.


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## verdesardog (Apr 2, 2011)

I keep the ones that work well and are easy to use. If for example thay don't close tight orare difficult to ge the toold back int I toss em. Most of the tools in my shop are on a shelf in thier case. when I was working at a cabinet shop the cases were helpful to keep my tools safe in transit. I have even made a couple of cases for tools that didn't come with ones that were easy to use. Some are in bags….I know where everything is by just looking:


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## diverlloyd (Apr 25, 2013)

I cut the insides out of them and then they are better to store things in. Like one has a piece of packing foam with all my router bits stuck in and the wrenches for the routers.one of the others is full of finishing stuff like brushes sand paper steel wool and stuff like that. The others are used for small car parts (knobs clips nuts and bolts)for a datsun roadster I'm restoring. They are good to store things like that after you cut the insides out. I try to separate my tools by jobs so I have one with plumbing stuff and one with electrical stuff. So if I go to fix something I can get the things needed quickly and put in my travel tool bag or box.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Some I find helpful like small nail gun cases, for stowing brad nails and accessories.

The truly ridiculous cases are from router combo kits. 75 cubic feet, yet it won't store an edge guide. 
I just put them in the attic in case I ever need them, or want to include them with a future sale. 
I think tools with cases, manuals, and accessories are easier to sell.


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## doninvegas (Jun 10, 2010)

I keep my jigsaw and plate jointer in their cases because I don't use them much. All the others got tossed. I really hate the stupid duffel bags that some tools come in


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

Now that I have a "real" shop set up, I keep my tools on shelves under the bench, at the ready.

I've tossed all but a few of the plastic cases.


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## hoosier0311 (Nov 8, 2012)

I have a piece of plywood up in the rafters of my shop, that's where those plastic cases end up. Like somebody else said I work in my shop almost exclusivley.


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## alohafromberkeley (Oct 26, 2011)

Am I the only one who's never bought a tool that came in a plastic case? Man, I gotta join the real world!


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## MJCD (Nov 28, 2011)

I find that the tool cases run the gamut from Ridiculous to the Sublime. The Festool & Bosch cases, for the most part - and there are some awful exceptions to this - continue in their role as home-for-the-tool: I have a small shop, with the specific tools I need; so those I have I keep in boxes. I do love throwing away tools and cases which fall short of 'functional' - and you have to do this religiously to make the 'system' work.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I have about 50 of those puppies and I've thought about cutting the inside out and using them for other things ,it just seems like it might be a big pain cutting them out on the inside, my best idea about cutting them out is to use my Fein multi tool,any one have a quicker way?


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

A soldering gun with a blade tip will cut those buggers like a hot knife through butter, or plastic or something.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Sounds like a good way to go Michael ,except I don't own a soldering gun ,Crazy huh with the hundreds of tools I own.
How about a fazer set to stun


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

Glad to read on here it is legal to get rid of them. I thought there must be some law requiring them to be kept. I guess I can clean house!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I love them. Most are remodeled as necessary to transport tools to job site.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

I don't want my tools to get covered in sawdust, over spray, or get damaged in any way, so I use them. They're useful as well for working away from home. Ridiculous? I don't think so, but each to his own.


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## Nicopernicus (Nov 20, 2013)

My first post and I am stunned at the responses…thanks for some advice, some good gripes, and the great quotes. I believe my general answer lies somewhere within the framework above…some will get tossed some will stay for the sake of the tool..(My drill cases seem to have the best record) I have two Bosch cases that are solid, rectangular and metal with no fouling on the insides, I will be storing my dado sets in there and that seems reasonable. I like the Fein multi tool idea or the soldering Iron for removing the awkward guts of some of them…I also was unaware that disposal of these things is just out the door with the regular recycling or garbage.

I was hoping for that Ahh Haaaa… moment from someone who had made a profound discovery, but I see that not unlike me wasting time on these buggers is well just that…a waste of time.

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds"


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

The only hard plastic case I have is from my Bosch router. Everything else came in cardboard boxes, which have been tossed. I've been considering tossing the bosch case as well.


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## BinghamtonEd (Nov 30, 2011)

The only thing I have that get kept in the box is my Dewalt biscuit joiner, because the box is reasonably sized and stores well, and almost never gets opened.

The Bosch router ones I think are the worst. I have the 1617EVS combo as well as the colt. Those cases are definitely sturdy and well-made, however getting everything back in, along with accessories and cords, that's a pain in the ass. I just keep them in my router table cabinet.


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## Domer (Mar 8, 2009)

I guess I am also in the minority.

I use the tools that come with cases less often than my stationary tools but also use them enough to want to keep them so I have a shelf dedicated to store them all. Keeping the cases, in my case saves on room and keeps the tools organized and much more dust free that if they were out on the shelf. I can find the tool quickly and get it out without having to fight the cord and keep the accessories in the case.

I also have a few Festool tools and store them on top of my dust extractor. Again, it keeps them clean and uses very little space. It is a little annoying when I have to unload all of them to get to the bottom tool but still well worth while.

So for me, I like the plastic cases. But I don't understand why you would get angry if you do not like the plastic cases. Throw them away. There are a lot more important issues to get angry about.

My 2 cents worth.

Domer


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## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

I keep all the handheld power tools in an old kitchen cabinet. Keeps the dust off, keeps them in a known place that's easy to get to, and keeps them out of the way when not needed.


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## SebringDon (Feb 1, 2013)

Tools I use infrequently, like the corded impact driver I only haul out for concrete work, live in their plastic cases, stored out of the way of daily activity. Tools I use every day have a home under my workbench, and the plastic cases are long gone. Some of the latter (sanders, mostly) even live plugged into a power strip so I can grab one and go to work.


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## MarkwithaK (Sep 12, 2009)

The one that came with my biscuit is actually being used for it's intended purpose. The rest are usually collecting saw dust underneath a bench. I keep them with the intent of gutting them and re-purposing them. The one that my Milwaukee router kit came is freaking huge though.


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## JustChet (Sep 17, 2013)

I have kept a couple of cases around, most notably the one for my circular saw and the metal one for my Stanley Handyman router kit. Most of the others sat at the curb on a non-garbage collection day. Gone in less than an hour. I tend to make my own cases that I customize to fit the tool, all accessories, and available storage space.


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## reedwood (Jan 27, 2011)

Nice to know I'm not alone dealing with this insignificant detail that just drives me bat ******************** crazy. I hate cases.

Who is designing these things anyway? Did their prototype tool NOT come with a cord? WHY is it they never leave enough room for the cord? How about maybe an indent for a standard 18 ga. nail box or a removable storage box for an apex and bits?

So much potential to make something sensible. Definitely a market here. Would you pay 49.00 for the perfect after market tool case?..... I might.


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## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

Funny you should post this. Last week I stacked them at the end of the driveway. There was like eight of them. Someone came by and relieved me of them. The scavengers do me a great service. The old shop vac that died, lasted about an hour at the end of the drive. Basketball hoop, old dryer, broken dishwasher. Rarely do they last a day.


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## Maggiepic (Aug 26, 2010)

I'm with you reedwood. A sensible case that fits the cord and misc. sundries for that particular tool would more likely be kept on the keeper list. I would pay good money to have my old beat up metal sawzall box back compared to the new plastic crap that you cannot put the saw back in without removing the blade. Then bending the cord at the end of the tool so severely just to be able to close the box and latch it.
On a good note thou…my Max 18g. nailer does have a space for box of nails….but the nailer was a disappointment… :^(


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Saw an ad on tv this week for the dual saw, a sawzall with two blades. On the infomercial, they mentioned that it came with a plastic carrying case, a $40.00 value.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

*On the infomercial, they mentioned that it came with a plastic carrying case, a $40.00 value.*
So how many of us have a small fortune in plastic cases just sitting in the basement/garage/shed? Better sell them fast before the market collapses or you'll be storing them in the attic with the beanie babies.


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

I like having them and have actually added empty cases to my collection if I have a tool that didn't come with a case. Until I have a chance to get an actual shop set up, it keeps the tools safe and helps keep me organized. though those sentiments might change once I get my shop set up. they are light enough that they could sit on top of the sheetrock in between ceiling joist bays.

But hey if you don't want em, throw htem on the craigger and someone will buy them.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

You could price them a $15. That would be more than 50% off! ;-)


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## stephan (Mar 6, 2012)

I guess Im in the minority I keep all my tools in the cases they came in. They all have a place on the shelf, but Im a little on OCD side.


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