Thread: Systainer, L Boxx, Makpac - same same or not?

Answering my own q.
I see they're all made by the same company. Makpak are cheaper because they're 'classic' model, with no T-loc. For me T-loc not necessary, because these boxes will almost never leave my shop. Easy.

Originally Posted by rogerwilco

So I've got tools from lots of brands, and like everyone who's tryna ram their hobby into home garage, I don't have a lot of space.
The blow mould cases that most of my tools came with are hard store because they're all different sizes

snip

If you were building storage system based on similar containers, what would you choose and why?

I'd build a set of pull-out shelves based on these units that Lee Valley used to stock SYS-AZ Systainer Storage Drawer - Lee Valley Tools
I'd position the runners within a unit made of construction ply with a thin hardwood face strip.
My reasoning being that at the end of the day, I want to spend my limited shed time making stuff, not unstacking and restacking boxes to get to the toll I need to use.

The Festool classic systainer and Makita Makpac are almost identical. They can work together.
The biggest difference is the price. The Makpac 1 pictured here cost me $29 and came with a battery tray.

I have about 18 of these in various sizes. Love them. I have two roll boards and would like a third something to make them easier to move. Easy to stack in the car, but they also take up a lot of space. I find it easy to use the tools as the vast majority of accessories or consumables are in the case with the tool. Just today I went through my sander systainer, it has about a dozen different papers in it. More than I am likely to need on any job.

Hi,

I've been through a similar experience and have both makpac and sys 3 boxes. They are both great but connecting the boxes together is a lot easier with the T loc. If you are going to nest them and need to get the middle one out to access a tool I would go for systainer. I am also a home wood worker who mainly works at home. When I first got my garage I built a side bench out of mdf with full extension drawer runners and drawers (400mm deep) which housed most of my power tools. Very basic construction and has been there for close to 15 years with no issues. I really like it, I know where everything goes, one drawer pull and bang I have my hand on the drill, saw, router etc. Then last year I was doing a bit of work at other houses while I was unemployed. Moving tools was a pain in and out my drawers so I got into the systainer/makpac system. But while they are great for tool storage they are kind of annoying in the workshop, if they are nested and you have to get the one in the middle out, then you have to leave it on the bench etc while you are using it, they can get in the way. I really like this idea to store them at home Glass Impressions
If I was doing a set of drawers again I would probably incorporate something similar for the tools that I take out of the garage often and keep standard drawers for things that don't leave the shed.

There are heaps of great setups on the festool owners groups, but some of those people have too much money!
Anyway with all of that said, different sized boxes annoyed me no end so I have made a couple of wooden systainers which are almost finished and if they work out I was going to make some more for the tools I don't use much and will stack them somewhere. They have been a fair amount of work for just a box, but they will connect with sys3. It would be way cheaper (if you have the time) to make some simple boxes if you want them to nest together. That way you can always grab what you need if you need to go out of the garage.

The other point I would say is that I personally think the systainers are on the small side being 300 x 400, if they were 50 mm bigger they would get more in the box. I am actually about to make a couple 300 x 500 to house my rotary hammer etc.

Sorry it is a bit of a ramble, if you are after pics of the drawer set up or my systainer set up let me know.

Cheers

Rod

I actually find these boxes annoying to use in the shed for tool storage, esp if you are stacking them on top of each other.

I build square-like shelves to put each tool into and the things which go with that particular tool (eg spanners/fence for router or blades for saw etc). It could also be done with drawers. Much easier to grab without stuffing around.

I only use these boxes for dominos, other then that my other boxes just contain the stuff i never use and are stored elsewhere.

I see some setups where the drawer is just a tray and you put the box on it which would be better then stacking these boxes. But it would also take up much more space.