Systainers

[Rod]

I've noticed that at least one Bosch product is now supplied in a systainer. And many Festool products have been for a long time.

Is there a definition of a systainer? Are they all supposed to stack with each other? Or is it just a generic word for a 'shaped plastic case'?

[Andy Dingley]

Systainers are a product of Tanos (Tanos GMBH, so they're German too). I presume it's a trademark and they defend it against copies. So for some years you've been able to buy generic Systainers for less than Festool prices (not sure how they compare with Bosch) and everything fits. Their Sortainers are nice too, so long as someone else is paying!

OTOH, I actually prefer the plastic in the older Bosch cases (less brittle). I wonder if it's worth sticking the case from your new Bosch gadget straight onto eBay and flogging it to a Festool user as a systainer alone?

[dom]

I know that Metabo boxes interlock with the festool ones (i.e. it has clips to form the stack as well as being the right size), so maybe it is becoming a standard.

Maybe Bosch have listened - I had a whine at them on a trade stand about how the boxes were becoming ever bulkier (without actually providing useful cubby holes).

[Rod]

Thanks - that got me to this:

Which shows just how many products there are!

[dom]

There's one on ebay now:

|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318The retail price of systainers is outrageous. I'm sure tool manufacturers must be paying a very tiny fraction of that price.

If the full size ones were 10-15 quid I'd consider sorting out some of my unboxed tools or getting rid of some of the ridiculously large boxes that came with some tools.

[Andy Dingley]

I mentioned that to Bosch too once and they claimed that the cases (and this crush space) were designed to protect the tools in case of quite serious accidents, drops of a storey or two.

[dom]

I did that test on my impact driver without the case. I didn't even bother to go down and look and was thinking when I can get out to buy another one - I was amazed it was completely unscathed.

[dom]

Actually a systainer laptop case would be rather cool.

[Mike]

I've seen that Makita have also started using proper systainers, their previous cases like those that they supply with their routers are at first glance lookalikes but they have some very deliberate design 'features' to stop any interlocking which is a bit of a pain.