I'm looking for a quite small tool bag, one ideally with a lot of exterior and interior pockets to hold small tools. The purpose is to have a set of house maintenance tools actually in the house, instead of out in the shop. Something about 11-12" square and made of nylon would be great. Anyone have a source?
HD sold one briefly a couple of months ago, but no more.
-- Andy Barss
Harbor Freight, about $7 on sale.
Sears, HF, or just about anywhere.
Check the Duluth work clothes site for good quality tool pouches & bucket pouches. Bugs
I picked up an Irwin bag at my local Hardware store (YardBirds) Its nice. I have one for the Office too.
Here is a list of their stuff:
This is a great item to look at Big Lots or Harbor Freight for. Big Lots in particular, has some great pricing on stuff like this. I've purchased several different tool boxes and that type of thing that I use for miscellaneous stuff from guitar equipment, to sound equipment, to tools, to you name it. For those uses, it's all the quality you'll ever need - it's often name brand or near-name brand stuff, but because it's truck load purchases, it's cheap. Skip right past the tool section though. Don't even look. Don't even think of looking.
If you make your own, it will have exactly the pockets you want. Even w/out a sewing machine, it's only about 15 minutes work with a needle.
: If you make your own, it will have exactly the pockets you want. : Even w/out a sewing machine, it's only about 15 minutes work with a : needle.
You must sew faster than I do -- I think it'd take a day or two with a needle and thread for me!
I bought one recently at Lowes specfically for the same purpose, except for the truck instead of the house. There were a number of styles, all made by "Husky". Might want to DAGS on that.
CLC (Custom Leather Craft) makes some nice bags. I have one that I use for my electrician tools. It's sturdy enough to keep it's shape and stay upright, and has good zippers and lots of useful size pockets. Home Depot doesn't seem to carry them any more, but you can find them on the web.
Woodcraft bags are a good bargain when on sale, but not in the same league of quality.
Duluth Trading Co has a nifty catalog, but in my limited experience with their products, they seem like more hype than substance.
Have you had a look at Lee Valley?
Do they have the Big Lots discount chain where you are? I saw something like what you are describing there, just the other day, for about ten bucks. If no Big Lots, whatever chain near you sells the chinese knockoff tools will probably have similar. (Big Lots used to be industrial/manufacturer surplus, but since the chain expanded a few years back, I guess demand outstrips supply, so they have to sell imitation surplus now.)
aem sends...
Lee Valley certainly doesn't sell knock offs of anything as far as I'm aware. Two days ago, I did in fact look at the tool bag that I gave the link to. It's as solid and as functional a tote bag as I've seen. Not always, but in many instances, you get what you pay for when it comes to tools and accessories.
There are lots of solid and functional tote bags and the likes available lots of places. Cheaply as well. The point of looking at a place like Big Lots is that some things just simply do not justify buying an item at boutique prices. The quality difference just is not there, so why spend 2X,
3X, or 4X for a name? When quality is obvious, then spend the money on quality, but when it's not then go with the best price. This thread did start out after all, with a fellow looking for a decent tote to stick some tools in for around the house occasional use.
You're right of course and tote bags approach the level of being a commodity. However, my limited experience with thrift shops most often tells me that I'm wasting my time in them unless I'm looking for something that will fill the quick and dirty usage category and not especially irritate me when I have to throw it out.
If I have the time to spend hunting for something suitable in a cut rate store, then by all means, that's where I'd go. If I'm looking for something I know is a quality product, with the knowledge that the guarantee is absolute and the product is dedicated to a particular task, in this case a tote bag for *tools*, then I know there's an excellent chance of finding the most useful tool bag at Lee Valley. And I know, I won't have to waste a great deal of time doing it. So it all comes down to how much time one wants to spend looking and how *decent* a tote bag they're looking for. IMHO
And yes, I admit it, I'm a little bit of an elitist in the products I buy, so that usually sways what and where I buy too.
Nothing wrong with being an elitist. We all are in some ways. I agree with what you say above but my point was that the products which were being discussed at places like Big Lots are indeed good products. We're not talking inferior quality here that is going to fall apart with any amount of use at all. The point that at least one other poster and I were trying to make is that you can indeed buy some quality stuff at the most unexpected places. Others never find out about these things unless someone posts that they are there. Being an elitist aside (again - I'm fine with that), I'll match my commodity stuff that is in this category of "tool" if you will, against any brand name or boutique shop product. I just don't get any doggoned bragging rights.
: If I have the time to spend hunting for something suitable in a cut rate : store, then by all means, that's where I'd go. If I'm looking for something : I know is a quality product, with the knowledge that the guarantee is : absolute and the product is dedicated to a particular task, in this case a : tote bag for *tools*, then I know there's an excellent chance of finding the : most useful tool bag at Lee Valley. And I know, I won't have to waste a : great deal of time doing it. So it all comes down to how much time one : wants to spend looking and how *decent* a tote bag they're looking for.
: And yes, I admit it, I'm a little bit of an elitist in the products I buy, : so that usually sways what and where I buy too.
I am too, but in this case a duplicate of the cheap Home Dept one I already have (it, plus a bigger tool bag, was $20) would be excellent -- it's for a general toolkit that will stay in the house, used by me or my wife for small and infrequent jobs.
The big-ass elite tools I keep in the shop.
-- Andy Barss
I purchased their top of the line nylon belt with two pouches but found it could not stand up to daily use on the job. Probably last forever for home use though.
Mike O.
I got a BucketBoss pair of bags at the Black and Decker outlet in San Marcos, TX. For $20 I got a big bag and a small one just like you're describing. I use the heck out of them for projects at the mother-in-law's home or really anything outside the shop.
They're much nicer than a tool box: lighter, more flexible -- there's ALWAYS room for that last tool.
-Mike
Andrew Barss wrote:
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