What do you do with all the cases that your tools come in?

[dennis thompson]

I just got as a gift the Milwaukee 5614-24 router, seems like a great router. It came in a red plastic case about 1.5 feet wide & 3 feet long. I now have about 10 of these sitting in my basement from various tool purchases. Here's my problem,...the cases seem too good to throw out, I know I'll never use them again...what do you do with them?
Thanks
Dennis

[Fred Hargis]

I do throw them out, except for the one Festool (and only) case I had....I sold it. I'm told those tool cases are popular at yard sales, as well as Goodwill. But my first line of defense if to try to buy the tools without them, pretty much not possible anymore.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

They end up in my garage attic were they will stay forever. I never use them for their intended purpose of storing the tool. It's a waste for me.

I did modify one case to put my electrical soldering supplies in it. I had to cut out the interior molded compartments.

-Jeff :)

[mike holden]

I throw them out. Waste too much space. Only possible reason for keeping them would be if I used the tool on a jobsite, but since I am a hobbyist - I pitch em!
Mike

[mickey cassiba]

I keep my tools in 'em. But then, I store my tools in a shed, and under my trailer, and pull 'em out on the porch to use 'em. That may change when I finally get a shop built.
Mickey

[Joe Scharle]

I store the tools in them on shelves.
Otherwise, they would roam all over the shop and hide from me.

[Fred Belknap]

I use most of them to store the tool in. I have them lined up like little soldiers along the wall and under tables. It helps keep the dust out of them, some have a place to store the blades, bits, nails, manuals, etc. Also most tools are plastic and rubber and sunlight does bad things to those and keeping them in the box will help. The hardest thing is how to get the dang cord back in the case.

[Wayne Sparkman]

On another thread, someone used one of those cases under a DC bag, as support.

Otherwise, with enough of them, I guess you could built a "green" house.
That'd be interesting.

[Mark Patoka]

Because I have the garage attic space, they get stored up there, never to be touched again unless I move which probably won't happen for quite some time. I guess all those years of military moves where it really helped to keep all original packaging and boxes hasn't left me. I finally threw out the cardboard boxes and styrofoam that most of my tools came in, knowing I would never repack them in there, even if I resold them.

[Bill Arnold]

Most of mine still hold the tool that came in them. The boxes I didn't want to use that way went to Goodwill. My ROSs are in a drawer together with paper, etc. The plate joiner is in the drawer with jars of biscuits and a template.

[Von Bickley]

I throw most of them away. I keep my sawzaLL in the case because I seldom use it. I also keep the biscuit joiner in a case for the same reason.
I keep my nail guns in cases because the dirt daubers will build in them if they are left out. :)

[harry strasil]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=70311&highlight=plastic+tool+cases

[Lewis Cobb]

Because I have the garage attic space, they get stored up there, never to be touched again unless I move which probably won't happen for quite some time. I guess all those years of military moves where it really helped to keep all original packaging and boxes hasn't left me. I finally threw out the cardboard boxes and styrofoam that most of my tools came in, knowing I would never repack them in there, even if I resold them.


+1 on the garage attic ! When the attic starts to get plugged, I do a culling based on years the stuff has been up there. The last time I threw out some boxes up there it turned out it was for tools that I no longer own :eek::D

[Rob Robinson VT]

Since, like many here, my only "shop" in the past was my garage when the car wasn't occupying it, I too have been keeping my tools in their respective cases. Hadn't really given any thought about what to do with them once my shop is finished but this thread has caused me to ponder that. Will probably continue to keep my nail/brad guns in their cases as they're relatively easy (plus one of my first projects will be to build an air tools station for them and my compressor), but my Milwaukee circular saw is something of a pain to repack, particularly that unwieldy cord! And then there's all of those nice zippered bags for the assorted sanders, jig saws, Ryobi 18V One+ stuff, etc. This weekend I'm moving an accumulation of "still-in-the-box" tools into my shop, including a drill press, combo disc/belt sander, bandsaw, bench vise, etc. Gonna be a lot of cardboard to haul off to the transfer station! :eek:

[Rob Robinson VT]

btw, on a (slightly) related note, here's some very clever guys up in Vancouver & Seattle who've built a thriving new business on renting out reusable packing containers:

http://www.frogbox.com/

[Ron Bott]

I just got as a gift the Milwaukee 5614-24 router, seems like a great router. It came in a red plastic case about 1.5 feet wide & 3 feet long.

I have that same router combo. That case is ridiculous!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Pitch them in the rubbish.
With one exception I've never had one that was worth keeping.
And that one was a - - - - EEEK - - craftsman.

[Keith Harrell]

I store them in my shop attic along with other things I should throw out but know I will find a use for one day. It's been six years but still may need those things I'm sure.
If I didn't have the space I would have dumped them as space inside my shop is a premium.

[Rob Robinson VT]

The late, great George Carlin had one of the best takes on this . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

[tyler mckee]

I keep the tools in them, i do some work on boat interiors and its nice to have every tool in a case. Although usually when i'm working on something i'll have a pile of empty boxes and the tools laying allover the place.

[Stephen Edwards]

Sometimes a case will come in handy for a different tool that came in a cardboard box. For example, someone recently gave one of the new HF multi tools to me as a gift. So, I have a stout plastic case that something else came in that makes for a good storage case for the the multi tool with its different attachments.

For some reason I can't bring myself to throw the unused cases away. Fortunately, my barn loft is huge!

[Paul Atkins]

All you guys who 'throw them out', do they really go to the landfill? They all are recyclable. (They can be made into more cases.)

[Erik Christensen]

until the warranty period of the tool expires - that way I can ship it back in the factory case if needed.

when case is no longer needed I put them in the free section of craigslist - keeps them out of the landfill and somebody always has a use for them

[Chris Tsutsui]

I keep my cases

Though even some contractors I know throw their cases away and just put the items into a bucket or tote.

You can bring 5 or more tools at the same time, rather than take 2 or 3 trips carrying plastic totes.

hmmm, maybe I should stash the cases... free up some garage space. :)

[Jason White]

I keep them.... for sentimental reasons. :rolleyes:

Most of them go up in the garage attic in case I move. Except for the Festool stuff, which stay in the boxes. They all snap together and roll around on top of the vac, which is nice.

Jason


I just got as a gift the Milwaukee 5614-24 router, seems like a great router. It came in a red plastic case about 1.5 feet wide & 3 feet long. I now have about 10 of these sitting in my basement from various tool purchases. Here's my problem,...the cases seem too good to throw out, I know I'll never use them again...what do you do with them?
Thanks
Dennis

[Rob Robinson VT]

until the warranty period of the tool expires - that way I can ship it back in the factory case if needed.

when case is no longer needed I put them in the free section of craigslist - keeps them out of the landfill and somebody always has a use for them
That's a great way to handle it and you're right, there's always someone out there who's got a use for just about anything that we no longer need.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

[Leigh Betsch]

I follow Harry's lead from the last thread. Give'em to the brother-in-laws for Christmas!


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=70311&highlight=plastic+tool+cases

[Ivan Warrington]

I label them on the and store on a shelf.

[Don Jarvie]

It was either this site or another that was selling them cheap.

I keep all mine in the case that came with one so they don't get damaged.

[James Carmichael]

Give em to my 7 yo to play with. He fills them with happy meal toys, then all can be disposed of conveniently:D

Someday science will have to create a plastic-eating termite.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I just got as a gift the Milwaukee 5614-24 router, seems like a great router. It came in a red plastic case about 1.5 feet wide & 3 feet long. I now have about 10 of these sitting in my basement from various tool purchases. Here's my problem,...the cases seem too good to throw out, I know I'll never use them again...what do you do with them?
Thanks
Dennis

I've kept the ones for the tools I even THINK that I'll be moving to a jobsite. I own commercial properties and now the house/new shop in NC. Good thing I've kept the cases for the sawzall, circ saw, cordless tool set, air nailer, etc...... else I'd be transporting all of these things in cardboard boxes.

Not much need to move a router, belt sander, etc, so those types almost always get tossed.
.

[harry strasil]

Some of them make good emergency recepticles for your auto, they also make good tool boxes for vehicles. Also fun to put some trinket into one of them and stuff with paper for gifts LOL.

Or if you know a crooked auctioneer, put one on a sale, and then accuse him of swiping the tool that was inside.

[glenn bradley]

I collect them all over the rafters. I figure by the time I retire, I'll have enough to strap together like a raft and I can head for Jamaica.

[Jon McElwain]

I have a couple that I end up storing tools in, but most I have taken to cutting out the molded portion of the cases so that they are only a shell. The blow molded cases are great for this as when you cut out all the special tool shaped pieces of plastic, you've got a great universal tool box.

[george wilson]

I have 1 power tool,a scraper for scraping machine tools back to accurate. It cost $2500.00,and I keep it in its box.

The trouble with these boxes,is that the idiots that design them truly make it a PITA to get the power cords back in.

[John Coloccia]

Because I have the garage attic space, they get stored up there, never to be touched again unless I move which probably won't happen for quite some time. I guess all those years of military moves where it really helped to keep all original packaging and boxes hasn't left me. I finally threw out the cardboard boxes and styrofoam that most of my tools came in, knowing I would never repack them in there, even if I resold them.

I'm not military, but I've moved WAY too often (7 times in the last 10 years) and I had a problem with saving boxes and cases too. All those stupid little allen wrenches and junk that come with tools. LOL. Like I need another cheap allen wrench when I'm just going to reach for a good one anyway. I'd been storing all the cases out in the attic space above my shed, and this was a step up from storing all my tools in the cases. Now that I'm settled in, I've been starting to throw everything out...and I mean everything. I'll keep the occasional obscure tool in it's case, like my Sawzall. I hardly ever use it, and when I do it not in the shop but outside somewhere.

It's liberating. Makes it feel like home.

[Leigh Betsch]

I say we find out the who the tech service person is at PC, DeWalt, or where ever and sent them all back to him. All of us at the same time. Wouldn't that be a hoot! About 1000 empty plastic cases showing up at his cubical at once!!!

[John Downey]

Fill a couple of them with fish guts and leave them in the back of your truck in the Home Depot parking lot. :D:D:D

[Rob Robinson VT]

Fill a couple of them with fish guts and leave them in the back of your truck in the Home Depot parking lot. :D:D:D
I like the way your devious mind works! :cool:

[johnny means]

I throw mine out with the rest of the packaging. I find them totally useless for transporting tools because of the ridiculous size most of them are. Why does a drill require a case the size of a milk crate? I do like the tool bags that my Ridgid tools all seem to come with. I can fit 5 tools into one bag the size of a single router case.

[Dan Manning]

That's it, I'm sold on the gutting of the cases for odd-tool-boxes. I have plumbing equipment in a darn suit-case. With a broken latch. Thank you guys. Other than my chain saws and pin nailers, and other hi-tech tools I have, the other renegade blow-molded space-wasters will get a new lease on life! Wow, go figure!;)

[John Downey]

I like the way your devious mind works! :cool:

thanks, but more often than not it just gets me into trouble :D:D:D

[Steve Rowe]

Use as emergency floatation devices.:D:D