Homebuilt systainers???

[Derek Tuchscherer]

I really like the idea and concept behind the systainers that come with Festool, but I am far from able to afford their tools and had thought about buyinig systainers to store my current tools. However after pricing this option out the number got to be a little high. So my question is this has anybody built tool storage boxes to emulate the systainer concept? Would this be hard to do and most importantly would it save any $$$$? Has anyone come across plans for such things? If you've built some what are the details (materials, construction hardware etc)?

Thanks all and happy holidays to you!

Derek

[john tomljenovic]

Systainers are actually manufactured by a third party and not festool. the company is called Tanos. I have seen other european tool makers utilize tanos boxes in other colors. It would be a very cool world if everyones tools came in a systainer.

http://www.tanos.de/

there are some US distributors of tanos products, a quick google search found me here....

http://www.off-road.com/offroad/Landrover+News/New-from-Red-Rhino-Products---Tanos-SystainersGear/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/294105?contextCategoryId=32863


the prices are only a few dollars cheaper than festool, although if you made your own it would be a wash cost wise I think.

[john tomljenovic]

whoops, wrong link on the us distributer. they are called red rhino...the ones they are selling just might be festools.


http://www.get-rhino.com/parts/stormcases.php

[Michael Gibbons]

You could probably buy those fairly deep plano fishing boxes and would work just fine. I just finally finished sorting my screws and such and works just fine. The interiors are adjustable with those little dividers.

[Doug Mason]

I find the Festool sytainers to be burdensome (keeping in mind my tools all stay in the shop). I say this because they stack on top of each other and are difficult to get at. I prefer a tall stack of plywood systainers (cubbyholes) where I can put my small power tools (routers, jigsaws, ect) along with their associated parts--and as there is no front cover to hide thier view, I can quickly find what I want. I have a cabinet tall systainer for my router station--it makes my life much simpler.

[Dave Sabo]

John , red rhino's gear is festool systainers. Doesn't appear you can get the dark grey non festool ones in the pics from them.

It is also my understanding that the family that owns Festo in Germany also owns the Tanos company. A sister got the tool division, the bros. got the pneumatic company and I cannot remember if Tanos was bought or is part of the tool div.

[john tomljenovic]

Yea dave you are most likely correct, with the red rhino product being festool, although the possibility of different colors just might be there. Tanos has no problem selling to festools competitors and has a big product line catering to the medical industry as well. That defibrillator the paramedic brings (after the heart attack from the CC bill of a festool purchase) just might be housed in a systainer.

the breakdown of Tooltechnic (the parent company) goes like this:

http://www.festool.com.au/artikel/artikel_weiterleiten.cfm?id=245

I agree systainers are probably not ideal for a shop confined environment. but my shop goes on the road sometimes, and after the times I was able to carry 5-6 tools (systainers) plus vacuum together up three flights of stairs in one trip convinced me of there usefulness.

Even if you have no use for the systainer, one thing that can not be denied, is there is a ready market for the them and can be sold. Unlike (pick your brand) propiertory cases that cannot conform to other uses.

[Matt Meiser]

I've seen them in grey with purple latches:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=35540

I did a Google search and found all sorts of places in Europe that sold them. IIRC the pricing wasn't that much different than Festool, not even including any shipping. Someone else asked on here about there being a market for importing them a few months back. The response was favorable, but only if they sold them enough cheaper than Festool to be worthwhile.

[Dave Sabo]

Matt the pics is decieving, that is the standard Tanos livery, the latches are Blue. It's the color you'd get if you order from a Tanos dealer in Europe. BTW, the orig. Festo gear came in this color scheme years ago before the name change.

John, third party that is owned by Festool, call it a division if you'd like.

How in the world do you think someone is going to import these things cheaper than the manufacturer does? The Dollar is in the tank vs. the Euro, you 've got to pay shipping at non container rates, and I'll guess you won't be running it as a charity, so you'll want a few bucks too. To me it'd be worth a few bucks xtra to get different colors. How about a red and black one for the Hilti rotrary hammer, or Black and yellow one for the Dewalt biscuit joiner?

FWIW - I have seen 2 colored ones in this country recently. Metabo had a small hammer drill come in a green and red case, and I also saw a Makita colored box on ebay once, that might have come out of the US distribution channel though.