In The Workshop-New Electrical/Technician Tool Pouch

[Phog Allen]

Gents, every so often I put up one of these workshop postings with something hopefully interesting to the board. The last one was a scratch built tele antenna. As an electrician I am always on the lookout for a better way to organise and utilise tools and materials related to my job. I carry a very nice Veto Pro Pac MCT at work and really like it. However, my old tool bag at home was getting a bit worse for wear. Many pockets finally giving way at the bottom and that sort of thing. Time for an upgrade.

This led me to a lot of web searches and a lot of second guessing. Anyone who works with hand tools will tell you; the perfect tool carrier does not exist. Dependent upon trade and even task to hand, the needs can be very different. So you compromise for a best fit when possible. Enter a company called Ergodyne. They make some nice products. They have an EMT/Firefighter vibe but their tool carrier section is pretty well rounded and quality seems great. Prices are as expected not exactly bargain basement but as we know, quality usually does not come cheap.

Anyroad, enter their 5518 tool pouch with 16 pockets. A very sturdy, attractive(as tool pouches go), and well laid out tool carrier. Whomever designed this knows their work. I put one in the Amazon cart and waited. Sure enough, a few days later they offered me a price that made me hit the click button. About 60% of retail. $42 and change. Sold. Here are some photos I snapped on the deck. Just a mobile phone and the tools on a white towel. I was around 35F, 45 mph north wind and snow flurries. I hurried it up!

 

[Phog Allen]

Some more. I wanted to link straight from Google drive but I don't think it works properly.

Everything I loaded into it. Much of it redundant and would be replaced with other items. I wanted to see how much it would hold without doubling up tools in any pocket save the outside two. Well, the middle back but as you can see, the utility knife and torch fit nicely. The answer is; a lot. I think I counted 23 tools in there. The second photo shows the digital mulitimeter.

 

[Dave in KY]

Nice. I love my Klein tools too but carry too many.

 

[Phog Allen]

Wow Dave. You are loaded for bear with that bag. Looks like some of the CLC product. Pretty good stuff. The heavy loading is something I did a lot in my younger days but consciously avoid now that I am getting to the end of time as a workaday electrician.

I carry the Veto Tech MCT at work but am very car3ful about how it is loaded. I think I am somewhere betwen 15-20 pounds as it is currently laid out. If I can hunt down the link I have a thread here with the photosmof it. Tweaked since then but still holding to the nouch thing.

I am also migrating some of my tools to Wera and Knipex along with a really nice combination pliers from Gedore(Austrian) I bought this week from KCTool. Great pliers spoil you. I wil, snap a photo of them and upload it soon.

 

[Mr. Bonney]

That bag does look nice. And I'll be checking out their website.

Since discovering the Bucket Boss about 20 years ago I've never lacked for tools at the unit location (for A/C service). Though, these days it's alot harder to haul all of that junk up a ladder.

 

[Dave in KY]

Wow Dave. You are loaded for bear with that bag. Looks like some of the CLC product. Pretty good stuff. The heavy loading is something I did a lot in my younger days but consciously avoid now that I am getting to the end of time as a workaday electrician.

I carry the Veto Tech MCT at work but am very car3ful about how it is loaded. I think I am somewhere betwen 15-20 pounds as it is currently laid out. If I can hunt down the link I have a thread here with the photosmof it. Tweaked since then but still holding to the nouch thing.

I am also migrating some of my tools to Wera and Knipex along with a really nice combination pliers from Gedore(Austrian) I bought this week from KCTool. Great pliers spoil you. I wil, snap a photo of them and upload it soon.

I ain't young anymore either (53) and don't do it for employment anymore. That was in the house to weigh for a checked bag (25 lbs) as I'm leaving the 25th to do some volunteer relief work in Puerto Rico for 2 weeks. That's why I'm loaded for bear.

 

[Phog Allen]

That bag does look nice. And I'll be checking out their website.

Since discovering the Bucket Boss about 20 years ago I've never lacked for tools at the unit location (for A/C service). Though, these days it's alot harder to haul all of that junk up a ladder.
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Mr Bonney, that is a well set up service kit. Indeed, much as I hate admitting it, you just cannot do physically what you did at 25. Oh you can. For awhile. But you will pay for it.

 

[Phog Allen]

I ain't young anymore either (53) and don't do it for employment anymore. That was in the house to weigh for a checked bag (25 lbs) as I'm leaving the 25th to do some volunteer relief work in Puerto Rico for 2 weeks. That's why I'm loaded for bear.

Well, there probably aren't any B'ars in Peurto Rico but you're ready anyway! And good on you for the relief work. Best of luck.

 

[Raissermesser]

I always cheated. I used have them in my truck toolbox and put the tools I needed in a five gallon bucket. The bucket worked well because I could put other things needed in there as well.

 

[Phog Allen]

Gents, just to add some more ADs to you, here is the latest pair of combination pliers I purchased. I got them at kctool.com. I paid $36 plus sales tax. KC Tool is a very good, very reputable online distributor of German hand tools. They also have a sales counter but don't look for displays if you go there. Most of their business is online and wholesale. Since they are close I stop in every once in awhile. I had to have these Gedore pliers. Flawlessly finished, they are quite comfortable to hold. Gedore is unusual in the U.S. workplace but are huge in Europe. Their catalogue is huge. I am anxious to try them out.

 

[StillShaving]

Nice pouch. This has got me to considering once again to move my modest tool collection out from a big chest into multiple pouches. Even though the tool chest is nice to organize tools and easily see everything, I find that I make multiple trips back and forth to accomplish any DIY repair job.

If I had multiple pouches, maybe one for all the screw drivers & pliers, another for open end wrenches and adjustables, another for cutting and measuring tools, ... it would take up less space and function better.

 

[Phog Allen]

Possibly. Another approach a lot of tradesmen take these days are task specific bags or pouches. Say, a primarily electrical tool bag or pouch. One for HVAC. Plumbing is a bit trickier because of the size of the wrenches. Carpentry is another matter too because of the wide variety of tools. And of course some things overlap like HVAC, electrical, and electronics.

Most have a large box or bag for the bulk of it and the task specific stuff goes into small portable pouches. I just bought a Husky 7 pocket model for 10 dollars that holds a linesman pliers, diagonals cutter, wire stripper and small ling nise pliers. And a pencil and marker and two screwdrivers. This allows a very lightweight carry setup for routine electrical maintenance. The combos are endless.

 

[Phog Allen]

Uh, sorry for the fat fingered typing. It should have read; long nose pliers.

 

[Akis]

Gents, just to add some more ADs to you, here is the latest pair of combination pliers I purchased. I got them at kctool.com. I paid $36 plus sales tax. KC Tool is a very good, very reputable online distributor of German hand tools. They also have a sales counter but don't look for displays if you go there. Most of their business is online and wholesale. Since they are close I stop in every once in awhile. I had to have these Gedore pliers. Flawlessly finished, they are quite comfortable to hold. Gedore is unusual in the U.S. workplace but are huge in Europe. Their catalogue is huge. I am anxious to try them out.

Gedore and Knipex pliers - best in the world.

 

[troy]

Nice looking bag, I really like the flap cover. Looks a little small for my taste though, but maybe I should downsize. I usually carry something similar to Dave's pic. Hard to find the right balance, seems like I'm always carrying too much or not enough, usually both some how. Love the Knipex tools! I used to think no one could hold a candle to Klien lineman pliers, but the Knipex are so much better, and the cobras make Channellocks seem like a toy.

 

[Toothpick]

Here’s a joke I just made up: How many pliers does an electrician need? Depends how big his tool pouch is.

It’s a work in progress.

 

[Dave in KY]

Nice looking bag, I really like the flap cover. Looks a little small for my taste though, but maybe I should downsize. I usually carry something similar to Dave's pic. Hard to find the right balance, seems like I'm always carrying too much or not enough, usually both some how. Love the Knipex tools! I used to think no one could hold a candle to Klien lineman pliers, but the Knipex are so much better, and the cobras make Channellocks seem like a toy.

You're tempting me.................

 

[Phog Allen]

While I use and support Klein, I have to admit the fit, finish, and function of the Knipex combination pliers work better for me. Most of it has to do with the balance and weight of the 'combination' style pliers. If you look at a combination and New England style pliers side by side, you will see a marked diffefence in the size across the width and the taper of the nose. That, and I can get the Knipex in that gorgeous, rust resistant chrome plating!

As for the weight vs carrying capacity of the Arsenal, as loaded in the photos is not super heavy. And remember, I jammed it as full as I could with typical commercial/industrial electricians tools. In practice I would never carry three wire strippers in one pouch. This was to show what capacity the bag had. I will change out some of the tools for precision screwdrivers and a network tool or three to show what it may look like configured for say, an install tech for data or security. That's always the rub with carrying tools. Just when you think you have it all figured out you are either toting around too much...or still don't have what you need to hand!

 

[Phog Allen]

Here’s a joke I just made up: How many pliers does an electrician need? Depends how big his tool pouch is.

It’s a work in progress.

But...but...Jason, it's not a joke.

Absolutely, give an electrician a paycheck and an extra slot in a bag or pouch and he will explain to you how dire his need was for that certain pliers he has to use...three time per year.

 

[Dave in KY]

When I did it for a living my saying was,"It's all about the tools". I just love having what's needed when a job comes along. When I had a project and a certain tool was needed, I wouldn't borrow if I didn't have it. I would buy it and have for ever after.