Probably my most used and least appreciated tool is my “tool bag”. Whenever I have a work project to do, I always take my tool bag with me. The reason is simply that it saves me time in the long run (and, I might also add, usually allows me to do a better job too)! Invariably, in the middle of a project, I will discover that I need this or that other tool. Since I keep a wide variety of tools in my tool bag, rarely do I not have that “other needed tool” in my tool bag.
For many years I didn’t use a tool bag. I would just grab what tools I thought I would need, put them in a paper grocery sack, and head to my project – - too often forgetting a tool I would need in the process! I, of course, had known that many craftsmen and professionals used tool bags but until I had actually purchased a tool bag for myself and used it for a while, I didn’t really realize just how useful and valuable a tool bag is. In selecting a tool bag for myself, I did quite a bit of research on tool bags and was glad I did. There are many tool bags out on the market to choose from, but all tool bags are not the same. I eventually ended up getting the for myself and have really been pleased with it.
In performing my research on tool bags (including reading many customer reviews), here are a few tips on what to look for and what to consider.
1. Don’t buy a poorly made (and usually that means inexpensive) tool bag. Like with most other tools, the old saying “You get what you pay for” holds true. Too often the customer reviews showed that the customers who thought they were getting a really good deal because of a low price on a tool bag found that the bag they purchased was poorly made and didn’t last. The first sign of the poor quality was the stitching would come loose or a zipper wouldn’t work and then the tool bag went downhill from there. Reading a lot of customer reviews will tell you which tool bags are well made and which bags are not. Buy a high quality bag and it will last you many years!
2. Be sure to buy a tool bag which has an extremely well made handle design. Tool bags by nature are usually heavy because of all the tools you carry in them. There is nothing that will make a tool bag useless quicker than a broken handle!
3. Select a tool bag with lots of pockets – - - both open pockets and zippered pockets. Having pockets allows you to locate the tool you need much faster than when you have to dig through a bunch of tools all thrown together at the bottom a tool bag. Think of a tool bag just like you would a tool drawer. It is much easier to locate tools in a tool drawer that has compartments than a tool drawer that doesn’t.
4. You will have a choice between “Open” and “Closed” tool bags. An “Open” tool bag just means that the tools are not enclosed and are readily available to grab when you need them – - – just like tools on a tool belt. A “Closed” tool bag is a bag which has all or most of the tools enclosed in the bag using a zipper or snap button seal or flap. I personally recommend that you select a “Closed” tool bag with zippered flaps. That way, you have the best of both worlds! You can unzip the flap and leave it open so you can access your tools while you are working on your project, and then when you are through with your work, zip up the bag so the tools are safely secured in the bag when you are transporting it.
5. If you do choose a “closed” style bag, pick a tool bag that does have a couple of small open pockets and also a clip on the outside of the bag. That way you can use the clip to hang your tape measure on (something that I am always using) and the open pockets to keep a couple of your other most often used tools in (e.g., I keep a carpenter’s pencil and a box cutter in mine) for quick access.
6. Choose a tool bag that has a comfortable shoulder strap. Having and using a shoulder strap on your tool bag will “free up” the use of one of your hands so you can carry something else (e.g., an impact driver or a circular saw) if your need to.
7. Once you choose the tool bag you want, keep a small flashlight in the tool bag. Sometimes you will find yourself trying to finish up a project in the dark or working in a darkened area and having a flashlight handy to locate the tool you are looking for will both speed up the search process and lower your frustration level as well.
As I indicated before, I ended up choosing the Veto Pro Pac Model LC Tool Bag and highly recommend that you take a look at it and see if it will meet your needs. But whichever tool bag you ultimately choose, hopefully the above tips will be of help in selecting the right tool bag for you.
