For gearheads, professional tradespeople, DIYers, and hobbyists of all interests, owning a large collection of tools often isn't only a necessity for day-to-day life, but it can also be a huge point of pride. Tools are undeniably handy for everything from basic DIY tasks to complex and technical repair work. However, tools can also be extremely pleasing to hold in your hands, and admiring a solid collection is no doubt a favorite pastime among tool lovers and gearheads around the world.
That said,
owning a substantial tool collection can be tricky. Not only are tools expensive, but it's also important to store them properly to keep all those gadgets safe and easy to locate. Traditional metal toolboxes, like those found in auto shops and DIY garages across the country, are wonderful options for those with dedicated work spaces. However, if you're a mobile contractor or a hobbyist who moves around a lot while working on projects, you may find stationary toolboxes to be a bit inconvenient. Fortunately, there's a large and, seemingly, evergrowing market of portable modular toolboxes. These devices are designed, first and foremost, for mobility and typically offer numerous secondary features, like the ability to customize your setup with various modular add-ons and attachments.
As mentioned, when it comes to shopping for modular toolboxes, you have many options, including Walmart. The supermarket's Hart Stack System features a base box with a telescoping handle and durable wheels for smooth transportation. Like many other modular systems, it's also compatible with numerous add-ons and attachments. However, with so many modular tool storage systems to choose from, how do you know if Walmart's model is right for you? That's exactly what we're going to cover together. Here's how Walmart's modular tool storage compares to other major brands.
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General Features, Storage, And Weight Capacities
For the sake of comparison, we'll start by taking a look at the base modular unit to see how it stacks up against competing brands. Walmart's Hart Stack System consists of a base cart, measuring 21-inches wide, 22.2-inches tall, and 16.2-inches deep, as well as two additional smaller boxes. The middle box measures 21-inches wide, 10.2-inches tall, and 13.6-inches deep, while the top box is the smallest at 21-inches wide, 4.5-inches tall, and 13.6-inches deep. The assembled unit weighs just under 20 pounds, but Walmart does not provide a weight capacity for the box.
In comparison, the Milwaukee Packout Rolling Tool Box base unit consists of a single box measuring 22-inches wide, 19.5-inches tall, and 18-inches deep. The Milwaukee base unit comes with an interior storage tray and is capable of supporting up to 250 pounds, but it does not include additional middle and top boxes. DeWalt's ToughSystem base unit also features a single box, which measures 33.79-inches wide, 24-inches tall, and 19.89-inches deep. It comes with an interior organizer tray and can support up to 250 pounds.
Other competing modular tool storage systems include the Ryobi Link and Ridgid Pro Gear lines. The Ryobi Link base unit features a single box measuring 22.5-inches wide, 15.25-inches tall, and 19.5-inches deep. It comes with an organizer tray and can hold up to 200 pounds. In comparison, Ridgid's Pro Gear base unit is a single box measuring 25.5-inches wide, 16.2-inches tall, and 19.8-inches deep. It comes with a small internal organizer and can support up to 176 pounds.
Mobility And Quality Of Materials
Each of the modular tool storage systems covered here are designed to be portable and come with similar features in that regard. However, there are some slight differences between the five units. Walmart's Hart Stack System features two 7-inch wheels and a metal telescoping handle for mobility. Additionally, each box comes with side carrying handles and lockable latches, but Walmart does not go into detail about the materials used to build the product.
The base Milwaukee Packout box comes with 9-inch all-terrain wheels and a 19.75-inch fully-collapsable handle for transportation. It also features side handles, is constructed with impact-resistant plastic and reinforced metal corners, and is IP65-rated to seal out water and dust. DeWalt's ToughSystem base box features 8-inch all-terrain wheels, along with a detachable telescoping back handle, and it's described as being built for rugged-terrain mobility. It's also IP65-rated against water and weather, but DeWalt does not provide more details about the box's materials.
In comparison, the Ryobi Link base box comes with 9-inch all-terrain wheels and a telescoping handle that collapses partially. It's built with what Ryobi describes as impact resistant material, features side handles for carrying, and is IP65-rated against water and dust. Lastly, the Ridgid Pro Gear base box comes with 9-inch wheels, which, along with the telescoping handle, are able to be removed from the box itself. The box is lockable and IP65-rated to seal out water and debris, but Ridgid does not go into greater detail about its construction.
Modularity, Accessory Units, And Add-Ons
Similar to the mobility features described above, each of the five toolboxes covered here, including Walmart's Hart Stack System, feature a plethora of add-on and accessory units. That said, not all of these modular tool storage systems are equally as expansive, and some offer fewer accessories than others. The Hart Stack System is one of the products with fewer available add-on products. Besides the base unit, which already comes with three individual toolboxes, the system also features a handful of different units. These products are basically all variations of the three boxes included with the base unit and include things like organizer draws and bins, all of which are compatible with the base unit via latches.
In comparison, the Milwaukee Packout line is much more expansive. It features numerous add-ons and accessories, including everything from additional boxes to organizer bins, totes and bags, wall-mounting products, hooks and holders, and more. Most of these accessories are compatible with the base unit, with the exception of things like drinkware. The DeWalt ToughSystem modular line is smaller than others but still relatively fleshed-out. It features additional toolboxes, rolling carts, organizer bins, wall-mounts, work lights, and more. Most accessory products are compatible with the base box.
The Ryobi Link roster is also fairly large. It features everything from add-on toolboxes to accessory hooks, shelves, baskets, wall-mounted hangers and cabinets, and more. As with the other units, most of these products are compatible with the base unit using locking latches. Finally, Ridgid's Pro Gear modular toolbox system is comparable to the Hart Stack System in terms of add-ons and accessories. Products include mostly secondary toolboxes, with some featuring drawers and others coming in at various sizes, all of which you can connect to the base box via Ridgid's stacking system.
Price And Warranty Information
Besides researching product features and capabilities, it's also important to investigate prices and warranty information when shopping for a toolbox. Each of the five modular tool storage systems covered here, including the Walmart Hart Stack System, fall within $100 of each other, and each includes some form of a lifetime guarantee. Walmart's base Hart Stack System costs $99.98 and, as mentioned, comes with three boxes, while the remaining models come with only one base box.
According to the product description, it also comes with a limited manufacturer's warranty. Walmart does not provide any further details about this warranty. However, the Hart website describes the guarantee as a limited lifetime warranty (although the "hand tool" language leads to some confusion about the nature of the warranty) and states that the company will cover any manufacturer's defects or faulty materials for the product's lifetime.
At $159.00, the Milwaukee Packout base unit is the most expensive product we compared. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which covers the original buyer against manufacturer's defects and faulty materials, but it does not cover damage caused by neglect or misuse. The DeWalt ToughSystem base modular box costs $119.00 and also comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Like Milwaukee, the DeWalt guarantee covers manufacturer's flaws but does not protect against damage caused by misuse or normal wear and tear. At $89.98, the Ryobi Link base unit is the cheapest product we compared and a great cheaper alternative to the Milwaukee Packout. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty with similar parameters as those covered previously. Lastly, the Ridgid Pro Gear base unit costs $99.98 and also provides a limited lifetime warranty.
What Do Users Have To Say?
Before choosing a modular tool storage system to buy, it's also wise to check out the user reviews to learn about real customer experiences with each product. Of the products compared here, all of them have generally positive customer scores. Walmart's Hart Stack System is highly-rated, boasting 4.7 out of five stars based on over 2,300 customer reviews. Users frequently praise the toolbox as being a great option for homeowners and DIYers but emphasize that it may not stand up to professional use.
Milwaukee's base Packout unit is also well-rated, featuring 4.4 out of five stars based on 28 reviews on the Milwaukee site (the lowest rating for any product compared here) and 4.7 out of five stars based on nearly 500 user reviews on the Home Depot site. Customers regularly celebrate the product's materials and versatility, with one stating, "the build quality is excellent — super rugged with reinforced corners and thick plastic that feels like it can take a serious beating on the jobsite." In a similar vein, the DeWalt ToughSystem base box comes with 4.6 out of five stars based on nearly 3,000 Home Depot customer reviews, and users routinely praise the product's durability and value.
The Ryobi Link base box is also exceptionally rated by users. It comes with 4.7 out of five stars based on nearly 2,000 customer reviews, and customers point to the box's portability and durability as strong selling factors. Finally, the Ridgid Pro Gear modular toolbox features 4.6 out of five stars based on a whopping 4,701 user reviews. While most reviews for the Ridgid product are positive, some users claim that the second-generation models are of worse quality than previous iterations.
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