Milwaukee. ICONIC. My youth was spent lugging red steel tool boxes, emblazoned with the lightning bolt logo, up and down innumerable flights of stairs in New York apartment buildings. The Sawzall is legendary, the Magnum is what all other drills aspire to. I still hang drywall with my 30 year old Screw Shooter… the first top-of-the-line tool I ever bought.
So here I am, in my shop. I just unpacked a plastic tool box sent to us by Milwaukee. A red, plastic tool box, with the iconic white lightning bolt across the front. My heart sank a little. Really Milwaukee? A funky, tall, top heavy looking plastic tool box? Why do I want to throw my gear in this, rather than a compound bucket, which I have plenty of? Okay, I’m being judgmental, I thought. Let’s check this thing out.
At first glance, I actually thought it was a cooler. It is definitely perfectly sized for a 6-pack (plus ice and a hoagie), but there is no insulation. Nope. Instead, it has tool caddies inside. Definitely a tool box. Aha. The top doubles as a seat, and the height makes it the right size for a work stool. Again, I’m thinking compound bucket. It does have a nice handle though, that makes it easy to carry, even completely full. The handle doubles as a lock, keeping the lid secure. No more taking fast corners only to hear the hardware bucket dumping over in the back of the truck. Hmm, I’m starting to like this idea!
The tool caddies inside act as dividers, and are a little funky. The screwdriver holders are square, and pretty deep in the box. I think the upper tray could have been a little deeper, too. For a home tool kit, it is probably a good size. For guys and gals who need to carry a lot of hardware, screws, anchors, caulk and other sundries on the truck, it is a really great size and shape as a single use box. Like tubes of caulk, all standing up and nicely organized. Or boxes of screws, nails and anchors. Or plumbing fittings. Perfect!
In some ways this box may be a hard sell because of its unique configuration, but after thinking about it, I can see a lot of uses for it. And, if you were wondering…yes, I could not resist… I stood on it. It says clearly on the top “DO NOT STAND ON THIS BOX”, so please, don’t try this at home. Let’s just say, in a pinch, it will hold up to a 200 pound carpenter at least as well as a compound bucket. AND FINALLY… wait for it… It’s made in the good ol’ US of A.
Bonus Inkzall Review
Milwaukee…markers? C’mon you guys, how can you improve on a good ol’ Sharpie?! Well, Milwaukee has come out of the box with another non-power tool that surprised me greatly.
As you may have discovered, if you drag a Sharpie permanent marker across a greasy or dusty surface, it can pretty much kill them in one shot. The tip is never the same again. So, here comes Milwaukee with the Inkzall. No, I’m not kidding! Inkzall! Available in fine, medium and chisel points, they really do work head and shoulders above my dear old Sharpie. Plus, they feature a hard hat clip and lanyard hole. Sorry Sharpie… you’ve been served!
You can find the Milwaukee Jobsite Tool Box for a bargain $32 at Home Depot.
I like the Inkzall, but I can’t seem to keep the cap on the back of the marker while I use it. A loose marker cap floating around the jobsite is a no-no.
I have always liked milw3aukee’s inovations