5 Milwaukee Packout Additions Every Home Mechanic Should Have
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Milwaukee Tool is most famous for its power tools and equipment, typically colored in the company's signature fire engine red. However, it makes plenty of other products for the jobsite, as well as for DIY-ers, including tool storage solutions. Several of Milwaukee's tool chests and other storage units are part of its Packout modular system of tool boxes, tote bags, organizers, hooks, racks, and more. The innovative method of tool storage starts with a base, which you can then build onto with more storage units and other accessories, some of which are tools in their own right, like wet/dry vacuums and 18V battery chargers.
Milwaukee's Packout system is a great way to organize your equipment and ensure you have everything you need in one place. It can be especially useful if you're a home mechanic looking for lifehacks to create more space in your garage. If you opt for a wheeled cart as your Packout base, it also makes it a cinch to roll out multiple toolboxes and more to your car, whether a few feet away or out in the driveway. Based on hands-on testing by experienced tool reviewers (more on that at the end of the article), here are five Milwaukee Packout additions every home mechanic should have.
22-inch Packout Rolling Tool Box
If you own a wall-mounted Packout base or are buying Packout gear for the first time, the Milwaukee 22-inch Packout Rolling Tool Box is a good starter stack builder thanks to its portability. You'll get a decent-sized toolbox that can hold some, if not all, of your gear, plus it also acts as both a rolling cart and the foundation for you to add other Packout accessories and storage gear.
It's durably built and has 9-inch wheels to help you pull it over rougher ground, and can hold up to 250 pounds. It's also waterproof with an IP65 rating, has metal-reinforced corners, and metal-reinforced holes for padlocks that can keep your gear secure. Its interior gives you plenty of storage and comes with an organizer tray.
In its thorough hands-on testing of the product, Pro Tool Reviews noted how the lid can stay open on its own even when the box sits at an angle, and also cleanly snap into place. Pro Tool Reviews adds that "the latches are stout," but "the telescoping handle seems awfully close to overbuilt." However, that seems like an intentional design, as the toolbox is meant to support anything and everything you attach to your Packout loadout, including all accessories. The publication also notes that while Milwaukee includes a metal washer for the padlock hole, it can easily be lost. Milwaukee's 22-inch Packout Rolling Tool Box has product code 48-22-8426 and is available for $139 from Home Depot.
Packout Full-Width Organizer
If you're the type of home mechanic who likes to keep everything in its right place, you'll want to invest in Milwaukee's Packout Full-Width Organizer, which can keep your screws, bolts, smaller tools, and other loose items secure and in order. The bins are completely separated, so nothing will slide into a different compartment as you roll your Packout around, and a transparent lid lets you see where everything is kept even when it's shut. Like the larger Packout toolbox, it's IP65-rated with a hard, impact-resistant body.
The interior dimensions of the organizer are 18 x 12 x 3.9 inches, giving you plenty of space divided into eight small and two medium-sized bins, with a long, slender middle section for lengthier tools. You can't customize the bin shapes, and the middle section is unfortunately not removable, but Pro Tool Reviews calls it "definitely useful" in its hands-on review of the organizer. If you're okay with not being able to micromanage the interior of the organizer, you'll find it a great addition to your Packout kit. The Milwaukee Packout Full-Width Organizer, product code 48-22-8430, is sold by Home Depot for $50.
M12 Packout Flood Light w/USB Charging
The Milwaukee M12 Packout Flood Light w/USB Charging is a very useful piece of equipment in its own right, made more so by its ability to cleanly attach to your Packout kit. With its most powerful of three modes able to generate 1400 lumens and last over four hours with an M12 battery (interchangeable with many other Milwaukee power tools and products), you can make your Packout a traveling light source — in addition to a portable toolbox. Even better, the light can be adjusted 300 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically. The unit also conveniently has two integrated ports — one USB-A and one USB-C — for charging your phone or other devices, as well as a modest compartment to store your phone, screws, bolts, and other small items.
After getting some hands-on time with the Milwaukee Packout system, a Trail Tacoma reviewer wrote that the "flood light and charger kit works great." However, it should be noted that this Packout accessory is top-stack only — you'll have to put it above everything else in your loadout, and can't put other Packout accessories on top of it. This makes sense, considering it's an adjustable flood light, but make sure there's nothing else you'd rather sit on top of your Packout system before purchasing this. You can find Milwaukee's M12 Packout Flood Light w/ USB Charging unit (product code 2356-20) for $127.99 on Amazon and for $149 at Home Depot.
Packout 15-Inch Structured Tool Bag
If you're looking for a lighter storage option for your tools, there are different-sized tote bags you can get that are also designed for the Milwaukee Packout system. Milwaukee's Packout 15-Inch Structured Tool Bag can make it easier to take the tools you need most off your rig and more easily carry them around your vehicle, or even take with you if you need to run on an errand or do a quick tune-up on someone else's car. It can hold 50 pounds and has 65 total pockets, giving you plenty of space for your gear. It's also equipped with a storable padded shoulder strap to make carrying it even easier.
The tool bag has a reinforced structure that can hold its shape, and it's made with 1680D and 1800D ballistic material that's tear resistant. If you really want to protect your tools from drops, impacts, and water damage, you'll want to opt for a hard case instead — but the Packout system allows you to have both. Tools in Action, which gave Milwaukee's Packout system a 4.8 out of 5 review, notes that "no one else offers" the ability to lock your tool bag onto a hard case, and that the tote is built with "all metal hardware, which means it's designed to last." The Milwaukee Packout 15-inch Structured Tool Bag has product code 48-22-8316 and is available from Home Depot for $270.
M18 Packout Radio + Charger
One clever addition to the Milwaukee Packout system is the M18 Packout Radio + Charger, which lets you play music and keep your phone charged directly from your gear stack — plus, it can charge the M18 batteries compatible with many of Milwaukee's best-rated power tools. While you might assume a jobsite radio would be inferior to one made by an audio equipment brand, its 10 speakers and balanced 360-degree sound can fill your garage while you work on your vehicle. In its hands-on review of the product, Woodshop Diaries writes that the Radio + Charger went beyond "expectations in a lot of areas, but sound quality is top notch," adding that the radio's audio is "clear, loud, and perfect for when you want all-around sound."
You can play AM/FM radio (including 18 preset stations) or use its AUX port or built-in Bluetooth to connect to another device. Plus, the durably-built unit is impact, water, and debris-resistant, and comes with a weather-sealed storage compartment for your phone, extra batteries, and other items. It even comes with an attached bottle opener.
It's expensive though, and if you're conservative with your money, this may not be the product for you. After all, there are plenty of cheaper radios and chargers — likely some in your garage already — or you can listen to music from your phone. But, if you're looking for the convenience of having everything neatly connected to your Packout and kept in one place, Milwaukee's M18 Packout Radio + Charger would be a good investment. It has product code 2950-20 and costs $299 at Home Depot.
How we selected these five Milwaukee Packout additions
Milwaukee has expanded its lineup of Packout products since it initially launched, and will likely add more down the line. To make sure SlashGear recommended five of the best Packout additions for home mechanics, we looked to experienced reviewers who've gotten their hands on and physically tested the equipment themselves. People who have actually opened and closed latches and felt the heft and weight of Packout cases, or worked with the compatible floodlights, would know best if Milwaukee's products are useful and durable enough to be worth your money.
Other considerations that went into which products were selected included whether or not they are currently in stock — so that you can purchase these recommendations right away if you wanted to — as well as if they were right for a home mechanic. Certain Packout accessories, like the wet/dry vacuum, are great products made better by being Packout-compatible but aren't necessarily at the top of the list of things a mechanic needs in their garage. You may certainly want to add on products like that, especially if you're looking for a more well-rounded tool collection, but this list is focused specifically on home mechanics.
Finally, we wanted to make sure a diverse range of Packout accessories were represented in this list. There would be nothing wrong with adding two different-sized storage cases or tote bags — in fact, you likely will need more than one. But rather than recommend two different tote bags that really only differ in size, we wanted to highlight more creative ways to use Milwaukee's Packout system, such as by adding the M18 radio or USB charger. You may find that once you set up your Packout system, you'll know which other additions are right for you.