Milwaukee Packout drawer mod details
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- Опубликовано: 17 мар 2023
- As requested I share details about my process in creating the Milwaukee Packout rolling cart drawer modification. I shared all of this live on Twitch, so if you are interested or have further questions, follow me there where I can answer you live via text chat.
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I apologize for the audio quality in this video. I am using RTX Voice software to mute out a lot of the background noise in my live streams while using power tools, running heaters and fans, etc. and realize it also adds in a lot of audio noise of its own. I will try to add some additional filters to remove those as well.
As someone who enjoys the problem-solving aspect of engineering, this video had my full interest from start to finish. Thanks for sharing your thought processes through each step of the build. I may have to give this drawer mod a shot, although I’d be in for quite the task by the sound of it. 😊
As I said, I've streamed live on Twitch almost every weekend for about 5 years. It's become a habit to say what I'm thinking about any given project and more importantly why I'm doing it that way since that may not be readily apparent on video. My viewers often ask about the details or give me ideas about how it may be done differently which is very helpful in breaking me out of linear thinking to find another way of looking at a solution. That process makes me learn as much if not more than they do. Thank you for your kind comments.
Definitely one of the cleanest mods for the rolling toolbox that I’ve seen so far! Thank you for sharing! If only Milwaukee will pay attention and make it a little easier for us needing this type of efficiency in their rolling stack. I have built handtruck dollies for my stacks so I can use a “proper” hand truck to move my drawers around when on un-even terrain… even in commercial construction environments, where their dollies don’t enable us to get the job done. Thank you for sharing your process; I’m going to have to put my rolling tool box back into service in a manner such as this. 🥃🥃
I have seen the mods for using a standard hand truck for picking up the stacks and agree: That's a very smart mod for commercial usage and allows you to use all drawers with perhaps a toolbox with a lid on top. Unfortunately, for my very specific usage of my boxes...that doesn't work for me. The two stacks I have just barely fit into the cargo well behind the rear seats of my Sienna AWD minivan. I can't fit a hand truck behind them and would have to carry it inside the passenger area. By adding the drawer I didn't take up any extra room and don't end up with a hand truck I'd have to store.
I'll add that I made both of my rolling cart handles removable and have plans for another mod using them both as legs to support a third stack that I bring to a few events with a fancy coffee making setup in it. I really like the idea of being able to use the handles for something else once they are removed.
This is one of the most beautiful mods i have ever seen, thank you so much for the info i am gonna build one this weekend
Very, very kind words Alonzo. I am not used to doing this type of video. I tried to be informative and realistic that this was not an easy project.
You did a really great job! Great video!
@@saivyia I am a finish carpenter by trade and always consider how a project will look. Not everyone agrees on aesthetics, but I am very glad you like it.
The last one was incredible. Why havent they made a roll box like this yet is beyond me
I wish they would. It would save me a lot of work.
It's infuriating, can't understand why they don't release a drawer version
Milwaukee just announced that they'll be releasing a bottom rolling box w/ drawer (basically just like this one) sometime in 2025. This build is absolutely beautiful though, excellent craftsmanship!
@@BEdmonson85 im aware but fuck that milwaukee needs to give this man his credit!
The level of thought, problem solving and craftsmanship that you put into this is awe inspiring! At the beginning I thought that is the absolute greatest Packout mod ever! Half way through I knew it is! your accounts of every obstacle encountered and how you (with some help from your Twitch followers) overcame each and every one was just wonderful. Problem solving like that is hard to come by these days. Don't have a Twitch account so I do hope we get updates on the process here! Cheers and Thanks.
Very kind words Isaac. As of now the mod is complete and in use. There are some cosmetic details I will address as well as a bungee grid project to keep the contents of the drawer from shifting in transport, but I'll get to those later. I have another mod in progress adding a removable folding shelves to the sides of one stack that will integrate with and still allow the Packible Joey Jr to function. I'm also gathering materials to add a monitor and computer to the top box. With the popularity of electronic shifting systems and E-bikes, I'll need it for doing diagnostics.
This is fantastic. My bottom box is actually empty at the moment, because it’s such a pain to access.
Very nice job. Great idea. Thank you for sharing this.
As a Packout enthusiast and one who appreciates not only a great mod, but one that whose form and function are beautifully thought out and executed, let me say, Job very well done. Thank you also for the thoughtful approach and thoroughness of the explanation. Describing the iterative process also helps to show that sometimes these ventures are a bit of a leap of faith and can require a learning curve. Appreciate you giving a nod to the members of your other channel for giving you valuable ideas and feedback. Class act all around.
I tip of my Red cap to you, sir!
Best comment I've received on any platform, right here. Mistakes were definitely made, though nothing that "ruined" the mod, just things I learned could be done better. That's the price of being a pioneer. Thank you very much for your thoughtful input. You encourage me to do more.
@@Wordbiker And I, for one, look forward to seeing it. Thank you for the kind words.
Awesome video! You always make me want to buy more Milwaukee stuff! This mod would change the storage classification for me as i would no longer put items i barely use in the lower box. 🥰
That is exactly why I did it. Now I can work out of all the boxes in my stack.
That is pretty awesome. Well done.
All I can say is WOW. With out a doubt this the best mod I have seen for the Packout. I truly with Milwaukee would make the mod available for those of us who are not quit up to your level of skills. I can fix almost anything, but doing the mod that you did, well a man has to know his/her limitations. I know mine. But if they had a kit, well I might try it. If you ever decide to sell a kit (perhaps a 3-d printed plastic one?). Well put me on the list to buy it . I AM READY. Thank so much for a great video.
I appreciate the compliments! Sadly, my skills are in custom fabrication by hand as a trim carpenter, not in 3D design and fabrication. If I did the mod would look much different and utilize more plastic for weather resistance and shaving weight. I never set out to make a kit or sell drawers, so it would have to be reverse-engineered by someone with different skills than mine.
Well done sir! That is definitely a great solution to the inconvenience of that packout. I think if Milwaukee tried to implement this, the pack out would be way too expensive.
Although none of the Packouts are truly waterproof (IP65 is a dust and splash rating), a Milwaukee version would be much better sealed and lighter weight than mine. I'll be first in line if they release one.
In re-watching this Mod-video, it really does impress how much thought you’ve put into every aspect of this build. A couple thoughts I’ve had, which may well have been covered by other commenters/ contributors or yourself but thought I’d put it out there for you or others to ponder for their future iterations.
First, I love the T-Nut feature with the adjustable support leg to add for stability. You’ve probably already thought of/ considered this, but it seems like that might be a possible place for some casters as well, for maneuverability in tight spaces during transport.
Second, it looks like a modified drawer with a rear cantilevered bump out could make use of some of that space in the back past the wheel wells. It would depend how you utilize your setup, how far your drawer glides can extend and if you need that extra bit of space. My thoughts were shorter upright items like a bottles of lubricant, small hand tools etc.
Honestly, though, trying to improve on this is like DaVinci, saying, “Wadda you tink about my Mona Lisa?” And responding in my best Jersey half impressed nonchalance and saying, “Ehh, it’s nice, but she’d look a whole lot prettier if she smiled a little bit. Would it have killed her to make the effort?!”
First off, you are far, far too kind.
Regarding the casters: Yes, I did give them some thought, but my main concern was for stability when working out of the boxes and being able to level them on uneven ground as well as in my shop since I work out of them in both situations. It bothered me a bit that the rolling cart doesn't sit level even on a completely level floor. Once opened past the detent the drawers slide all the way open. With the leveling feet I can set it up where the drawers neither open or close by themselves, only where I put them. Locking casters may have worked for more mobility, but would lack the height adjustment and would be next to worthless in the dirt. The leveling feet still allow for some slide and don't add to the footprint.
As for the drawer, it does have some wasted space in the rear as well as the thickness of the plywood compared to something fabricated or molded out of plastic as Milwaukee would do. A cantilevered bumpout would add some square inches of volume, but not much to the footprint of the drawer. It would also have added a tremendous amount of difficulty to producing a squared and parallel drawer versus the simple rectangle, so I took the easy way out. I had initially thought about utilizing the wasted space for building in a power bank system, but in the end it's not enough room for most commercially-produced batteries and inverters, so I'll be building that system into a discrete Packout box.
Right now I'm working on building a computer with touchscreen monitor into the large toolbox that is fanless and will run on a battery bank, so that's keeping me pretty occupied.
Thank you for your more than kind and very witty comment.
@@Wordbiker All valid points. The dedicated computer and charging boxes sound like they would each pose their own unique set of challenges. It’ll be interesting to see what solutions you come up with, should you choose to share those in the future. Keep up the good work and enjoy the day.
This is best mods i have ever seen, thank you so much
Thank you very much Hector!
The best mod I've seen so far.
Unfortunately its too difficult for me to do.
But thanks for sharing.
Right there with you... I was watching thinking I could never pull this off! 😢
I have been trying to figure out how thank you so very much for sharing
I originally posted some pics and short videos on FB and got such an overwhelming response that I made this video to explain. It was quick and dirty, but hopefully gets the points across. Thank you for the positive comment.
Really nice job… I would use mine way more often if it was like yours. Thanks for the inspiration 👍
Awesome mod!!! 👍🏻
This is built better than most cars.
I can't say I agree, but I'll take the compliment. It is holding up well going on a year now.
You're awesome as always dad!
You are biased! 😂
My daughter watches my streams on Twitch and has also given me input. It's good to be accountable to those you love.
This makes so much sense. We'll done
That is a great mod! Such a pain in the ass to unstack to get stuff out of the bottom.
Thank you Joseph! I have more mods in the works, all about making it easier to access without unstacking.
Milwaukee definitely should give you credit if they make it. In the mean time you should make them and sell them.
What would you feel is a good price?
@@Wordbiker I’ll pay you $250 -$300 with shipping for one
On top of base box price
@@ElectricProductions2 I'd pay that for a Milwaukee version for sure. As for my version, that would barely cover materials.
Excellent Fabricating, I read all the comments and it is infuriating that Milwaukee still 11/4/23 not come up with an upgraded model. Come on then Dewalt you figure this out please.
I do agree about having 1-Large Drawer in the bottom vs 2/3 drawers. Such a great fabrication job.🙏
Thank you! I took it on as a labor of love and spent the time to make it look good. That also made it function well and I haven't had any issues with them all racing season, hauling them all over the state.
same problem here, good id!!!! Wil do the same.
Nice. In fairness to Milwaukee, packout was never intended to be mobile cabinet system. The idea was for an organised modular system for bringing tools and gear in and out of site,
I agree, but once they introduced their drawer systems, the game changed. I saw several videos of people dumping all their boxes in favor of the drawers that give much better access, even while still stacked. My use for them is definitely as a mobile work system that stays stacked, though I still appreciate the flexibility of being able to unstack them and fit them into pickup beds with tonnau covers, to lighten the weight down to single boxes for hand carry, or if one ever gets damaged it can be replaced easily. The only complaints I've heard about Milwaukee is not responding to market demands...such as offering a rolling cart with a drawer.
Gonna do the same to my toughsystem 2.0 thank you
Thank You! I'm Gonna do the same.
You are very welcome. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
Great idea so you dont have to unstack ,,, however,
U-line has a smaller set-up.The bottom rolling box just flips open, the 2 middle boxes are drawers, the top box open from top .
You can acess all tools. It blows the Milwaukee boxes away. They are just too bulky in my opinion.
The U line boxes are justa bit light duty on the way they clip together, and the wheels and handle are light duty..
I wasn't aware that U-line had boxes too. The new Toughbuilt system looks good too and if you really wanted a rolling cart with a drawer I would just adapt the Toughbuilt to accept Packout on top. That would be much less work than what I went through, but I don't regret it. Packout suits my needs quite well and I'll be sticking with it. More mods to come.
Take a shot every time he says "through process of elimination"
Well, at least you can tell it wasn't scripted. 😂
@Wordbiker for sure! As far as the mod it's cool. Wouldn't fit what I use my roller for but I'm sure someone will want to do this. Great work.
Nice craftsmanship, but what I did was buy the milwaukee dolly and a few milwaukee drawer boxes. My rolling box is on going to the park or beach duty.
I get that. My stacks barely fit in the cargo well of my minivan as it is. Adding a dolly isn't an option.
I'll add that I know I'm not the only person with very specific space requirements that are met only by the built-in cart function and yet also would prefer a single large drawer. Judging by the near viral response to my project, Milwaukee needs to get on building one soon. I know I'd buy one.
Love this mod and the thought process behind it - why the square ply blocks in the lid though? Or did I just miss something? Been looking at a way to better utilize my rolling crate too
Thanks Andy. The blocks embedded in the lid were to screw into. The lid is held from opening by two screws driven up through the front crossbar into them. If I ever need to disassemble I just pull the drawer and then the screws.
👏👏👏👏👍
Hello, this is an awesome mode, thank you for sharing. Do you have a timelapse video from the whole modification process?
Unfortunately I do not. I started the process not even knowing if I could succeed. I had some ideas, but until I got into it I really didn't know. I did post a progress pic thread in the Milwaukee Packout group on FB with notes about what I learned. I got so many questions about it that I made this video to further explain what I did and why. Never mind the haters and assclowns that gave me a hard time, most people were really cool and genuinely curious about how I did it.
@@Wordbiker Are the photos available? I would appreciate some advice. Thank you.
facebook.com/groups/4472834446116683/permalink/6137755396291238/
Prays the lord Jesus Christ and great video brother!
Toughbuilt is releasing a bottom rolling drawer and I can hardly wait
Yes, I've seen that and it could be a much easier option than what I did. Slap some Packout adapters on it and keep all your other boxes stacked on top. I've also seen that Toughbuilt is deeply discounting their boxes. Hopefully that doesn't mean they're on the way out.
@@Wordbiker I don't think stacktech is going anywhere. Lowes in my area can't keep them on the shelves at full price
Well done! So well done, I can see Milwaukee copying this concept...
They already have one coming out.
@@steffendetrick any info regarding this?
Make Me One! I will pay you no more than $25 Canadian, now chop chop toolbox boy
Take my money!
My only question is can it fit atleast a 7 1/4 saw and sawzall
I can fit my DeWalt compact reciprocating saw and 6-1/2" circular saw. Don't have a cordless 7-1/4" to try, but there's some spare room. Doesn't matter to me though, that's not why I built it.
So can I purchase one from you built up
Sorry, I built these for a specific usage, not to sell.
doesnt fastening the lid to the box alleviate the flex issues?
The internal frame did that more than anything. The lid is held in place from below with just a few screws which allows me to disassemble it for repairs if needed. If you could find some adhesive that will bond to the Packout plastic you could attach the lid permanently, but it would still have a lot more flex than the uncut box. I have yet to need to repair anything and it's been in use for a year.
I can’t believe they still haven’t released a drawer version.
Yeah, I am with you. I'm working on gathering materials and tools for my Version 2 which will be all plastic and aluminum. I'll likely have it done before they come out with one.
@@Wordbiker yeah I’d say that’s likely. I’ve considered my own hand truck version starting with a Magliner hand truck.
@gtcam723 I've looked at the Magliner approach, but unfortunately it won't fit in my cargo bay.
What did you use to cut the plastic with?
A reciprocating saw and an inline jigsaw. The reciprocating saw (most people call it a "Sawzall" regardless of brand) is pretty common. The inline jigsaw is a bit more rare. Mine was made by Bosch, the Sabre Plus B4050. A more standard jigsaw could be used with an appropriate blade for plastic, but keep the speed low to prevent melting the plastic as it will cool and grab onto the blade. Other plastic trimming and shaping was done with a 3/8"x13" belt sander, a sanding block and with hand tools.
@@Wordbiker so you cut it out and then ease the edges with a sanding block or belt sander essentially? And then just if you think this mod could be done on to the side of a box, the box fits sideways in my car and so I wanted to make the side a drawer I’m assuming it’s the same process I might just have to add a latch for the drawer to be held in place
@@salient2849 Yes, I planned the cuts very carefully, marked them all out and got all of the internal stiffeners and components fitted before committing to the cuts. That's what kept the external shape of the box the same so the original latches still worked.
I hadn't ever thought about doing a side drawer as my usage is all from the front of the box. From there I was able to get most of the usable volume from the drawer. From the side I'm sure you could apply a similar process, but the drawer would have to be configured in an "L" to clear the wheel and you'd lose a lot of the available space. There are things you could do with the "lost" space like embedding a battery power bank, etc, but that wouldn't work for my needs. If you do a side drawer, I'd love to see it. Thank you for your comments.
@@Wordbiker I’d actually make it out of the 22inch box so I wouldn’t lose any space but I’d still be able to fit the bigger tools
Love the mod, not sure i trust myself to craft the bracing etc, dont suppose you fancy sending those bits to someone with a 3D printer or metal CNC? Can see people jumping at a 'kit' for those mod ❤
I appreciate the positive feedback, but I'm already on to other mods. I did put a picture of my drawers on the review site for the rolling cart and told Milwaukee that they need to make them. They actually responded and said they'd forward it to the right department. Maybe we'll see one soon.
Do you have any type of plans available for this
I don't. Had I set out to build a kit or make a how-to video I might have taken more notes. Basically I just figured it out as I went.
What length drawer slides did you use?
They are 12" soft close. Nothing special, just ordered them from Amazon.
@@Wordbiker thanks!
@@Wordbiker how about the plastic sheet for the front?
Is it fully necessary?
It is not fully necessary, but it does provide some water splash protection for the inside of the box as well as provides a handle to open the drawer.@@salient2849
i want to buy one please let me know how to get ahold of you lol
Very impressive… way too much work for me though, I’ll just wait for Milwaukee to come to their senses.
I won't argue: it definitely was a lot of work, but it was also pretty fun to figure out.
Wouldn’t it be much easier to take a 2 drawer set and cut the bottom out of the top one then connect the 2 drawers together with some aluminium sheeting pop riveted with washers on the plastic side. That’s what I plan to do
Oh yes, absolutely, but not if you need the cart function as I do. I don't have room fof adding a dolly to my stack, so I took the extra effort to make it function as I needed it.
@@Wordbiker oh yeah that makes sense, I watched your vid a few days ago and forgot you had the rolling box. I’ll be getting the new multi depth 3 drawer when they come out, the bottom 2 joined together will give me the depth I need. I have been inspired by your vid though, seeing you cut open a perfectly good box has probably helped me think of my plan.
you could sell these at like 600.00 a piece and people would probably buy them. lot of work went into this mod, i kinda want to try it but i know how much work went into this
I wouldn't be making minimum wage selling them which is why I made the video and gave all the info to make one yourself.
@@Wordbiker right I know 600.00 isn’t worth it. I could tell it takes a lot of time I was saying..
Hell yea pack out with the c ock out
I did most of the build on live cam. That would be against Twitch TOS. 🤣
if one was duplicate this idea out of something other then wood you could can a lot of storage
I'm working on modeling and printing one out of plastic, and yes, I could utilize a lot more of the interior space as well as have a wider and deeper drawer if it had thinner edges.
I can't imagine having that much free time for a mod. When I do projects like this I have to smash it out on borrowed time from family and work.
I stream on Twitch on weekends in the mornings. It's my "Me time" in the shop and I'll usually work on entirely different things than what I do for work which is carpentry, so it's more relaxing and doesn't feel like work. Bicycles, electronics, computers, metals plastics...you name it. This was a mod I knew I needed for the bike season, so I pushed it through, perhaps to the detriment of my viewers. Yeah, I suppose that I could've cut some corners for the sake of expedience, but with this project I knew once I cut the box open, that was it, no going back. I took my time fitting everything before that first cut. It's just my nature as a craftsman to do a good job. Had I just hacked something out, the comments here would look much different, eh?
@@Wordbiker it's an awesome job. It would be cool to have time for that. I'm just so far from having time for that. I run an electrical business, have small children and make philosophy of religion videos. I'd enjoy projects like this though.
@@TheologyUnleashed I'm a bit older and my kids are all out of the house. Besides working full time I also coach for a high school mountain bike team, teach bicycle mechanics at a local co-op and do neutral support for a few local bicycle events. It's good to be busy and feel needed and that you are having a positive effect on those around you. I guess it's all about what you make time for.
@@Wordbiker nice
man thats alot of shaping, i followed up till you got to the front door, the shaping you have to do on the front is quit a lot, but god do I hate down stacking my packout all the time...
I've seen people do far less than I did and they seemed happy with the results. I originally wanted to make it as close to an actual Milwaukee product as possible just to troll people into thinking it was a prototype. In the end I'm glad I put the work in just because it looks good and works well even a year later. I can also repair or replace any part of it.
@@Wordbiker true looks great awesome video thanks for the tips on building one..
@MrPhoenix1800 I try to respond to the comments, even the bad ones. If you decide to take it on I'd be glad to answer any questions you have.
The sound was so bad I couldn't.
Thanks for your feedback. I'm not sure what was going on there, but my audio seems much better now.
That mod is way alot better then the Milwaukee has done.
If I had Milwaukee's capabilities for molding plastic, it would no doubt be way better. It would also likely be very different. I made these to fit my specific needs, but Milwaukee has to please a lot bigger audience.
Would you make me one and I pay you ? You can buy a new one and make it and I pay you for the the work and the new one
I'm not making them for sale, just for myself.
Jesus Christ so much useless talking
And a useless comment. My bingo card is almost full.