Dewalt has launched a new ToughSystem-compatible rolling air tank.
The new Dewalt ToughSystem air tank has a 20 gallon capacity and 175 PSI max air pressure rating.
Features include large wheels, an extending handle, (4) quick couplers, regulated output, and pressure gauges for the tank and output.
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Dewalt says that the air tank connects with your existing air compressor to help you get longer air tool runtimes.
Dewalt doesn’t make it clear, but the absence of latches or slots in the middle of the top plate suggests that only full-width ToughSystem tool boxes are compatible, possibly leaving out half-width boxes, organizers, and 20V Max powered accessories.
Price: $500
It looks like Dewalt took the air tank from their existing 20 gallon air compressor, and added a user control panel and custom top deck with new handles and ToughSystem plate.
There’s no mention of load capacity.
For context, Metabo HPT has a 10 gallon hand-carry air tank for $189 (via Amazon). The Dewalt 20 gallon 200 PSI air compressor is $700 (via Acme Tools).
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Jason
This is pretty smart, if you want users in your system make it as easy as possible. Especially since Milwaukee doesn’t make any “real” compressors beyond the small one, could be a good entry tool for non-dewalt users to get them buying that system as well.
Was really surprised when Milwaukee launched their first rolling vacs and didn’t have packout compatibility but I see the new ones do now. Ridgid gets a little confusing who’s making what but would be smart of them to incorporate this type of setup in their vacs and compressors. Or even Husky now that they have storage.
TLDR everything with wheels made by brands with modular storage should be hookup ready.
Champs
Guess I’ll have to keep banging the drum for an actual compressor for the base of a complete air tool box and organizer stack.
fred
Rolair’s 10gal version sells for a few dollars less ($166) at Acme:
https://www.acmetools.com/rolair-10-gallon-225-psi-portable-reserve-air-tank-with-four-1-4in-couplers-airkegplus/662865012545.html
Big Richard
For fellow Midwesterner’s, this has always satisfied my needs – https://www.menards.com/main/tools/air-compressors/masterforce-reg-10-gallon-portable-air-tank/9001042/p-1536042526173-c-12910.htm
Justin T
Yep this is going to be my next tool purchase when I get my latest rebate back. It will go on on the cart with my very slowly leaking Makita compressor.
Jim
$500 seems awfully expensive for what you get. No compressor, no motor, just a tank, a regulator and a ToughSystem mount on top.
For comparison, $500 will buy you the 200psi Dewalt “xtreme quiet” 20-gallon compressor complete with motor and 2-stage compressor from Northern Tool. And Husky has several 20-gallon compressors for $350 or less.
Seems like Dewalt is riding that ToughSystem mount to the bank.
Jason
Yep I read this while multi tasking and missed that part. Maybe a real compressor would vibrate too much for the mounts but dang that’s rich for a tank
S
Yeah, I was so excited to see someone do something new with a compressor, I completely missed that this is just a storage tank with the tough system plate in the place of the compressor.
I suspect they’re going to have a lot of returns on this one.
I love the idea, but making it an additional item to a normal compressor really kills every positive vibe I had for this one.
Nate
I love the idea, but $500 for it is insane.
I have such a portable air tank that I attach to my little compressor when I want more storage. Got it for $20 on Craigslist, it’s the bottom of an old Husky compressor minus the compressor.
Even buying a _brand new_ compressor, throwing out the compressor, and bolting a ToughSystem box to the top of the tank, still comes out cheaper.
Is that a typo??
Stuart
Is what a typo, the price? No – Amazon has the price at $499.99.
S
I think DeWalt is overestimating the excess price they can charge for the product being part of the toughsystem, er, system.
To be fair, Milwaukee easily charges a premium for anything packout related, so it’s not entirely out of bounds considering the market.
Matt_T
Majority of horizontal compressors don’t have enough room under the top plate for the piping. They also have crappy wheels and a fixed handle. Turning one into something like this Dewalt isn’t going to be as easy as you think.
A halfway suitable donor compressor would probably run $300. Then the time and parts to hack it. The Dewalt isn’t dyier cheep but it’s a fair price for contractors who can use it.
Jared
I could go either way on that.
If you’re trying to copy the Dewalt, then I bet the price of all the necessary pieces would add up. E.g. a 20 gallon, 175psi auxiliary horizontal air tank is $283 at Home Depot. Given the size and capacity of the Dewalt tank, they’re charging a fairly hefty premium for adding wheels, a handle, a pressure regulator and the Toughsystem interface.
On the other hand, you could add a smaller air tank to a Toughsystem stack, even making some superstructure to carry the load and mount an adapter plate for way less than $500 (you might do a 11 gallon 125psi tank and still be around $100 with prudent shopping) – but that’s clearly not the same product.
For what they made, I think $500 is STEEP, but not outlandish. They could have sold a smaller, simpler air tank to add to your stack for way less – but that’s not the product they released.
skfarmer
i think the price is a little much but doesn’t anyone else see the possibilities?
i see the possibility of a separate tough system compressor unit with a small tank that can be mounted on top to fill it or easily removed to be used on it its own. maybe a 120 volt unit for in shop use and 20 or 60 volt unit for field use. pick the one you need or both.
John
This type of surge tank is very useful for job site applications where you have multiple nail gun users working at the same time, or where there are long runs of hose that can restrict air flow or cause the pressure to drop. The pricing is rather high, but reflective of the market today. Search for a plain 20 gallon air receiver and you experience similar sticker shock. Made in USA is always nice to see, but the steel is likely imported and subject to tariffs, which would drive up the cost.
JoeM
I have to say, this is kinda/almost what I was hoping DeWALT would do with their storage systems all along. I was hoping for a vertical tank, with the rails and locks above it, but I have to admit that was for a much smaller tank. I was hoping the, what was it? 2 Gallon Pancake FlexVOLT 60V and/or 20V Max XR compressor they released, to become a rolling cart bottom, with either TSTAK or ToughSystem attachments on top, extendable handle to drag it around kinda thing. With the potential for a larger, slightly taller version that does the same for either system. I’ve wanted that since they released that compressor all along.
That said, this tank is significantly larger than I was thinking, and seeing the ToughSystem sitting on its back like that does make sense, even if it’s not the design I was thinking they should do. I’m actually now looking forward to seeing what Milwaukee and the TTI family does for their Container Systems integrating a compressor tank like this. I’ll say the same for the SBD family, but chances are pretty slim they’ll do anything all that different than this DeWALT.
I like this thing. I do wish there was a smaller version for small workshops, but, y’know what? It makes me happy to see they actually did the linkup between their storage systems and an air compressor. We’ve got Vacuums over the years, but this is probably the first one they’ve done for a high power air compressor and tank. A very positive step in the right direction, in my opinion!
Stuart
Cramming an air compressor into a small container generally requires a lot of compromises.
You say that this is a “high power air compressor,” but it’s not, it’s just an air tank.
This is a ToughSystem-compatible air tank, but there’s still no ToughSystem-compatible air compressor.
JoeM
Well, it’s the connection to the container system I like. And it is a big tank, waiting for a compressor. I don’t really see how we’d Require a System-Specific air compressor for it, since it would, in theory, be hooked up between the compressor, and the tank, then out to the air tools needed. It’s a very highly pressure rated tank, and that’s what I mean by big and powerful. This isn’t what I hoped for all along, but I do like that they’re giving this a try. It’s a move in the right direction, and as in all things Container-System related, I look forward to how Packout and ToughStack attack this particular niche product.
For my own uses, I think I would still go for the small pancake compressor, for how little I use compressed air. But knowing I could output the power from that compressor to that giant tank, and be able to make use of it on a bigger scale, given the chance? I like that. I like the scaleability. This isn’t what I originally thought would be where things would go, but I like it nonetheless.
And yes, I still hope the powered compressors get a size increase to act as a midway point between the little compressors, and this huge tank. Even in precision terms, having a compressor, and a tank to hold the air, is an easy way to reduce the need for compressed air cans, for cleaning up/dusting, as well as the odd painting use. It’s something we’ll need in our collective industrial arsenal for many years to come! It makes me happy to see it moving into the On-Site Cordless/Portable realm!
Jerry
Hard no.
$500 for a $150 wheeled tank, just because it has a box mount on top?
If I was needing a bigger air supply, and was willing to spend $500 today, I would buy the 26 gallon DeWalt 175 PSI ultra quiet air compressor at Home Depot, and instead of just increasing my air storage, I could increase my CFM as well.
I really don’t see the appeal of an air tank with a box mount on it. I guess the box could store accessories, but if you wanted that, you could bolt a $100 ToughBox directly to the top mount of the aforementioned $150 wheeled air tank.
Blocky
So what do you put in the box?
At tough system dims, probably not any large nailer or hose
Perhaps a tough system radio…
Will
I wonder if there is a planned toughsystem compressor to go with this?