Home Depot has launched a brand new and cutting edge Ridgid bucket organizer.
It’s… an organizer that you put in a 5-gallon bucket and wrap over the edge. You know, for holding all of your tools and supplies.
The organizer has 35 pockets – 23 on the outside, and 12 on the inside.
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Additionally, it has a strip of MOLLE loops for attaching clips and accessories.
Forget modular tool storage systems, with their impact-resistant construction, dividers, parts cups, and grab handles.
This is… so…
There are tons of reasons not to go with a bucket organizer.
But sometimes all you need is a sewn-together string of ballistic nylon pouches and pockets.
There are like 50 different modular tool storage systems right now, or at least it seems that way, structured tool bags that cost more than many DIYers and apprentices spend on their first kits, and all kinds of fancy tool storage apparatus.
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What are your thoughts on this? Or bucket organizers in general?
Are tool organizers like this still relevant, or would you rather go with an open (or closed) tool bag instead?
Price: $45 (bucket not included)
Chris Thompson
There are many more budget friendly options out there. I have one that was about $15 dollars. It doesn’t have Molle, though. I use use mine for gardening/ landscaping tools. Think trowels, sod knife, string, etc. If I’m putting up fencing or wire I can just toss the tail ends into the bucket. I wouldn’t use a bucket organizer for valuable tools, or anything I want to keep clean. But, for puttering around the yard it’s handy.
Wayne R.
For too long, I used a zippered tool bag, and was always irritated that what I was reaching for seemed always to be at the bottom of the pile. Then I found Veto Pro Pac bags and never looked back. (Though, I still have a bag in my desk drawer that I’d like to find an alternative for, something that keeps everything on-end like the Veto bags do.)
Honey’s got one of these bucket things for yard stuff, but I wouldn’t use one for anything I do.
And I only use bags that could close up fully. I hate the idea of something randomly disappearing, because I lost it or someone lost it for me.
Grokew
Paint your tools pink. It will keep most thieves away. For some reason they fear that color.
fred
Or buy a pink Yeti bucket for $40 instead:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CMJLW6Z3/ref=twister_B085Z7VB19?_encoding=UTF8&th=1
Zane Alderson
Those bags are awesome and they cost almost as much as all of the tools they could hold combined. A customer of mine has one in his basement and every time I’m there I complement it, hoping he gives to me someday. In the meantime, I use an older Kobalt bucket organizer that has like 75 pockets and it’s awesome.
MM
It doesn’t have any appeal to me. I often grab 5-gal buckets for simple jobs but I’m not interested in a bucket organizer this complex. When I have the need for that many tools I’m going to use a rectangular bag that I can close up or a modular system like Packout. Another major disadvantage of this product is that it doesn’t do anything about the terrible handle on 99% of 5-gal buckets. Just about any other tool bag or box is going to have a more comfortable means of carrying it.
eddie sky
The down of these is the handle. Its uncomfortable, and limited to width (smacks my legs carrying one with bucketbag). I too, prefer a bag (square or rectangular, with padded hand wraps on handles/straps.
fred
I’m not a fan of carrying tools in a 5 gallon pail – with or without adding on a pricey organizer. But years ago – if you looked in the back of one of our plumbing trucks – you would have seen many 5 gallon pails filled with tools. In our GC/Reomdeling business the guys seemed to like organization, modular stoarage, Sortimo and other upfitted trucks etc. We promoted all of this because it improved both productivity and the image we presented to our ckients. In the plumbing business it was a whole different kettle of fish – with the plumbers mostly seeing no value in any of it – tossing tools into pails.
BTW – there are many variants of handle cushions for 5-gal pails – or maybe you can make your own with some hose.
https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-Boss-Brand-08010-Grip/dp/B00004T83D
Peter
I use 3/4 or 1“ pex pipe cut offs.
When curved because off a roll even better.
Mopar4wd
I still use a bucket boss for plumbing tools. They just seem to make sense for that.
JR Ramos
Pick up some of the Snappy-Grip handles. They are fantastic. Get the green ones and you can pretend it’s from Wera. Have to snip off the plastic handle and then snap on the grip – really works a treat and it’s actually comfortable. I haven’t had one come apart but I started putting 3:1 heat shrink over them just in case, and it makes them a tad larger. They have an archaic website with better prices + shipping, or they’re on Amazon too. I tried a couple different rubber grips which were never as comfortable, easy to lose, and one of them didn’t last long at all before tearing. These are golden.
Rafe
Maybe sparky should get some of these sand start carrying their garbage out in it, and a shop vac while they’re at it.
BigTimeTommy
Yeah sure, happy to add another $200+ to the bill for an “hour” of sweeping instead of the GC’s underpaid helper doing it. He can take care of it when he’s done piling up tools and garbage in everyone else’s way.
Jim Felt
Scope of work inflation? ;-)~
But actually most of my electrical guys always have a helper tidy up before they leave.
den
I have one from Cobalt. It is used to take tools from garage cabinets to whatever project I need to do. Everything is returned for storage to cabinets when I’m done. This type of bags are not for organization purpose. Modular systems are heavy, bulky, expensive and simply an overkill for most DIYers.
Tom
This is exactly how I use mine. It’s filled with my DIY tools for around the house or for the neighbors house when they call for help. It’s basically my grab and go tools always on the ready. When I need more, I fill up my Craftsman modular system, which is just as useful, but far less expensive than the big brands.
Ray
I had a cheapo bucket bag for years. Kept demo tools in the bucket chisels misc. small rough stuff in pockets worked great. Easy to grab nail pullers, hammers, pry bars etc. The one shown would be a bit too nice.
Bradley
Personally, I’m a big fan of bucket bags. I like them and have and use 2. I’m not sure I’d pay $45 for this one though. I think there are similar models for much less that meet my needs. For the work I do, they work.
Seth Rowell
I’m a big fan too!
I regularly use 4, one for painting tools, one for drywall tools, one for metal roofing tools.
A couple tips for using them: get a 3 gallon bucket- 5 gallon buckets are too deep, still too deep, cut a round piece of ridged foam to fill space in the bottom.
Another big tip is to put a paining swivel hook on the handle- hang the bucket to make a tool lazy-susan that doesn’t take up wall counter or floor space!
This one seems expensive, but the outside pockets look more generous than past versions.
DSM
I have one, with a seat lid, dedicated to gardening tools and supplies.
I have a couple more for ad hoc projects around the house. I load them up with trowels, floats, joint knives, plumbing tools… whatever I need that isn’t in my main bag or a pouch.
Andrew
I used a bucket bag as my go-to tool conveyance method for about a decade. As I do mostly handyman/maintenance work, I found it a nearly perfect way to keep all my essentials ready to grab and go at a moments notice. If you find one that has exactly the pocket layout you need, hold on to it and never let go. Only in the last year have I upgraded to an XL open top tool carrier—basically the modern version of your great-grandpa’s tool box. Just needed slightly more space.
TLDR—I swear by bucket organizers and I think buying completely into an over-engineered modular system is a sucker’s game.
Zane
Agreed. I have no use for hundred dollar big hard plastic box on wheels that you throw things in. With a bucket organizer you have hand tools of all different sizes and lengths at the ready without having them covering each other or sticking way out of a little tool bag.
MoogleMan3
Hard pass. Tool buckets were really popular back in my roofing days but with so many other options now, they’re like buying a dodo tool (biscuit joiner) in 2023.
Zane
What’s wrong with a biscuit jointer?
Peter
Nothing.
SWobig
I always liked them when I used them. I had one for a few years. I prefered a 3-1/2 gallon bucket though as a 5 is just too tall and then it get filled with too much crap and is too heavy. The handle is the worst part. The plastic piece covering a wire that connects to both side of a bucket is really kind of cheap. I always wrapped a bunch of duct tape around it, which helped. I went to more of a tote style bag, but I could still see some use for one of these for speciality type items…
JR Ramos
I think they’re totally still relevant, but if they aren’t relevant to *you* then, y’know, don’t buy or use one. I like them a lot for plumbing and I still see them used a lot by hvac and irrigation guys. You can dump fittings and short lengths of pipe – and pipe wrenches – in them and it’s easier to carry. I reluctantly bought the Milwaukee version a few years ago and ended up really liking it, especially with the pouches and larger pockets.
Our hvac guys frequently come in with a bucket and a square tote or Veto pouch. Bucket has CO2 or nitrogen bottle and fittings (or their mini torch rig) and other junk, with the tote having the hand tools and meters and such.
Bucket handles suck even after all these years. Buy some of the two-piece Snappy-Grip handles and you will maybe hate buckets less. Snip off the plastic sleeve from the bail, snap on the new grip, and it’s fantastic – can be covered with 3:1 heat shrink for a thicker insulative grip, too. They are far and away better than the rubber grips available and aren’t terribly bulky. One of the best widgets I’ve ever purchased I think.
JR Ramos
Well that’s odd…my comment was supposed to be stand alone, not a reply to you, SWobig. Sorry about that.
Stuart
I emailed you with instructions on what to do the next time this happens, but it bounced.
Frank D
Surprised about the negativity.
To me it is more about the right tool for the job. I have multiple modular units, which are a very mixed bag.
I had one toolbox and a bucket organizer way back when my toolset was very limited, outgrew it quickly, then started to have one or two plastic homeowner grade tool boxes for mechanical, plumbing, carpentry, electrical … outgrew that and ventured into modular storage.
The thing modular storage does not solve is tool access and keeping things neat.
I have said this many times before. Modular toolboxes are just “ dumb “ boxes, bigger and interlocking; but everything gets jumbled together, even more than in a regular toolbag or toolbox which at least you carry by the handles. As a modular storage you will tip to roll it around, or may even carry it by the side handle. Unless you go the extra mile to make inserts, use pouches, etc
So I have actually gone back to a new bucket bag and then bought a second one right behind it.
One is for more demolition, rough work, holds some hammers, crow bars, big stuff in the center; rest chisels, punches, wedges and tons of stuff in pouches. etc and the other on is for plumbing. Just have to look on the outside or inside across the pouches … easy peasy. No digging in a black tool bag or dark toolbox, everything clanging together. Just a quick reach and grab. And it is totally silent.
Joellikestools
I use a Husky bucket organizer at home. It holds almost every hand tool I would need for most around the house projects. It is very economical, but not ergonomic. I have wanted to upgrade to a tool backpack setup like I have used before at work. However, I can’t justify the cost with the 20-50 feet I usually move the bucket.
Nathan
I don’t get the inside the bucket.
Outside. I get I even bought one for my car wash bucket
Steven+B
I always use a bucket and/or a tote for every job.
I sit on the bucket and use it to quickly gather tools when I am done with something or temporarily hold them while I am using them.
I think for any task, you need to prepare for chaos. Nothing I’ve ever done I’ve mastered enough that I know exactly which tool to use, where to get it, and have done it so many times I remember to put it exactly where it’s supposed to go the instant I am done using it. For example a repair, I don’t know when I am done with a wrench…so when I was younger, I’d just lay it someplace…and it would get knocked over or lost….now I put every tool in my TStak tote while I am using it until it’s ready to be put away.
I view it like RAM vs disk for a computer. My bucket/tote is RAM/cache. My toolbox is disk. Once the task is done, I put everything back in the optimal storage spot…but while I am working, I keep it handy in disorganized, chaos.
That said, I don’t need much organization in a bucket….it’s not long-term storage, a few pockets are helpful, but this is far fancier than I need.
LK
Let’s stop with the tool elitism. Not everyone has the same budget, jobsite, trade, or preference.
This has 35 pockets and costs $45 plus a 5 dollar bucket.
Ridgid’s 44 pocket “professional tool grade bag” costs $120. That’s a big difference for 9 more pockets in a bag form.
Not everyone needs or wants to move $200-300 worth of stackable boxes around either. What packout stans forget is that we don’t all roll around ranch style homes. I live in and work on 3-4 story rowhomes.
Al
A 5-gal plastic bucket is a weak tool for me because it is stiff, brittle, and painful to carry.
The only ones I use any more are for:
– extension cords
– food
– trash/sawdust
I have free OEM tool bags for when I need a few power tools/batteries on a trip.
I have a free trade show shoulder bag as a ‘drag bag’ for crawling under the house.
Test gear and cables/connectors go into it’s own courier bag so it can be loaned out as a unit.
I have a canvas bucket (rope handle) for loading a ton of tools and fasteners that just need to get from point A to point B, or go up a ladder.
I have rubber buckets for moving water, mud, wet tools from plumbing, etc. Plastic bucket breaks if fully loaded (dropped, thrown).
My daily or task tools are small, and fit in color-coded zipper bags which then go into a backpack. Bags have a carabiner to hang off a rack. Bright colors can easily be seen as I’m cleaning up in a room full of black cabinets and racks.
Just got some of those Toughbuilt zipper pouches to se if they’ll work for carrying fasteners.
Kris Petrie
Husky $13, CLC $20, Bucket Boss $25, Milwaukee $33, and Klein $37; What does the $45 Ridgid offer that the others don’t?
Jeremiah D
Thx for the roundup
Ray
How about a lifetime service agreement which only takes 6 emails and 4 phone calls to get set up!
MT
MOLLE loops?
Cody Robertson
Ridgid also has a bunch of new tool bags.
criketzchirping
Never used one and probably never will. Five gallon pails are the wrong size and shape for convenient transport. Modular boxes on wheels are the way to go. On the flip side, I could see it being convenient for a lineman or plumber (I’m not, so correct me if I’m wrong) who would potentially carry small stuff like fittings and hardware along with their tools.
fred
Our plumbers did carry stuff into jobs using things other than 5-gal pails. Nippple caddies were one example:
https://www.amazon.com/Jones-Stephens-Corp-Combo-Nipple/dp/B009Y9ZY2M
Matt
I have some modular storage on the wish list. But honestly, for my projects where I pull tools from multiple places and then need to take them to a specific location / room / project – I would use this. I might would use it even after getting what’s on my wish list – easy to pull stuff together and carry with one hand while remaining organized. However, while this looks like it might be worth their price, I’m not sure this use case is worth $50 to me.
Matt
Saw the prices listed above and now I’m looking at the different options to buy one.
Steve
Don’t knock the bucket organizers! They’re actually pretty awesome for job-specific tasks where you’re working with a certain range of tools and materials, like household electrical, gardening, or woodworking. I wouldn’t rely on one as a main toolbox; these are meant to save you trips back and forth from the mothership.
Grokew
Ok I like bucket organizers, now if someone made something similar for the large modular tool boxes, it would be great.
Stuart
Ooh. You mean something like this but for a large or XL modular tool box? https://toolguyd.com/klein-bucket-work-center-tool-storage/
Grokew
Yes!
Thank you!
I know there are some DIY options, but a premade kit, similar to that, would be nice.
I like how this facom has something similar as part of its structure.
https://toolguyd.com/facom-modular-tool-box-system/
S
I was scrolling to the bottom to say this.
The 5 gallon bucket pouch market is plenty sated for options. Bring me a better way to use a packout container than “lump everything in a pile in this rectangular plastic box”
I used to use a bucket boss until my tool needs outgrew it. Now a packout box or 4 would fit my needs, but the lack of organization keeps it from happening
Farmall
I have a couple of Husky bucket organizers set up for specific tasks. One for plumbing, one for demolition tools, and another for welding/fabrication work around the farm.
The only one I’m 100% happy with is for welding.
Holds 4 tubes of welding rod nicely, along with 3’ level, slag hammer, wire brush, speed square, sawzall blades, torch striker, gloves & sleeves, some assorted clamps & vise-grips, welpers pliers, soapstone, etc, and if I ditch a tube or 2 of rod, it’ll hold a 4” angle grinder & assorted discs.
It’s a metal bucket, so I can toss rod stubs in if needed.
Heavier than a dead priest when full, but it’s nice for grab & go emergency field repairs.
JMDavis
For HVAC work, I’ve always preferred an electricians pouch on the mechanical side, and an open mouth bag for my metalworking tools.
The CLC 1509 is the finest tool pouch I’ve seen for my purposes (primarily residential service).
Dead on Tools HDP222496 Elecrician’s pouch has pleasantly surprised me. I bought it thinking it would last long enough to allow me to replace a CLC bag that failed after many years of service
A couple years later, the Dead on Bag has far exceeded my expectations.
Flotsam
I only used a bucket w organizer for tool transport & storage for my “junk yard tools”. I really didn’t have or want anything fancy for trips to the junk yard so it really worked well in that capacity. I would bungee strap this bucket toolbox to a luggage cart and drag it around the messy, soggy yard. In addition the bucket was nice for carrying auto parts i might acquire during my visit.
The one in this article is very nice and i would consider it for instance if it was on sale for $30, but $45 just sounds a bit giddy.
Pond Boss
My route trucks have bucket boss organizers and we use upgraded shurhold buckets… They hold a really robust set of tools that can do everything from diagnose a clients control panel to field triage a pump so techs can stay in the field instead of returning to base. The shurhold handles hold the weight. There’s a lot to like/accomplish with a loaded up bucket
James
I don’t use one professionally anymore, but I love them around the house; I have one setup for specialized bicycle tools and another one setup for general house stuff. After reading the comments, I’m going to set one up for gardening tools also – can’t believe I never thought of that.
However, don’t think I would pay $45 for one of these. I’ll grab a Husky or a Mastedcrafr from Canadian Tire if I don’t already have one still kicking around.
Drew
I’ve had a cheap one I got from home Depot for years, it’s great. So mine i use for brake changes, so my hands are gross so Its for nasty really and works great. I used to do HVAC work and we used tool buckets and they worked great. Not that many tools we needed on roof tops and the big win using them was it was easy to tie a rope and bring them up and down. Your not doing that with a pack out box.
Mac
Pocket layout on this looks nice, but the price is a bit steep. Many options lower priced, especially for lighter duty garden/wash/cleaning supplies.
My Klein has held up for years. Used a bucket a lot when doing underground or demo work. Fits tall and odd well. Best tool bag style for the full size Sawzall, in my opinion. Mostly lives in the van now as a grabbag for lesser used tools. I like the idea I saw about the hanging lazy Susan. The terrible wire handle can be replaced with a webbed shoulder strap
Thebear Koss
I bought a husky version at Home Depot 5 years ago on sale for 10$. I have a few different pouches for different jobs I’m doing as I hate carrying around 200lbs of tools and materials. The husky bucket is perfect for my plumbing jobs though, especially pulling toilets and urinals. Having the bucket doubles as a stool to stay above the sewage and perfect height for running the snake. Plus my disgusting plumbing tools never get mixed in with my other non sewage covered tools.
jayne erin defranco
When I was a little girl grandpa taught me how to make tool totes out of wood. When he passed I was lucky to get his bucket boss and the tools that were in it. I sure did love that man. RIP gramps………………
Ryan
I’m in the “had one for years” but also utilize modern modular systems along with random sized zippered bags for smaller kits, pieces, accessories which are then likely stored in one of the components previously mentioned. The bucket organizer has its placed and can’t be dismissed so easily. I have 3 and each is 15 plus years old and have never failed me: plumbing bucket; tile-work bucket; drywall bucket.
Regarding the product under review, mine are cheap brands, probably Husky or something, and have survived that long, and were much less money.