Anyone still using this style of plumbers bag?

[ATTQ]

Back in the late 80s I was a plumbing apprentice and I remember we all had these bags. I might be rose tinted glasses on this but i seem to remember when you put the bag down the tools are all spread out on the floor (on the canvas) fairly well for you to see and then its easy to pick the bag up and move around to the next place and put it down and they are spread out to see again. Modern bags I have to fish the tools out of the depths of the bag onto the floor where i'm working, and the put them all back in the bag to move somewhere, or carefully place each tool back in its place if using that type of bag with little pockets which is a faff compared to just throwing them down onto the spread out canvas. Anyone still use these? Am I right about the benefit? Anyone have one unloved in their garage they're willing to sell me?

 

[Wayners]

Plumbers bag bucket is what they use now

 

[ATTQ]

Plumbers bag bucket is what they use now

I have that sort of bag, everything ends up lost in the bottom unless i waste time putting each thing carefully in its place. What happens is when i bring tools out i lay them on the floor between using them and when i'm done i have to carefully put each one back, or chuck them randomly in the bottom which makes it longer next place.

A tool roll might be a bit better as you can unroll it and they are all visible but they still need careful placement before rolling or they'll fall out. And even then i find they tend to fall out

A bag that flops open each time you put it down, yes the tools are a jumble but they are spread flat so you can grab them and just chuck them back on the canvas and it all stays together when moving. I don't remember them being an issue for it all falling out in the van either. Why did plumbers move away from this perfect solution?

If i sell this too hard no one is going to sell me their old one I'm not doing this for a living but if i was i'd definitely want the most efficient solution but I can't find any for sale

 

[Madrab]

Most pros use a wide variety of different tools for different jobs. I actually have 2 tool boxes - Stanley 20" autolatch and a smaller Stanley 16" latched (other makes are available). The larger one has all the tools I know I'll probably need in most normal scenarios, gathered over the years and the other with tools I might need or that are a bit more specialised.

TBH never had to look for more than a min for the tool(s) I need and TBH never had to dump them all out on the floor. My clients would have me if I did that

 

[ATTQ]

TBH never had to look for more than a min for the tool(s) I need and TBH never had to dump them all out on the floor. My clients would have me if I did that

I never had to dump them on the floor when i had one of those old bags, opening wide as they do, they form a movable floor covering where the tools are laid down between using them.

Most of the work we were doing was industrial and quite often repetitive like one place we installed maybe 50 sink wastes in a huge science laboratory. I vaguely remember it and it was easy to shift along a bit without having to pack up what we were using each time. Just seemed a really efficient type of bag

 

[Exedon]

Really depends on what your doing currently have a de Walt soft tote with aluminium handle with a stanley 24in box in van for the bits you need more occasionally.
For many years I mostly did new build first fix, few bits in a ex emulsion bucket and mini bender in other hand.
At home boxes full of not required on journey.
One full leadwork tools another with gear for black iron yet another full of caulking irons.

 

[ATTQ]

Rave reviews from just a few years ago. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tool-Traditional-Hessian-Plumbers-Carpenters/dp/B08H5L1ZZ9#customerReviews

now the style of bag has vanished from sale

 

[CountryFan]

As per a couple above, I have 3 tool boxes in my van. All Carrying different tools for different scenarios. I get what you’re saying in regards the plonk on the floor, but I think that would be difficult for me.

 

[Exedon]

now the style of bag has vanished from sale

Have a search for tool bass bag that brings some results up including some ambitiously priced all leather ones!

 

[ATTQ]

As per a couple above, I have 3 tool boxes in my van. All Carrying different tools for different scenarios. I get what you’re saying in regards the plonk on the floor, but I think that would be difficult for me.

Even for doing just my house I've got separate bags, one for electrical, one for plumbing and a bigger general one. I guess why these used to be called carpenters/plumbers bags is because its not (or wasn't) a great big array of tools for those.

I ended up buying a Nerrad pipe bender bag and its very good quality, enough space for bender, torch with gas bottle attached and soldering things and fittings to have that all in one bag. Leaving my other plumbing bag for the rest. For me it might be better anyway as it can all be zipped away for the longer periods between doing plumbing things. Its the thing about DIY is we still need all the tools of every tradesman if we're doing their jobs, hard to keep it all managed

 

[ATTQ]

Have a search for tool bass bag that brings some results up including some ambitiously priced all leather ones!

Bit rich for me that but some hipster in London is probably riding around with on saying its steam punk

 

[CountryFan]

You can get large canvas bags, not sure if they’re any use?

 

[RandomGrinch]

I do have a couple of tool boxes, and storage drawers up in the loft.
But for the odd DIY job, I decant the tools into a big blue IKEA bag - it's perfect for lugging around just the tools I need; it's also cheap and robust.

 

[ATTQ]

You can get large canvas bags, not sure if they’re any use?

the ones like that i've seen are thin canvas, no base, weak zips and doesn't have the flopping open benefit. I'm ok with what I have anyway, I would like one of those bags though if anyone has a spare. But i was mainly curious what happed to them

 

[ATTQ]

I do have a couple of tool boxes, and storage drawers up in the loft.
But for the odd DIY job, I decant the tools into a big blue IKEA bag - it's perfect for lugging around just the tools I need; it's also cheap and robust.

Not sure how they compare the IKEA ones but I've been buying multiple £1 bags from the till at B&Q, must be over 30 by now, using them as reusable rubble sacks. They stay open so I can throw things in, they hold as much plasterboard as i can carry, they rarely tear and i've had no failures of the handles, and they stack nicely in the car going to the tip. They are great for putting wet wellies in in the car and all sorts of jobs. Brilliant things