Festool

Festool has built power tools in Germany since 1925, but for most UK buyers the name means one thing above all others: Systainer. It is a modular storage system where every box latches to the one below it, so a stack of tools travels as a single locked column rather than a boot full of loose cases. Everything on this page is part of that system or built to move it. The T-LOC mechanism is the common thread. One quarter-turn of the central catch opens the lid, couples the box to the unit beneath it, or releases the stack, depending on how you turn it. Systainer3, the current generation, uses the same coupling, so newer boxes stack onto older T-LOC ones without an adapter. That backward compatibility is the reason a Systainer bought a decade ago is still useful. From there the range splits by what you are storing. Toolboxes such as the SYS-TB 2 are open-volume boxes for hand tools, with a lid that clears the full opening. Sortainers like the SYS 4 TL-SORT/3 use drawers and dividers instead, for screws, bits and consumables that would otherwise migrate to the bottom of a box. Storage boxes such as the SYS-SB sit on the wall or bench and keep small parts visible rather than portable. And the SYS-RB roll board is the base the whole stack sits on when it has to move: four 360 degree castors, a 100 kg load rating, and the same coupling on its top face so the tower locks to the wheels. Festool prices are high and they do not discount much. The system earns its cost if you are moving tools to site regularly, because the time saved is real and the boxes genuinely outlast cheaper cases. If your tools live in one workshop and never leave it, most of what you are paying for is portability you will not use, and a conventional tool chest will serve you better for less. Be aware too that Amazon's own specification tables for Festool products are unreliable. We have found material fields listing ABS plastic as "Wood", and dimension strings in listing titles that do not reconcile with Festool's published figures. Where the two disagree, the manufacturer's own numbers are the ones to measure against, and each of our product pages says so where it matters. Prices below are checked against the UK Amazon listing and updated regularly, but stock on Festool accessories moves quickly and third-party sellers often price well above the main listing. Check the seller before ordering.