Introduction

I used to carry around all my computer "junk" (tools, cables, parts, etc) in a couple of regular plastic tool boxes. Unfortunately this left me without something to leave my regular tools in, so I obviously needed to get an additional tool box. I spotted this Stanley FatMax tool bag on a store shelf and after looking it over I decided that it would be an even better option. Going from two regular sized tool boxes to one similar sized tool bag for all of my computer junk may not seem like the brightest of moves, but the boxes were long overdue for their spring cleaning.

Why a tool bag instead of another tool box? For one, if it's more flexible and takes up less space if it's not stuffed to the brim. Secondly, I like having a few outside pockets to carry some commonly used items in so that I don't have to get into the tool box to use one little item for 10 seconds. Plus, the shoulder strap makes it easier to carry around. Finally, the fact that there is no fixed tray and stiff edges means that you can get odd sized objects in there on strange angles if necessary, where in my tool box it would be impossible. My cordless drill for example, will not fit in either of my tool boxes regardless of position or orientation.

Description

The Stanley FatMax tool bag is 18" long and made of rugged 600x600 denier fabric. The main bag is gray, with black trim and red accents. The bottom is a rigid one-piece waterproof plastic, which keeps the bottom dry as well as adding stability and support to the bag. It features a nice double zipper across the length and opens completely up so it's like a square box when both zippers are open. That makes it extremely handy for larger objects or for digging around inside. The handle area is reinforced for added support, and it features a pretty comfortable, adjustable, and detachable shoulder strap. Empty, the bag weighs between 3 and 4 pounds, while I've carried around 70 pounds of tools in it without issues.

There are two pockets side by side on each end of the bag, approximately 4" tall by 3" wide. The front of the bag contains a larger, maybe 8" wide, zippered pocket in the center as well as a 3" wide pocket on each side of the big one. The back has four more pockets, each about 3" wide. There are two metal loops to clip stuff to on the front of the bag, and two more on the back. Finally, there is a clear plastic slot in the front for placing an identification card, business card or name tag.

Inside the bag, there is a 10" wide by 3" tall zippered pocket in the front, with a strip of material forming 3 loops to clip items to underneath. There are 4 more pockets inside in the back. The middle 2 back pockets are about 5" deep and 4" wide, while the outer 2 are only about 3" wide. With the zippers fully open the bag extends all the way to approximately 11" tall by 10" deep by 17" long.

My Experience

I stock mine with screwdrivers, knives, long nose pliers, wire stripper/cutters, brushes, cable ties, clamps, computer cables & cords, audio/video cables, various adapters, case fans, a multimeter, cordless drill, electrical tape, and various replacement computer parts. I use a big flat plastic tackle box to hold all of the screws, jumpers and other smaller objects that I need to keep organized. Discs with a free Linux operating system, important software and drivers on them get thrown in on top. There is plenty of room left over inside the bag if I decide to add a few more items, and a few empty pockets on the outside as well.

I did have my regular car tools in the bag for a while. Wrenches, a hammer, sockets, clamps, the whole nine yards. The bag was quite heavy then, between 60 and 80 pounds, but it held up like a champ. The sturdy shoulder strap helped a lot during that time, and the bag rode around in the back of my truck. I found it to be easier to split the regular tools into two toolboxes due to the weight, so using the FatMax as the computer tool bag was the logical choice. The fact that the plastic tool boxes can be hosed out when they get dirty from the general use tools was also a minor factor. I could hose out the FatMax and it wouldn't harm the bag, but it obviously wouldn't rinse out as well or as quickly as a square piece of stiff plastic.

It's inexpensive and durable to a fault, I can see this bag outlasting most of the tools I put in it. There are only a couple of things I don't like about the FatMax tool bag, and they're not deal breakers by any means. First, I wish there were some button-down (or similar) flaps over the outside pockets. The reason for this is the second thing I don't care for -- the pockets are a little too wide for things like screwdrivers. They fit and they stay, but only if you put them with the handle in the bottom of the pocket, or cram enough other stuff in there to hold it in place. Otherwise, they tend to tip over and fall out as the bag gets knocked around.

Recommended: Yes