Don't just carry tools: store and order them
Brett Smyth, general manager EMEA of Ideal Industries, discusses the company's tool bag range and why it's so important to choose the correct transport and storage option. Making sure you have the right tools and equipment on hand when you need them on site is fundamental to making safe and efficient progress on a project. Tools tossed in the back of a van or left lying around can easily go missing, get dirty or become damaged, which can lead to wasted time, issues around making do with the wrong equipment and the expense of replacing misplaced or damaged equipment.
The answer to all of this is to invest in a tool bag, pouch or backpack that is specifically designed for electricians. IDEAL Industries has a range of bags available to suit varying requirements, developed following extensive user research to find out what electricians really need on site and made with all the quality, durability and functionality the industry expects from IDEAL Industries.
Backpacks
A backpack is an ideal alternative to the traditional tool bag, providing both storage and easy transportation of tools, with even weight distribution and hands-free carrying.
The IDEAL Pro Series Tool Backpack range includes both a single compartment and a dual compartment model, with a host of common features that illustrate a keen understanding of the practicalities of working on site. Made from durable, tear-resistant fabric, both models have padded straps to provide extra comfort when carrying the backpack and a robust, moulded plastic base to ensures the bag can be set down without risking punctures or snagging. Both models are compact and lightweight and can be zipped fully open and laid flat on the floor, bench or hoist for use as a tool store while working. Each contains multiple tiered pockets designed to enable organisation of tools and ease of access to the right tool at the right time – a perfect solution for electricians that like a place for everything and everything in its place!
All IDEAL Pro Series Tool Backpacks also include useful features such as a water bottle holder and a hard, protective case for a mobile phone or sunglasses, providing an ideal solution for both the practical needs of working on site and professional tools and equipment. Both models have also been packed with useful little features designed to make life easier, such as a tape chain and tape measure clip and a pocket specifically designed for holding a fish tape.
With a total of 18 total pockets, a drill holder and a removable tool pouch, the dual compartment IDEAL Pro Series Backpack is available with a dedicated pocket designed for the user to carry a laptop or tablet with segregation between the electronic device and tool storage. With increasing use of digital construction tools for reporting and snagging, the ability to carry a portable electronic device safely is becoming important for many electricians. It is also useful to be able to carry a portable device alongside tools for any electricians involved in programming of smart buildings, fire alarms or control systems etc.
Tool Carrying Options
For more traditional tool carrying, IDEAL Industries also has a range of three large mouth bags in 13”, 16” and 18” variants each with a detachable shoulder strap for easy carrying. Featuring many of the same useful touches as the backpacks, including the tape chain, tape measure clip and hard sunglasses/phone case, the IDEAL Pro Series Large Mouth Bags have a top that opens completely and is reinforced to hold itself open for easy access to large tools. The 13” model has 20 pockets, while the two larger models each have 26 pockets and side pull straps for ease of transport.
For those who prefer a pouch that can be carried to the work area from their van, the IDEAL Pro Series range also includes tool carriers with many of the same useful features. The IDEAL Pro Series Premium Tool Carrier is available in two sizes, with 32 or 34 pockets, and offers a sturdy and lightweight design for organising and transporting tools with a variety of internal and external pockets for flexible tool storage.
The IDEAL Pro Series range also includes a variety of tool pouches and an adjustable tool belt which is compatible with any pouch in the range. With the Premium Tool Pouch, Electrical Supplies Pouch, Compact Tool Pouch, Service Pouch and a variety of Flat and Stand Up Zipper Pouches to choose from, there is the right combination of practical tool transportation and storage for any electrician – from large-scale commercial contracting to domestic installation and maintenance.
A Tool in its Own Right
Tool carrying equipment is not just an accessory but an essential piece of kit in itself. On site, there is no time for rummaging around in a bag for the right tool; it needs to be at the electrician’s fingertips and stored in its proper place when not in use. The IDEAL Pro Series tool bag range has been designed with these principles in mind.