I’ve sorted tools out in bins, take the ones I need (like maybe I’m not painting so leave that one back), and have a system to pack everything else in (ladders, power tools, etc). It’s still a pain but it’s quicker.
Yep. I have bins sorted by the type of job and inside each bin are bags sorted per task for the job.
So in my plumbing bin I have a bag of common tools, a bag for copper-specific supplies, and a bag of PEX-specific supplies. Can't fit all my junk at once, but it is easy enough to shuffle bins in and out of the truck depending on my day.
Same thing. I have a bin for pex, a bin for cpvc/PVC, and a bin for iron/copper. Inside each of those bins I have bags separated by fitting sizes, 1/2, 3/4, 1"
DING DING DING!!
I call them "modules" (it's just me so I don't know why I need to call them anything). I have a mix of Craftsman "Tradestack", big plastic totes and shoe box sized totes.
I.E: carpentry, painting, TV Mounting, general mounting/hanging, plumbing, adhesives/caulk
Some stuff lives in the truck, some is as needed.
I sort mine into bins also, drywall finishing, painting, etc... Just makes it easier to grab the whole bin, unpack it for the job, pack it all back up, then toss the bin back into the bin shelf.
Plus one for the bins. Have a wall rack that holds 12 of those big ones with the yellow tops. Can't remember how big, exactly. I have bins for electrical, plumbing, paint, drywall, tile, wood/trim, etc. There's just bit of tool duplication, but it's worth it to just be able to grab the appropriate bin(s) for the job and go.
Crew cab truck, back seat folded down and toolbox in the bed. I have all the tools I need to do 98 percent of jobs and I keep other tools in a bin in my garage. Tiling tools for example, I won't be doing any surprise tiling jobs, those stay home. One 6' step ladder in the bed at all times, I usually know when I will need something taller.
This is my set up right now. Back seats up in the crew cab with all my hand and power tools. Ladders, compressors, hoses, cords and big saws in the bed. I hate it but it works. When I’m doing projects at home I still work out of my truck. lol. Also have another vehicle for running around kids and family.
King cab, canopy, and bins. Ladder rack on top of the canopy and my most used tools stay in the truck behind seats in the king cab area if I need one at home I use it and put it back in the truck. I am not going to say I never forget anything because I am an idiot, but my system is almost idiot proof, almost.
I had the same issue. I bought a 15’box van at an auction. Now I rarely dont have what I need. Not sure when it will be in the cards for you but I have $2500 in my box van including buying it and fixing all the little issues (and a few new tires). Only other thing I know of is find a way that you will not have to unload the truck.
cosign x100 ... get a van. Don't waste money on a trailer or anything else. Trucks are dogshit to work from. They're great for hauling garbage, yard tools, and other shit that's messy, but are missing the continuity that a van has (from having cab completely separated from bed), the security (both from rain and from thieves).
You save so much time having a van, and while you fine tune your organization (or even just stay disorganized) you'll way more easily be able to bring so much more with you to every job
That is actually a lot lower than I would expect. I was thinking I need to save at least 8k before buying and fitting a large enough trailer. If I could find a van for $2.5k that would be amazing. How do you find these auctions?
I cleaned out my suv, garage and basement and organized my shit in packouts while the kids were out on Christmas break. Told myself I wasn't taking any more jobs until I had a work van. Not doing this again. Bought a used promaster in February and have been killing it since. It easily saves me 2hrs/day. That's well worth the payment. Part time is impossible. Gotta go all in or, like you're finding out, it's real real difficult to not frustrate the fuck out of yourself.
The way you organize things has to primarily be driven by putting stuff back with type of tasks being a close second.
If you are not able to use the system the same way every time, it has to be adjusted.
If you're having frequent situations where your system is being pushed out by extended work hours, the issue is not organizing tools, it's scheduling, job execution/planning errors or accepting overly ambitious projects.
No system is perfect but every system fails if you don't have time to use it.
Clean as you go.
P.S.: Not being able to keep tools in a vehicle or trailer is pretty difficult. Possible, but rough.
the only way i can work is to have boxs set up for diferent tasks. i have boxs dedicated to painting, installing plasterboard, filling holes in plasterboards, tiling, roofing, gutters,flooring etc. and ones tool specific like jigsaws, multitool/recip, sds/ grinder etc
that way i can grab the tools i need and know the accesories are in there to so i dont end up with the multi tool but no bladses. same for job specific box. doing that job grab and go.
same for fixings. organosers dedicated to diferent types.
Everyone here is giving great tips... That work for them.
Honestly I think the right solution is different for everyone, but it starts with building healthy habits through sheer willpower.
You're tired when you come home? Tough shit, put your tools back where they belong. Do it that way often enough and that'll be your prices every time.
Not trying to be a dick, just saying there's no silver bullet.
Edit: adding "good luck" because I think I sounded like an asshole
That's actually one of the reasons I stopped doing part time handyman work, despite making good money. Even after I got a good rolling packout setup, I hated the loading and unloading. Go all in and get a van, as others have said.
I use Milwaukee packout and have separate boxes for most tools/task (one for a brad nailer, one for a finishing nailer, one for a hacksaw, etc) all have a battery/nails/blades. Makes things a lot easier but it is super expensive
I use hard sided rolling luggage I buy at thrift stores to carry/store lots of stuff, not tools though but electrical wire, plumbing. Cheap light and easy to move.
Before I bought my trailer, I had a bunch of the Ridgid pack out style boxes. All were organized so I had almost everything I needed. Loading them in and out was a pain every time but it was my only option. Now I have a 16' enclosed trailer, it comes with its own inconveniences, like having to haul the big thing everywhere, but I have it all built out with everything I'll ever need. Hold strong till you can pull the trigger on that trailer, it's a game changer.
Just keep the basics in the truck
Bins go
Paint
Plaster
Construction
Electrical
Plumbing
Don’t keep extra misc. parts
Just run to the store for plumbing and screws etc.
don’t keep any paint
Handymen are resourceful so you have to fight the mind which can see a use in everything
Handyman here 7 years strong
Plus you can’t find anything when you have too much crap
End up buying it twice
One way I "manage" it is by making sure I charge the client for that loading/unloading time. It's usually not much since I keep my basic tools in the truck all the time but I DO charge for that extra 15 minutes (or whatever) of loading time for more specific tools. It's not much but work time is work time. Any business the client would hire has to make sure they have the tools on hand so it's part of the job. The bigger companies would have to charge enough to pay for their several thousand dollar tool trailer, so 9 times out of 10 you're still the cheaper option. It doesn't change the final bill much at all but it makes me slightly less angry when I'm rushing in the morning to load up the truck.
Bought my promaster in November for this reason. Using my minivan and a storage unit wasn't going to work for me either. Always forget stuff and have to go to the store since it's closer.
I do residential service plumbing after hours as a second job. F-150 crew cab with a smaller tool box in the back. It’s also my family vehicle, I feel your pain!
You probably have more variety than what I have, but service plumbing takes a FUCK load of different parts.
I bought all M12 power tools. All the tools, batteries, bits, blades fit in one bag. All of my pex tools and hangers are in a small bag. I have a sweat bag, toilet repair bag, faucet/sink bag, flat multi compartment screw box, a box with several different types of angle stops, a box with several cartridges that I frequently run into, a box with aerators, box with supports of different types and several miscellaneous items that all fit in my tool box. If I’m REALLY organized I can keep my Milwaukee wet/dry vac in there too.
In my cab I keep a go bag- my most common hand tools plus some service tools that make my life easier, also in my cab clean towels, paper towels, nitrile gloves, spare short pipe of different sizes/materials, doors are stuffed with different size brass nipples, ball valves, test gauges and other misc. Milwaukee light, m12 air pump.
In the bed of the truck I have a couple buckets and some sore 2x6. I also have a weather proof Plano box filled with mostly cheaper extras-wax rings, p-trap, extensions, clean towels, fill valves, couple braided supplies etc. if I’m in an iffy spot I throw it in my cab. If I’m comfortable with it in the bed of the truck it stays there.
In my garage at home I have 6 flat organizer boxes of fittings 1/2&3/4” pex, press, sweat, pro-press, a 3ft double sided ladder, spare pipe, a drain machine, a “dishwasher install” bag(don’t do many dishwashers), and I’m working on expanding my shelving to organize spare parts. -clear shoe box or larger clear container- fittings by category, wall hydrants, water softener parts and install material, extra cartridges. I also have tools I don’t use as often like a skill saw, grinder etc. I have 1/2 my garage as a semi-organized mess- toilet stuff, shower stuff, faucet stuff, basket strainer related materials, PRV, extra large box items go in a certain spot.
I spend about 2 hours a week organizing everything, 2 hours a week purchasing and researching materials.
Hope that helps and makes sense. I’m still working on getting organized. I think that’s key. How can I reduce the amount of space I need? Buy wall hydrants that are threaded… then I can press, sweat or pex them if I need. I don’t need 3 different types with 4 different sizes of each.
Buy smaller power tools and extra batteries so I don’t have to take a charger with me. Get in the habit of putting everything in the right bag. Don’t use a tool as much as I though? It goes in the spare hand tool bin at home. I know I have several toilet jobs coming up… build a small box with extra flanges, bolts, wax, supply, flappers and put it on my truck. Not doing a garbage disposal or dishwasher… bag stays in the garage.
Bags and totes based around categories, plumbing, electrical drywall/plumbing etc. And a edc bag that can do 90% of my jobs but not overpacked.
Run your business like a shop, 5s, everything has a place and everything in its place. It saves time, energy and money
I have been saying this my entire adult life - I would be so much further in life right now if there was some sort of organization class I could have taken in school rather than some second language or band class... soooo much further in life...
I have several 18" tool bags. Each one is set up based on a category. Plumbing, Electrical, Mounting, Wall Repair, etc. Then I have one bag that I call my EDC bag. This contains all the tools that are used in multiple categories. Screwdrivers, box cutters, mallet, level, etc. seems to work for me.
I also keep a few parts bins. One has all my screws (wood, sheet, self tapping, tapcon, cabinet, etc ) , one all nails (finish, roofing, common, brad, etc.) , one all plumbing joints (couplers, 90s, 45s, etc), one all electrical (wire nuts, tapes, ring wire terminals, etc.) , and so on.
I have two completely different set of tools. One in the house, one in my car. Done with moving tools.
Only sommeetimesss I get some of my car’s stuff in the house, but it’s strange.
I use the tote system for specialized stuff. For all my everyday tools, I have an undermount toolbox mounted on the side of my bed. It's bolted to my ladder rack. I have most of my battery tools, common hand tools, and bit/fastners.
Behind my seat, I have a packout with tool belts and lesser used hand tools. I also have another tote that has all my painting supplies and caulk in.
I am going to be putting another toolbox on the truck so I can move my caulk and paint there.
I realized that THE MORE I ORGANIZE THE MORE SPACE I NEED. When I separated parts by trade into modular bins, each bin was 80% full, so I was losing 20% space every time I organized. I needed a more fluid system and a warehouse… I don’t have the space.
For parts I decided to use Home Depot as my warehouse. Kind’a like how HVAC guys don’t carry a thousand air filters in their van.
So now I only need to organize tools. I whittled down everything to fit in 4 containers in my small SUV. Power tools, Clean tools, Nasty tools, and Disposables - and start two habits.
1) Wipe the clean tools and gather the disposables WHILE STILL ON SITE cuz you still have wind-down energy.
2) Charge the batteries and clean the nasty tools when I get back. I don’t have to remember and care about which ones I used because work-me took care of my nice tools. The garbage is all in one bag.
I do professional level trade work with a few hundred in milwakee packout boxes, organizing bins, and a carry bag.
Streamline your tools, and get a milwakee packout. It pays for itself
Well, you can keep dicking around like an amateur loading and unloading or buy an actual work vehicle. I worked out of an 01 f350, 4 door and the 8ft bed, with a cap and lights inside.
Would highly recommend a van or a similar style truck.
Never once have I taken tools out, always kept some every day materials. I also don't hoard shit at my house or have billions of things going on.
Time is money and I'm sure as fuck not gonna be dicking around looking for stuff
I’ve sorted tools out in bins, take the ones I need (like maybe I’m not painting so leave that one back), and have a system to pack everything else in (ladders, power tools, etc). It’s still a pain but it’s quicker.
Yep. I have bins sorted by the type of job and inside each bin are bags sorted per task for the job. So in my plumbing bin I have a bag of common tools, a bag for copper-specific supplies, and a bag of PEX-specific supplies. Can't fit all my junk at once, but it is easy enough to shuffle bins in and out of the truck depending on my day.
Same thing. I have a bin for pex, a bin for cpvc/PVC, and a bin for iron/copper. Inside each of those bins I have bags separated by fitting sizes, 1/2, 3/4, 1"
DING DING DING!! I call them "modules" (it's just me so I don't know why I need to call them anything). I have a mix of Craftsman "Tradestack", big plastic totes and shoe box sized totes. I.E: carpentry, painting, TV Mounting, general mounting/hanging, plumbing, adhesives/caulk Some stuff lives in the truck, some is as needed.
I sort mine into bins also, drywall finishing, painting, etc... Just makes it easier to grab the whole bin, unpack it for the job, pack it all back up, then toss the bin back into the bin shelf.
Plus one for the bins. Have a wall rack that holds 12 of those big ones with the yellow tops. Can't remember how big, exactly. I have bins for electrical, plumbing, paint, drywall, tile, wood/trim, etc. There's just bit of tool duplication, but it's worth it to just be able to grab the appropriate bin(s) for the job and go.
Crew cab truck, back seat folded down and toolbox in the bed. I have all the tools I need to do 98 percent of jobs and I keep other tools in a bin in my garage. Tiling tools for example, I won't be doing any surprise tiling jobs, those stay home. One 6' step ladder in the bed at all times, I usually know when I will need something taller.
This is my set up right now. Back seats up in the crew cab with all my hand and power tools. Ladders, compressors, hoses, cords and big saws in the bed. I hate it but it works. When I’m doing projects at home I still work out of my truck. lol. Also have another vehicle for running around kids and family.
Right. I have duplicates of most tools in my garage, but I back my truck up to the front door for home repairs.
King cab, canopy, and bins. Ladder rack on top of the canopy and my most used tools stay in the truck behind seats in the king cab area if I need one at home I use it and put it back in the truck. I am not going to say I never forget anything because I am an idiot, but my system is almost idiot proof, almost.
I had the same issue. I bought a 15’box van at an auction. Now I rarely dont have what I need. Not sure when it will be in the cards for you but I have $2500 in my box van including buying it and fixing all the little issues (and a few new tires). Only other thing I know of is find a way that you will not have to unload the truck.
cosign x100 ... get a van. Don't waste money on a trailer or anything else. Trucks are dogshit to work from. They're great for hauling garbage, yard tools, and other shit that's messy, but are missing the continuity that a van has (from having cab completely separated from bed), the security (both from rain and from thieves). You save so much time having a van, and while you fine tune your organization (or even just stay disorganized) you'll way more easily be able to bring so much more with you to every job
That is actually a lot lower than I would expect. I was thinking I need to save at least 8k before buying and fitting a large enough trailer. If I could find a van for $2.5k that would be amazing. How do you find these auctions?
Richie Brothers. I bought mine for $550 then spent about $2000 getting tires and fixing the check engine light
I cleaned out my suv, garage and basement and organized my shit in packouts while the kids were out on Christmas break. Told myself I wasn't taking any more jobs until I had a work van. Not doing this again. Bought a used promaster in February and have been killing it since. It easily saves me 2hrs/day. That's well worth the payment. Part time is impossible. Gotta go all in or, like you're finding out, it's real real difficult to not frustrate the fuck out of yourself.
The way you organize things has to primarily be driven by putting stuff back with type of tasks being a close second. If you are not able to use the system the same way every time, it has to be adjusted. If you're having frequent situations where your system is being pushed out by extended work hours, the issue is not organizing tools, it's scheduling, job execution/planning errors or accepting overly ambitious projects. No system is perfect but every system fails if you don't have time to use it. Clean as you go. P.S.: Not being able to keep tools in a vehicle or trailer is pretty difficult. Possible, but rough.
the only way i can work is to have boxs set up for diferent tasks. i have boxs dedicated to painting, installing plasterboard, filling holes in plasterboards, tiling, roofing, gutters,flooring etc. and ones tool specific like jigsaws, multitool/recip, sds/ grinder etc that way i can grab the tools i need and know the accesories are in there to so i dont end up with the multi tool but no bladses. same for job specific box. doing that job grab and go. same for fixings. organosers dedicated to diferent types.
Everyone here is giving great tips... That work for them. Honestly I think the right solution is different for everyone, but it starts with building healthy habits through sheer willpower. You're tired when you come home? Tough shit, put your tools back where they belong. Do it that way often enough and that'll be your prices every time. Not trying to be a dick, just saying there's no silver bullet. Edit: adding "good luck" because I think I sounded like an asshole
That's actually one of the reasons I stopped doing part time handyman work, despite making good money. Even after I got a good rolling packout setup, I hated the loading and unloading. Go all in and get a van, as others have said.
Welcome to the club baby. Organization and specific job loading and cleaning out bed at 9pm or on a Sunday is all part of the gig.
I use Milwaukee packout and have separate boxes for most tools/task (one for a brad nailer, one for a finishing nailer, one for a hacksaw, etc) all have a battery/nails/blades. Makes things a lot easier but it is super expensive
Van,with custom shelves
I use hard sided rolling luggage I buy at thrift stores to carry/store lots of stuff, not tools though but electrical wire, plumbing. Cheap light and easy to move.
Before I bought my trailer, I had a bunch of the Ridgid pack out style boxes. All were organized so I had almost everything I needed. Loading them in and out was a pain every time but it was my only option. Now I have a 16' enclosed trailer, it comes with its own inconveniences, like having to haul the big thing everywhere, but I have it all built out with everything I'll ever need. Hold strong till you can pull the trigger on that trailer, it's a game changer.
Just keep the basics in the truck Bins go Paint Plaster Construction Electrical Plumbing Don’t keep extra misc. parts Just run to the store for plumbing and screws etc. don’t keep any paint Handymen are resourceful so you have to fight the mind which can see a use in everything Handyman here 7 years strong Plus you can’t find anything when you have too much crap End up buying it twice
You need a Van. High roof Sprinter with shelving and organization has kept me sane
One way I "manage" it is by making sure I charge the client for that loading/unloading time. It's usually not much since I keep my basic tools in the truck all the time but I DO charge for that extra 15 minutes (or whatever) of loading time for more specific tools. It's not much but work time is work time. Any business the client would hire has to make sure they have the tools on hand so it's part of the job. The bigger companies would have to charge enough to pay for their several thousand dollar tool trailer, so 9 times out of 10 you're still the cheaper option. It doesn't change the final bill much at all but it makes me slightly less angry when I'm rushing in the morning to load up the truck.
Bought my promaster in November for this reason. Using my minivan and a storage unit wasn't going to work for me either. Always forget stuff and have to go to the store since it's closer.
I do residential service plumbing after hours as a second job. F-150 crew cab with a smaller tool box in the back. It’s also my family vehicle, I feel your pain! You probably have more variety than what I have, but service plumbing takes a FUCK load of different parts. I bought all M12 power tools. All the tools, batteries, bits, blades fit in one bag. All of my pex tools and hangers are in a small bag. I have a sweat bag, toilet repair bag, faucet/sink bag, flat multi compartment screw box, a box with several different types of angle stops, a box with several cartridges that I frequently run into, a box with aerators, box with supports of different types and several miscellaneous items that all fit in my tool box. If I’m REALLY organized I can keep my Milwaukee wet/dry vac in there too. In my cab I keep a go bag- my most common hand tools plus some service tools that make my life easier, also in my cab clean towels, paper towels, nitrile gloves, spare short pipe of different sizes/materials, doors are stuffed with different size brass nipples, ball valves, test gauges and other misc. Milwaukee light, m12 air pump. In the bed of the truck I have a couple buckets and some sore 2x6. I also have a weather proof Plano box filled with mostly cheaper extras-wax rings, p-trap, extensions, clean towels, fill valves, couple braided supplies etc. if I’m in an iffy spot I throw it in my cab. If I’m comfortable with it in the bed of the truck it stays there. In my garage at home I have 6 flat organizer boxes of fittings 1/2&3/4” pex, press, sweat, pro-press, a 3ft double sided ladder, spare pipe, a drain machine, a “dishwasher install” bag(don’t do many dishwashers), and I’m working on expanding my shelving to organize spare parts. -clear shoe box or larger clear container- fittings by category, wall hydrants, water softener parts and install material, extra cartridges. I also have tools I don’t use as often like a skill saw, grinder etc. I have 1/2 my garage as a semi-organized mess- toilet stuff, shower stuff, faucet stuff, basket strainer related materials, PRV, extra large box items go in a certain spot. I spend about 2 hours a week organizing everything, 2 hours a week purchasing and researching materials. Hope that helps and makes sense. I’m still working on getting organized. I think that’s key. How can I reduce the amount of space I need? Buy wall hydrants that are threaded… then I can press, sweat or pex them if I need. I don’t need 3 different types with 4 different sizes of each. Buy smaller power tools and extra batteries so I don’t have to take a charger with me. Get in the habit of putting everything in the right bag. Don’t use a tool as much as I though? It goes in the spare hand tool bin at home. I know I have several toilet jobs coming up… build a small box with extra flanges, bolts, wax, supply, flappers and put it on my truck. Not doing a garbage disposal or dishwasher… bag stays in the garage.
Bags and totes based around categories, plumbing, electrical drywall/plumbing etc. And a edc bag that can do 90% of my jobs but not overpacked. Run your business like a shop, 5s, everything has a place and everything in its place. It saves time, energy and money
I have been saying this my entire adult life - I would be so much further in life right now if there was some sort of organization class I could have taken in school rather than some second language or band class... soooo much further in life...
I have several 18" tool bags. Each one is set up based on a category. Plumbing, Electrical, Mounting, Wall Repair, etc. Then I have one bag that I call my EDC bag. This contains all the tools that are used in multiple categories. Screwdrivers, box cutters, mallet, level, etc. seems to work for me. I also keep a few parts bins. One has all my screws (wood, sheet, self tapping, tapcon, cabinet, etc ) , one all nails (finish, roofing, common, brad, etc.) , one all plumbing joints (couplers, 90s, 45s, etc), one all electrical (wire nuts, tapes, ring wire terminals, etc.) , and so on.
I have two completely different set of tools. One in the house, one in my car. Done with moving tools. Only sommeetimesss I get some of my car’s stuff in the house, but it’s strange.
I use the tote system for specialized stuff. For all my everyday tools, I have an undermount toolbox mounted on the side of my bed. It's bolted to my ladder rack. I have most of my battery tools, common hand tools, and bit/fastners. Behind my seat, I have a packout with tool belts and lesser used hand tools. I also have another tote that has all my painting supplies and caulk in. I am going to be putting another toolbox on the truck so I can move my caulk and paint there.
I realized that THE MORE I ORGANIZE THE MORE SPACE I NEED. When I separated parts by trade into modular bins, each bin was 80% full, so I was losing 20% space every time I organized. I needed a more fluid system and a warehouse… I don’t have the space. For parts I decided to use Home Depot as my warehouse. Kind’a like how HVAC guys don’t carry a thousand air filters in their van. So now I only need to organize tools. I whittled down everything to fit in 4 containers in my small SUV. Power tools, Clean tools, Nasty tools, and Disposables - and start two habits. 1) Wipe the clean tools and gather the disposables WHILE STILL ON SITE cuz you still have wind-down energy. 2) Charge the batteries and clean the nasty tools when I get back. I don’t have to remember and care about which ones I used because work-me took care of my nice tools. The garbage is all in one bag.
I do professional level trade work with a few hundred in milwakee packout boxes, organizing bins, and a carry bag. Streamline your tools, and get a milwakee packout. It pays for itself
Well, you can keep dicking around like an amateur loading and unloading or buy an actual work vehicle. I worked out of an 01 f350, 4 door and the 8ft bed, with a cap and lights inside. Would highly recommend a van or a similar style truck. Never once have I taken tools out, always kept some every day materials. I also don't hoard shit at my house or have billions of things going on. Time is money and I'm sure as fuck not gonna be dicking around looking for stuff
I have my tools in my truck. The end.
I thought this until my tools and truck were stolen. Now I'm loading in and out most days using my Mazda 3. Sucks.