When Milwaukee announced they were launching a storage system a few years ago most people, even Red Fans were somewhat skeptical. Once launched however PACKOUT has been nothing short of a runaway freight train in terms of popularity, the biggest issue is they just can’t get the products made fast enough or expand the line quickly enough to satisfy it growing fan base! There are a lot of dedicated micro-sites popping up, Packout design hacks and lots of 3D Print files shared on Thingiverse if you’ve got access to a 3D printer. No surprise the Packout rotation was a big hit at this year’s New Product Symposium NPS19 although of course not as many new products in Packout as everyone was hoping for. Pre-Sale for NPS19 tools & accessories are up at Ohio Power Tool with more being added as they come in.
Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio
One of the stars of the show was the new M18 Packout Radio & Charger which has 10 speakers for 360 degree sound, we can confirm it’s very high quality audio. Unit can charge M18 batteries (and other usb devices), has onboard storage and very happy it can store additional Packout on top, so open bin/bags and storage can be easily accessible. Unfortunately, this Radio launches in November 2019 and has a price tag of $299 which makes it a bit overkill for some. If you are looking for a true quality radio for the jobsite this is it but hopefully #NPS20 will bring a second Packout Radio option with half the umff and half the price tag. The other let down of this radio (which is common for all the radio/chargers) is that it’s not a RapidCharger so you might be 4 hours to charge a single 12.0Ah. We are super pumped about this “premium” radio, it is a very nice addition to the whole M18 lineup as there are already several less expensive M18 radio & speaker options.
Milwaukee Packout Mounting Plates & Mobile Cart
You aren’t having déjà vu, Milwaukee announced these both at #NPS18 and here we are a full year later and still no Packout Dolly 48-22-8410 ($89) or Packout Mounting Plates 48-22-8485 ($29). These will be here very very soon (July we have been told) and everyone is certainly ready for them.
Milwaukee Packout Milk Crate
As the Milwaukee Product Manager Says, “Introducing the World’s Fanciest Milk Crate” and probably most expensive (launch target of $39). It can connect on to other Packouts on bottom, top and rear with the wall mounting plates. Use in conjunction with the low profile 48-22-8431 ($39) which can work like a lid. This is a useful addition to the system which we think will be very popular as the lineup grows. Launch in Q4 2019.
Packout we are still waiting & wishing for…
No mentions of a Packout Drawer unit, #1 request common on other storage systems, which give access to several drawers while other Packout is stacked on top. No mention of a Hard Shell Packout Cooler, now that we’ve got the radio coming we really need a rolling cooler base that’ll keep things cool for several days. Also now that we’ve seen the “seat top” on the mobile bases at #NPS19 we can’t unsee them, an actual mechanics stool type seat to go on the mobile base and hopefully the Drawer unit would be very handy.
Future for Packout
They got up at the end and talked a little about Packout and promised that many more are coming soon, expect to see more Packout accessory kits as well as Packout specials with M12 & M18 cordless tool Specials. With lots more storage expansion for #NPS20 if not sooner. Clearly they are still trying to catch up to demand for their existing units, which it looks like they’ve done now, so we are super optimistic about the future expansion.
Comments
comments
